What are the Blackhawks getting in No. 72 pick AJ Spellacy?

Since Kyle Davidson took over as GM of the Blackhawks, there’s been an emphasis on speed and work ethic as characteristics the organization covets in their draft selections. In the first two rounds, Chicago selected players with higher offensive upside. In the later rounds, they focused on those with raw toolkits who could be invested in developmentally.

In 2024, speed was especially key to the Blackhawks draft strategy, as they selected what many thought were three of the fastest skaters in the draft, including forward Anthony (AJ) Spellacy from the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.