Chicago Blackhawks locked up a top four pick in NHL draft

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially clinched a top-four pick in the upcoming NHL draft, with a 13.5% chance to win the lottery. And it’s a draft that has prized prospect Gavin McKenna.

They locked themselves at the 31 spot with 70 points heading into their final two games, only ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. It’s the fourth consecutive year the Blackhawks get a top-four pick, though it’s the first time since 2019-2020 they eclipsed the 70-point mark.

The Blackhawks are now locked into 31st place. They’re guaranteed a top-four draft pick for the fourth consecutive year.

They’ll have a 13.5-percent chance at winning the lottery, 14.1 percent for the No. 2 pick, 30.7 percent for No. 3 and 41.7 percent for No. 4.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 13, 2026

The Chicago Blackhawks have a shot at Gavin McKenna

If the Blackhawks win the lottery, sitting for the taking is Penn State’s Gavin McKenna. The 18-year old Canadian winger tallied 51 points in 35 games with Penn State this past NCAA season, as well as 14 points in seven games in the 2026 World Juniors tournament. Previously, he tallied 129 points in 2024-2025 with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. The ultimate dream for any Blackhawks fan would be Connor Bedard and McKenna on the same team.

https://Twitter.com/PSUBarstool/status/2025414616113688857/video/1

Picks 2-4 will still have some intriguing talent for the taking. There is a collection of defensemen projected to go high in the draft. Some names include Soo Greyhounds (OHL) Chase Reid, North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff, Prince George Cougars (WHL) Carson Carels, and Jukurit Mikkeli’s Alberts Smits. With the Blackhawks building a blue line with prospects, one of these kids could be an anchor for the group.

Least mesmerizing Chase Reid shift #MyFirstOverall pic.twitter.com/NdQqH1mqqM

— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) April 4, 2026

In terms of other forwards, one of the highest projected players (not named McKenna) is Frolunda HC’s Ivar Stenberg. The 18-year old from Sweden recently scored 10 points in seven games in the 2026 World Juniors. More notably, he was teammates with Blackhawks first-rounder Anton Frondell on the World Juniors Swedish team.

Ivar Stenberg on Anton Frondell

“He has like everything; he is smart on the ice… He is a powerhouse. He can do whatever the coach tells him to do.”

After seeing the connection Frondell & Bedard have, I can only imagine how good the #Blackhawks would be if they took Stenberg pic.twitter.com/0fZi4k1VV6

— The Prospect Don (@TheProspectDon) March 28, 2026

This has got to be it with high picks.

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson took over in October 2021 after Stan Bowman left. Since he took over, he has led a full rebuild that is now finishing season five. He’s worked to build draft capital and stack up prospects to rebuild the team primarily through drafting and development.

Rebuilds in the NHL take time, but it’s time to take a big step forward. They simply cannot be a bottom-feeder again next season.

Asking for playoffs might not be realistic, certainly not a Stanley Cup run, but this team should ideally be competitive within the 80-90 point range. They have been inching this rebuild along the past few years, but eventually that leap has to be taken. It might be hard, as the free-agent market does not have many in-prime free agents ready to sign. It might require a combination of getting creative with trades, and these kids take a big step on the ice. That’s on the staff to help develop them to get there, and the talent evaluation to find the right personnel to complement them on a team.

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