The Chicago Blackhawks had one weekend game. They took on the Vancouver Canucks in British Columbia on Sunday and were beaten pretty soundly.
At 6-11-1, things are not going great for them. Their 13 standings points rank last in the NHL heading into play this week.
Despite the bad weekend at the NHL level, things went well for the Hawks elsewhere in the organization. Their prospect pool is looking nice all over the world.
This is news that should keep fans engaged while they figure out how to win at the highest level. Calling up prospects isn’t going to make it easier to win. It may even make it harder.
For now, letting them develop elsewhere is the best thing for most of these kids. Over the weekend, these are the prospects that stood out the most:
1. Nick Lardis
Nick Lardis was a third-round pick (67th overall) by Chicago in the 2023 NHL Draft. He currently plays major junior for the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. Over the weekend, he was spectacular.
Lardis scored back-to-back hat tricks on Saturday and Sunday. Both of those games were wins for the Bulldogs. Lardis also added an assist in the second game so it was seven points in two games.
Now, he has 20 goals and nine assists for 29 points in 19 games played. After a game in the AHL last year and a look during the preseason this year, the Hawks did the right thing by sending him back to junior. He is developing very well.
2. Sacha Boisvert
Sacha Boisvert was a first-round pick (18th overall) by Chicago in 2024. There are high hopes that he can be a productive NHL player one day.
Over the weekend while playing for the University of North Dakota, Boisvert scored a beautiful goal in their weekend finale against Denver. North Dakota wasn’t able to beat the defending champions but Boisvert was able to find the back of the net on a nice play that was set up for him.
Boisvert will enter next weekend’s games with three goals and five assists for eight points in 11 games. The offensive numbers aren’t through the roof yet but the young freshman has some very exciting upside. The Hawks want to see snipes like this continue.
3. Oliver Moore
The Chicago Blackhawks landed the speedy Oliver Moore in the first round (19th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Now, he currently plays for the University of Minnesota where he is surrounded by a lot of talent.
Over the weekend, Moore collected the primary assist on their only goal which was scored by Matthew Wood against Bemidji State. The Golden Gophers lost 3-1 but Moore was out there creating offense.
The cross-ice feed that Moore made to Wood was about as special of a pass as you can make. Through all of that traffic, you have to be perfect to connect and Moore did.
Moore is up to two goals and six assists for eight points in 12 games so far. The Hawks would like to see an uptick in offense. He has the speed to change games but it is about putting that speed to good use.
4. Aiden Thompson
We mentioned the University of Denver sweeping North Dakota in their two games this weekend. Well, the former Blackhawks third-round pick (90th overall in 2022) played a big role in that.
Thompson scored a goal in the first game against the Fighting Hawks which extended his point streak to 11 games to open the year. He also had an assist on a goal scored by Zeev Buium earlier in the game.
One night later, he made it 12 games with a point as he scored a power-play goal. The Blackhawks have to love his progression as a scorer. This kid can do it all when it comes to playing the game on the ice.
Playing as a defending national champion, he has taken on a leadership role with an A on his sweater as well which adds to his progress off the ice.
So far this year, he has 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 12 games played. He should blow past his 11-goal/30-point mark from a year ago. Denver is a scary team right now and Aidan Thompson is a big part of it.
5. Frank Nazar
Frank Nazar was scratched from Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Wolves because of a personal matter. Hopefully, everything is okay with him and his loved ones.
One game prior (Friday), Nazar had a goal and an assist in Rockford’s 3-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose. Nazar was named the number-one star of the game.
The five-on-three goal was his fifth marker of the season. He also has eight assists for 13 points to lead the IceHogs in 11 games played. Not bad for the 2022 first-round pick (13th overall).
Honorable Mentions
These five aren’t the only five that played well either but it’s impossible to name them all. A few honorable mentions can be discussed though. Ryan Greene of Boston University scored a couple of goals including an impressive shootout winning tally.
Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov each assisted on the Nazar goal as well. Both of them are expected to be pillars on Chicago’s blue line one day so seeing them contribute offensively in the AHL is a good sign. There is a lot of work to be done there and it starts with plays like this to build confidence.
For the Chicago Blackhawks organization, managing their young talent should be their biggest concern. It is clear that they are a bottom-five team in the NHL and it may be even worse than that if Connor Bedard’s sophomore slump goes on for a bit.
You know that Bedard is going to be a superstar though so developing these kids is of the most importance because you have to surround him with depth.
Weekends like this must continue for the rebuild to tread on. Some of these kids have to play on the same team as Bedard and help him win because he can’t do it all by himself.
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