Going into the week of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks had eight picks, including a top-four pick for the fourth consecutive year. However, a few days before the draft, they traded the No. 4 and No. 45 picks to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram, leaving them with six.

General manager Kyle Davidson elected not to trade back into the first round on Friday, waiting until Saturday to draft players. Yet, he was not done making trades, giving up another late-round pick to bring their total down to five.

Round 2, pick 34: Defenseman Xavier Villeneuve

Davidson pulled an early second-round steal here. Defenseman Xavier Villeneuve was projected to be selected around the mid-20s, but he fell entirely out of the first round, mainly due to his lack of size.

He also missed a good chunk of the 2025-26 season with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada due to injury. Despite this, he scored six goals and got 38 points in the regular season, before netting six more goals in 17 postseason games.

Even at just 5 feet 11 inches and 163 pounds, he makes up for it with his skating and edgework. His skill set is best compared to that of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. They are similarly sized and both dynamic, offensive defensemen who use their elite skating and agility to make things happen on the ice.

“(Hutson) is unbelievable,” Villeneuve said at the NHL Scouting Combine. “I think I’m a bit bigger than him, but what he’s doing is so impressive.”

Villeneuve will spend the 2026-27 season with the Boston University Terriers to work on his craft and test how his skills translate into higher levels of competition. He is a boom-or-bust prospect; if he develops properly in college, he could become a top contributor on the Blackhawks.

“(There are) certain aspects of my game I need to work on to be ready for the NHL,” Villeneuve said. “My goal is to make the NHL after that.”

Selection grade: A

Round 2, pick 35: Left winger Ryan Roobroeck

The Blackhawks originally had pick No. 37, but Davidson made another trade. He swapped second-round picks with the New Jersey Devils and gave up the Blackhawks’ fifth-round pick (No. 119) to do so.

They used their newly acquired No. 35 pick to take another big swing, selecting left winger Ryan Roobroeck from the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs. He is a skilled goal-scoring winger who can make plays both from distance and in tight, but whether he thrives or not depends on his pace and physicality.

Roobroeck’s game is modeled after Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Both players are physically imposing at their positions and tend to create chaos in front of the net. Roobroeck proved his goal-scoring ability, getting 30 goals in the 2025-26 season in Niagara and netting 41 the prior year.

“(I’m a) power forward,” Roobroeck said. “Alongside bringing offense … and energy, using my size to contribute anything I can.”

Roobroeck is set to play the 2026-27 season for the Guelph Storm after being traded there from the IceDogs last week. He can use the time to further his physical play and his pace. If he has another great season in the OHL, Roobroeck could be a good piece for the Blackhawks in future seasons.

Selection grade: A

Round 3, pick 66: Defenseman Samu Alalauri

Since it did not have a first-round pick, Chicago had to take a swing in the third round on top of its two second-round picks. At No. 66 overall, it took defenseman Samu Alalauri from the Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish Liiga.

He has a lot of promise defensively through his strong skating base, which forms the foundation for becoming a toolsy defenseman. Alalauri made some improvements on his puck-handling midseason, which now gives him top-four potential.

While Alalauri’s reliance on rush defense and projectable mechanics nets him second-to-third-pairing upside, there is one notable drawback. His offensive production leaves a bit to be desired, scoring just 18 goals in four seasons with the Pelicans.

Alalauri is also playing the 2026-27 season at the collegiate level, joining the UMass Minutemen. If he can learn how to avoid holding the puck for too long in the attacking zone and keep plays simple, he has a chance to earn his way into the show.

Selection grade: B+

Round 7, pick 194: Defenseman Alexander Ivanov

Davidson and his team waited nearly three hours between picks while the rest of the draft transpired, since they were without picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. At No. 194 overall, it was finally the Blackhawks’ turn again, and they selected another blue-liner.

This time, they went with Russian defenseman Alexander Ivanov from the Supreme Hockey League’s Bars Kazan. It is difficult to judge late-round selections just a few days after draft weekend, but sometimes, a gem pops out of the rough.

In its trade for Byram, the Blackhawks sent defenseman Louis Crevier to Buffalo. He was a seventh-round draft pick in 2020, and he blossomed into one of their best defensemen at 6 feet 8 inches and 228 pounds. Ivanov is not quite as big as Crevier, coming in at 6 feet 2 inches and 181 pounds, but this proves that size means a lot.

Ivanov is a big-bodied, well-rounded defenseman with experience in Russia’s professional ranks, but he will need to develop a standout NHL element to have a chance at making it to the Blackhawks. He will have an opportunity to do this with Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League, one of the premier professional overseas leagues, this upcoming season.

Selection grade: B-

Round 7, pick 200: Center William Sörbrand

Davidson dipped into the Scandinavian pipeline with his fifth and final pick of the draft, selecting Swedish center William Sörbrand at No. 200 overall. Sörbrand spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Timrå IK under-20 team, scoring 10 goals and getting 18 points. He also played five games with the Swedish Hockey League club.

The defining element of his game is his physicality, which Elite Prospects describes as a “one-man wrecking ball” in his profile. He is willing to throw his weight around and deliver big hits on opposing players regularly.

His scoring ability remains a secondary part of his skill set, and whether he will make it to the NHL depends on whether he can elevate his puck skill to the same level as his physical identity. As of now, Sörbrand has an outside shot at developing into a fourth-liner.

Sörbrand, along with Ivanov, may end up spending future seasons with the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. A handful of the current Blackhawks developed with the IceHogs, and signs point to their two seventh-round picks following a similar pathway.

Selection grade: B-

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