Three NHL Teams Confirmed to Have Had Trade Talks With Blackhawks for Third Overall Pick

The 2025 NHL Draft is almost upon us, and while there isn't the depth of talent we've seen in recent years, there's still some big names to be had at the top end of the draft.

Unsurprisingly, there are some teams trying to get themselves into a top five draft pick, with Utah, San Jose and even Chicago reportedly open for business on their picks in the top five.

However, the Blackhawks are reportedly no longer as open as they once were, with reports coming from The Athletic's Scott Wheeler that reveal Buffalo, the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh have all had talks with Chicago about moving up to the No. 3 overall slot.

While there's a chance that a big offer could blow them away, all signs right now point to the Blackhawks keeping the pick and adding an elite young player to play alongside Connor Bedard, with both James Hagens and Porter Martone making sense for them at No. 3.

The Penguins now have picks No. 11 and 12 in the draft this year, so they present as the most intriguing team in potential trade talks, but with very little high end talent beyond the top 10, it's easy to see why Chicago may be reluctant to move the pick.

For now though, we know teams are pushing hard to get into the top five for one of Frondell, Misa, Desnoyers, Hagens or Martone, and that will likely continue all the way up to the draft, so while the answer is no right now, don't be surprised to see those teams continue to push hard and potentially break through before Friday.