Blackhawks vs. Sharks: Rebuild Race Heats Up

The rebuild trajectories of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks are under scrutiny, with the Sharks showing early signs of sustainable success.

While both teams possess similar high draft positions for 2026, the Sharks appear to be ahead in their forward prospect development, notably with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Michael Misa. Celebrini, in particular, is currently outperforming Blackhawks' star Connor Bedard.

Conversely, the Blackhawks possess a larger overall pool of forward prospects, potentially offering a different long-term outlook. On defense, Chicago has prioritized defensemen with early draft picks, while San Jose's defensive corps relies more on a mix of established players and prospects.

In goal, both teams have first-round picks in Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov, though Knight has shown more early success. The Sharks seem more aggressive in accelerating their rebuild, potentially through trades and cap space utilization.

Concerns about prospect overvaluation persist, with questions arising about whether players like Nazar and Korchinski will meet expectations. Patience is advised, as many young players are still in early stages of development, with players like Korchinski needing more time to mature.

Regarding draft pick protections, the Panthers' 2027 first-round pick, currently held by the Blackhawks, is top-10 protected. If Florida finishes outside the bottom 10, the pick will slide to 2027 and count as a Panthers lottery win, not affecting the Blackhawks' own lottery rules.

Connor Murphy is reportedly attracting trade interest, with a third-round pick considered a realistic return. The Blackhawks' ownership of CHSN is unlikely to be affected by other team ownership changes.