While the core remains intact, the Blackhawks know when they have potential stars in certain draft picks.
Some draft picks have the look and have some performance history to support drafting them with an early pick. There’s no guarantee they’ll succeed, but they’re worth taking early. Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Schmaltz come to mind in recent years.
Finally, there are players the Blackhawks simply take a chance on. They may have put up some numbers as a younger player, but lack size. They may be a late bloomer. They may just have an athletic quality that is worth taking a longer look at and allowing to develop.