PUBLICATION
Sam Walker
February 1, 2026 (2:24 PM)
Photo credit: Screenshot
The Chicago Blackhawks land Alberts Smits at No. 6 in the 2026 draft projection, and the blue line stakes feel huge.
A fresh mock up of the 2026 NHL draft in Buffalo has Chicago sitting sixth overall, right in that messy range where “best player” and “biggest need” collide.
The name tied to the Hawks is Alberts Smits, a left-shot defenseman playing pro minutes with Jukurit in Finland’s Liiga.
It’s a fascinating fit because Chicago can score in pockets, but the back end still feels like it’s built with hope and duct tape.
The timing matters, too, with the league about to hit the Olympic roster freeze on Tuesday, and any late trades could swing draft slots fast.
Smits is not a mysterious teenager hiding in junior; he’s already playing against men and holding his ice.
Through 35 Liiga games this season, he’s sitting at 6-7-13, which jumps off the page for an 18-year-old defenseman.
He’s listed around 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, and that blend of size and pace is exactly what NHL teams chase in June.
Alberts Smits could steady the Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks fans are tired of watching promising nights turn into third-period chaos, so a real “calm the zone” defender sounds like oxygen.
Smits brings that stabilizer vibe, but he also flashes offense with his first pass and his point-shot timing.
That matters next to Connor Bedard, because nothing fuels a top line like clean exits and quick re-entries.
Chicago could chase another top-six winger, but a defense pick here screams long-term structure, not short-term dopamine.
This is also a cap play, because a first-rounder on an entry-level deal buys the front office flexibility around Bedard’s prime years.
The risk is real, though, because translating Liiga reads to the NHL is never automatic, and young defenders can get exposed when pressure ramps up.
Still, if the Blackhawks stay in this draft range, Smits feels like the type of swing that changes how the whole roster breathes after the Olympics.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
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