The Chicago Blackhawks could really be a force this offseason with the 2026 NHL draft. While we have some time with the Olympic break happening, it is a great time to assess the field and look into some mock drafts. Which players are on the board that the front office could be interested in? Chicago has a pair of first-round picks, their own and the Florida Panthers (with a top-10 protection). Let’s take a closer look at who one publication has them mocked to draft and why.
The Chicago Blackhawks draft offense in the first round of Bleacher Nation’s 2026 NHL mock draft
The Blackhawks have a pair of draft picks in the Bleacher Nation 2026 NHL mock draft. Tab Bamford posted an article where he broke down the first round of a mock draft. Below is his explanation of the team drafting center Tynan Lawrence with the sixth pick in the draft:
“If the top five of our mock draft proves to be how the top of the 2026 NHL Draft plays out, the Blackhawks could be the most fascinating team in the draft. Lawrence is a really good prospect who I’m comfortable is good value for Chicago in this spot, even if his numbers since making the mid-season jump to Boston University have been underwhelming. But the intrigue comes with the next line of defensemen on the board, and what some of the offers might be to trade up to get one of them.”
Lawrence recorded 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 13 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL before making the jump to Boston University. However, he has struggled to be as effective in his first 10 games, as he has just one goal thus far.
That is not the only player Chicago can walk away with in the first round of the draft. Thanks to the Seth Jones trade with the Panthers, the Blackhawks own their first-round pick as well. However, there is a top-10 protection on the pick, meaning if the pick is within the first 10 selections, Florida would retain the pick and give the Blackhawks their 2027 first-round pick. In this mock draft, they have the Blackhawks making the 10th pick with left winger Ethan Belchetz.
“The Blackhawks already have a strong collection of prospects coming. What they don’t have a lot of is size that could impact their top six forward mix. The Hawks have seen plenty of Belchez this season; he’s a teammate of Chicago prospect AJ Spellacy with Windsor. Belchetz is a legit power forward with size (6-5, 227) who can score.”
Belchetz has been performing well in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, as he has 52 points (30 goals, 22 assists) over 48 games. It will be intriguing to see how Chicago navigates after the Olympic break through the remainder of the regular season.
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