{"id":4252,"date":"2024-11-25T11:22:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=4252"},"modified":"2024-11-25T11:22:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:22:51","slug":"blackhawks-prospect-breakdown-how-aidan-thompson-became-a-top-college-offensive-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=4252","title":{"rendered":"Blackhawks prospect breakdown: How Aidan Thompson became a top college offensive player"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"19<\/p>\n

Aidan Thompson could have easily gotten lost in the shuffle of the Chicago Blackhawks\u2019 prospects this season.<\/p>\n

Drafted in the third round in 2022 after being passed over in two drafts, Thompson had been solid his first two years at the University of Denver, but he hadn\u2019t separated himself from other similar Blackhawks prospects taken because of their speed. While he contributed to an NCAA championship team as a sophomore, his overall production had been about the same as his freshman year. He wasn\u2019t taking off as the Blackhawks hoped as a potential late bloomer. It was notable he wasn\u2019t one of the 27 Blackhawks prospects mentioned by Corey Pronman in The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> pipeline rankings in August.<\/p>\n

A season later, Thompson is becoming what the Blackhawks always hoped. Thompson put in the work this past offseason to get stronger and improve his shot, and that\u2019s now showing up on the ice. Now he\u2019s a main piece on one of college hockey\u2019s best teams. As Denver has built a 12-2 record and a top-five ranking this season, Thompson has a lot to do with it. He has a 14-game points streak and is second in the country with 22 points and third with 10 goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously we like to see the development, improvement from year to year,\u201d Blackhawks assistant general manager of player development Mark Eaton said recently. \u201cIt\u2019s a great thing to see. Happy for him. Talking to him after (a recent game), he\u2019s enjoying the game. He\u2019s loving it. He\u2019s excited about playing day in and day out. First and foremost, that\u2019s what we want. We want these guys to feel good about their own games, just see that gradual progression from year to year. Sometimes you get bigger jumps than some years. No doubt 10-12 games, whatever it is this year, he\u2019s shown a huge jump from last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denver coach David Carle believes the jump came largely because of Thompson\u2019s offseason. He came back to the Pioneers looking like a different person and player this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think his body needed some time to physically mature,\u201d Carle said of the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Thompson. \u201cI think the shot has improved. One-timer\u2019s improved. Just the ability to hang onto the puck, make some of those finishing plays, that\u2019s certainly been there. I think it starts with his body, though, for me. (I\u2019ve seen) more strength. He spent a lot of time with our strength coach Matt Shaw. This summer you can just tell he\u2019s a little bit thicker, leaner.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that, Thompson has definitely changed how the Blackhawks see him.<\/p>\n

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\"Blackhawks<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Q&A with Thompson<\/h2>\n

(Interview was conducted after Denver\u2019s first 10 games)<\/em><\/p>\n

How\u2019s this season been so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s exciting. We\u2019re 10-0. We haven\u2019t lost, the best start the team\u2019s had since I\u2019ve been here. I think things are exciting. As for me personally, I think just doing everything I can to help the team win. Things have been going good obviously. So exciting and look forward to the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

What did you think of your play last season?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I felt like I improved a lot from my freshman year. My production was down, but that doesn\u2019t always go your way. I think there\u2019s ups and downs. I think I was way better in all areas, except I didn\u2019t have the puck luck I did my freshman year.<\/p>\n

What did you focus on this past offseason?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just usuals like strength and speed. One thing I think I\u2019ve been focusing on for a few years is my shot. I think it\u2019s gotten a lot better. I think I\u2019ve been fortunate a few have gone in early this year.<\/p>\n

You seem to be scoring a lot off your one-timer. Where do you see the improvement in that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think I\u2019m just a little bit of a late bloomer. I think it just took a lot of time for me in the gym to build a lot of strength, and then just over the years shooting tons of pucks after the practice and then in the summer it\u2019s just starting to come together.<\/p>\n

What sort of feedback have you gotten from the Blackhawks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Positive, just keep going in the right direction. Chicago\u2019s been great, world-class organization. I don\u2019t think you can get better than Chicago from being a prospect from what I\u2019ve heard around the league. Positive, just little things to work on mostly here and there, just continue to work hard and have fun.<\/p>\n

What it was like to be a part of last year\u2019s championship team?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was pretty special. A lot of great teams in the league. Kind of a heartbreaking loss our freshman year to Cornell. We were just kind of taking it one game at a time. We were always confident we could win, but obviously you never know. Just put our heads down, work hard and fortunately we came out on top.<\/p>\n

