This morning I sat back and thought about the current state of the Chicago Blackhawks for a few minutes. The international media continues to say things like the Canadiens losing to the second-worst team in hockey is unacceptable and the Jets took their foot off the gas against a terrible Blackhawks team. There are still comments made and podcasts that will waste time telling us that the centerpiece of the rebuild is unhappy and there isn’t hope in Chicago.
If you watched the last few weeks of the Blackhawks’ regular season, you know that’s far from reality.
And I came to the conclusion that the last time I felt like this about the Blackhawks heading into an offseason was probably 2008.
For the last three years, Blackhawks fans have been sold on the idea of hope — that the organ-I-zation was stockpiling prospects and draft capital to overhaul the depth of the system and build a pipeline from scratch that was going to make the team successful again. I’ve been one of those that has begged for patience along the long, painful road of the rebuild.
That patience is now starting to pay dividends.
I’ve noted this before but it bears repeating: since becoming the permanent general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, Kyle Davidson has made 30 picks in the NHL draft. He has now signed 15 of those players, and seven have appeared in an NHL game. Those are terrific ratios on the surface, but we’re still going to ask what those players are worth and how they look when they get to the NHL.
Well, now we have some results. There are performances and statistics for us to consider from those three draft classes (and a few before that). The youth movement has started to arrive in Chicago, and the hope that was focused on somewhere down the road is now tangible. We have seen a handful of young guys play in the league, and they’ve been good. Really good.
So let’s take a minute to take a step back now that the 2024-25 season is officially in the books and digest what the under-23 group of players have shown us at the NHL level thus far. I’m keeping this to under-23 so you won’t get anything on Alex Vlasic or Spencer Knight here. And I’m not going to include Ryan Greene yet because he only skated in two NHL games and I want to focus our discussion on what we saw at the NHL level this season.
#Blackhawks power play goal
Connor Bedard
Tyler Bertuzzi, Sam Rinzel
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— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 16, 2025Connor Bedard
- 2024-25 Stats: 82 games played, 23 goals, 44 assists, 67 points
There will still be haters who will go out of their way to say Bedard isn’t living up to the hype. They might point to his 38.6 career faceoff percentage to date. They might want to continue to point to his plus-minus. That’s all fine. If you take a step back and wrap his two seasons in some context — especially considering the number of linemates with whom he’s skated in two years — there’s plenty to be excited about. When you’re reminded he’s still only 19, it’s pretty damn impressive.
Let’s throw a little context on Bedard’s two seasons in the NHL. Since 2000-01, the players who have produced more than Bedard’s 128 points (in 150 games) as a teenager: Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Patrik Laine. That’s it. That’s the entire list. The players with a better point-per-game rate (Bedard: 0.85) as a teenager over the same time period (min. 20 games played): Crosby, Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, Patrick Kane, Stamkos and Laine. And Celebini has only done it for the one season (63 games). The only teenager in Blackhawks history with more points before turning 20: Eddie Olczyk — who beat him by one (129).
Bedard is still getting better. He’s still physically growing. He’s still maturing. And he’s learning. Since March 4, Bedard has won 46.1 percent of his faceoffs. He’s 50 percent at the dot in the neutral zone over those 21 games. There are areas that he needs to work on. If you’ve paid attention at all, one thing we don’t have to worry about with Bedard is working on his game. And the reinforcements are no longer “coming soon.” Many of them are already here.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
Frank Nazar
- 2024-25 Stats: 53 games played, 12 goals, 14 assists, 26 points
Since Nazar made his initial NHL appearance this season on Dec. 14, only four rookies have more than Nazar’s 10 even-strength goals: Cutter Gauthier, Marco Kasper, Jiri Kulich and Matvei Michkov. Only Kasper and Jackson Blake have more than Nazar’s two game-winning goals. He leads all rookies with two short-handed points and only three rookies scored a short-handed goal this season.
NHL Edge tells us his speed is elite:
Nazar won 44.6 percent of his faceoffs for the season. That goes up to 45.6 since March 1. And only three rookies have scored more than Nazar’s six even-strength goals since March 1. He’s contributing now on both special teams and generating chances. He was was credited with 35 blocked shots and 30 hits this season as well. According to Natural Stat Trick, Nazar generated 43 individual High Danger Chances at 5-on-5 in his 53 appearances. The four Blackhawks who generated more for the entire season all played in at least 78 games. Tyler Bertuzzi had seven more in almost 400 more minutes of ice time at 5-on-5.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
Sam Rinzel
- 2024-25 Stats: 9 games played, 5 assists, 5 points
The sample size isn’t enormous, but Rinzel averaged 23:22 per game in his nine appearances — the highest average on the roster (excluding the defenseman traded to Florida). He put 22 shots on net and picked up three power play assists in his limited run in the NHL after a stellar season at Minnesota.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blackhawks’ expected Goals For with Rinzel on the ice at 5-on-5 was 7.6 — in only 165:46 of ice time. He had the second-best Corsi For percentage on the roster (behind Ethan Del Mastro).
