What are the Blackhawks getting with No. 66 overall pick Samu Alalauri?

After swinging for upside with defenseman Xavier Villeneuve and forward Ryan Roobroeck in the second round -- two prospects whose ceilings are among the highest in the 2026 draft class but come with notable developmental risk -- the Blackhawks took a different approach with their third-round pick. Selecting defenseman Samu Alalauri at No. 66 overall, Chicago opted for a player with more of a firm floor rather than a high ceiling, prioritizing size, skating and defensive reliability over pure offensive flash. He\'s also an example of the type of prospect the Blackhawks have gravitated toward in recent drafts: toolsy, mobile players with strong physical/athletic foundations who may not be finished products but have the potential to develop more complete games over time.

While Alalauri may not possess the dynamic offensive upside of the players selected before him, he fits the organization\'s long-term philosophy of betting on projectable traits from a player about whom Elite Prospects said there\'s \"a good shot at developing into the best of the [Finnish defensemen] bunch.\"

Background

Position: Defense

Age: 18 (May 31, 2008)

Hometown: Lahti, Finland

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 220 pounds

Shoots: Right

2025-26 Team: Pelicans U18/U20 (SM-sarja)

Production: 30 points (8 G, 22 A) in 50 regular season games, 1 point (1 A) in 4 playoff games

Like many other hockey prospects before him, Alalauri spent his teenage years soaring up age-based leagues faster than any calendar suggested he should. The 2008-born Alalauri cracked the U18 team for Pelicans as a 15-year-old during the 2023-24 season, picking up 17 points (3 G, 14 A) in 27 games, and was awarded Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, he was up to 26 games with the U20 team and five points (2 G, 3 A) as one of the younger defensemen in Finland\'s top junior league during the 2024-25 season. Throughout those years, he showed consistent year-over-year improvement rather than one breakout campaign both on and off the scoreboard.

D Samu Alalauri (2026) scored his first career goal in his first career game with Pelicans' U20 team yesterday.

One of the most promising Finnish players in the 2008-born age group, expect him to make his debut with Finland's U18 national team sooner rather than later. pic.twitter.com/Ja6msf4DDE

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) September 8, 2024

Last season, Alalauri nearly quintupled that production, finishing with six goals and 25 points in 40 games on the U20 team. That total ranked among the league\'s top draft-eligible defensemen and earned him First All-Star Team honors and the Defenseman of the Year award. Alalauri also made his Liiga debut with Pelicans, appearing in four regular-season games and one playoff contest. While he didn\'t register a point, the experience gave him a taste of Finland\'s top professional league. Honestly, had he not already been committed to the NCAA route, Alalauri likely would have spent much of the season in Liiga instead of Finland\'s U20 league.

Alalauri also became a familiar face for Finland on the international stage. He represented his country at the U16, U17 and U18 levels, serving as an alternate captain at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship. He recorded four points in five tournament games while leading Finland\'s defensemen in scoring, and previously contributed four points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Although he was rarely the flashiest player on the ice, coaches consistently leaned on him for heavy minutes thanks to his dependable decision-making and ability to handle every situation.

Samu Alalauri to Chicago

Alalauri played the most of any Finns at the U-18s, and it was easy to understand why. He had three points against the Slovaks and averaged more than 22 minutes a night (the 10:41 against Canada was an outlier). It felt like he played with significant…

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) June 27, 2026

That dependable profile also made Alalauri an attractive recruit for the University of Massachusetts, where he is set to begin his NCAA career next season. The move should provide an ideal development environment, allowing Alalauri to adjust to the North American game while continuing to refine the offensive side of his game against older competition.

Skills Breakdown

A smooth-skating, two-way defenseman with NHL size and strong defensive instincts, Alalauri thrives on conservative but efficient puck movement while also shutting down plays before they develop. His long-term ceiling will depend on whether or not he can become a more dynamic offensive creator.

The @NHLBlackhawks select Samu Alalauri with the 66th overall pick 🤩 Alalauri was the 48th-ranked prospect on our final NHL Draft rankings 🔥

Read more about his game here: https://t.co/fqNCB8j0zM pic.twitter.com/FpNWVE5PiX

— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) June 27, 2026

The biggest strength in Alalauri\'s game is his skating, particularly his four-way mobility. He moves readily in every direction, changes angles quickly and uses his edges well enough to stay with attackers through cuts and changes of pace. That shows up most in the neutral zone, where he consistently keeps tight gaps, mirrors puck carriers and forces them toward the outside instead of giving up the middle of the ice. He also typically recovers well after stepping up aggressively or jumping into the rush, allowing him to stay involved without getting caught out of position. However, while Alalauri is an above average skater, especially for his 220-pound size, he doesn\'t quite have the explosive first few strides or top-end speed of the draft\'s most dynamic defensemen. Improving that initial burst will be one of the biggest areas of focus as he makes the jump to the NCAA and, eventually, professional hockey.