And to do that as an in-state product?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t speak for guys who are from out of state,\u00a0 but being from Colorado, I can\u2019t imagine it being more special. I grew up watching the Pioneers. I skated here a ton during the summer when I was young, played the junior Pioneers when I was young. To eventually come here, I was committed here for a long time, so to be able to come in and win a national championship is a dream come true, I would say.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re among the nation\u2019s leaders in points right now. I know the points aren\u2019t everything, but that has to feel rewarding after the work you put in.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would say I\u2019m just happy to contribute to the team. Anything I can do to help the team win is big. To put a few in is nice, but team success is what\u2019s most important. 10-0 is pretty good. Looking forward to just keep going.<\/p>\n

Do you envision being a dual-threat player as you continue your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think so, for sure. I think my whole life I\u2019ve been a two-way player who can play both sides of the puck, play defense and then help produce offensively too. Anywhere the team needs me, I think I can help out that way.<\/p>\n

Have you thought about after this season whether you might want to sign with the Blackhawks?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, I think this year I\u2019m just focused on having a great year, helping the team win and hopefully winning No. 11. I\u2019m not thinking about next year or the future at all. Just what I can do to help the team win and hopefully another national championship.<\/p>\n

Video breakdown<\/h2>\n

The one-timer has been a useful shot for Thompson. On this play, he helps win the puck off the faceoff and then sets himself up in the corner for a one-timer.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another one-timer goal for Thompson in nearly the same spot against North Dakota.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done studies here,\u201d Carle said. \u201cI think it was a year ago, 45 percent of our goals were one-timer goals. So if you want to score, you have to learn to one-time pucks. A lot of that is strength, but a lot of that is repetition, and I think for him and us, it\u2019s something we encourage the guys to work on a lot. We build a lot of reps of it into our practices so that they can build confidence in hitting one-timers from different areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

And this was Thompson\u2019s latest goal from last weekend against Arizona State:<\/p>\n

Thompson played a key role as a center for Denver last season. He\u2019s been on the wing this season. He\u2019s still been showing his defensive instincts there. On this play, he reads the play, intercepts a pass and uses his speed to get out of the forecheck pressure.<\/p>\n

What the Blackhawks are saying<\/h2>\n

\u201cHe looks so much stronger out on the ice,\u201d Eaton said. \u201cHe\u2019s always shown those flashes of great speed and quickness, but he\u2019s able to sustain it now over full shifts, full games, back-to-back games. He didn\u2019t lose a step even towards the end of (a game I was at recently) after playing a ton, two tough games against North Dakota, looked like he was still fresh and playing at his highest speed. That, the added strength and everything allows him to be stronger on the puck as well. He\u2019s doing a great job along the wall, creating room for himself, creating room for linemates and really just every time he touches the puck it seems like something good is going to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mention the shot. In two games last weekend, he may have had a dozen high-quality shots. He\u2019s doing a great job of finding open ice and his linemates are able to get him pucks in good areas. He\u2019s getting good one-timers off and scored a couple last weekend, had one disallowed. It\u2019s a combination of kind of everything \u2014 the added strength, just playing to his strengths of quickness and speed and being able to escape defenders, getting open and getting off shots. Yeah, a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Blackhawks<\/p>\n

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Denver is off to a 12-2 start this season. (Morgan Engel \/ Clarkson Creative via University of Denver Athletics)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Where does Thompson fit in the rebuild?<\/h2>\n

That isn\u2019t exactly clear, but that could also benefit Thompson. At this point of the rebuild, the Blackhawks aren\u2019t just going to let potential NHL prospects walk. They don\u2019t have enough sure things to do that. Thompson has shown he may have some NHL attributes and is at least worth a longer look. He has speed and quickness. His one-timer has made him dangerous in the offensive zone. He has spent time at center and wing and is defensively reliable. He\u2019s found ways to contribute to a championship team.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to like about his r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Maybe he continues to click once in Rockford, maybe he doesn\u2019t, but there\u2019s only one way to find out.<\/p>\n

When could Thompson join the Blackhawks?<\/h2>\n

Thompson and the Blackhawks will likely discuss a contract near the end of his season. It\u2019s probably in both parties\u2019 best interest for Thompson to turn pro after his collegiate season. He\u2019ll turn 23 in February and is already on the older side for a prospect. If he\u2019s going to play in the NHL, he\u2019s likely going to need a season in Rockford to prove himself. If he were to push back that pro window another year, his NHL opportunity, at least with the Blackhawks, likely would become more challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll probably leave those kind of discussions and whatnot in house,\u201d Eaton said. \u201cWe\u2019ll let him play and keep doing what he\u2019s doing this year, and we\u2019ll cross that bridge when we get there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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