Welcome to Training Camp Starts This Week… week, Blackhawks fans! Thursday morning, there will be Blackhawks skaters — NHL guys and prospects — on the ice at Fifth Third Arena. We’ll also talk to Kyle Davidson for the first time since just after free agency/development camp that morning to see how he feels about the start of the new year. I cannot wait!
At the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase over the weekend, the Blackhawks began to display more of Davidson’s vision than ever before. Up and down most of the Blackhawks’ lineup were players Davidson had drafted or signed because they possessed those abilities. The two-game showcase — versus the St. Louis Blues on Friday and Minnesota Wild on Saturday — provided a glimpse of how those attributes may be able to benefit the Blackhawks individually and collectively in the years to come. …
There was AJ Spellacy, a 2024 third-round pick, flying past defenders through the neutral zone at speeds greater than anyone else. There was Frank Nazar, a 2022 first-round pick, getting up and down the ice and influencing the game in a variety of ways. There was Paul Ludwinski, a 2022 second-round pick, making things happen on the penalty kill. Samuel Savoie, a 2022 third-round pick, was a moving wrecking ball, as always. Landon Slaggert, a 2020 third-round pick, was flying 𒊎to the puck. They also came in waves, which is some🍎thing we haven’t seen much of before.
“He was one I hadn’t really seen a lot of, so he was probably the biggest pleasant for me,” Eaton said. “He looks bigger than his 6-2 frame out there, just how he moves it. If he can play to his identity shift ꦇin and shift out, he’s going to be a real effective player.”
“A big focus for (Nazar) last year was just, again, his great asset is his skating ability, just how he can use that in all situations to create more offense for himself,” Eaton said. “He’s at his best when his feet are moving, turning. He’s hard tღo contain. It was just having that be a consistent focal point for him. As it is for a lot of young players, it’s continuing to mature physically, putting on the right kꦉind of muscle and strength, and for him, the endurance to sustain that high level of speed from start to finish in a game and throughout a season.”
