3 Blackhawks Questions Before 2026 NHL Draft – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks originally entered the 2026 NHL Draft with eight draft picks, and it looked like it wasn’t going to stay that way.

After the blockbuster trade that brought Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres, the Blackhawks now have six draft picks, and none of them are in the first round (yet).

With the Blackhawks no longer having a fourth round pick, the draft talks look a lot different than they did last month.

Here are three questions for the Blackhawks ahead of the draft, which begins June 26 in Buffalo, New York.

1. Will the Blackhawks Trade Back to the First Round?

The Blackhawks don’t have a first-round pick, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. It doesn’t appear that they consider a first-round pick as urgent as it was, given their existing assets, which include three first-round picks in 2027. In addition, they made 11 first-round picks from 2022.

General manager Kyle Davidson was asked on June 24 if it is important to go back to the first round, or if they are comfortable with where they are in their scheme,

“It’s definitely not a priority to pick in the first round. It’s important to get the players we want in a certain range. Obviously, with this trade, the players at the top level are probably not within our reach. That is, again, the package of value that we put in the purchase of Bo (Byram). We found someone that we feel as long as that value and more about what we can get as something that we will get, then we check the ‘board.’ that’s part of the work we’ll be looking to do in the back half of this week with our rookie group, and Mike Doneghey- is to understand the tiers and where there are places we want to hit, or if we just stay and choose where we find ourselves at the top of the second round.

“So, it’s all situational and situational. But I’m not against it, but it’s certainly not something I’m sitting here saying, ‘I need a first-round pick, because it’s the first round, and I need to go up there and make a pick.’ It’s going to be to read the board, read the situation, see if there isn’t that, from a value point of view, that makes sense to go up and get a player in the first round.”

It seems 50/50 whether Davidson will trade back to the first round. Two years ago, he traded up for other first-round picks in the draft, adding Mason West and Marek Vanacker.

So, if there’s a player you’re really watching, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him traded again. They traded two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 29th overall pick last year.

Currently, they have two second rounds, one third round, one fourth round, and one seventh round.

2. Who Could Be The Blackhawks Draft Targets?

I asked my colleague, and another Hockey Writers draft expert, Peter Baracchini, to find interesting names for the Blackhawks in the later rounds.

I profiled winger Gleb Pugachyov as a likely target to fall in the second round.

Some names Baracchini brought to my attention:

Jaxon Cover – Left Wing

Cover is listed as a potential second-round pick, and it looks like he could be a good consideration. He was with the London Knights of the OHL last season, recording 52 points in 67 games.

According to our Jordan Orth article,

“A few skills have translated very well from his time as a center forward to his role as a full-time OHLer, including his stick-up and puck-handling. Given the time and space, Cover has the hands to make a defenseman look silly and can make dynamic plays with the puck on his stick to get down the ice or create more space on the offensive end. Another part of his ability that has translated to “the game” has been his ability translated. he has the shooting and accuracy to be a real threat with the puck from many positions on the ice as a shooter he plays a big role on the London Knights power play and has shown the release and accuracy of being a power play player (five power play goals).

He is listed in the scouting combine as 6-foot-1.5, 183 pounds. Given his playmaking and scoring ability, he could add to the Blackhawks’ defense.

Victor Plante – Left Wing

Last season, Victor Plante had the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP), recording 48 points in 57 games, and the US National Development Team in the USHL, recording 8 goals and 18 points in 20 games.

He seems to have a lot of intangibles that the Blackhawks love.

Here is part of Justin Giampietro’s analysis,

“A lot of teams are hunting prospects with a top-level engine, and Plante falls under that umbrella. Although the NTDP offense didn’t revolve around him, he was always involved at both ends of the ice. He was rewarded for being used in all situations: even power, killing penalties, and the power play.

Although Plante is undersized, he is a threat up front and has the ability to swing. This gives him some of the most important tools to be a useful NHL forward in any coach’s system: car, two-man engagement, and skating. His game can be greatly appreciated at the next level.”

Plante is listed at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds.

His description reminds me a bit of the Blackhawks’ Oliver Moore, who is also the relentless, talented player the Blackhawks value the most.

If Plante (whose father is Derek Plante, a former Blackhawks assistant coach) becomes a second or third rounder, the Blackhawks could consider adding another hard-working player to their team.

Ryder Cali – Center

Ryder Cali was with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL last season, recording 36 points in 47 games. If the Blackhawks want to continue adding size to their prospect pool, he could be a must, as he is listed at the combine as 6-foot-1.5 and 214 pounds.

According to our analysis by Lukas Bernasiewicz,

“That’s one of Cali’s strongest attributes. Standing at 6-foot-2, he’s very good on the offensive end in checking and putting pressure on defensemen. He’s good at winning puck battles and has the ability to get past players to get open. He likes to find open spaces in front of the net to score those goals, get open and get his feet on the board and get a shot on net.

“For a visible player in the offensive zone, Cali has an understated speed, which he shows when he tries to get back to the defense. In the event that the puck goes back the other way towards the North Bay end, Cali often shows his wheels and moves to try to get back into the zone to prevent the opportunity to fight. Most of the time, he is able to succeed.”

Cali would be a good target for the Blackhawks, as speed, offense, and size are a good combination to have, making him a potential second round pick.

3. What Else Can the Blackhawks Do?

Aside from trading back to the first round, could there be another trade for an impact player?

For example, there has been a lot of talk about Jason Robertson. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN tweeted that an NHL official said the Dallas Stars wanted a trade package for Robertson, similar to that of Mikko Rantanen. Robertson may end up re-signing with the Stars, but there is something to remember.

We don’t know how aggressive the Blackhawks are willing to be this summer. Davidson said on June 24 that although they believe in the players they have, that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to look for ways to improve.

If the Stars decide to go the trade route, could Davidson try to pull another big deal out of Robertson? Or can they see someone else?

Time will tell. More moves come after the draft, too.

But anything can happen in a writing environment.

This draft looks like it could either be on the quiet side or it could be a little too busy all of a sudden for the Blackhawks.

Either way, it’s one to watch. They have different methods to explore.