The Chicago Blackhawks will pick fourth in the NHL draft, marking their fourth consecutive year with a top-four selection. While the team entered Tuesday's draft lottery with the second-best odds (13.5%) of securing the No. 1 overall pick, those hopes were dashed when the Toronto Maple Leafs (8.5% odds) won the first draw. The San Jose Sharks then claimed the second draw, pushing the Vancouver Canucks—who had the highest odds—to No. 3 and dropping the Hawks to No. 4.
As the youngest roster in the NHL prepares to get even younger, the Hawks will be looking to add another promising prospect at the draft, scheduled for June 26-27 in Buffalo, N.Y. The consensus top two prospects are 18-year-old forwards Ivar Stenberg of Sweden and Gavin McKenna of Penn State, both of whom are expected to be off the board by the time Chicago picks. That leaves the Hawks likely targeting Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra, widely considered the third-best forward in the class.
Malhotra, 17, turned heads with a dominant performance in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, racking up 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in just 15 games. That followed a stellar regular season where he tallied 84 points in 67 games. With the pending free agency of Ilya Mikheyev and the uncertain status of André Burakovsky—whom the Hawks might buy out—roster spots could open up, making Malhotra an immediate scoring threat either at center or on the wing.
Other top forward prospects to watch include Windsor Spitfires left wing Ethan Belchetz, Swedish center/right wing Viggo Björck, Boston College left wing Oscar Hemming, Boston University center Tynan Lawrence, and Finnish center Oliver Suvanto. Given that the Hawks have used high picks in recent years on defensemen Artyom Levshunov (No. 2 in 2024) and Kevin Korchinski (No. 7 in 2022), they are less likely to target a blue-liner at No. 4. However, this draft class is deep in defensive talent, so prospects like Prince George Cougars' Carson Carels, Soo Greyhounds' Chase Reid, Latvia's Alberts Šmits, and North Dakota's Keaton Verhoeff remain options when Chicago is on the clock.