The Chicago Blackhawks continued to add to their blue-line depth in round three of the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting Finnish defenseman Samu Alalauri with the No. 66 pick.
and with the 66th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select Samu Alalauri‼️ pic.twitter.com/oC4WfEGyDX
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 27, 2026
A right-shot defender with NHL size at roughly 6-foot-2 and more than 200 pounds, Alalauri is viewed as a steady two-way defenseman whose game is built around skating, puck movement, and sound defensive habits, rather than high-end offensive production. Public rankings generally projected him as a second-round pick, making him a solid value at this stage of the draft.
The @NHLBlackhawks select Samu Alalauri with the 66th overall pick 🤩 Alalauri was the 48th-ranked prospect on our final NHL Draft rankings 🔥
— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) June 27, 2026
Read more about his game here: https://t.co/fqNCB8j0zM pic.twitter.com/FpNWVE5PiX
#Blackhawks select Samu Alalauri 66th overall. I ranked him 29th overall. pic.twitter.com/hrWSW3Lbu1
— Patrick Bacon (@TopDownHockey) June 27, 2026
Alalauri spent the 2025-26 season with the Pelicans’ U20 team in Finland’s SM-sarja league, recording 25 (6 G, 19 A) points in 40 games while playing in every situation. He also represented Finland internationally at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, and during the latter of those events he picked up one goal and three assists in five games. Widely regarded as one of the best defensemen at Finland’s U20 level this past year, Alalauri likely would’ve earned time in Liiga already if he hadn’t opted for the NCAA development path.
Despite his heavy size, Alalauri’s biggest strength is skating, which is a fairly common trend for Blackhawks picks. He is a smooth, technically sound skater with excellent mechanics and enough natural explosiveness to match attackers stride for stride. He uses this especially well is how he defends the rush: he stays patient, rarely overcommits, and uses his edgework to maintain tight gaps, making it exceptionally difficult for opponents to beat him cleanly while consistently steering plays into low-danger areas. The other area that shines with Alalauri’s skating is his very solid edgework and four-way mobility that he applies at both ends of the ice.
The Finns get one back quickly after.
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 13, 2025
Great feed from Samu Alalauri to Wilmer Kallio, who makes it 1-1. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/xmifDNWoiz
Alalauri plays a very projectable mature game: he uses his mobility and positioning to maintain tight gaps, breaks up plays with an active stick, and relies more on strong reads than physical punishment despite having the frame to play a heavier style. His game is based on consistency and reliability rather than highlight-reel moments. The main concern with Alalauri’s projection lies on the offensive side of the game, where he’s a bit more limited. While he moves the puck efficiently and can contribute in transition, he isn’t viewed as a particularly dynamic creator or power-play quarterback, raising questions about just how much offense he’ll produce at the NHL level.
Alalauri is committed to the University of Massachusetts for next season, where he’ll play with another Blackhawks prospect, Vaclav Nestrasil, who was selected at No. 25 in 2025.