The Chicago Blackhawks may be sitting on a draft-pick pile big enough to make a real swing, and one NHL reporter thinks they’ll use it.
Scott Powers of The Athletic said today that he would “be surprised if the Blackhawks don’t trade at least two [of their three 2027 first-round picks] to help improve their NHL roster.” That kind of package can get a team in the door on a significant addition, especially if the picks land in the middle of the first round. The point is simple: Chicago has options, and the market has already shown what those options can buy.
Last summer, the Montreal Canadiens landed Noah Dobson with an asset package built around two first-round picks in the middle of the order. In June, the St.
Louis Blues used two first-rounders - No. 15 and No. 29 - to bring in Mason McTavish. A move like that would fit the kind of roster-building Chicago appears to be leaning into after the Bowen Byram trade, which pointed to a front office that understands the value of adding young NHL talent instead of just stockpiling futures.
That backdrop matters because the Blackhawks are in an extended rebuild, but the pressure to turn the corner is getting louder. Recent reporting suggested the market increasingly expects Chicago to be in the mix for a playoff spot at some point in the next two years. Whether that comes through the draft-pick route or another summer move, the message is the same: the Blackhawks may be ready to spend some of their future capital to speed up the present.
Around the hockey world, former San Jose Sharks prospect Linus Oberg is making a move of his own. The 26-year-old forward has left the SHL, where he spent his entire pro career to this point, and signed with Finnish club Kiekko-Espoo in Liiga.
Oberg, a seventh-round pick by San Jose in 2020, has almost 350 games of SHL experience. He spent last season with the Malmo Redhawks, finishing with 13 goals and 18 points in 52 regular-season games.
Igor Ozhiganov is staying put in Moscow. The defenseman, who played for the 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs, signed an extension with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL.
The 6’2″, 209-pound right-shot blue-liner has been with Dynamo since 2023, has twice been named a KHL All-Star, and has worn the captain’s letter for the last two years. Ozhiganov helped Dynamo reach the KHL semifinals in 2025 and put up 30 points in 63 games in 2025-26.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Made Bowen Byram Their Biggest Defensive Bet
Bowen Byram is arriving in Chicago with the kind of runway the Blackhawks have been trying to build around their blue line. General manager Kyle Davidson made clear the organization sees far more than a short-term add-on here, pointing to Byram as someone who can grow into a top defenseman for the franchise. Byram, for his part, sounded eager to take on the responsibility and get to work with a team still shaping its next core.
The move fits the Blackhawks broader push to turn promise into something sturdier, and it comes with a level of commitment that makes this more than a routine trade deadline swing. Byrams contract gives Chicago long-term control and plenty of certainty, which only raises the stakes on whether he can become the kind of difference-maker the front office believes it is getting. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Davidson Just Gave Blackhawks Fans A Fresh Reason For Hope
Kyle Davidson spent part of his offseason public-facing turn giving Blackhawks fans a clearer look at where the rebuild stands and why the organization believes it is moving in the right direction. In a podcast appearance, the general manager discussed the teams busy summer and offered a window into the work happening behind the scenes as Chicago continues sorting out its long-term plan.
For a fan base that has lived through years of turnover, any sign of steadiness from the top matters. Davidsons comments arrived amid a busy stretch around hockey, with the Red Wings still looking for a new general manager, Simon Despres landing with the Fort Wayne Komets and Kelly Hrudeys run at Sportsnet ending after 28 years, but the Blackhawks piece is the one that will resonate most in Chicago because it points back to the future the franchise is trying to build. [Read more 🡒]