Rinzel came in right out of college and assumed the top spot on the right side of the blue line on the depth chart and didn’t blink. He’s now running the top power play unit as well. His skating is terrific. His puck moving skills are NHL caliber. There are still going to be growing pain moments, but he’s an NHL player.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oliver Moore
- 2024-25 Stats: 9 games played, 4 assists, 4 points
The Blackhawks didn’t push Moore into the same level of role they did with Rinzel as quickly; Moore averaged only 13:35 per game in his NHL appearance this season. In that role, we didn’t get many chances to see his all-world speed, but we did get to see him play a smart, 200-foot game and he was able to generate some offense as well.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the only forwards with a better Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 than Moore (46.32) — other than Ryan Greene (in two games) — were Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teräväinen. The Blackhawks gave him a little run on the power play and penalty kill, but identifying his style of play and speed led to him seeing over three minutes of overtime ice time. The package of speed and defensive awareness in Moore, Nazar and Mikheyev could give the Blackhawks an absolutely lethal set of options on the PK and in overtime next year.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
Ethan Del Mastro
- 2024-25 Stats: 24 games played, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points
I’ve been higher on Del Mastro than lots of folks since he was drafted; there were questions about how high I had him in my prospect rankings over the past couple years. He’s been a captain in junior, wore an A for Canada at the World Juniors and was an AHL All-Star in his first professional season for Rockford last year.
This season, Del Mastro came up and played well in the NHL. He averaged 18:19 per game and showed the physical elements of his game that he was known for when the Blackhawks drafted him in the fourth round (No. 105 overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
There were questions about his ability to move the puck and skate when he was drafted. He’s answered those, working hard to be better in every aspect of his game. He showed an ability to stay calm under pressure and move the puck up the ice this season, even with the constantly evolving roster around him.
I’m confident now that he can be a top-four player on the left side of the Blackhawks’ blue line for years to come. It will be interesting to see how the Blackhawks set up their blue line to open training camp next year with Del Mastro and the younger guys on the blue line. Which feels crazy to write because Del Mastro won’t turn 23 until the middle of January.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
Artyom Levshunov
- 2024-25 Stats: 18 games played, 6 assists, 6 points
Again, a reminder: Levshunov won’t turn 20 until we’re three weeks into the 2025-26 season (Oct. 28). He came into the NHL this season and skated an average of 20:19 per game as a teenager. He was initially handed the keys to the top power play unit, and there were growing pains — there are going to be tough moments for a teenager on the blue line. But he showed well.
We also need to keep in mind that this was not only Levshunov’s first professional season, but his path to the NHL has been so fast. He played 46 games for a U18 team in Belarus three years ago, 62 games for Green Bay in the USHL and then 38 games for Michigan State before he was drafted. This year he spent 50 games with Rockford before coming up to the NHL.
The Blackhawks love how quickly he adapts and how much he learns and implements things into his game, as evidenced by the trajectory of his career path. And, with Rinzel now in the NHL with him, the pressure is off him to be a savoir on the blue line.
Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Kevin Korchinski
- 2024-25 Stats: 16 games played, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points
Korchinski spent most of this season in the AHL, where he not only represented the IceHogs in the AHL All-Star Classic but was named the MVP of the event. He averaged just 17:05 on the ice in the NHL this season, down almost three minutes per night from his workload as a 19-year-old in 76 games last year.
Defensemen take time to develop, and he was rushed into the NHL last year because there was nothing left for him to prove in junior. The best thing for Korchinski at this stage in the rebuild: he is no longer being asked to come up and save the blue line. He doesn’t need to “save the power play” and he doesn’t have to skate heavy minutes. The Blackhawks’ depth on the back end is going to benefit Korchinski in the coming years.
His skating is still exceptional and his puck moving has improved. He knows he needs to get stronger, but let’s all keep in mind that he doesn’t turn 21 until June 21. There are still plenty of reasons to be excited about the ceiling for Korchinski. And now there shouldn’t be as much pressure for him to reach that potential faster.
John Jones-Imagn Images
Nolan Allan
- 2024-25 Stats: 43 games played, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points
Let’s not sleep on the role Allan could play for the Blackhawks in the coming years. He’s played both sides of the blue line well at both the NHL and AHL levels. And it’s kinda wild that only eight rookie defensemen have more points than Allan still today even though he didn’t appear in an NHL game after Feb. 25.
Allan piled up 48 blocked shots and 61 hits while averaging 15:08 on the ice in the NHL this season. Like Del Mastro, he was a captain in junior and won gold with Canada at the World Juniors. He’s a classic shut-down defenseman who rarely looked rushed while he was in the NHL this season — and he doesn’t turn 22 until April 28.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Landon Slaggert
- 2024-25 Stats: 33 games played, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points
Slaggert’s the “old man” here because he turns 23 on June 25. After making a strong first impression in the NHL at the end of last season, he began the year in Rockford and earned the call-up in the middle of the season. He slotted into a bottom-six role and averaged only 12:18 per game. But he was one of two rookies (with Nazar) to score a game-winning goal for the Blackhawks this season.
