Liam Coughlin

August 2018 – Coughlin was invited to attend the Blackhawks prospect camp and did not disappoint. He caught the eye of management with his skill and physical play. The bruiser from South Boston will return to the University of Vermont for his senior season where he can build on his momentum and hopefully secure a contract. Tony Carr

September 2017 – Coughlin took a small step backwards this past season in Vermont but despite that, he received an invitation to the Blackhawks prospect camp. Clearly the Hawks see something in him and wanted to see him against the best prospects in the organization. Coughlin remains a couple of years away from seriously challenging for a position with the big club. Tony Carr

April 2016 – Coughlin notched three goals and nine assists in 35 games as a freshman at the University of Vermont. He will return to play for the Catamounts this fall, hoping to take on a bigger role offensively. Seen as a bit of a reach in the fourth round when he was drafted, Coughlin is years away from making an impact, if at all. Matt Donohue

September 2015 – Coughlin will begin his freshman season at Vermont as a prospect of the Blackhawks after being traded for RFA goaltender Anders Nilsson in the summer. Coughlin is a long-term project in the truest sense of the word and has a long way to develop (two to three years at least). Tyler Thomson

February 2015 – Liam Coughlin is a big-framed, two-way winger currently in his second season with the Vernon Vipers and sits as the team’s leading scorer with 56 points in 47 games. After committing and de-committing to both U-Mass-Amherst and Boston University, Coughlin appears to be committed to join the University of Vermont for the 2015-16 season.

Being drafted in his second year of eligibility, Coughlin is viewed as a late-bloomer. He possesses the size and skill to be an impact player in the NCAA and should transition well as a 21-year-old freshman. For the Oilers, this is not the first time they have tapped into the BCHL for a diamond in the rough. After swinging and missing with Kyle Ligos in 2009, fellow Vernon Viper alumnus Kellen Jones (drafted in 2010) is just now breaking into the AHL after four years in college. It is clear Coughlin will be brought along slowly and carefully, the most ideal situation considering the amount of young forwards the Oilers possess. Tyler Thomson