It's been a tough week for Chicago Blackhawks fans. The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery didn't exactly go their way, leaving many wondering if their team will land a top-tier talent in what's shaping up to be a loaded draft class.

Entering the lottery, the Blackhawks knew the odds were stacked against them. With a 27.6% chance of securing the top pick or staying at No. 2, and a 72.4% chance of dropping to third or fourth, the numbers weren't exactly comforting. And when the ping pong balls finally settled, Chicago found themselves on the clock at No. 4 for the draft, set for June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

That drop means the Blackhawks could miss out on the two most coveted forwards in the class: Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. Finishing as a bottom-three team only to slide to fourth overall stings—especially when you consider the talent at the top. But here's where things get interesting.

Since the lottery, several draft experts have released their mock drafts, and there's a growing buzz that Stenberg could still be available at No. 4. Craig Button of TSN was among the first to weigh in, projecting the Blackhawks to select the Swedish forward with their pick. In Button's mock, the Toronto Maple Leafs take McKenna first overall, the San Jose Sharks grab defenseman Chase Reid at No. 2, and the Vancouver Canucks pick Caleb Malhotra at No. 3—leaving Stenberg on the board for Chicago.

Button wasn't alone in this prediction. Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet released a similar mock, with the same top three picks and the Blackhawks landing Stenberg at No. 4.

While the lottery results were disappointing, there's still a real chance Chicago walks away with a franchise forward. For a team in the middle of a rebuild, that's a silver lining worth watching closely.