Blackhawks Prospects Highlight New Top 100 Rankings ...Middle East

On Tuesday, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic released his mid-season updated top 100 drafted NHL prospects rankings. I’ll throw this breakdown in here right up front from Wheeler:

28 players from the 2024 draft, 32 from 2023, 29 from 2022, eight from 2021 and three from 2020. It’s made up of 69 forwards and 31 defensemen (of which 13 are lefties and 18 are righties).

The Blackhawks were tied with the Capitals for the most players on Wheeler’s list with seven. The top two overall players on his list are Montreal’s Ivan Demidov (because of course) and Minnesota’s Zeev Buium (who’s at Denver right now). But it doesn’t take long for the first Blackhawks prospect to arrive on the list.

Here are the Blackhawks prospects who made his list, where they ranked and what Wheeler had to say about each.

No. 3 — Artyom Levshunov, RHD

Wheeler’s Comments:

Levshunov is a stud D prospect who developed rapidly over his first two seasons in North America pre-draft and is now averaging 23 minutes per game in the AHL as a teenage rookie. He finished second on the Big Ten-champion Spartans in scoring (35 points in 38 games) and first in goal differential (plus-27) as a freshman defenseman in the NCAA last year. He had a stellar rookie season in the USHL before that, registering 43 points in 65 combined regular-season and playoff games with Green Bay to fast-track his way into college hockey. It’s not easy to play big minutes to excellent two-way results or produce at a near point-per-game rate as a teenage D in college hockey, let alone one with a language barrier in a new culture who just two seasons ago had only ever played in Belarus. And while I thought he should go back to college for one more year this year and his introduction to the AHL was a bit of a learning curve after starting the year injured, Levshunov has played big, big minutes in Rockford, he’s playing on the power play and the penalty kill, his shot generation has been strong and he’s starting to learn how to apply his talent at the pro level.

Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes in a high-end defenseman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice). Though he was a little green defensively when he arrived in the USHL, he has made fast progress and has really figured it out over the last three years (which included becoming a top penalty killer with the Gamblers after not starting there two years ago, and leading the Spartans in time on ice last year). His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles.

Offensively, he can pass and shot shape but mostly impacts offense with how eager and loose he plays as a carrier and activator who confidently leads exits and entries and loves to hop off the line (including deep into the O-zone) and join the rush whenever he can with his skating, which I expect him to do more and more of as he gets more and more comfortable at the pro level — and which I hope the Blackhawks encourage him to lean into. He also walks the line proficiently and can escape and control the puck against pressure, which has allowed him to produce very high shot totals across levels. After beginning to take over games offensively and show a more dynamic element over the second half of his season in the USHL, he played with an abundance of confidence and identity in college hockey last season (even if that identity is a little haywire at times) and has become to come out of his shell and get back to himself in the AHL. He already possessed all of the tools he needed to become a top-pairing D, and he just keeps getting better and better. The decision-making is a little raw, but he’s very much still learning it in real time, and the raw tools are also incredibly appealing considering his relative inexperience all things considered. With continued fine-tuning, I believe there’s legitimate first-pairing upside there. I was very high on him coming into his draft year and he still exceeded my expectations with his ability to impact play all over the ice and jump in and out of plays. I expect him to do that in the NHL in a big way in time as well. He’s capable of becoming a force.

I debated ranking him No. 2 here.

27 — Frank Nazar, C/W

It has been a bit of a journey for Nazar but he has gotten to where his skating and skill were always pointed.

Nazar lost most of his freshman season to a hip injury and then had to find his way back into a Michigan lineup with national championship aspirations that was already clicking in his post-draft season. He found his game, particularly in the second half, in his sophomore year, finishing at a point per game (41 in 41) and making some big plays in big moments both at the World Juniors and in Michigan’s run to a Big Ten title and the Frozen Four. Early on last season, he often left me wanting to see him battle a little more and show some more competitiveness when it was 50/50 (he was getting to a lot of pucks when they were his to get to but there was too much reaching in/not a ton of fight). That’s always been a part of his game — this feeling that if he won more possessions his game could go to another level, that he’s not quite noticeable enough given his talent level and that there’s too much vanilla between the nice moments. Some of that, though, was him still working his way back. Because since about the quarter mark of last season, he has really found a more consistent level. He hit his stride leading into the World Juniors and after a standout tournament (especially at the front of it), that play spilled into a more impactful second half with the Wolverines and then into a strong rookie season in Rockford that saw him create a ton of offense himself as a rookie at the pro level and earn a promotion to the Blackhawks where he has also had some nice moments/stretches of play.