With the puck on his stick, Alalauri was somewhat of a mixed bag early in the season, but his consistency improved as the year went on. By the end of the campaign, he had become one of Pelicans\' more reliable transition players. He was always calm on puck retrievals, did a good job keeping his head up under pressure, and often made a smart first pass to get his team moving the other way. Alalauri routinely used deception and smooth skating to evade forechecking pressure, allowing him to maintain possession and create cleaner exit lanes instead of simply chipping the puck out under duress. There was an elusive quality to his defensive zone transition work that Upside Hockey explained well in their scouting report:

\"He can make incoming forecheckers look inept in retrievals with his ability to dodge checks using deception and slick one-on-one moves, and he is a virtual specialist when it comes to completing precise, error-free breakout feeds with confidence and poise to kickstart transition.\"

Ryan Ma Scouting also expanded on why Alaluri was so good as starting the zone breakouts:

\"His impressive understanding of how to use his size and skating to retrieve pucks and push play north out of his zone is a key reason why Alalauri’s controlled exit rate and puck battle win rate are both 96th percentile in the Finnish Junior League this season. On top of that, for a bigger player, he’s poised on the puck. Short-area bumps up the board to his forwards, reversals to his defensive partner, and skating away from pressure to open up passing lanes for exits, Alalauri has shown me that he’s not a one-trick pony and is comfortable making plays under duress.\"

While Alalauri consistently handled retrievals and initiated breakouts with poise, carrying the puck through the neutral zone remained a work in progress throughout the season. However, he did get more comfortable carrying the puck when the opportunity was there, figuring out how to best use his skating to create space before moving the puck to a teammate. There were still times when Alalauri was overconfident in his abilities and it hurt him: he\'ll occasionally hang onto the puck a little too long, looking to make the bigger play or try a difficult deke or pass when the simpler option is available. Those decisions don\'t get punished as often at the junior level, but they\'ll become much riskier against faster NCAA and professional competition. Learning when to push the pace and when to keep things simple will remain one of the biggest areas for growth in his game, but he was already making noticeable progress in that regard by the end of the season.

Elite Prospects scout Lassi Alanen praised the progress Alalauri made during his draft year, particularly the growth in his puck-moving game:

\"At least in my viewings, Alalauri is trending upwards, having improved his consistency as the season has progressed and now putting together projectable performances one after the other. The bulk of the projection still comes down to the physical tools: the highly impressive rush defence footwork, the mobility, the explosiveness, the size and sturdiness that comes from being strong and having picture-perfect mechanical base. But you have to give him credit for having taken steps as a puck-mover, now being more effective at making first-touch plays on retrievals and very rarely throwing away possessions, a thing that frustrated me a lot in the first half. All of this is allowing him to effortlessly eat a lot of minutes while tilting the ice favourably.\"

Although Alalauri isn\'t likely to develop into a true power-play quarterback, he can still contribute offensively in plenty of ways. He moves well along the blue line, does a good job keeping plays alive and isn\'t afraid to jump into the rush when the opportunity is there. His mobility lets him attack downhill and draw defenders toward him before moving the puck to a teammate in a better position. Alalauri also gets his wrist shot through traffic consistently, creating rebounds and second-chance opportunities, though his one-timer could use a little more power. The biggest question is whether he\'ll ever become a true offensive driver. Most of his production comes from making smart plays and keeping the puck moving rather than creating scoring chances on his own, which has left some scouts wondering how much offense he\'ll ultimately provide at the NHL level.

Here\'s one such smart play that led to a goal:

The Finns get one back quickly after.

Great feed from Samu Alalauri to Wilmer Kallio, who makes it 1-1. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/xmifDNWoiz

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 13, 2025

This moment from the 2025 Hlinka Cup is the kind of thing that Alalauri will need to do more in future seasons to silence the questions related to his offensive abilities from the blue line:

Samu Alalauri, through traffic, gives Finland the 5-2 lead now. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/NX5Qh5Yqu2

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 15, 2025

The offensive abilities he does have are on display in the 74-second clip below, with Alalauri typically being the guy wearing No. 3:

#Blackhawks third-round pick Samu Alalauri: pic.twitter.com/oWbrUEaIsj

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) June 27, 2026

One of the biggest reasons Alalauri is viewed as such a safe prospect is his defensive game. His mobility is backed up by strong anticipation and positioning, allowing him to read plays before they fully develop instead of simply reacting to them. He does an excellent job keeping his stick in passing lanes, taking away the middle of the ice and staying disciplined rather than chasing the puck out of position. Against the rush, Alalauri typically stays patient, maintains tight gaps and is comfortable defending both one-on-one and odd-man situations without overcommitting. Once play settles into the defensive zone, he uses his reach to break up plays and is quick to recover loose pucks before turning them into clean breakouts the other way. He may not rack up highlight-reel hits or flashy defensive plays, but his ability to consistently make the right read is a big reason he\'s viewed as one of the more dependable defensive defensemen in this draft class.

