The Chicago Blackhawks will make the 4th overall pick. There is a world where one of Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna falls to them.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks winning the top two picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks fell to pick number four. Like the Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks also dropped two spots into the third selection.
After the lottery concluded, GM Kyle Davidson was adamant that he would take the best player available with the fourth overall pick.
Most people believe that Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the two best players in the draft, or at least will be the top two prospects selected, but there is a world where one of them falls to the Blackhawks at four.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are almost certainly going to take one of them. Their new Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations, Mats Sundin, is Swedish. He may have a heavy influence on landing the Swedish-born Stenberg. There is also the possibility that they go with the Canadian-born star McKenna.
Second overall, the Sharks may consider a defenseman because their pipeline is thin at that position in terms of high-end talent. They have one of the best farm systems in the league, but it's mostly based on elite forwards. One of the big three defenders in the draft makes more sense for them than any winger or center.
Third overall is a wild card, too. The Vancouver Canucks, in a situation where the Sharks take a defenseman, may still go with Caleb Malhotra over whichever one the Leafs leave behind.
Malhotra is the son of former NHL player Manny Malhotra, who also happens to be the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver's AHL affiliate. Their scouting department is a fan of the player, more than just because of his name.
If that's the way that the first three picks go, the Blackhawks will see one of those two forwards (McKenna/Stenberg) fall to them. Both of their playstyles would fit into the organization right away.
Gavin McKenna has off-ice communication with Connor Bedard, and Ivar Stenberg is more than familiar with Anton Frondell, both on and off the ice. Each player having an olive branch to the organization would make the transition easier.
This is all a hypothetical situation because nobody truly knows what Toronto, San Jose, or Vancouver will be thinking come June, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.
The Blackhawks need a forward with star potential more than a defenseman, but if McKenna, Stenberg, and Malhotra are all gone, they may go with a potential franchise blue-liner. The Sharks are the wild card in that regard.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.