What are the Blackhawks getting in No. 27 pick Marek Vanacker?

Marek Vanacker was drafted with the No. 27 pick in the 2024 draft, the Blackhawks’ third selection of the first round and he was made an official member of the organization last week when he signed his entry-level contract.

Coming into the draft, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Vanacker was ranked at No. 17 among North American forwards by NHL Central Scouting — just one behind fellow 2024 first-round Blackhawks draft pick Sacha Boisvert — No. 18 by Elite Prospects, No. 27 by Sportsnet, No. 53 by Dobber Prospects and all the way down at No. 80 by FCHockey. Those represent a rather wide range of rankings for Vanacker, but the Blackhawks clearly saw something in Vanacker, as they traded back into the first round to select him.