Few prospects dash around the ice and make plays like Nazar does when he’s feeling it. He’s a threatening player from the hashmarks in because of his wrister, which he pops off his stick with sneaky power and precision thanks in large part to the balance he displays through his weight shift (he’s not a big, strong kid but he’s a tremendous athlete).

He’s got quick hands, which help him deftly adjust in traffic to get shots off under pressure. He flashes creativity throughout his game. He plays pucks into space extremely well, regularly executing through tight gaps in coverage. And he’s capable of being a hungry, driven player who consistently targets the middle lane and can get to wherever he needs to get to with his greatest asset — his skating.

Nazar’s one of the faster young players in the league not only in straight lines and winding up through his crossovers but also in adjusting tempos (he used to always be out in front and playing too fast at times but he has really learned when and how to better deploy his speed). That allows him offensively to impact play both with the puck, attacking in transition to turn defenders or creating breakaways as well as without it, speeding into lanes to get open for his linemates.

He also consistently supports the play high in the offensive zone without possession when that’s his role (another learned habit that has come a long way). He can be careless with the puck and try to do too much at times but he’s also capable of going right into coverage to make something happen or breezing to the perimeter to pull eyes to him and facilitate. His ability to get out in transition and make plays off the rush is particularly impressive, especially as a passer where he routinely executes beautiful cross-ice passes from out wide while in motion. He’s got impressive touch. And while there’s still the odd time he cheats a little or loses a battle, he can also open up a game.

He moves and does things on the ice that few can and has upside as a top-six playmaker. The question is whether he has the jam/fire to stick as a center at 5-foot-9/10, or if he’ll have to play wing to play in the top six. I think the wing is more likely.

28 — Kevin Korchinski, LHD

Long, increasingly smooth-skating, point-producing defensemen aren’t easy to come by and Korchinski is capable of playing an ambitious, free-flowing game when he’s at his best and playing with confidence. He’s also got a June birthday, so while it can feel like he’s been around for a while already and he hasn’t fully established himself in the NHL, it’s important to remember that he was the youngest defenseman in the NHL last year, that he’s the second-youngest defenseman to play in an NHL game this year, that defensemen typically don’t make their way into the league until 21-23 and that he’s still got plenty of runway to take steps and get better. (And while you can’t read you much into it, he was also just named AHL All-Star Game MVP after a four-point game.)

Korchinski handles the puck smoothly on his hip, his impressive footwork and maneuverability (both of which have come a long way) help him adjust to, away from and around pressure and then he’s a natural playmaker who can make something happen and facilitate out of all of his movement and carries.

I like his stick and his ability to use his feet to defend the rush and disrupt play (though he’s a better transition defender than a defensive-zone one). His hallmark has become his balance over his skates (an area that, astoundingly, was once a major concern before a growth spurt somehow straightened his posture out), allowing him to stay stick-on-stick through stops and starts with opposing carriers.

He tries to guide play with and without the puck with his mobility, pivots and directional changes. He can impact play with his ability to transport the puck, roam and find seams. He can stretch the ice on outlets. He reads the play quickly, which allows him to make hurry-up passes when a long carry sequence isn’t there for him. He sees the play develop inside the offensive zone and regularly hits cross-ice holes in coverage. Though his shot isn’t hard, he’s comfortable attacking into the slot. He’s also an underrated competitor who is willing to take a hit to make a play and fearlessly pursue pucks into corners.

There’s still some fine-tuning that needs to happen defensively, and he’s prone to the occasional brain cramp, but Korchinski doesn’t panic under pressure. He has made real progress making quicker decisions, he exits and enters the zone well, he controls play when he arrives there, he gaps up well in neutral ice, he sees it and handles it at an advanced level, he’s got shakes and shoulder fakes and his ceiling remains fairly high (as high as No. 3 D and PP1/2 QB, I think) as a result.