Slaggert is yet another player who was a leader before moving to the pro ranks; he was the captain at Notre Dame last year. His skating is NHL caliber and his shot is actually better than I think many expected; NHL Edge has his hardest shot at 89.53 mph, which ranked in the 75th percentile in the league. Slaggert was also credited with 25 hits and 13 blocked shots this season and averaged 46 seconds per game of penalty kill time.
There might not be as much flash in his game as some of the other forwards in the system, but he goes to the dirty areas and grinds.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Wyatt Kaiser
- 2024-25 Stats: 57 games played, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points
Kaiser’s season got off to a delayed start because of a health scare at the start of training camp but he settled in and showed that he’s an NHL defender. He skated 18:07 per game of which he averaged 1:34 per game on the penalty kill. He finished the season third on the roster with 93 blocked shots and was also credited with 54 hits.
He can skate and move the puck but is also willing to give up his body to keep the puck away from the net. But Kaiser is the biggest unknown on this list heading into the summer because he’s a restricted free agent. He’ll turn 23 on the last day of July and has taken big steps forward with every aspect of his game.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today. The Blackhawks are golfing, flying somewhere tropical or… back home with mom and day with their season in the books. I’ve got a couple interesting quotes from Thursday’s final media sessions below to consider today, but I wanted to lead off our Saturday with what might be the biggest potential news for Hawks fans between now and the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery.
Jeff Agrest at the Chicago Sun-Times reports WGN television is interested in carrying local sports again and could be an outlet for Chicago Sports Network’s Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games. That would be a potential end-around on Xfinity not negotiating with CHSN; WGN is already available on every platform.
Agrest is not reporting this is done; there are lots of details that would need to be sorted out. But this would be a good first step to making games of all three teams more accessible to more fans.
- How does Kyle Davidson feel about the way the season ended for the Blackhawks? Pretty, pretty good.
- Here’s what Frank Nazar said about playing with Connor Bedard this season:
- I also chatted with Landon Slaggert on Thursday about a few things as his first full professional season ended. He skated up and down the Blackhawks’ lineup this season, and his speed has been an asset in the bottom six and on the penalty kill. I asked him about what he’ll take away from playing with a wide range of linemates in different roles this season.
- More than one-third of the league spent too much money at the end of the season with bonuses hitting their books. Here’s a list and breakdown of which teams will carry an overage to next season from the good folks at Puckpedia.
At least 11 teams will have a performance bonus overage next season, which reduces their cap space in 25-26.#StlBlues lead with $2.15M cap charge#GoHabsGo $1.7M
Read about how the overages work, who earned them, & more:https://t.co/daryXFAfh5
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) April 18, 2025
- In the OHL playoffs, Jack Pridham and Kitchener played at Windsor last night. AJ Spellacy was a scratch again because of an upper-body issue. Pridham scored this goal and added an assist in a 5-2 Kitchener win.
Saturday evening
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— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 19, 2025
- Tonight, Marek Vanacker (likely without Nick Lardis still) and Brantford host Oshawa.
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- Legit holy **** did you see the Cubs game yesterday?
- Have we seen Nikola Vucevic’s last game in Chicago?
- Bears assistant coaches talked before the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs have started without the Blackhawks again this year, but the AHL postseason will have Blackhawks prospects in action. And hoo boy are we going to be treated to a fun, heated matchup in the first round. The Rockford IceHogs will face the Chicago Wolves in their best-of-3 series. The first game of the series will take place in Rosemont on Wednesday evening. Here’s the schedule:
- Game 1: Wednesday, April 23 — at Wolves — 7:00 PM
- Game 2: Friday, April 25 — at IceHogs — 7:00 PM
- Game 3: Sunday, April 27 — at IceHogs — 4:00 PM (if necessary)
- In the OHL Playoffs, the number of Blackhawks prospects advancing is small. In fact, it’s only Jack Pridham. He scored twice (see below) on Sunday as the Kitchener Rangers eliminated the Windsor Spitfires. Pridham now has 6 goals and 4 assists in 11 playoff games for the Rangers.
the hands in this goal from #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham on the penalty shot on Sunday night
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— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 21, 2025A
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— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 21, 2025
- For Windsor, AJ Spellacy took the warm-up last night but remained a scratch because of his upper-body injury.
