September 32-in-32: Chicago Blackhawks

Puneet Sharma

3 months ago

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Welcome to the September 2024 Edition of the DobberProspects 32-in-32 Series! This month, we will be doing a deep dive into each organization, looking at their recent graduates, risers, fallers, and top 20 prospects.

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As the 2024-25 NHL season draws near, the Blackhawks might not be chasing glory just yet, but they’re going to be a must-watch as they rebuild. With Kyle Davidson at the helm and Luke Richardson steering the bench, Chicago is embracing a fresh start, focusing on young talent and skill. The past few seasons have been all about stacking up top-tier prospects to lay a solid foundation for the future. There’s no doubt—exciting times are on the horizon for Blackhawks fans and NHL fans.

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Development Camp

Once again, the Blackhawks opted to center their development camp around off-ice activities rather than on-ice sessions. Their reasoning mirrors last year’s approach: they’re prioritizing rest and recovery for their players over the offseason. The goal is to not only focus on getting healthier and stronger but also to foster strong team bonds. This year’s camp included a mix of hockey-related training, weightlifting, and even cooking classes. The idea is to instill a consistent, healthy lifestyle that benefits both the players and the team in the long run.

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Development Camp Roster

It is clear the Blackhawks loaded up on veteran talent for the 2024-25 season. With 61% of players set to be 30 or older, it is evident that this takes up a lot of room on the roster—leaving minimal spots for prospects eager to make the lineup or take that next step. While the presence of seasoned players is important to guide this young core, especially in just the second year of the rebuild, it’s not a bad idea for the prospects to log heavy minutes in the AHL instead of riding the bench, being healthy scratched, or playing in roles that do not align with their skill set. That said, any dreams of a playoff push might be a stretch, so finding ways to sprinkle in the young guns here and there should also be a priority. It is important to note that injuries were a major setback for the Blackhawks last year, which is one reason they went after so many veteran free agents. Instead of leaving a young team to fend for themselves, there will likely be a few call-ups as the season unfolds.

This is a Blackhawks team that has cultivated a very strong prospect pool over the past two years if not the best prospect pool so finding spots for prospects may not come easily. With a 23-man roster, only a limited number of spots are open for younger players and prospects that have not played in the NHL yet. Of those spots we are likely seeing returning players such as Bedard, Kurashev, Reichel, Donato, Vlasic, Korchinski and Kaiser. That leaves very limited space for prospects in the system trying to make a name for themselves. What about the others who could be NHL-ready, like Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Drew Commesso just to name a few? Let’s not forget about recently drafted, Artyom Levshunov. Most of these guys are likely starting their seasons with the IceHogs, and only a handful might get the call-up as the season progresses.

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Graduates:

Oliver Moore – C

Moore has been a stand out over the past three years. In the 2023-24 season with the University of Minnesota, Moore scored nine goals and added 24 assists in 39 games, totaling 33 points. Although he is reliable in the faceoff circle, improving his puck decisions could make him a more well-rounded player. He is expected to return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season, but don’t be surprised if you see him called up to the Blackhawks’ squad throughout the course of the season to gain some big-league experience.

Frank Nazar – C

Nazar’s sophomore season at Michigan has shown both promise and challenges, partly due to lingering effects from a hip injury that sidelined him for most of his freshman year. His play improved significantly leading into the World Juniors, and he was more impactful with Michigan in the second half of the season. When he’s healthy, Nazar is a dynamic skater and creator, featuring a lethal wrist shot and quick hands in traffic. Another year at Michigan could help him solidify his game. He is poised to take the next step into the NHL and I would expect to see him make a couple of appearances with the Blackhawks this season.

On the Cusp:

Sam Rinzel – RD

Rinzel, is a key Blackhawks prospect and teammate of Oliver Moore. Rinzel is known for his offensive prowess as a defenseman, recording 28 points in 39 games. His game is all about potential, and he seems to be just scratching the surface of what he can become. His play and decision-making still needs work but you can see his confidence is growing, and he is starting to harness those tools that made him a high draft pick. The University of Minnesota is very well known for developing defensemen, and Rinzel is well on his way to emerging as a top-four NHL defenseman as he gains more experience.

Artyom Levshunov – LD

He was just recently drafted but Levshunov has the skill and talent that is nearly pushing him to the top of this list in being NHL ready. He had a strong season with Michigan State, recording 35 points in 38 games. At such a young age he already fills the elite prototypical NHL defenseman mold, combining both offensive skill with solid defensive awareness. Signed by the Chicago Blackhawks to a three-year entry-level contract at $975,000, Levshunov may spend much of the 2024-25 season in Rockford, but his future looks promising as a top pairing defensemen on the Blackhawks.

Risers

Drew Commesso – G

Commesso had a strong freshman year at Boston University and followed that up with a .914 save percentage in his sophomore season. Last year, he came out with a .913. Those are very consistent and strong numbers. Moving onto his AHL season he posted a sub-.900 save percentage but that was also a product of the entire team struggling throughout the season with all of the callups the Blackhawks needed as they experience a slew of injuries. Commesso is not ready just yet but he has all the makings of being a reliable goalie in the NHL be it a backup or starter on a struggling team.

Roman Kantserov – RW

Kantserov is projected as a solid middle-of-the-lineup player in the NHL. He brings above-average skills in skating, puck handling, and shooting. In his first KHL season, Kantserov notched eight goals and 15 points in 53 regular-season games but excelled in the playoffs, adding four goals and 13 points in 23 games to help his team win the championship. While the Blackhawks have a strong prospect pool, their right side is not the strongest, which could provide Kantserov with an opportunity to become a reliable middle-six option for the team if he can maintain his strong play in the KHL this season.

Fallers

Paul Ludwinski – C

I had Ludwinski in the fallers section last year as well but for different reasons. This year it honestly comes down to compete factor and the level of talent that is moving up the ranks ahead of him and those that have just joined. The Blackhawks are starting to look strong down the middle and that leaves Ludwinski as the odd man out. With Bedard, Moore, Nazar and take your pick between Colton Dach and recently acquired draft picks in Sacha Boisvert and John Mustard things are starting to look more crowded for Ludwinski to make that lineup. From a general prospect perspective, Ludwinski has the tools and compete level but the pathway to make it into the NHL however specifically with the Blackhawks; it may not be as easy.

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Prospect Depth Chart

The list is a combination of NHL readiness and upside

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Lukas Reichel	Oliver Moore	Roman Kantserov
Samuel Savoie	Frank Nazar	Nick Lardis
Marek Vanacker	Colton Dach	Gavin Hayes
Landon Slaggert	Sasha Boisvert	Artur Kayumov
Gavin Hayes	Cole Gutman	Jack Pridham
Josiah Slavin	John Mustard	Martin Misiak
	Ryan Greene	Milton Oscarson
	Paul Ludwinski

Left Defense	Right Defense
Artyom Levshunov	Sam Rinzel
Ethan Del Mastro	Louis Crevier
Nolan Allan	Connor Kelley
Alex Vlasic
Isaak Phillips
Ty Henry

Goalie

Arvid Solderblom

Drew Comesso

Adam Gajan

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Top 20 Fantasy Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Chicago Blackhawks prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration. However, a player’s potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

This concludes our look at the Chicago Blackhawks organization in 2024. Our previous August-32-in-32 article examines the team’s 2023 draftees, off-season acquisitions, and numerous other topics.

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Thanks for reading!

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