As the Blackhawks continue to get closer to fielding a competent NHL lineup, much of the focus of the front office and fans alike seems to be on the IceHogs and Chicago’s top AHL talents. That’s not misguided at all – players like Artyom Levshunov, Kevin Korchinski, Landon Slaggert, Ethan Del Mastro, Samuel Savoie and more make Rockford’s lineup a stacked one, and they’re the skaters closest to cracking the NHL ranks. But it can be easy to forget with Chicago’s top-notch AHL prospect pool that the Blackhawks also boast one of the best collegiate groups in the entire league.

On Wednesday, the Blackhawks put the league on notice when nominations for the Hobey Baker award were finally announced. Four Blackhawks were nominated, representing a big season across the country for the group as a whole.

Sam Rinzel

At one point this season, Rinzel was actually listed as the favorite for the Hobey Baker award, and should at least become a finalist, if not win it. Many will point to Zeev Buium as the best defenseman in college hockey, but there’s certainly an argument to be made for Rinzel instead. He’s picked up 24 points in 26 games at Minnesota this season while skating 23 minutes per night in a highly competitive conference. He was a slightly unexpected pick at No. 25 overall in 2022 by the Blackhawks, but their shot on him has since paid off big-time. Now 20 years old, I wouldn’t mind seeing him in Chicago at the start of next season.

Aidan Thompson

Another of the premier names at the NCAA level, Thompson is enjoying an excellent scoring season, putting up 29 points in 22 games. As Denver’s alternate captain, he ranks eighth in the country in scoring and has demonstrated impressive consistency, even starting the season on a 14-game point streak in which he tallied 10 goals and 12 assists. Thompson is almost 23 years old, so his entry-level contract will be two years, like Slaggert’s was a year ago. He’ll be signing that deal soon, but Denver isn’t the worst place for a future Blackhawk to develop.

Ryan Greene

Greene is another player with a great chance to at least become a finalist for the NCAA’s most prestigious award, and he’s certainly beginning to make his case. The co-captain of Boston University has scored in five straight games, bringing his total to 23 points in 21 games. He’s a great asset at both ends of the ice and is one of the better players in the country in the faceoff circle (54.6 percent). After coming up short in his first two trips to the Frozen Four, Greene passed up a contract in Chicago to return for a junior season at Boston, so I’d expect him to join the Blackhawks soon – although it could depend on whether Boston U wins a national championship this time around.

Sacha Boisvert

A somewhat unexpected pick at No. 18 overall by the Blackhawks last summer, Boisvert has been excellent for North Dakota all season. As a true freshman, he leads the team in scoring, picking up 18 points in 23 games. With good size, his physicality has stood the test of a tough NCHC, and he possesses a rare scoring ability for his age. Boisvert may not become a finalist for the award, but at just 18 years old, him being nominated is a big win for both the player and the Blackhawks.