- Brantford remained without Nick Lardis, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Marek Vanacker scored the first goal of the game for the Bulldogs last night. The problem: that was their only goal. Brantford lost 4-1 and Oshawa advances. Here’s the Vanacker goal:
- Good read here from Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times this weekend on the complicated role the veterans on the Blackhawks’ roster are going to play in the coming year(s). Guys like Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson are now going to be the guides to helping show the young guys what it takes to make an impact in the NHL. Some people had questions on social media about Dickinson’s comments about young players needing to earn their spots, but that’s how this should be viewed. When young guys feel like they’re entitled to a spot, that can impact work ethic (see: Dach, Kirby). Every day should be trying to win ice time. Good read from Ben here.
- Zeev Buium made his NHL debut in Game One of the Wild’s playoff series in Vegas on Sunday. He skated 13:27, led Wild defensemen in ice time on the power play (1:38) and was credited with two hits and one takeaway a 4-2 loss.
- ICYMI: I went back to October and took a look at how my bold preseason predictions turned out.
- Did you check out our full two-round, playoff edition 2025 NHL Mock Draft from this weekend?
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- The Cubs are actually doing some really impressive things early in their season.
On-ice statistics aren’t the only statistics that can now be finalized from the 2024-25 NHL regular season. And, if you thought the Blackhawks’ record was bad, wait until you see their television ratings.
According to a report published Monday by Sports Business Journal, the Blackhawks had the biggest drop in television ratings in the entire NHL. And it wasn’t very close; they were almost 30 percent worse than any other team in the league!
Here’s what Austin Karp wrote about the Blackhawks:
I expected a massive drop, but to be this much worse than any team in the league is an incredibly bad look for the entire CHSN process. And if you think there’s lost money on the books from the plummeting television ratings, wait until their sponsors get a look at those numbers.
Here are the five biggest drops in loval television ratings from this season:
After his OHL playoffs came to a close on Sunday, the Blackhawks assigned forward Marek Vanacker to the Rockford IceHogs on Monday. Vanacker, the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, posted 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in 11 postseason games for Brantford. After starting his regular season late because of summer shoulder surgery, Vanacker produced 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 games for Brantford this season. He is eligible for the AHL playoffs.
NEWS: Marek Vanacker Assigned to IceHogs https://t.co/5vJ1B5zTYT
— x – Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) April 21, 2025
- On Monday I shared a report from Sports Business Journal that indicated the Blackhawks had the largest drop in local television viewership in the NHL (by a wide margin). In the wake of the report, Scott Powers at The Athletic posted a follow-up story that included this quote from Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz:
Blackhawks chairman Danny Wirtz: CHSN viewership nosedive is “unacceptable”
My story on Wirtz reacting to today’s numbershttps://t.co/Msm3xGcDBJ
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 21, 2025
- Last night was absolutely wild in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All four games were decided by one goal, two went to overtime and a third was won with 42 seconds left — after the Kings blew leads of 4-0 and 5-2. Alex Ovechkin scored an overtime game-winning goal in the playoffs for the first time in his amazing career. Blackhawks legend Phillip Danault scored the game-winner for LA. And another Blackhawks legend, Colin Blackwell, scored the OT GWG for Dallas as they tied their series with the Avalanche.
- This video of Blackwell from last year was popping up everywhere on Blackhawks Twitter last night/this morning after his game-winner. He was named the Blackhawks’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy last year. He always played with an edge and left every ounce of himself on the ice. He was a great player to cover and interact with during his time in Chicago, so seeing him win the game last night brought a smile to my face.
- Add Seattle to the list of teams looking for a new head coach. Dan Bylsma gets to update his LinkedIn profile after just one year leading the Kraken. David Pagnotta at The Fourth Period reported there may be some changing roles in the front office as well, meaning Ron Francis may move out of the GM role and into something else with the organization. Jason Botterill will reportedly be promoted to general manager. The Kraken will reportedly keep assistant coach Jessica Campbell on staff. Francis and Botterill will meet with the media later today.
- Yesterday I wrote about how much it might cost the Blackhawks to sign their next permanent head coach. In the hours after that published, Canucks brass met with the media to close their season and indicated they will NOT pick up the team option on head coach Rick Tocchet’s contract. He could be a fascinating name to hit the market as a head coach candidate (cough, Pittsburgh, cough).
- And now this mind-blowing wtf moment from the Canucks’ end-of-season media availability, in which Jim Rutherford walked a fun line between saying his best player is trade bait (if you’re the New Jersey Devils) and tampering with two of the Devils’ best players by saying Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers. I mean… wow.
Canucks President Jim Rutherford made it clear that they will do everything they can to re-sign Quinn Hughes but that he wants to play with his brothers… whether that’s in NJ or Vancouver
(h/t @LachInTheCrease) pic.twitter.com/7caElh8L5u
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 21, 2025
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- Hey the NFL Draft is this week! So how about a fresh mock draft?
- It sounds like the Marlins aren’t going to put their ace on the market (yet).
- Let the Coby White contract conversations begin …
The 2024-25 Blackhawks season is over. The college season is also over for Blackhawks prospects, and a number of them have signed their first professional contracts. One Blackhawks prospect is now still playing in the OHL postseason. But it’s getting to be that time of year when we can put a wrap on the seasons at every level.
