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Reacting to a Blackhawks trade & the Bulls' draft | Chicago Sports Tonight
Tuesday was a busy night in Chicago. The Bulls drafted two players in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The Blackhawks made a blockbuster trade to acquire Bowen Byram. Cassie, Sam and Chris break it down.
The 2026 NHL Draft was a little subdued for the Chicago Blackhawks. That's because they traded away their top selection just a few days ago.
However, they still added a five-player draft class to their prospect pipeline.
Here's what to know about the Blackhawks' five-player 2026 NHL Draft Class, starting with the No. 34 overall selection and ending with No. 200 overall.
No 34. Overall: Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
There are plenty of upsides in selecting Villeneueve, and it's easy to see why he was also projected to be a second-round selection.
At just 17-years-old last year, he was the QMJHL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year at 16, the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a CHL Third Team All-Star.
Villeneueve has spent his entire junior-league career with the Armada. He recorded 62 points last season in the QMJHL. In his career, he has appeared in 152 career regular-season QMJHL games from 2023-26, recording 143 points on 26 goals and 117 assists. He's also a left-handed shot, which is the biggest need the Blackhawks had going into the draft.
This brings another player into Chicago's pool of defensemen, and Villeneueve will have plenty of time to develop when he gets into the Blackhawks' system. Elite Prospects notes that his "signature skill is tempo manipulation," while noting he's an electric defenseman.
Multiple scouting services ranked him as a top-20 player; Elite Prospects ranked him as the No. 13-best prospect in the draft.
What they're saying:
"Next year I'm going to college," Villeneuve, who is signed to play for Boston University, told reporters after he was drafted. "Certain aspects of my game, I need to work on to be ready for the NHL. My goal is to make the NHL after that."
No. 35 Overall: Ryan Roobroeck, LW, Niagara (OHL)
The Blackhawks traded up with the New Jersey Devils to nab Roobroeck. It wasn't a complex trade, but it was a move that signaled the 'Hawks really wanted him.
Trade Details:
Blackhawks send
- No. 37 and No. 119 overall
Devils send
- No. 35 overall
Roobroeck is a polarizing prospect if you check the rankings. Elite Prospects has a composite list of where Roobroeck is ranked.
Some rankings have him listed as a top-30 prospect. Other rankings place him as a top-70 prospect. The varying degree of opinions is most likely why Roobroeck didn't go higher, but the Blackhawks traded up for him for a reason.
There was plenty of potential there. At one point, Roobroeck was considered to be a first-round NHL Draft prospect. His second year in the OHL had stardom written all over it. He scored 41 goals and dished 46 assists. He couldn't replicate that success this past year in the OHL, scoring 30 goals and recording 28 assists in 49 games before an injury cut his season short.
The Blackhawks are banking on potential with Roobroeck. He's 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds already, bringing size to the 'Hawks system he can build on.
What they're saying:
"An instinctual player, Roobroeck puts the finishing touches on plays," Elite Prospects writes in its Draft Report of Roobroeck. "He fires off passes in a catch-and-release motion or with hard one-timers, his shot hitting the back of the net before goalies can react."
No. 66 Overall: Samu Alalauri, D, Pelicans Jr. (FINLAND-JR.)
The Blackhawks added another defenseman with mass to their pipeline. Alalauri is 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, and that will serve him well when he plays at the college ranks next year.
This past season, he recorded 25 points on six goals and 19 assist in 40 regular-season games with the Pelicans U20 (U20 SM-sarja). This earned First All-Star Team honors.
According to The Athletic, Alalauri impressed scouts with his size and skills in this draft cycle. He'll bring his skills as an offensive-minded defenseman to the Blackhawks' system.
Alalauri played in 18 games for Finland's under-18 junior squad at the international level. He recorded 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists.
Alalauri will play college hockey for UMass-Amherst during the 2026-27 season. He'll have a Blackhawks' teammate in Massachusets, though. Vaclav Nestrasil, the Blackhawks' No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, will also play for UMass-Amherst.
What they're saying:
"Alalauri’s skating forms the foundation of his projection. Employing textbook form, he blends projectable mechanics and a notable amount of natural explosiveness," Elite Prospects wrote in his prospect profile.
No. 194 Overall: Alexander Ivanov, D, Bars Kazan (RUSSIA-2)
With the first of their two seventh-round picks, the Blackhawks took their third defenseman of the draft in Ivanov. He's a Moscow, Russia, native that's 18-years-old.
Ivanov is a left-shot defenseman who primarily played for Ak Bars Kazan in the VHL but also played in the KHL. One of his best traits is that he's physically mature as a prospect, standing at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds.
No. 200 Overall: William Sorbrand, C, Timra Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
The ‘Hawks’ final pick of the draft, Sobrand comes from the Swedish junior league. He's a Sundsvall, Sweden, native, and stands at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds. Sorbrand played five games for Timra IK (SHL) during the 2025-26 campaign, logging two shots on goal and three hits.
With the under-20 Timra IK squad, recorded 18 points on 10 goals and eight assists in 28 games.
What's next:
Training camp and developmental camps are next for the Blackhawks.
In a year from now, the Blackhawks have much more draft capital to use.
As it stands, the 'Hawks have 11 picks in the 2027 NHL Draft. These 11 picks are: three first-round picks, two second-round picks, two third-round picks, one fourth-round pick, two sixth-round picks and one seventh-round pick.