On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis welcome Tony Granato to the show to recap the Blackhawks’ 2025-26 season and discuss his optimism level heading into next year. Could this be the summer the Blackhawks finally land a big fish? What needs to happen for them to become legitimate wild-card contenders next season? Tony breaks it all down.

Tony also shares his thoughts on the Blackhawks landing the No. 4 overall pick and evaluates the top of the 2026 NHL Draft class after watching many of the prospects at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Could Ivar Stenberg realistically fall to the Blackhawks at No. 4 like most mock drafts suggest, or is that just wishful thinking?

Plus, Tony weighs in on whether the Blackhawks should draft the best player available or prioritize positional need, gives his take on the top defensemen in the class; discusses the growth of college hockey development; and more.

To wrap things up, Tony shares his thoughts on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, whether Colorado and Carolina feel destined for a Stanley Cup Final matchup, and what the Blackhawks can learn from teams like Anaheim and Montreal.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis react to the 2026 NHL Draft lottery results, highlighted by the Toronto Maple Leafs' stunning jump from No. 5 to No. 1 overall. They also discuss the Blackhawks falling to No. 4 and share early thoughts on their options before tossing to Pat’s 1-on-1 interview with GM Kyle Davidson following the lottery. TSN draft analyst Craig Button then joins the show to react to the results and break down his first mock draft, which has Ivar Stenberg landing with the Blackhawks at No. 4. He discusses his Big Board, what Toronto could do at No. 1 and whether Gavin McKenna is a lock, along with San Jose’s intriguing decision at No. 2 between the best available forward or defenseman. Button also weighs in on how the lottery outcome could impact Auston Matthews’ future, whether the Blackhawks could emerge as an appealing destination for a disgruntled elite player, and much more. Pat and Charlie close by reacting to Button’s comments and sharing their biggest takeaways from the conversation. Charlie also explores a potential Matthews-to-San Jose scenario, and examines why each of the three teams picking ahead of Chicago faces a pivotal decision. They wrap up by debating whether the Blackhawks should take the best player available or draft for organizational need at No. 4, plus Connor Bedard’s decision to skip the 2026 IIHF World Championship while rehabbing his shoulder and the latest on Roman Kantserov’s contract timeline.

On this episode of the Blackhawks Breakaway Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis hand out individual grades for the defensemen, goaltenders, and head coach Jeff Blashill as they put a bow on the 2025-26 season.

How did Louis Crevier and Wyatt Kaiser grade out in their breakout seasons on the back end? What steps do Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel need to take to raise their grades next year? And how should Alex Vlasic’s season be viewed after leading the Blackhawks in ice time? They dive into all that and more.

Then, they evaluate the goaltending tandem, including Spencer Knight’s emergence as a bona fide No. 1 and Arvid Soderblom’s up-and-down campaign. Should there be an open competition for the backup role next season?

Finally, Pat and Charlie assess Blashill’s first season behind the bench and explain why he deserves a positive grade despite the team’s 31st-place finish in the standings.