CHICAGO — It’s another high-stakes week for the Chicago Blackhawks.

They have two first-round picks, including No. 3, when the two-day NHL draft starts Friday in Los Angeles — the fourth year in a row the Hawks have had multiple first-round selections.

In that time they have picked Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, among others, and that collective is on the brink of becoming the team’s core as soon as next season.

For the third year in a row, the Hawks are picking in the top three, the first team to do so since the Edmonton Oilers from 2010-12.

Such a high pick should be another foundational player for the franchise — but there’s no consensus on who that should be at No. 3.

Jason Bukala, founder of The Pro Hockey Group, a SportsNet analyst and former scout with the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators, shared some of his draft insights with the Chicago Tribune. Here are five candidates — assuming Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are off the board — for the Hawks at No. 3.

Caleb Desnoyers

— Position: Forward.

— Team: Moncton Wildcats (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League).

— Measurements: 6-1 1/2, 178.

— Stats: He had 35 goals and 49 assists in 56 games for Moncton, and his 84 points ranked fifth in the league. He scored the winning goal for Canada in the gold-medal game of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and had five points in the tournament, his third gold in international play.

— Outlook: Bukala acknowledged that had the draft happened months ago, the No. 3 pick might have been Boston College forward James Hagens, who had a modest season for the Eagles and a good one for the U.S. under-20 team after putting up standout numbers for the U18 team in 2023-24.

“Out of sight, out of mind, and recency bias can really factor into discussions,” Bukala said. “It’s kind of human nature.

“But that’s where the danger lies with Misa and Hagens. You’re just going to overlook how good those two players are. But I do believe that Caleb Desnoyers is a kid that has a lot of momentum right now.”

Like other pundits, Bukala likes Desnoyers’ handles through traffic and on the rush, as well as his ice awareness.

“His vision is elite,” Bukala said. “He’s not a guy that looks and identifies one option. He scans the ice really well and identifies several options.”

It’s a big factor in how Desnoyers “has a plan” when he exits the defensive zone instead of winging it.

“He’s scanning the entirety of the ice right away,” Bukala said.

NHL Central Scouting agrees, singling out his “good sense of anticipation.” Its report also noted that while Desnoyers is a playmaker, he also has a scoring touch and willingness to do the dirty work in puck battles.

“He’s nearly a complete player,” Bukala said. “He doesn’t kill a lot of penalties, but he’s really responsible defensively. He’s only going to get stronger. He’s only about (178) pounds, so his stride is really efficient right now. With more strength, you’re going to get even more explosiveness, which will create more separation.”

Despite Desnoyers’ momentum, it’s possible the Hawks could trade back and still be in position to draft him — but not too far.

Bukala worked for the Panthers scouting department for nine seasons and was director of amateur scouting for four seasons, and Desnoyers reminds him of Jonathan Huberdeau. A Quebec native like Desnoyers, Huberdeau is a former Calder Trophy winner and two-time All-Star who’s known for his vision and hands.

“They have a lot of looks (that are) the same when they’re handling the puck at that (major junior) level,” Bukala said, comparing Desnoyers’ play for Moncton to Huberdeau’s time with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. “Really creative player, real smart kid. You can’t teach that.”

Anton Frondell

— Position: Forward.

— Team: Djurgårdens IF (Swedish League).

— Measurements: 6-1, 198.

— Stats: He led Djurgårdens’ junior team with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists). At the NHL combine, he finished first in the aerobic fitness test and third in anaerobic fitness (peak power output).

— Outlook: Frondell was one of 11 17-year-olds to play in Sweden’s second division this season, and he had the best showing among that group with 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 games.

Color Bukala impressed.

“He played his best hockey for me when he played the pro game in Sweden this year, compared to playing in his own peer group, so he thinks the game at a different level,” he said. “And pro players are more organized. He fits that build better.

“Already, his hockey sense is off the charts. That way he’s going to adjust pretty quickly.”

At midseason, Frondell passed Djurgårdens teammate Viktor Eklund to take the top spot in the international rankings.

“He’s always been in my top eight, trending top five to be honest,” Bukala said of Frondell. “He’s right now No. 4 on my list.”

However, Frondell’s upward trajectory hasn’t been without its bumps.

