The Chicago Blackhawks set the tone of the entire offseason. Having spent the past few years stockpiling prospects through the draft, general manager Kyle Davidson felt it was time to take a big swing for some top veteran help. He soon worked out a blockbuster trade for Buffalo Sabers defenseman Bowen Byram. While it cost the 4th overall pick in the draft, Chicago feels they got one of the best young offensive defenders in hockey, along with a desperately needed boost to their power play.
Plenty of people weren’t happy with the trade, feeling the Blackhawks gave up too much. Davidson was unapologetic, feeling this team needed help now rather than a young player who might become something in a few years. Bowen just turned 25. He’s in his prime and coming off his best season. Besides, the Blackhawks GM still felt he could find value in the draft without the top pick. According to several experts, including Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, he was correct.
The Chicago Blackhawks were big winners of the draft.
“The Blackhawks didn’t pick until No. 34, and I loved that they used it — and the next pick at No. 35 — to operate from a position of strength with one of the deepest pools in the league and take two huge swings on Xavier Villeneuve and Ryan Roobroeck. They can afford to gamble a little on some guys now, and there might not be a bigger one than Villeneuve and Roobroeck. They have a ton of length on their back end, and Villeneuve could complement that as a diminutive all-skill guy. And they have a ton of diminutive speed up front, and Roobroeck complements that as a big, high-skill, NHL-shot grade winger. Villeneuve needs to defend better, and Roobroeck needs to compete harder, but the skill is legit with both.
Samu Alalauri early in the third round represented another cut, too. His weight and fitness have been a talking point, but he has skill and has been a top player in the ’08 Finnish age group all the way.”
All three players bring significant value if they hit.
Most agree that Villeneuve almost certainly would’ve been a 1st round pick if he’d been two inches taller. Standing 5’10” makes it difficult for a defenseman to get selected that high. Still, his vast array of skills makes the probability high that he will be a productive player once his game matures. He’s too fast, too smart, and too slick with the puck to be denied. Roobroeck is your class big guy who hasn’t learned how to play like a big guy. Basically, he’s “Tree” Lane from the Mystery, Alaska movie.
The stick-handling and rocket-launcher slap shot are there. He understands spacing and getting in front of the net. It is about whether he can find the aggression and killer instinct big guys like him need to dominate. As for Alalauri, he is just a well-rounded prospect. His size fits well as a defenseman, and he couples this with great poise and an ability to facilitate puck movement as a passer. He had 19 assists in 40 games during his last season in Finland. Couple that with a high competitive streak, and this is the type of player who sticks with an organization for a long time.
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Davidson continues to show his knack for non-1st round work.
People are free to criticize how he’s handled the rebuild to this point, but it is hard to deny that the Chicago Blackhawks GM has a certain knack for the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Since taking over in 2022, he has added names like Frank Nazar, Ryan Greene, Sam Rinzel, and Nick Lardis in that range. Nazar looks like a serious gem, while the other three showed lots of improvement last season. If that track record holds, it’s a reasonable bet that at least one of Villeneuve, Roobroeck, or Alalauri will turn into a really good player.
Remember, the Blackhawks only had five selections after the two trades that netted them Byram and the 35th pick. Davidson could not afford to make mistakes. Nabbing three players with high grades like that is tremendous work. The best part is that they might not be done. Davidson has more than enough draft capital and cap space to make another big veteran move if he wishes. If he can land a prominent winger to pair with Connor Bedard, expectations for the 2026-2027 season should skyrocket.