While Alalauri doesn\'t have many glaring weaknesses, McKeen\'s Hockey pointed out that refining the small details and developing a more distinguished skill set are key for his continued development:

\"He has good skating, good puck skills, good reads ... but the next step will be identifying and sharpening a defining trait that separates him from peers. Defensively, his reads can occasionally lag when play speeds up, particularly in front of the net or on quick rotations, and he’ll need to add urgency and assertiveness in boxouts and puck retrievals.\"

It\'s also interesting to note that Alalauri doesn\'t see his defensive game the same way many scouts do. While it\'s widely considered his most NHL-ready attribute, he has described it as \"sloppy\" and one of the areas he hopes to improve.

"[I need to work on] my defending game. I think that’s a little more sloppy. But UMass is great [at emphasizing] defending sound. That’s going to help me a lot. I’ll become a great D-man."

Get to know new Blackhawks prospect Samu Alalauri: https://t.co/i1eDdzfVq1

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) June 30, 2026

Finally, although Alalauri has a heavy frame, he isn\'t an overly punishing defender: he knows how to use his weight well in general, but he wins battles through positioning, stick work and leverage more than open-ice hits or grinding players along the boards. There are times when he could use his frame more aggressively around the crease and along the boards, but he rarely sacrifices defensive structure in pursuit of physicality. That measured approach is part of why he was one of the most dependable defensive prospects in the class, even if it doesn\'t always produce highlight-reel moments.

Conclusion

After taking two high-risk, high-reward swings in the second round, the Blackhawks shifted back to their typical strategy of selecting a safer, projectable but toolsy defensemen in Alalauri with their third-round selection. His combination of size, skating, and defensive reliability gives him a strong foundation to build on, but his long-term ceiling will ultimately come down to how much offense he can unlock. The tools are there to be an effective puck mover who supports transition and contributes from the blue line, but he doesn\'t consistently create offense on his own or possess the dynamic creativity of some of the higher-end offensive defensemen in the 2026 class -- or even in the Blackhawks own prospect pool. Continuing to improve his first-step quickness, becoming more decisive under pressure and finding the right balance between aggressive involvement and efficient puck management will go a long way toward determining his ceiling.

Alalauri will spend next season teaming up with Blackhawks\' 2025 first-round pick Vaclav Nestrasil at the University of Massachusetts. For the Blackhawks, a couple of seasons spent in the NCAA fits perfectly with their timeline, as they don\'t need Alalauri to become an NHL contributor immediately. In McKeen\'s Hockey\'s annual feature highlighting their favorite selections from each round, scout Linc Zdancewicz expanded on why UMass is an ideal landing spot for Alalauri:

\"Here I go again praising another Chicago defensive pick, but Alalauri seriously deserves it. He showed his excellent skating and power a ton this year with Lahti, now looking to bring his game to UMass in the Hockey East. Alalauri seems primed to become a multi-faceted defenseman with the Minutemen, playing a shut-down game while sprinkling in a transition and retrieval game that showed some offensive prowess. With the very-much-still-in-progress blue line of the Blackhawks figuring itself out, Alalauri will have time and certainly opportunity to grow and carve out a role for himself in that lineup.\"

Ultimately, Alalauri already has a nice, solid foundation. If the offensive details continue to come together during his time at UMass, Alalauri has all the ingredients to develop into a reliable top-four, two-way defenseman. If they don\'t, his skating, intelligence and dependable defensive game should at least still give him a strong chance of carving out a long NHL career as a steady middle-pairing option.

Scouting Reports

Alalauri profiles as a steady, two-way right-shot defenseman whose game is built on structure, reads, and reliability. His floor is a third-pair defender who kills penalties and earns trust through detail. His ceiling, if the offensive expansion continues and his skating tightens at UMass, is a legitimate middle-pair option who plays 18-plus minutes in all situations. The right shot, size, UMass pathway, and all-zones discipline make him a high-probability NHL player, even if he is unlikely to become a power-play anchor.

-- Andrew Epps, The Hockey Writers

Samu Alalauri ticks a lot of boxes that NHL GMs look for in a defenseman. The right shot Finn skates well, plays with a bite, and flashes offensive potential through regular activations from the blue line. He can contribute offensively both as a shooter and as a distributor. The biggest development area is his decision making: there are often a play or two in a game that are serious head scratchers. While his offensive potential is intriguing, he doesn’t project as a pure puck mover at the NHL level. There’s always a need for physical two-way defenders who can occasionally chip in offensively.

-- Anni Karvinen , Dobber Propsect

He skates well, which is a theme among the trio of Finnish D I have ranked here, and he has pro size (though his fitness is a concern) and tools. There are games where he affects play at both ends and games where he creates a lot of offense. But there are others where he looks off, makes mistakes, doesn’t play hard enough and can cough up pucks trying to do too much. I don\'t quite know what to make of him, despite a strong track record of production and some pro attributes. He has reminded me a little of 2025\'s Logan Hensler, who has always been a tough eval. He should be picked in the first three rounds, though, because of his attributes and international pedigree. If he weren\'t committed to college, it would have been nice to see him in some pro action this year to sort through the weeds a little more with him.

-- Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDtQrwB5H6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqRJ5YsOk1c

Talking Points