The first big day of the NHL offseason calendar is upon us! After almost a month since their last game, the Chicago Blackhawks will be thrown back into the spotlight Tuesday night for the NHL Draft Lottery, set to kick off at 6 p.m. CDT. The Blackhawks finished with the second-worst record in the league last season behind the Canucks, so they’ll have the second-best odds at the top pick in the 2026 Draft, which will be held June 26-27. Chicago’s odds of receiving every pick are listed below:
No. 1: 13.5%
No. 2: 14.1%
No. 3: 30.7%
No. 4: 41.7%
For the second straight year, fans will watch on live TV (ESPN) as the lottery balls are drawn from Secaucus, New Jersey, at NHL Network’s studio. The Blackhawks have 135 of the 1,000 possible combinations of the four numbers.
Since the lottery was introduced in 1995, Chicago has moved up four times:
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1999: No. 8 -> No. 4 (a pick that was eventually traded to Vancouver)
2007: No. 5 -> No. 1 (Patrick Kane)
2019: No. 12 -> No. 3 (Kirby Dach)
2023: No. 3 -> No. 1 (Connor Bedard)
The Blackhawks have never moved up from No. 2 to No. 1, like they hope to do tonight. In fact, only three teams have done so in the past 15 years, all from 2012-2014. If you believe in a certain number combination being “due,” the Blackhawks might be in luck. To do so, however, they’ll have to pass the Canucks, who have a 25.5% chance at snagging the top pick.
Assuming the Blackhawks make the pick, no matter where they’re picking inside the top four, they’ll be getting a quality prospect capable of making a big impact at the next level. In the past three drafts, Chicago has picked at No. 1 (Bedard), No. 2 (Levshunov), and No. 3 (Frondell). In the best-case scenario, they’ll be adding to that group with Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, the projected first and second overall picks this year. But even if they move down, they could be targeting guys like center Caleb Malhotra or RHD Chase Reid, both of whom could turn into superstars down the line. We’ll get a better feel for who the Blackhawks might be targeting after the lottery balls are drawn tonight, but either way, Chicago can’t really go wrong. Then again, McKenna and Stenberg are a tier above the field of prospects this year, so it certainly wouldn’t hurt to at least keep their position, or even have a repeat of 2023.
