The Toronto Maple Leafs owned this first-round pick and sent it to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of a February 27, 2023, trade that sent Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and 2025 to Toronto in exchange for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a second-round pick in 2026 and a conditional draft pick.

Forward notched 42 points (19G, 23A) in 61 regular-season games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL)

The Chicago Blackhawks kicked off their night by selecting Anton Frondell with the third overall pick. That ended a conversation that had been a debate ever since the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery results were revealed.