Blackhawks select Ryan Roobroeck No. 35 overall at the 2026 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks have selected center Ryan Roobroeck with the No. 35 overall selection of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

The Blackhawks traded up to acquire Roobreck, giving the No. 37 and No. 119 selections to the New Jersey Devils.

Roobroeck was projected to be selected around 34th overall on average across all of the main draft rankings, going as high as 4th and as low as 67th. He was also ranked 28th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis projected him to go towards the lower end at 49th overall.

Ellis had this to say about Roobroeck in his most recent draft rankings:

“Roobroeck’s combination of size (6-foot-4, 216 pounds) and goal-scoring prowess (99 goals in 176 regular season games over three years) makes him incredibly intriguing. And at one point, he felt like a safe bet to go in the top 10. You don’t find many forwards who can command a play like he can at his absolute best, especially after producing at a high level throughout most of his career. But for a guy his size, he often lacks the intensity required to be a true difference-maker. Few players with Roobroeck’s level of talent fall asleep as frequently on plays, and it’s a shame. At the very least, Roobroeck should be able to excel on the power play, and he’s good as a net-front presence. But scouts are worried about his work ethic on the ice, which is why he fell to this spot. Regardless, I think there’s still some significant upside here.“

Roobroeck spent the entirety of his 2025-26 season with the Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League. In 49 games, he had 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points as the IceDogs finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 32-30-4-2 record. The London, Ontario product was second on Niagara in scoring behind Vancouver Canucks 2024 fourth-round pick Riley Patterson, and first among draft eligibles on the team.

However, a season-ending lower-body injury ended Roobroeck’s season in February, so he did not get into any playoff action last season. However, the IceDogs’ playoff run was short-lived, as they lost to the Barrie Colts in the first round in five games.

Roobroeck is set to play with the Guelph Storm for the 2026-27 OHL season after he was dealt to the team last week.