Best Fits for Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 NHL Draft

The 2015 NHL draft is going to be an important and potentially interesting time for the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The modern dynasty has three titles in six years, but the 2015-16 season has the team in a financial bind.

In order to ice a full roster, the Blackhawks will need to make some cuts. Therefore, they can use the draft to restock the cupboard for the next run. There's also a chance the Blackhawks could try and add a first round pick or two, which is something that would really set them up for future success.

There are a number of ways general manager Stan Bowman and company can tackle the draft. Here is a look at some potential best fits for the Hawks.

General Team Needs, Roster Breakdown

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Brandon Saad will need a new contract.

Players Signed for Upcoming Season, via General Fanager

Forwards

• Centers: Jonathan Toews, Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen
• Left Wingers: Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg and Bryan Bickell
• Right Wingers: Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa

Defense

• Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson

Goaltending

• Corey Crawford, Antti Raanta and Scott Darling

Biggest Needs to Address via Draft

1) Wingers: The Blackhawks lack significant forward prospects in the system, and looking to add the secondary players of tomorrow should be a priority. Over the past few years, the Hawks have graduated players and lost them to trade or free agency, partially because of a lack of space. Going forward, the team needs cheap young players with talent, and the draft is the best way to acquire players who fit that criteria.

2) Defense: You can never have enough defenders, and the Hawks could stand to add some prospects to replace the defenders they are forced to trade or promote because of the cap crunch. There's a good chance someone such as Ville Pokka, Michael Paliotta or Trevor van Riemsdyk will be on the roster full time next season, and that means there will be one fewer prospect in the pool.

Round 1: Pick Traded to Arizona Coyotes

The Chicago Blackhawks traded their 2015 first-round pick and prospect Klas Dahlbeck for Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline, a move that was criticized at the time. It was roasted after Vermette became a regular-season healthy scratch and obliterated when he was a playoff healthy scratch.

Vermette went on to redeem himself, and he scored some huge goals for the Blackhawks, including three game-winning goals, two of which came during the Stanley Cup Final. The trade was worth it because a first-round pick this late isn't as valuable as an early first and because the Hawks won the Stanley Cup.

Round 2, No. 54 Overall: Jeremy Bracco

Jeremy Bracco is a talented right winger who is going to be a steal for whoever drafts him. He stands 5'10" and weighs 173 pounds, and his relatively diminutive stature may be enough to scare teams from drafting him early.

He entered the midpoint of the season as the No. 36 prospect, according to NHL CSS, and he finished at No. 60 overall.

Bracco spent the season with the USA U18 team, and he tallied 30 goals and 94 points in 65 games. What makes him intriguing is that he has similar size to current Blackhawks star Patrick Kane when he played on the U18 team.

When Kane was on the team, he tallied 68 points, meaning Bracco finished with 26 more points over the course of a season.

That's not to say Bracco is Patrick Kane or will become Kane, but it is hard not to see elements of his game when he steps on the ice. Boston College will be adding a solid player in Bracco this fall, and the Blackhawks should scoop him up in the second round.

Round 3, No. 90 Overall: Erik Foley

Erik Foley is another quality forward who has come through the United States hockey system, and he has the potential to develop into something significant for the Blackhawks. He stands 6'0", weighs 185 pounds and is a left winger who can also play center.

Foley's strengths include his tenacious forechecking, physicality, and playmaking abilities, and he illustrated that with 27 goals and assists for 54 points while playing in Cedar Rapids. Next season, Foley will play for Providence College, and it is there where he could mature and develop into a player ready for NHL duty.

Late-Round Targets

Nicholas Boka

The Blackhawks can afford to target a defender in the later rounds, and Nicholas Boka would certainly fit the bill. He's a physical defender who currently stands 6'1" and weighs 193 pound. He is a grit-and-grind player who battles all game long, sometimes even after the whistle has been blown. He is heading to the University of Michigan, where he will get to learn from legendary coach Red Berenson. That alone could dramatically alter his potential.

Jeremiah Addison

If the Blackhawks want to go after a winger, they should target someone from Ottawa. Jeremiah Addison is a left winger who stands 6'0" and weighs 182 pounds, and in many ways, he is a player in the build of Brandon Saad. He only tallied 47 points in 63 games last season, but he is a solid two-way player who is defensively sound in his own zone. In an interview with Buzzing the Net, Addison said he monitors Mike Richards closely, which makes sense in light of his on-ice play in 2014-15.

List of draft picks via Draftsite.com, and stats and rankings via NHL.com and Elite Prospects unless otherwise noted.