#Blackhawks Prospect Sam Rinzel On Areas of Improvement, the Hobey Baker, Turning Pro, More t.co/qmylj2G9aP

54 — Sam Rinzel, RHD

Rinzel’s appeal is all about the potential because it has always felt like he’s just scratching the surface, but some of that is really starting to be scratched now. He, like Nazar but even more so, found another level after returning from the World Juniors last season and hasn’t looked back, climbing a steep incline in his progression to become one of the top defensemen in college hockey as a sophomore this season. He’s a long, right-shot defender who thrives in transition, has room to fill out his frame, has already quickly played catch-up with his peers and has time (thanks to a late June birthday) to continue to do even more of that. He’s a fluid skater with an active stick and an eager approach to playing offense and defense that keeps him involved in all three zones (which comes with some good and bad but more good than bad). His game used to be a little haywire, his play selection needed some buttoning up and he’d occasionally get burned, but all of those things have started to fall into place nicely for him as he has gotten more reps and his skill and talent have taken over from there. You can see the tools and he’s starting to figure out how to deploy and utilize them in a more cohesive way. You can see his confidence building in real time as he starts to look like more than just his length and skating, too. He can really impact play when he’s reading the game well.

And while he was a work in progress when he was drafted and still has plenty of development in front of him, he’s already much less raw than he was. The University of Minnesota has done an excellent job developing defensemen in recent years, he has already made some big improvements there, and I think that with one more year in college, he could emerge with real NHL aspirations as an interesting top-six defenseman with some real upside.

#Blackhawks Prospect Oliver Moore Talks Coaches, Winning, All-Around Play, Going Pro, Morecc @GopherHockey @usahockey t.co/7qhspVKNyr

64 — Oliver Moore, C/W

A favorite of mine, Moore has consistently impressed me across levels and competitions over the last four years — on trips down to Plymouth during his time at the program (as well as after two World Junior Summer Showcases), where he was the focal point of the 2005 age group’s second line and a real driver of play and offense behind their record-breaking first line; in Switzerland for the 2023 U18 worlds, Sweden for the 2024 World Juniors (where he began as the team’s 13th forward but also had a good run on the first line) and Ottawa for the 2025 World Juniors (where he created and drove more than he finished, which is a bit of a theme); and with the Golden Gophers in exhibition and in the second half of the regular season as a freshman (he hasn’t taken the step I was hoping for as a sophomore statistically, though).

His consistent game-to-game impact even when the points aren’t going in has always struck me as well (he rarely has a bad game and works and finds ways to involve himself and make things happen). Moore’s game is defined by his world-class skating ability (both in straight lines, where he turns defenders with ease out wide, in quick bursts from explosive stops and starts and rounding corners and winding up through his edges) and consistency of presence on the ice. He’s got gallops, cutbacks, crossovers, all of it. I’ve seen him create breakaways with ease, win races he shouldn’t and send defenders sliding when he stops up on them with a head of steam. He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them and his motor doesn’t stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next.

He wants to hang onto the puck and make plays but he’ll also hurry it up and dominate in and out of give-and-gos. He’s got quick hands. He’s got a one-timer from the right flank and can really rip his catch-and-release or in-stride wrister when he gets clean looks. He’s an impressive athlete who is strong for a 5-foot-11 player, which should help him stick at center up levels. He has learned to use some more diverse movement patterns to make defensemen miss and get to his spots as a shooter. He’s strong in the faceoff circle. Increasingly, his game isn’t all just about the speed/hound element and I’ve been impressed by his puck protection in and out of stops and starts in the offensive zone, changing directions to beat defenders off the wall into valuable ice.

But he just doesn’t seem to finish off plays around the slot or in all alone enough and that lack of finish despite the tools to do so and some pretty goals over the years on both dekes and shots, has become a bit of a constant, raising questions about his offensive upside in the NHL.

I don’t see much to nitpick in his tools or his approach, although he does need to think the game a little better with the puck at times. He has the ability to impose his will on games. But while his game is fast and tenacious, I think you’re more likely looking at a fast and determined third-liner.

