We’re Number One! Blackhawks Pipeline Ranked BEST in the NHL

Led by Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks have collected an impressive collection of prospects and young NHL players. But does Chicago have t༺he best group of yꦿoung players in the league?

This week, Corey Pronman at The Athletic has provided his updated, post-summer rankings of NHL organizations’ under-23 player groups. And the Blackhawks’ pipeline came in at !

Here’s what Pronman wrote about Chicago’s collection of 23-and-under players:

Chicago’s system is characterized by 1) how top-heavy its premium talent is and 2) how deep its system is overall. The Blackhawks made a lot of picks in the last few years. The result is 17 prospects projected to be legit NHL players and the No. 1 overall pipeline. They are led by a potential star center in Connor Bedard and a potential star defenseman in Artyom Levshunov. Chicago probably needs a few more high picks to round out the premium talent in this organization an🐭d give Bedard some scoring support up fro🌜nt, but there is a foundation of a potential contender steadily being built here.

Blackhawks Prospects Ranked

Pronman mentions there are 17 prospects projected to be “legit NHL players” in the Blackhawks’ system, but that isn’t the extent of the depth of the system. He ranked those 17, and then also mentions (honorably?) a few more who “have a chance to play” in the NHL. It is noteworthy that Pronman graduated Alex Vlasic from this consideration set… which make the group even more impressive when you consider he just turned 23 in early June.

Here’s how Pronman ranked the Blackhawks’ top prospects:

1. Connor Bedard, C
2. Artyom Levshunov, RHD
3. Kevin Korchinski, LHD
4. Lukas Reichel, W
5. Sacha Boisvert, C
6. Oliver Moore, C
7. Sam Rinzel, RHD
8. Roman Kantserov, RW
9. Colton Dach, C/W
10. Ethan Del Mastro, LHD
11. Nolan Allan, LHD
12. Isaak Phillips, LHD
13. Marek Vanacker, LW
14. Frank Nazar, C
15. Gavin Hayes, LW
16. John Mustard, C
17. Drew Commesso, G

“Have a Chance to Play” (aka Honorable Mention, listed alphabetically):

My Thoughts: I am always, always fascinated with how evaluators at a national/league level view Blackhawks’ prospects. I’ve noted previously that Pronman still holds Reichel in a much higher regard than I think most Blackhawks fans do at this point. And he’s never been a big fan of Nazar. But I think if I were throwing these names on the board and ranking them off the top of my head, I would flip those two in the order of the top 17.

It’s also intriguing that Pronman has Boisvert ranked ahead of Moore. Undoubtedly that is influenced by the questions if Moore sticks as a center in the pro ranks and Boisvert being more of a physical center, but that’s a reminder of how highly a lot of people feel about the Blackhawks’ second pick from the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

I was a little disappointed to see Greene and Lardis only make the honorable mention area. I think Greene has the right skills and physical makeup to be a solid bottom-six center with some offense at the next level (and I think the organization feels similarly). I’ll admit Lardis needs to continue to physically mature and add to his frame, but he’s a legit scorer. Mustard being ranked ahead of both of them was interesting to me.

Finally, I love that Phillips got some love in the rankings. I think there’s a lot to like about his makeup and his ability. We just need to remember that not every player is ready for the NHL at 21 or 22. He’s still young — turns 23 at the end of September — and has shown a ton of development four years as a pro. He signed and went to the AHL prematurely because of COVID’s impact on the CHL, but his growth curve is far from complete. And, if we’re honest, having another 6-3, 205-pound defenseman in a system full of big bodies is nice.

Rest of the Rankings

The only other teams in the Cent🅺ral Division to crack the top ten overall are Minnesota 💎(10) and Utah (7).

Here are of under-23 pipeline🅺s in the NHL (with the Central Division in italics):

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Montreal Canadiens
7. Utah Hockey Club
8. New Jersey Devils
9. Seattle Kraken
10. Minnesota Wild
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Philadelphia Flyers
14. Detroit Red Wings
15. New York Rangers
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Nashville Predators
18. Dallas Stars
19. Calgary Flames
20. Washington Capitals
21. Los Angeles Kings
22. Toronto Maple Leafs
23. Florida Panthers
24. Winnipeg Jets
25. New York Islanders
26. Pittsburgh Penguins
27. Vegas Golden Knights
28. Vancouver Canucks
29. Boston Bruins
30. Edmonton Oilers
31. Colorado Avalanche
32. Tampa Bay Lightning