During my research, I was particularly impressed by how focused Bedard remained on the game. My grandfather always said, “keep the main thing the main thing,” and Bedard exemplified that mentality quite well. I appreciated a recent article by Ben Pope in the Chicago Sun-Times, which highlighted Bedard’s remarkable ability to maintain his concentration on the ice—the piece is well worth a read.
In his latest piece for The Athletic, Scott Powers highlighted ten Blackhawks prospects who have the potential to develop into top-six forwards for the team. While there are only five long-term spots available, especially with Bedard likely anchoring the top line for the foreseeable future, the question remains: who will play alongside him? Currently, Teuvo Teräväinen is performing well with Bedard, and the Blackhawks recently signed Tyler Bertuzzi to fit into that lineup as well. Given the number of picks the team has accumulated over the past three drafts, it’s worth asking if anyone from the upcoming generation is likely to make a significant impact.
One point to consider regarding Scott’s list is how the Blackhawks eventually determine the second line center position, which will be crucial. If either Sacha Boisvert or AJ Spellacy develops into a skilled, sizable playmaking center, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore could transition to wing positions, creating an intriguing competition alongside players like Marek Vanacker and Nick Lardis. The positive takeaway here is that Powers makes compelling arguments for all ten prospects to carve out roles in the top six, indicating that the Blackhawks have plenty of promising talent to leverage in the near future.
When examining the list of potential top-six players, a commonality among them is their exceptional speed—a quality that hasn’t been a primary focus for the current roster. I previously discussed the challenge of building a winning team while recognizing that the organization is not particularly “fast.”
I’ve mentioned before the significant changes anticipated in North American developmental hockey leagues as the CHL and NCAA work out their differences. When the NCAA eliminates its restrictions on CHL players transitioning to college, the development structure for the NHL will undergo substantial changes. This morning, I came across a tweet that sparked my excitement and intrigue regarding these implications:
Many of us would have appreciated having Kevin Korchinski in the AHL last year, although the team’s injury issues likely forced him into more NHL action than we would have preferred. Looking forward, certain prospects may impress during training camp, leading organizations to prefer their AHL debut earlier than their age-20 season. Players like Nick Lardis have excelled in junior hockey to the extent that a professional role at age 19 would be reasonable. AJ Spellacy could also be a candidate for a professional setting next year. Unfortunately, the next CBA negotiations won’t occur in time to impact these prospects, but the future effects of such changes seem promising—unless you’re a fan of the CHL.
