Analyzing Blackhawks’ five 2026 draft picks: Xavier Villeneuve, Ryan Roobroeck are high-upside swings

After sitting quiet throughout the first round of the NHL draft Friday, the Blackhawks took two big swings on boom-or-bust prospects in the second round Saturday.

Then general manager Kyle Davidson waited hours to eventually complete his 2026 class. Here’s a breakdown of all five picks:

No. 34: Xavier Villeneuve, defenseman, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

The Hawks seemed likely to target defensemen Saturday, and they did that right away with Villeneuve, one of the consensus top prospects still available after the first round.

The Quebec native was unquestionably a first-round talent, but his diminutive size — 5-11 and 164 pounds — scared off teams. The Hawks were willing to gamble on his upside.

“The skill set I have is pretty rare, without being too cocky,” Villeneuve said. “My smartness and my feet will help me get over [my lack of size]. I’m pretty confident with that.”

His quickness and elusiveness, combined with his hockey sense and vision, make him difficult to contain.

He has been compared to Canadiens star Lane Hutson throughout the draft process, and Villeneuve, also a left-handed shot, believes in that comparison. He’s headed to Boston University next season, hoping they can develop him just like they developed Hutson.

Scouting director Mike Doneghey mentioned a Davidson quote from January scouting meetings that stuck with him.

“[Kyle was] like, ‘I hear everything about this kid, and the only downfall is he’s 5-11,’” Doneghey said. “‘What if he’s 6-1? Well, he’s probably top of class, like he’s in that top-10 skill set with all the guys who went [Friday].’”

Villeneuve also thinks he isn’t done growing, since his dad apparently had a late growth spurt up to 6-1. Whether or not that happens, the Hawks believe he can become an elite prospect.

“We felt we have a lot of big defensemen who can move,” Doneghey said. “This was the perfect time to add a piece.”

No. 35: Ryan Roobroeck, left wing, Niagara (OHL)

The Hawks traded up from No. 37 to No. 35, giving the Devils their fourth-round pick to do so, to select mercurial Roobroeck.

Last summer, Roobroeck was considered a possible top-10 pick in this class, but he disappointed with Niagara this season and fell down rankings. He will play for Guelph in the OHL next season. Doneghey said it’s undecided if he will eventually go to college.

Roobroeck’s strengths are enticing: he’s big (6-3 and 210 pounds), a decent skater for his size and an excellent shooter. But his weaknesses are worrying: his work ethic and compete level are inconsistent, and he doesn’t utilize his size as much as he could.

Doneghey compared Roobroeck to Brandon Saad, a second-round pick in 2011, in that “he just never got comfortable in his draft year” and it masked his true potential.

“[He’s] a big body with nice skill, and he can put it in the net,” Davidson said. “There’s a package there that we’re really excited to work on and hone moving forward.”

No. 66: Samu Alalauri, defenseman, Pelicans (Finland)

Alalauri is difficult to evaluate since he has only played junior hockey in Finland, but he was one of the country’s top two defensemen on their national junior team. The 6-2, 220-pound right-handed blueliner is balanced offensively and defensively.

He’s headed to UMass next season, which should be illuminating. He will play with fellow Hawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil there.

No. 194: Alexander Ivanov, defenseman, Ak Bars Kazan (Russia)

The Hawks had Ivanov “actually really high” in their internal rankings despite landing him in the seventh round, Doneghey said. He fits their preferred mold as a big 6-3 defenseman who skates well.

He has two years left on his KHL contract — although he has barely played in the KHL so far — and seems invested in jumping over to North America afterward, which he demonstrated by speaking English on a call with a Hawks scout.

No. 200: William Sorbrand, center, Timra IK (Sweden)

Sorbrand is known as a heavy hitter who eagerly throws around his 6-4, 209-pound frame.

“[He has] secondary skill — like, he’ll chip pucks in from the net front — but he’s strong along the boards, can really skate and has a physical element to him,” Doneghey said.