The Chicago Blackhawks used their third-round pick, 66th overall, to select defenseman Samu Alalauri out of Finland. 

In 40 games with his club team in 2025-26, Alalauri had 6 goals and 19 assists for 25 points. He isn't going to wow anyone with flashy offensive play, but this is a strong defensive selection made by the Blackhawks. 

Over the course of the season, Alalauri improved his defensive game in a big way. He very rarely makes a mistake in his own end, and is great at making sure pucks don't end up in his net. 

His passes out of the zone to create breakouts are always on point, which makes him a valuable asset to whatever team he's playing on. If that translates to the pro game, he will get a shot in the NHL. 

As for his offensive game, there isn't much there right now, but it's mostly his own doing. He isn't much of a risk-taker, in favor of being solid defensively. His ability to make defensive zone passes makes you wonder how he'd be as a playmaker from the back end if he just tried it more. 

Whether the Blackhawks try to unlock that part of his game or not remains to be seen, but they like what he brings from a defensive perspective.

Next season, Alalauri will join fellow Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil at the University of Massachusetts. It will be a strong team with a surplus of good players to surround him with.   

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