The Chicago Blackhawks future remains as bright as can be based on how well general manager Kyle Davidson has drafted on a yearly basis. While the product on the ice at the NHL level is not what Chicago’s front office was looking for at this point in the season, the larger focus of this team’s future remains on the forefront.
Davidson talked with the media at the end of January and made it known that he is more than fine with the state of the rebuild despite the struggles at the top. A big reason for his overall calm demeanor about the long term outlook of the franchise was based on the fact that most of their prospects haven’t gotten out of the amateur level yet.
In Scott Wheeler’s latest prospect rankings through the Athletic, he was very kind to the Blackhawks. He put seven Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects in his top 100 and had plenty of positive things to say about all of them. A majority of the prospects in Wheeler’s rankings are either playing in college or juniors, with three of them floating between the NHL and Rockford.
Five Chicago Blackhawks amateurs cracked Scott Wheeler’s Top 100
Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel and Sacha Boisvert are the four amateur prospects that Wheeler ranked inside his top 100. Rinzel was place in “Tier 5” as his 54th ranked prospect, while the other three were all in “Tier 6”. Moore was ranked he highest of the bunch in the sixth tier at 64, with Boisvert being slotted in at 79 and Lardis at 94.
Rinzel has been the prospect that has grown the most since being a first round draft pick in 2022. His strides taken from his first season at Minnesota until now is a major reason for his near top-50 ranking in Wheeler’s book.
“Rinzel’s appeal is all about the potential because it has always felt like he’s just scratching the surface, but some of that is really starting to be scratched now,” Wheeler writes. He, like Nazar but even more so, found another level after returning from the World Juniors last season and hasn’t looked back, climbing a steep incline in his progression to become one of the top defensemen in college hockey as a sophomore this season.”
Moore has been moved up to the top line at Minnesota and could potentially sign his entry level deal with Chicago in the near future. Boisvert is in the middle of his first college season at North Dakota and has 20 points in 27 games. He has impressed early at the collegiate level after being a force in the USHL over the past two years with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Lardis has been a premier goal scorer in the OHL this year. The 2023 third round draft choice has scored 52 goals in 50 games and is on pace to have 114 points in his final year with the Brantford Bulldogs. Connor Bedard is in desperate need of scoring help moving forward, and having guys in the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect pool that can find the back of the net early and often is crucial.
Kevin Korchinski and others got some recognition as well
Korchinski has floated around between Rockford and the NHL this season. His development from last year to now has been very apparent and his first stint with Chicago this year was by far the best he looked in a Blackhawks sweater.
The 2024 number two overall pick, Artyom Levshunov made the list as well. He is Chicago’s highest ranked prospect according to Wheeler, coming in at number three in the top 100. The front office electing to go with the Michigan State Spartan over other notable forwards on the board shows how much they prioritized locking down the defensive core.
Frank Nazar is the only prospect on the list who has gotten consistent run in the NHL this season. He is ranked one spot ahead of Korchinski at 27 and was drafted in the first round back in 2022 as well. Nazar has four goals and six assists in 26 NHL games this season and he will be a pivotal part of the organization’s future.
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