Let’s do that — and take stock of the Blackhawks’ pipeline’s growth and development this season with a final, end-of-year ranking of the best prospects in the Blackhawks’ system.
The biggest change to our prospect updates is the number of players who have signed. Eight of our top ten and 14 of the top 20 have a contract with the Blackhawks now. The Blackhawks have signed 15 of the 30 players drafted in the three classes under Kyle Davidson as the permanent general manager. Ryan Greene became the seventh to make his NHL debut in Montreal in the penultimate game of the regular season.
The future is coming in waves, and it’s starting to appear in real time at the NHL level.
Because of time spent in the NHL this season, I am choosing to exclude the following players from these prospect rankings: forwards Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Colton Dach and defensemen Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
1. Sam Rinzel, RHD
6-5, 180
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 1st round (No. 25) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Toronto in Mrazek trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA — Big Ten), Chicago Blackhawks
2024-25 NCAA Stats: 40 games, 10 goals 22 assists, 95 shots on goal, 41 blocks
2024-25 NHL Stats: 9 games, 5 assists, 23:22 ATOI, 22 shots on goal, 12 hits, 4 blocks
Rinzel had a marvelous sophomore season at Minnesota, ranking among the national leaders in offense from the blue line all season. But the improvement in his defensive game stood out most, and made him ready to sign a professional contract when his NCAA season ended. Since joining the Blackhawks, he’s looked the part of a top-pair defenseman consistently. He moves up to No. 1 on out list for the first time based on his excellent showing to end the season in Chicago.
Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
2. Artyom Levshunov, RHD
6-2, 208
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 1st round (No. 2 overall) — 2024 NHL Draft
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks
2024-25 AHL Stats: 48 games, 5 goals, 16 assists, 133 shots on goal, 1 game-winning goal
2024-25 NHL Stats: 18 games, 6 assists, 20:19 ATOI, 20 blocks, 19 shots on goal
To be clear: Levshunov moving “down” to No. 2 on our list is not a knock on his play this year. He has been in the NHL to close out the regular season and has been very good. He still has work to do with his gaps and knowing when/when not to jump into plays offensively, but he’s looked like an NHL player most of the time he’s been in Chicago. With Rinzel and Levshunov at top of the right side of the Blackhawks’ depth chart on the back end, they’re in enviably good shape for the coming years.
Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
3. Kevin Korchinski, LHD
6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 7) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Ottawa in A. DeBrincat trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 AHL Stats: 47 games, 2 goals, 20 assists, 72 shots on goal, 1 game-winning goal
2024-25 NHL Stats: 16 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, 17:05 ATOI, 14 blocks
I am still on the Korchinski bandwagon, and wouldn’t be quick to trade him this summer (unless it’s a blockbuster deal). His skating is really good and he moves the puck well from the back end. His growth has been overshadowed by Rinzel and Levshunov emerging as NHL defenseman this season, but aspects of his game have taken a step forward. He was named the MVP of the AHL All-Star Classic this season as well. He knows he needs to add strength in the offseason.
David Pickering / OHL
4. Nick Lardis, RW
5-11, 165
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 67) — 2023 NHL Draft
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Brantford (OHL)
2024-25 Reg. Season Stats: 65 games, 71 goals, 46 assists, 375 SOG, 25 PPG, 16 GWG
Lardis had an enormous season for Brantford, leading the entire CHL in goals and finishing at or near the top of almost every offensive category in the OHL for the regular season. He’s a sniper who skates well and knows how to find enough real estate to get the puck on (in) the net. The next question for Lardis is how his offense translates to the professional levels. He’s aging out of junior, so he’ll either be in Chicago or Rockford next season. Unfortunately, his OHL postseason ended because of an ugly injury.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
5. Oliver Moore, C/LW
5-11, 194
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 19 overall) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from TB in the Brandon Hagel trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA — Big Ten), Chicago Blackhawks
2024-25 NCAA Stats: 38 games, 12 goal, 21 assists, 108 shots on goal
2024-25 NHL Stats: 9 games, 4 assists, 13:35 ATOI, 6 hits
Moore had a solid sophomore year at Minnesota and helped lead the US to the first back-to-back gold medals at the World Juniors. His speed is elite and he plays a very good all-around game. He made the jump to the NHL after an early exit from the NCAA tournament and has looked the part of an NHL player. There will continue to be learning moments for him, especially in the faceoff circle, but his wheels have been noticeable from his first day with the Blackhawks.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
6. Sacha Boisvert, C
6-2, 180
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 18) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Islanders in pick swap)
2024-25 Team: North Dakota (NCHC)
2024-25 Stats: 37 games, 18 goal, 14 assists, 94 shots on goal, 5 GWG
Boisvert was named the NCHC Rookie of the Year and led North Dakota in scoring — and then hit the transfer portal. He will head to Boston University next season, where a door is open for a top-six center spot with the Blackhawks signing Greene. He had an impressive freshman season against very good competition and will have a tough sophomore year in Hockey East ahead.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
7. Marek Vanacker, LW
6-1, 178
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 27) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Carolina in pick swap)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Brantford (OHL)
2024-25 Reg. Season Stats: 45 games, 24 goals, 18 assists, 118 shots on net, 1 SHG, 6 PPG
Vanacker’s season started late because of summer shoulder surgery but he came on strong as the season progressed. He has an entry-level contract signed, but his age will keep him in the OHL again next year. That’s fine; he could use a full, healthy season to produce and be more physically ready for the pro game. The ceiling is very high for Vanacker who is another player who is fast as the wind and plays a good 200-foot game.