“At the end of the year, for some reason, his minutes fell right off a cliff with Djurgårdens, and he wasn’t utilized as much at the end of the year when he came over to Texas for the U18 worlds,” Bukala said.

Frondell had just a goal and two assists in five games during the U18 Men’s World Championship in Frisco, Texas, and was a nonfactor when Sweden was routed, 7-0, by Canada.

“Compared to some of the other guys, he was just average,” Bukala said. “I was expecting more offense out of him.”

However, Bukala said jet lag and other factors may have come into play.

“Listen, this guy could play the center, he can play the wing, he’s arguably the best shooter from the flank on the power play in the entire draft class,” he said. “He absolutely rips pucks, so I really like Frondell a lot.”

James Hagens

— Position: Forward.

— Team: Boston College.

— Measurements: 5-10 1/2, 177.

— Stats: He had 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for Boston College and tallied five goals and four assists for the U.S. during its gold-medal run at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

— Outlook: A year ago, Hagens was the favorite to be drafted No. 1, but now some mock drafts have him dropping as far as No. 7 to the Boston Bruins.

“I don’t necessarily think he did anything wrong as much as the other kids just did some things a little bit better, and they track differently than him,” Bukala said.

Hagens centered a line at Boston College with Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, who were also his linemates on the U.S. team.

“Anytime you’ve got a guy in the middle, he’s got to move pucks to those guys,” Bukala said.

Some pundits see Hagens as a tad undersized for a center, and the Hawks already have enough of those types. But there are elements about his game that Bukala likes.

“He’s different than the other guys in that he plays a lighter-style game, like he’s more of a motion guy,” Bukala said. “Maybe Misa is kind of like that, but the other guys are in the fight a little bit differently than Hagens is.

“But having said that, when (Hagens) gets the puck and he’s wheeling around in the offensive zone, he’s got that elite vision, and he’s grown a lot too.”

Bukala noted that Hagens was just 5-7 and 138 pounds three years ago when the London Knights drafted him in the sixth round.

“Let’s hope he gets to 6 feet,” he said. “He’s not going to be a heavy guy, but a little bit more weight will help him out in the trenches for sure.”

Hagens had nine goals and 13 assists at the 2023-24 U18 worlds, so he has that offensive spark in his bag.

“It was just ridiculous, so don’t discount this guy,” Bukala said. “Just the other guys (in the draft pool) just had better years.”

Porter Martone

— Position: Forward.

— Team: Brampton Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League).

— Measurements: 6-3, 208.

— Stats: He produced 37 goals and 61 assists in 57 games for the Steelheads and finished second at the 2024 U18 worlds in assists (12) and third in points (17) for Canada.

— Outlook: Martone is not the most explosive skater and probably is limited to center, but he brings other attributes.

One is leadership: Martone captained Canada’s U18 worlds team and was captain of the Steelheads this past season. The other, obviously, is his size.

But there’s more to his profile than physicality.

“His playmaking came a long way this year,” Bukala said. “I thought he was the leading pure shooter, but he’s not just a pure shooter — his playmaking did extend.

“And he’s a guy that’s going to go get the pucks on his own first, and then he’s going to open up space. He might take on two checks to open up space for somebody like a Connor Bedard.

“There’s a lot of reasons why Chicago needs that kind of player. The thing of it is, they don’t have to draft them that high.”

However, if the Hawks did select Martone, “I see the fit, physically, for sure.”

Jake O’Brien

— Position: Forward.

— Team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL).

— Measurements: 6-2, 177.

— Stats: His 41 power-play assists led the OHL and his 32-goal, 66-assist season included two hat tricks and a five-point game.

— Outlook: Despite some positive buzz about O’Brien, “that’s a trade-back situation for me,” Bukala said, to the “muddy middle” between picks 10 and 12.

Still, Bukala said, “he’s a real good player, plays in all situations.”

“In Brantford, his off-the-puck detail can be better at times,” he said. “Some nights he teased me with real good detail and real good engagement. And then there were other nights that in the defensive zone he just wasn’t as committed as he needed to be.”

Bukala gave O’Brien some grace: How many junior players really give their all on defense?

“Especially when they’re scoring the way that this kid did — he’s an elite scorer,” he said.

Bukala wonders how much more weight O’Brien can put on his narrow frame. Otherwise, “there’s lots to like for sure.”

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