When the Blackhawks traded up to select Ryan Roobroeck with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, they were betting on one of the draft’s more intriguing upside swings. For much of the past two years, Roobroeck had been viewed as a potential first-round talent thanks to a rare combination of size, goal-scoring instincts and offensive touch. Although his draft stock cooled during his draft year, Chicago clearly believed the upside was too good to pass up early in the second round, moving up two spots to ensure they landed the Niagara IceDogs forward.
Like the Blackhawks other 2026 second-round pick, Xavier Villeneuve, there is an element of boom-or-bust to Roobroeck, but his offensive toolkit gives him the potential to develop into a legitimate top-six NHL forward if the rest of his game continues to mature. That’s exactly the type of gamble rebuilding organizations should be making early in the second round, where finding players with legitimate top-line potential often outweighs selecting prospects with safer but more limited ceilings.
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