8. Jack Pridham, RW
6-2, 185
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 92) — 2024 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: West Kelowna (BCHL): 12 games, 5 goals, 5 assists
2024-25 Stats: Kitchener (OHL): 44 games, 25 goals, 24 assists, 169 shots on goal, 5 GWG
Pridham wasn’t high on many people’s lists of prospects to watch when the season started and he was in the BCHL with a commitment to Boston University. But the NCAA changing its rules about CHL players entering the college ranks opened the door for many, including Pridham, to play junior this season. He did that, and opened a lot of eyes. He has good size and is another excellent skater. He’s going to be a guy with an up arrow next to his name in college next season. I hope he skates with Boisvert for BU.
[IMG width="638px" alt="Ryan Greene
Boston University
2025 Frozen Four"]https://www.bleachernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ryan-Greene_USATSI_25915507.jpg[/IMG]
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
9. Ryan Greene, C
6-2, 194
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 57) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Minnesota in MA Fleury trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Boston University (Hockey East), Chicago Blackhawks
2024-25 NCAA Stats: 40 games, 13 goals 25 assists, 88 shots on goal, 2 game-winning goals
2024-25 NHL Stats: 2 games, 13:12 ATOI, 33.3 FO% (6 of 18)
Greene appeared in his third and final Frozen Four with BU, this time as a co-captain. Unfortunately, this trip also came up empty but he signed his entry-level contract the next day and appeared in the final two games of the regular season for the Blackhawks. He’s a good skater who wins faceoffs and plays a smart, defensive game but also contributes offensively.
10. Roman Kantserov, RW
5-9, 176
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 44) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from OTT in Zaitsev trade)
2024-25 Team: Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)
2024-25 Stats: 47 games, 13 goals, 25 assists
Kantersov will spend another season in the KHL (unless something changes, which is possible given the number of players leaving for the NHL recently). He’s a bona fide offensive threat in spite of being undersized. With the number of playmakers coming in the Chicago system, it will be interesting to see when he comes to North America and how his game translates to the pro ranks here.
11. AJ Spellacy, C
6-3, 204
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 72) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Ottawa in DeBrincat trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Windsor (OHL)
2024-25 Stats: 62 games, 18 goals, 19 assists, 159 shots on goal, 2 GWG, 2 SHG
Spellacy signed his entry-level deal late in the season after opening a lot of eyes in Chicago during training camp and the preseason back in September. We’ve all heard about his football background (he was a D1 recruit) and that translates to the ice with his physical style of play. He’s played center and wing for Windsor this season. Because of his age, he’ll still be an NHL or OHL guy next year. Spellacy has missed time in the playoffs because of an upper-body injury.
12. Drew Commesso, G
6-2, 180
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 46) — 2020 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Vegas in M. Subban trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 Stats (AHL): 27 games, 11-12-2, .905 save pct, 2.72 GAA, 3 shutouts
2024-25 Stats (NHL): 2 games (1 start), .846 save pct.
Commesso saw a little run in the NHL this season because of injuries on the Blackhawks. He dealt with an injury in the middle of the season but came back with a very strong finish to the season. We’ll get a good idea of how the organization feels about his timeline to the NHL with how they handle the depth chart at the highest level this summer. He’s been impressive down the stretch.
Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
13. Aidan Thompson, C/LW
5-11, 180
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 90) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Calgary in N. Zadorov trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: University of Denver (NCHC), Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
2024-25 NCAA Stats: 44 games, 21 goals, 34 assists, 164 shots on goal, 7 PPG, 3 GWG
2024-25 AHL Stats: 4 games, 1 assist
Thompson moved from primarily playing center in a checking role at DU to the top-line left wing spot this year and his offensive game exploded. He was among the national leaders in point production this year and helped Denver get back to the Frozen Four. The Blackhawks signed Thompson to a two-year, entry-level contract when his season ended and a PTO in Rockford; he could only sign for two years because he’s already 23. He can fly, plays a good defensive game and his offensive season makes him more intriguing moving forward.
