Chicago Blackhawks land elite defenseman in The Athletic’s NHL mock draft

The Chicago Blackhawks were able to get the fourth pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, thanks to the ping-pong balls going against them. This was the furthest down they could wind up in the lottery, but there is still a bevy of talent available for them to select. The Athletic did a mock draft following the NHL Draft Lottery, but who did they have the Blackhawks taking? Let’s take a closer look at what general manager Kyle Davidson could do when the team is on the clock.

The Chicago Blackhawks add a solid defenseman in The Athletic’s 2026 NHL mock draft

The Athletic did a mock draft of the lottery teams, and each team’s writer would select the player. Chicago’s Scott Powers would have the Blackhawks taking defenseman Carson Carels of the Western Hockey League with the fourth pick. Below is what he wrote regarding the selection:

“The Blackhawks would love to add another elite forward to their roster pool, but they’d be left with little choice if the draft played out this way. In a draft with a lot of high-end defensemen, this would present the Blackhawks with the opportunity to draft whomever they see as the best defenseman. Carels would check a lot of boxes for them as a left-handed defenseman who is big, physical, competitive and possesses a hard shot. He could be na ideal defensive partner for Artyom Levshunov or Sam Rinzel, the Blackhawks’ two defenseman first-round picks. I do think the Blackhawks would listen to trade offers for this pick.”

The first three picks saw Gavin McKenna go to Toronto, Ivar Stenberg go to San Jose, and Caleb Malhotra go to Vancouver. With two wingers and a center off the board, this is not the ideal draft board for the Blackhawks. You’d like to think trading the fourth pick could be on the table if this is how things play out. He has played the previous three years in the WHL for the Prince George Cougars and really stepped up offensively this season. He played in 58 regular season games and recorded 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) with a +23 goal differential on the ice. In the 10 playoff games, he recorded 10 points (one goal, nine assists), so he can be an immediate impactful player.

It will be intriguing to see what the Blackhawks think of Carels if he’s on the board when they are on the clock.

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