79 — Sacha Boisvert, C

It’s not easy to score 30 goals in the USHL in your draft year (let alone 35-plus) or to lead an NCAA program in scoring as an 18-year-old freshman. It’s even harder to do as a center who is counted upon and keyed in on. But as one rival USHL coach put it to me last year: “Sacha Boisvert is a really good player.” Boisvert, a top prospect in Quebec growing up who was a first-round pick in the QMJHL even after he’d gone to the U.S. for the final two years of his minor hockey, was named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team two years ago after he finished third on the Lumberjacks in scoring as a 16-year-old. As a 17-year-old, he was named an alternate captain for Muskegon and played big minutes, often playing 20-24 in the second half of the season before finishing fifth in the league in goals (36) and 11th in points (68 in 61). He has continued to build on that in a strong freshman season for the Fighting Hawks this year as well, with clear areas that he can still work on and elevate.

Boisvert’s got the desired height and position on his side, room to fill out his once-wiry frame (which he already added a bunch of muscle to the last two summers; he still looks lean with further growth to come) and NHL skill and competitiveness. Intangibles come up a lot when you speak to people about him (he even dropped the gloves a few times last year, including in the playoffs). The skill includes a quick and accurate NHL-level release, good instincts on and off the puck, above-average feet (he’s a decent skater, even if a little upright in his stance), a developing power game and great feel with the puck on his stick both at speed and in slowing the game down (though a high grip and long stick can occasionally limit him with the puck so far out in front of his body). Add in his impressive work ethic and a two-way commitment and there’s a lot to like. He’s got to put some more weight on (he’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds now) and improve in the faceoff circle (which will come with more strength) but there’s a projectable game there with the right development/refinement and I’m confident the staff at North Dakota will do a good job with him over the next couple of years. With continued development, he projects as an impactful third-line center who could play up your lineup if needed.

94 — Nick Lardis, LW

One of the hottest players in the CHL after a trade from Peterborough to Hamilton saw him score 30 goals and 56 points in just 39 games to close his draft year, Lardis has been one of the OHL’s most prolific goal scorers ever since and is the current CHL goal leader.

Lardis is a standout skater and natural athlete (which is evident on the ice with his natural speed but also showed up when he led on-ice testing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in his draft year). He’s fast in straight lines and smooth weaving up ice through his carries. But he’s also got a dangerous curl-and-drag wrister, a one-timer that he trusts and regularly scores on (his one-timer from the flank and even closer to the goal line is a feared weapon in junior), good touch on the puck and on the power play, an innate ability to be opportunistic around the net and, because of his speed, a knack for winning races and getting to loose pucks. He’s on the smaller side for a winger (though he’s a very playable and fit 5-foot-11), and he’s not as engaged physically in battles as you’d hope a player with his speed would be, but his summer birthday gives him the benefit of a little more time to add more strength to his natural athleticism. Over the last two and a half seasons with the Bulldogs, there have been games where his speed and skill have really taken over offensively as the Bulldogs’ top offensive forward. He’s making more and more soft area plays into space as a passer while remaining net-focused on offense. His hands are moving in unison with his feet, edging and shading pucks with ease against junior-level players. He flashes slick one-on-one handling. He’s an excellent saucer passer, which makes him an even better flank guy on the power play because he can go back against the grain with a pass when the one-timer isn’t there.

I’d be eager to work with him to build around the quickness and top-flight speed to try to him into a middle-six scoring winger. Not all of the Blackhawks’ abundance of 5-foot-9/10/11, speedy forwards are going to be able to play on the same team, so that may work against him at some point when guys like Nazar and Moore are a higher priority, but he looks like more like a high second-rounder than a third-rounder these days. If not for a couple of upper-body injuries last season, 50 goals and 90 points were within reach. And he’s going to sail past both of those marks this year.

Where the Blackhawks’ prospects fell in Wheeler’s prospect tiers:

The top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2025 edition: 1. Ivan Demidov2. Zeev Buium3. Artyom Levshunov4-100 (plus player tiers, scouting reports, a customizable user interface, and more) at @TheAthletic: t.co/MjnM7ENzWv pic.twitter.com/BHLU5lFlMQ

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