The Blackhawks are obviously off the ice for the next week due to the ongoing 4 Nations Face-Off, so it’s a great time to check in on how their non-NHL players are doing. After all, that’s what fans really care about – Chicago couldn’t care less about the majority of the current big-league roster. Luckily, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic released an updated list of his top 100 drafted NHL prospects, including 28 from the 2024 draft, 32 from 2023, 29 from 2022, eight from 2021 and three from 2020.
The Blackhawks have poured everything into their prospect pool over the past few years, and while we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see their efforts pay off on the ice, they continue to dominate lists like these. Chicago was tied with the Capitals for the most players on the list, starting near the very top.
No. 3 – Artyom Levshunov
No issues here. Levshunov was the No. 2 pick last summer and has begun to turn his game around, but it was a bit of a slow learning curve as he opened the season in Rockford. That was to be expected – Levshunov is still just 19 and has already skated in 41 games for the IceHogs. But you certainly can’t blame Wheeler for slotting him in just behind Ivan Demidov and Zeev Buium, who has 32 points in 26 games as a defenseman at Denver.
No. 27 – Frank Nazar
Wheeler is another media member who is inexplicably low on Nazar. The 21-year-old has picked up the NHL game nicely, spending a lot of time on the wing of Connor Bedard. He still profiles as one of the biggest long-term stars of the Blackhawks’ future, and while he’s picked up 10 points in 26 games in Chicago, he had an All-Star campaign going in Rockford before being called up.
No. 28 – Kevin Korchinski
No huge issues here. Korchinski was a pleasant surprise in his NHL stint earlier this year, displaying better defensive skill and wherewithal than many expected. He’s looked equally good in Rockford, picking up 19 points in 37 games and being named to the AHL All-Star game. He should be in the NHL full-time by the start of next season.
No. 54 – Sam Rinzel
Why is a potential Hobey Baker Award finalist slotted in at 54? The sophomore can make a case as the best defenseman in college hockey, scoring 25 points in 30 games so far. The Blackhawks are loaded with young blueliners, and Rinzel may be one of the best of the bunch.
No. 64 – Oliver Moore
Moore will be one of the fastest skaters in the NHL when he arrives soon, but has struggled to finish at times this season at Minnesota, so no problem with this ranking. He’ll be the most exciting Blackhawk to watch on the ice when he gets there, but Chicago has to hope that that translates to scoring.
No. 79 – Sacha Boisvert
After the Blackhawks drafted him at No. 18 overall last summer, Boisvert has continued to be impressive, being nominated for the Hobey Baker Award this year as a freshman. The 18-year-old has 20 points in 27 games (one off the team lead) and is as pure a goal scorer as they come. He’ll continue to climb these rankings for the duration of his collegiate career.
No. 94 – Nick Lardis
It’s about time Lardis cracked one of these lists. The 19-year-old leads the entire CHL in scoring, already dropping 52 goals and 86 points in an explosive 50-game stretch. He pounds the net, hitting double-digit shots in seven games this year and putting 15 on goal in a game back in December. It’ll be hard not to bump him up the list if he cracks 70 goals, which is both ridiculous and well within his range. The Blackhawks will need goal scorers in their team of the future, and Lardis is one of the best Chicago has seen in a while.
