Chicago Blackhawks: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
It is no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks are in a transition period right now.
In fact, they even said so in an odd statement to their fans recently that admitted the fact they are rebuilding. While this reportedly did not sit well with some of the Chicago Blackhawks veterans, General Manager Stan Bowman does not have many options given some of his players’ lofty salaries along with some of the questionable moves he has made the past few years.
This is a team who will look much different heading into the 2020-21 season, given that their longtime netminder Corey Crawford will no longer be with the team. The Blackhawks instead have decided to go with a tandem of Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia, which does not have many feeling very optimistic.
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They will more than likely struggle this upcoming season. However, given the fact that they are rebuilding, placing near the bottom of the standings and getting a high draft pick for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is what Bowman is hoping for at this point.
The good news for the Chicago Blackhawks is that they have a decent prospect pipeline. Assuming at least some of these players turn out as hoped, the team should be able to become a playoff contender again in the next couple of seasons.
As mentioned in every other Top 8 Prospects articles throughout this series, any player who has played in more NHL games than any other league in a season, regardless of the season, will not be included. With that being said, here are the top 8 prospects in the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
8. Wyatt Kalynuk
Though Wyatt Kalynuk was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Seventh Round (No. 196 overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, he elected not to sign there and instead inked an Entry-Level deal with the Blackhawks this past July. The Manitoba-born defenseman has spent the last three seasons playing for the University of Wisconsin.
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The 2019-20 was Kalynuk’s best statistically in his three years of college hockey, as he posted seven goals and 28 points in 36 games. He was extremely consistent throughout his three years of college, posting two 25 seasons along with the previously mentioned 28. It remains to be seen how he will fare at the professional level, which we will soon find out, but as of right now this looks like a terrific signing for the Chicago Blackhawks.
7. Nicolas Beaudin
Given that he was taken in the First Round (No. 27 overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Nicolas Beaudin has been somewhat disappointing for the Blackhawks to this point. The 21-year-old was drafted after his third season in the QMJHL, one in which he posted 12 goals and 69 points in 68 games played for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The following season (2018-19) was more of the same, as in his fourth and final year of junior hockey he had seven goals and 56 points in 53 games.
Considering the numbers he had posted during his junior career, the Chicago Blackhawks, along with many others, were expecting him to continue that trend in the AHL last season.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as the now 21-year-old Beaudin struggled with the Rockford IceHogs, recording just three goals and 15 points in 59 games. Given that he is just five-foot-eleven and 168 pounds, he will never be a great defensive defenseman, meaning his numbers will have to pick up. Hopefully that can happen in the 2020-21 season, otherwise he may fall off this list.
6. Alec Regula
When the Chicago Blackhawks announced they had acquired 2018 Third Round pick (No. 67 overall) Alec Regula from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Brendan Perlini, no one thought too much of it. After all, the now 20-year-old defenseman was coming off a fairly modest 11 goal, 39-point season with the London Knights of the OHL and didn’t appear to be much of a prospect.
That changed shortly after the trade, as Regula had a hot start to the 2019-20 season and continued that great play throughout, putting up a very impressive 27 goals and 60 points in 56 games, along with a plus/minus rating of +39. Given that the Red Wings elected not to re-sign Perlini after he had just four points in 39 games for them, it seems safe to say General Manager Steve Yzerman may be kicking himself for making that deal.
5. Evan Barratt
Another impressive third-round prospect the Blackhawks have is Pennsylvania State University forward Evan Barratt, who was taken by Chicago with the 90th pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old had a solid junior season statistically for Pennsylvania State this past year, posting 12 goals and 34 points in 34 games. Despite the decent stats however, it was a bit of a disappointment considering he was coming off of a 16 goal, 43-point performance the season prior.
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Despite the slight regression, Barratt still remains one of the Blackhawks’ better prospects. The one scary thing for organizations when drafting college players is that often times that said player decides against signing a contract and chooses to instead become an Unrestricted Free Agent in three years. Thankfully, that didn’t turn out to be the case with Barratt, as he agreed to an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks back in April. Once the 2020-21 AHL season begins, Barratt will look to prove he is able to continue putting up points at the professional level.
4. Brandon Hagel
Since being taken in the Sixth Round (No. 159 overall) by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Brandon Hagel has continued to get better and better. While he will likely never become an elite NHL talent, he certainly has the potential to develop into a solid middle six forward. In fact, he doesn’t seem to be very far away from that already. The 22-year-old put up an impressive 19 goals and 31 points in 58 games this past season, his first as a pro, with the Rockford IceHogs.
Considering the numbers he put up during his junior career for the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, it remains a mystery as to why the Sabres elected not to offer him an entry-level contract. Whatever the reason, the Blackhawks sure don’t mind, as they were able to obtain a very offensively talented prospect for nothing. While Hagel’s first AHL season was by all accounts a success, he should be able to boost those numbers even more going forward. His 41 goal, 102-point 2018-29 season with the Rebels proves just how much talent he has.
3. Philipp Kurashev
Like Hagel, Philipp Kurashev had a pretty solid rookie season with the IceHogs, posting seven goals and 19 points in 36 games. What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that he was just 20-years-old for the entirety of the season. The now 21-year-old Swiss forward was taken by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Fourth Round (No. 120 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft after his second season in the QMJHL, in which he posted 19 goals and 60 points in 59 games.
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After being drafted, Kurashev spent one more season in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts and was able to improve his totals from the season prior, scoring 29 goals and 65 points in 59 games. Both of those totals easily led his team, as Andrew Coxhead came second in both goals with 19, as well as points with 47.
Kurashev is currently playing in the Swiss National League while waiting for hockey to begin in North America, and he is putting his playmaking abilities on display with eight assists in 12 games. While he likely still needs some more development time in the AHL, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get at least a few games in the NHL this upcoming season.
2. Lukas Reichel
The most recent draft pick on this list is Lukas Reichel, who the Chicago Blackhawks selected with the 17th overall pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old German forward had a very impressive rookie season in the DEL in 2019-20, posting 12 goals and 24 points in 42 games. For comparison sake, Tim Stutzle, who was a unanimous top three pick in this year’s Draft and went No. 3 overall to the Ottawa Senators, had seven goals and 34 points in the same league.
Reichel was able to represent Team Germany at the 2020 World Juniors, something he will have the opportunity to do again a month down the line. In seven games at the tournament last season, he managed three goals and five points. Yet again, that was very similar production to Stutzle, who had five assists in seven games played. While it is still very early, this looks like a tremendous pick by the Blackhawks.
1. Ian Mitchell
The top prospect in the Chicago Blackhawks farm system is a player they nabbed with the 57th pick at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Ian Mitchell. The 21-year-old defenseman was selected soon after finishing up his second season in the AJHL with the Spruce Grove Saints, where he racked up a solid 37 points in 53 games. That turned out to be his last season of junior hockey as he moved on to the University of Denver.
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The 2019-20 season, which marked his third and final season with the University of Denver, happened to be his best. In 36 games, Mitchell scored 10 goals and added 22 helpers in 36 games played.
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While that was his best statistical season, he put up big numbers in all of his three years he played college hockey, finishing with 89 points in a combined 116 games played. The Albertan defenceman, who signed an entry-level deal with the Blackhawks this past summer, has a chance to make the roster out of training camp this season and boasts a very high ceiling.