14. Victor Söderström, RHD
6-0, 196
Shoots: Right
Acquired: via trade (with Shea Weber from Utah on March 5, 2025)
2024-25 Team: Brynäs IF (SHL)
2024-25 Stats: 49 games, 9 goals, 28 assists
Söderström, 24, was originally a first-round pick (No. 11 overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in 2019. He had 32 points in 62 games in the AHL for Tucson last year before leaving North America to go back to Sweden for this season. The Blackhawks acquired his rights at the deadline and he’s now a fascinating prospects who is rumored to be coming back to this side of the pond for next season. He has appeared in 53 NHL games to date.
15. Samuel Savoie, LW
5-10, 189
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 81) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Vegas in pick swap)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
2024-25 Stats: 55 games, 6 goals, 11 assists, 85 shots on goal
Savoie continues to be a really good depth piece in the system and has come all the way back from an awful injury that cost him most of his 2023-24 season. With the offensive players in the system now, he may be locked into a bottom-six role when the call comes to see the NHL, but that’s okay. The Andrew Shaw comps are real. He’s a fun one to watch.
16. John Mustard, C/W
6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 67) — 2024 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: Providence (Hockey East)
2024-25 Stats: 37 games, 7 goal, 13 assist, 108 shots on goal, 2 PPG, 1 GWG
Mustard might have been the best skater in the 2024 NHL Draft. I know, shocking, right? He had a nice freshman season in a very competitive Hockey East conference and scored some big goals for the Friars. He will probably get 1-2 more years of college hockey before turning pro. But, again, this is an excellent skater in the system to watch develop.
17. Martin Mišiak, C/W
6-2, 200
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 55) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acquired in P. Kane trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Erie Otters (OHL)
2024-25 Reg. Season Stats: 60 games, 23 goals, 36 assists, 161 shots on goal, 9 PPG, 5 GWG
To his credit, Mišiak had a really good second half of the season and started the playoffs on fire for Erie. I wasn’t as high on him earlier in the year; I hoped he might be in Rockford this season but the organization opted for him to spend another year in the OHL. He can play center or the wing and had some big-time goals in the playoffs for the Otters. I’ll be very interested to see how the Blackhawks and IceHogs use him next year.
18. Taige Harding, LHD
6-7, 235
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 91) — 2021 NHL Draft* (pick acquired in pick swap with CAR)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Providence College (NCAA — Hockey East), Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
2024-25 NCAA Stats: 37 games, 2 goals, 12 assists, 32 shots on net, 30 blocked shots
2024-25 AHL Stats: 8 games, 3 assists
Read Harding’s height and weight again. Some folks here and on social media have questioned why I have been so high on his stock this season but he earned a two-year, entry-level when his senior year ended (and a PTO in Rockford). Like Thompson, his age (23) is why he only got a two-year deal. The organization likes his physical game. He’ll finish this year in Rockford and start next year there.
19. Alex Pharand, C/W
6-3, 192
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 4th round (No. 99) — 2023 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: Sudbury (OHL)
2024-25 Reg. Season Stats: 65 games, 17 goals, 42 assists, 153 shots on goal, 8 PPG
Pharand doesn’t have a pro contract yet but he had a really nice season playing both center and the wing for Sudbury in the OHL. He has better size than some other Blackhawks forward prospects and uses it well, which gives him an edge. I was disappointed he got hurt and couldn’t participate in the prospect scrimmages or training camp before this season. We’ll see if he’s in Rockford this fall.
20. Adam Gajan, G
6-2, 180
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 35) — 2023 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
2024-25 Stats: 21 games (20 starts), 7-12-1, .885 save pct, 3.33 GAA, 1 shutout
Gajan dealt with injuries and missed a big chunk of the middle of the season for Minnesota-Duluth (he didn’t appear in a game between Nov. 23 and Feb. 8). He finished the season with a .900 save percentage or better in five of his last eight starts, however. Goalies take time, and he’ll get at least another couple years in college to develop. With Spencer Knight in the NHL and Commesso on the way, there is no rush on Gajan.
Honorable Mention
Dominic James, C**
Aku Räty, W
Ilya Safonov, C
Gavin Hayes, W
Dmitry Kuzmin, LHD
Milton Oscarson, C
Joel Svensson, RW
Jiri Felcman, C
** — James would have been included in my top 20 prospects, but the fact that he has not signed an entry-level contract and confirmation he’s exploring his options as a potential free agent this summer means I’m leaving him on the list as an honorable mention but not ranking him at this time.
This appears to be good news, both for the Rockford IceHogs and Colton Dach. On Thursday afternoon, the Blackhawks assigned Dach to the Hogs.
Which presumably means he’s healthy enough to help the IceHogs with their playoff push.
Dach hasn’t played since hyperextending his elbow against the Los Angeles Kings on March 20. He made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks this season and scored two goals with five assists in 25 NHL games.
The IceHogs host the Chicago Wolves in Game Two of the first round of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs Friday night at BMO Center in Rockford.
