The Chicago Blackhawks Have the No. 4 Pick, What Now?

The San Jose Sharks are in serious need of a high-potential defenseman to pair with Sam Dickinson. At the second overall pick, the Sharks could take a guy like Chase Reid. Reid has been overlooked by his peers in this draft, but he is an excellent player in his own right. Any team that lands Reid should be very satisfied.

Then, the Vancouver Canucks select third. With their first draft pick of the rebuild, they may want to take a true first-line potential centerman. Caleb Malhotra, son of former Canuck Manny Malhotra, could very well be the pick here. Malhotra, like Reid, has been severely underrated and has franchise cornerstone potential.

Stenberg has played with Anton Frondell on numerous occasions. Pairing these two, who won a gold medal together at the 2026 World Junior Championship, would be very exciting to watch.

Gavin McKenna

McKenna is probably higher on the Blackhawks’ draft board, but the likelihood of him falling is much lower. Even if the Maple Leafs go a different route at the first overall pick, McKenna likely would not make it past the Canucks.

McKenna has been on the record using the term ‘we‘ to refer to the Chicago Blackhawks. He grew up a fan of the team and is a distant relative of Connor Bedard. All very neat anecdotes, but nothing that should affect the draft order.

Caleb Malhotra

The centerman with the Brandtford Bulldogs has received a lot of attention over the past month or so. The Blackhawks have selected multiple Bulldogs with higher draft picks and have had eyes on Malhotra this entire season.

The Boston University commit will not be available until the tail end of the 2026-27 season. Taking a prospect that has a long timetable is a potential misuse of a high-value asset for a team that needs help ASAP.

Taking Malhotra would complicate some things for the Blackhawks, but nothing they cannot work around. They would logjam their center position. Bedard, Frondell, and Frank Nazar are all hopeful to lead the middle of the ice. Oliver Moore also spent time at the center position.

Moore and Nazar can both play up the wing, but that leaves Malhotra as a projected third-line center. That’s not the value a fourth overall pick should bring. Some would argue Frondell should move to the wing, but the former third-overall pick clicked when played at center. His two-way game, paired with his facilitation ability, is too solid to move to the wing.

It’s unlikely Blashill moves Bedard to the wing, but the possibility is still there. His faceoff numbers have improved, but his 200-foot game still lacks. Putting him on Frondell’s wing with a physical, defensive winger on the other side would make for an excellent first line. Lines with Malhotra could look as follows as soon as the end of next season:

Bedard-Frondell-Mikheyev

Nazar-Malhotra-Kantserov

This assumes they do not make a big trade or signing and can re-sign Ilya Mikheyev. More on that possibility later.

Defenseman

Taking a defenseman would almost require Kyle Davidson to trade a current defensive prospect. Carson Carels, Chase Reid, and Keaton Verhoeff are all possibilities with their own unique skill sets.

One of Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov, or Sam Rinzel would likely be on the move. The Blackhawks would be unable to support another defensive prospect with the ones they already have. Ideally, they can get some value out of their young talent to supplement the forward group.

The Blackhawks Need Help Now

Kyle Davidson should prioritize finding help immediately. Draft, free agency, or otherwise, every move should be with the intent to improve the 2026-27 Chicago Blackhawks. There are three results to the draft that would allow them to do this: McKenna, Stenberg, or trading the pick. There are a few players the Blackhawks could target, with Matthew Knies leading the rumor mill.

Knies has been connected to the Blackhawks for a few offseasons now. His skilled power forward playstyle would be a perfect complement to Bedard. Trading the fourth overall pick and maybe a mid-tier prospect could get a conversation started with the Maple Leafs. The Blackhawks also own the Maple Leafs’ second round pick this year, an important potential trade piece.

Via signing, the Blackhawks should be all over Alex Tuch. The 30-year-old will be looking for a nice deal, but they have to start using their wealth of cap space. With the salary cap rising, there’s no reason Chicago should sit on their hands if Tuch hits the market.

Assuming these two moves take place, here is a realistic post-draft forward group.

Knies-Bedard-Kantserov

Nazar-Frondell-Tuch

Lardis-Moore-Bertuzzi

Donato-Greene-Mikheyev

Again, Mikheyev would have to return to the Blackhawks to accomplish this. His versatility and ability to play up, down, and around the lineup make him a serious asset that Davidson should work on retaining.

This lineup leaves off some important players, both young and old. Sacha Boisvert, for example, would be in Rockford. Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky are not accounted for either. It’s possible these players would be included in a trade package for Knies as well.

Trading in the Draft

Kyle Davidson mentioned the possibility of trading up or down in the draft. This could be another prime way to improve the active roster.

Trading up for McKenna or Stenberg would be a prime example. If Davidson gets the impression that one of Stenberg or McKenna will be unavailable at their pick, trading up is in play. Using other draft capital and prospects packaged with the fourth overall pick would be a great way to get this done.

Trading down could also be a great option. Viggo Björck is an excellent winger who has been overlooked for his size and low production in the SHL. A true boom or bust prospect who is a candidate to slip further in the draft than he is currently projected.

If the Blackhawks wanted to play the long game on a potential top-6 winger but still make improvements to the team now, they could trade back into the 15-20 range to try and land Björck. In return, the Blackhawks could command an established NHL player and other draft capital.

It’s a Matter of When

The Blackhawks will improve; it’s just a matter of when. Although slipping in the draft lottery is a major gut punch, it’s not the end of the world.

In fact, this is where the front office can show its competence. Put a group of high schoolers in the war room and a first overall pick, and they’ll make the right choice nine times out of ten. In other words, that’s not where an organization makes the franchise-defining decisions. With a less-than-ideal draft situation, the Blackhawks have an opportunity to make their own luck this offseason.

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