Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg? If the Blackhawks get the No. 1 pick, which one should they select?

That hasn’t tanked the winger’s draft stock much — if at all — but it’s also true he’s no longer the unanimous No. 1 pick that he was back in October.

The case for Ivar Stenberg

Stenberg’s name is thrown in that pool now after a successful season in Sweden.

The 18-year-old from Stenungsund is the brother of St. Louis Blues center Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in 2023. Ivar Stenberg finished the 2025-26 Swedish Hockey League season with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games for Frölunda HC. While he didn’t do much in the regular season in 2024-25, he heightened his game in the playoffs with six points (three goals and assists) in 12 games.

He was a part of his country’s gold-medal run in the IIHF World Junior Championship in December and January, totaling 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games. Before hearing his name in the NHL draft, he’ll play for Sweden again in the IIHF World Championship this month in Switzerland.

Stenberg’s two-way game makes him a threat on both ends of the ice. His active stickwork opened eyes this year, especially at the world juniors, while his hockey IQ and play creation are what many teams in play for the top pick desperately need. Consistency is a worry if you had to nitpick, but he’s producing most of the time on one side or the other, so that shouldn’t deter a team from selecting him No. 1.

Where would they play in Chicago?

Long story short: The Hawks really couldn’t go wrong with either one.

While adding to their center depth with Caleb Malhotra wouldn’t be a terrible idea, that would be a reach with the first selection. If the Hawks land the No. 1 pick, they should select McKenna or Stenberg with the intention of pairing either with Bedard on the top line.

Hawks coach Jeff Blashill tried Ryan Greene and André Burakovsky as Bedard’s top wings for a large portion of this past season, to little avail. Burakovsky was an offensive shackle on the right side, while Greene showed potential in many aspects outside of consistent finishing.

Bedard had chemistry with Anton Frondell upon his arrival, but Blashill’s idea of keeping those two and Frank Nazar at center makes sense so that one of them is on the ice most of the time. Oliver Moore or veteran Ryan Donato could be the fourth-line center, making for a quality depth chart in the middle.

Tyler Bertuzzi elevated everyone’s game in 2025-26 on whichever line he was on, and he scored a career-high 32 goals. He’d be a good pick to skate alongside Bedard to start.

With the No. 1 pick, the Hawks select …

Now, about the other wing.

Playing at the United Center would be a dream come true for McKenna, who has said that the Hawks were his favorite team growing up and that he models his game after Kane.

That’s a good role model to have, especially in Chicago. McKenna also was seen wearing a White Sox hat not long ago.

If drafted by the Hawks, he would have a familiar face in the locker room. He and Bedard are cousins by marriage — “like eighth,” McKenna said — and have texted each other often. In a news conference before his college debut, McKenna called Bedard “a guy I can lean on.”

McKenna’s elite playmaking will take some time to adjust to the NHL, but in the meantime he and Bertuzzi, Frondell or another finishing wing could collect pucks from Bedard, already one of the league’s best playmakers. In a best-case scenario, Bedard and McKenna would play keep-away from the defense and set each other up for a plethora of shots. It’s something the Hawks need, given that they were last in the NHL in shots per game (24.7).

One thing McKenna hasn’t checked off his list is skating against older players; he’ll get his first taste this month in the world championships. It’s something the young Hawks still are learning — and that might give Stenberg an edge.

The Hawks should have more chemistry now that most of them have a full NHL season under their belts, and plugging Stenberg into that would fit like a puzzle piece. His fellow Swede Frondell didn’t miss a beat coming out the SHL this season.

When Frondell was called up to the Hawks on March 24, he played like he’d been in the NHL for a while. It wasn’t perfect — there were defensive mistakes here and there — but he had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 12 games and averaged 17 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time.

Frondell and Stenberg won gold with Sweden at the world juniors earlier this year and will play together again in the worlds. Bedard with two seasoned wings in Stenberg and Frondell could spell danger for opposing defensemen.

The Hawks want to be a scrappy, tough, annoying team to play against. That includes being more aggressive with their sticks and bodies, along with sticking up for their teammates. Bedard said the Hawks weren’t “going to take any (expletive)” this season, but they proceeded to receive their fair share of it. Stenberg could be a young example of fierce, intentful play.

Of course, McKenna could gain those off-puck skills fairly quickly. But it would help the Hawks to have a new player who already excels there, and they need that tough identity to go with the offensive production.

So if the Hawks win the lottery, they should select Stenberg. But if they do get the No. 1 pick, fans should be excited either way that they would be drafting a stud.

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