NEWS
— x – Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) April 24, 2025
Scott Powers at The Athletic gave us a good report on the health of one of the Blackhawks’ top forward prospects, Nick Lardis. He took an ugly hit that resulted in Oshawa’s Andrew Gibson being suspended two games. Lardis missed the remainder of the series; Brantford did not win another game and were eliminated.
When the Bulldogs’ season ended, his teammate and fellow Blackhawks forward prospect Marek Vanacker was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs but the injured Lardis was not, leading to some fears about the severity of the injury. Though Lardis wouldn’t give Powers any specifics regarding the nature of the injury, these two quotes are positive:
And:
Good news across the board for Lardis, who broke out with an enormous 71 goals this regular season in Brantford.
"It was obviously pretty scary what happened."
An update from Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis on his recent injury
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 24, 2025
- The IceHogs host the Chicago Wolves tonight in the second game of their best-of-three series. Rockford won the first game on Wednesday night in Rosemont with a thrilling overtime game-winning goal from Artyom Levshunov. Let’s see if the boys can finish the Wolves off tonight and enjoy the weekend before beginning the second round. An interesting note on ice time from Game One of the series here from Powers:
- Colton Dach joined the party with the IceHogs on Thursday afternoon, which is great news.
- In the OHL, playoffs, Jack Pridham and Kitchener invade London tonight to begin their series with the powerful Knights.
- ICYMI yesterday with all of the NFL draft buzz in the air, Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic were named to the USA’s preliminary roster for the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championship.
- Speaking of Nazar…
Frank NazarColston Loveland
Chicago’s going Maize & Blue pic.twitter.com/sz2ZLzXgLN
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 25, 2025
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- How about some exciting Cubs prospect updates?!?
- One of the latest Illinois Lottery winners is a big Bulls fan!
- The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was last night, and the Bears stayed put at No. 10 overall and selected tight end Colston Loveland from the University of Michigan.
Saturday kinda sorta sucked. My son’s baseball team got walked off (thanks to a couple defensive issues) and we found out that David Carle won’t be the next head coach of the Blackhawks. So now we sit back and wait for other names to emerge as candidates in Chicago. I shared a few thoughts on other potential head coach candidates earlier this morning. Let us know what you think.
- Because so many of the replies on social media appeared to in some way place blame on Kyle Davidson for the Blackhawks not landing Carle, I think it needs to be said that this is not a knock on him or his staff at this point. Unless Carle comes out and says there were personality issues, there’s a strong likelihood that he turned down significantly more money from the Blackhawks than he’s making at Denver. He has said many times that the lack of job security in the NHL isn’t something he’s sprinting to experience; Carle is as safe as any coach in any sport in the country at DU right now. He may just prefer the safety of the college game to chasing the next level. And that’s not a negative reflection of Davidson’s effort.
- The IceHogs already advanced in the AHL playoffs, so they were off. But we know when they’ll play their next game (and tickets for the games in Rockford are on sale now).
- There were no games in the OHL playoff last night. Jack Pridham and Kitchener will be on the ice in on London trying to tie their series this afternoon.
- One coach who won’t be returning to the bench for the Blackhawks, but apparently has at least had a preliminary conversation with the Ducks: Joel Quenneville.
- The NHL will begin announcing the finalists for individual awards tomorrow. Though it isn’t likely the Blackhawks have a finalist for many/any of theses awards, it’s always fun to debate who should ultimately win. I will share how I voted as a member of the PHWA after the winners are made public in June. Here’s the schedule for the announcements:
- Monday, April 28 — Vezina Trophy
- Tuesday, April 29 — James Norris Memorial Trophy
- Wednesday, April 30 — Ted Lindsay Award
- Thursday, May 1 — Hart Memorial Trophy
- Friday, May 2 — Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy, Jack Adams Award and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
- Monday, May 5 — Calder Memorial Trophy
- Monday, May 12 — Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award
- As a reminder, Pat Maroon is the Blackhawks’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy.
- Let’s check in and see how the kids in Florida are getting along in their first-round playoff series…
- I’m sure things are a lot more chill in Ottawa with the Leafs in town… right?
First period down, two more to go
Get your popcornpic.twitter.com/7FVABrAd1Y
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 27, 2025
- Finally, the Avs beat the Stars 4-0 last night and Mackenzie Blackwood picked up his first career postseason shutout. Which is awesome for him; he’s having a really good year since being traded to Colorado. But the story of the night in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is easily Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog, who scored his first goal in 1,041 days and added an assist. Here he is after the game talking about the emotions of having a strong offensive night after all he’s been thru trying to come back.
Landeskog shares how it felt getting that first NHL goal in 1,041 days, how Nate Dogg kept tabs on him, & morepic.twitter.com/Lm0edGMi4F
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) April 27, 2025
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- The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Luis gave us a good breakdown of the entire Bears’ class.
- The Cubs and White Sox made a trade on Saturday.
