Chicago Blackhawks are No. 1 in Scott Wheeler's 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheeler's 2026 rankings of every NHL organization's prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations on nearly 500 prospects, runs from March 9 to April 8. I went back and forth on the Blackhawks and Sharks at No. 1 throughout my process this year, but those were the only two pools in the mix. While the Sharks have arguably the top forward prospect (Michael Misa), the top D prospect (Sam Dickinson) and the top goalie prospect (Joshua Ravensbergen) among the two organizations, the Blackhawks also have top prospects at multiple positions, have nine of the collective top 14 or 15 for me if I were to rank them together, have prospects up and down their list who would rank higher on San Jose's and have players who didn't make their top 15 who would've been in the Sharks'. It's a significant collection of legit prospects, and that's without including Artyom Levshunov, who had a reasonable case for ongoing inclusion and still very much feels like a prospect. A teenager who led all U26 SHL players in goals by five. The KHL's leading goal scorer regardless of age. A 20-year-old who has scored nearly 30 goals in his first year of pro hockey split between the AHL and NHL. Six players who've played NHL games this year. A mix of different shapes and sizes, with speed and competitiveness throughout. One of the top freshmen in college hockey. Eight first-round picks. Both of the OHL's two leading goal scorers, one of whom barely even makes their list. Frondell, the top Swedish prospect in the 2007 age group, dominated at the J20 level two years ago and excelled internationally at the World Junior A Challenge, the world under-17s and particularly the U18 Five Nations (both in a dominant as an underager and then in Helsinki last year). He struggled to create offense at U18 worlds, though, and while he arrived late and was coming off a run to SHL promotion with Djurgården and dealing with jet lag, his final showing pre-draft was a disappointing one. Still, he looked in a full season from his draft year as if he belonged with the Djurgården pro team in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan as a 16-year-old before hurting his foot in late February and later his knee (which required surgery), two injuries that combined to keep him out for most of 2023-24 and the start of last season. After jumping back into the men's team's lineup in limited minutes right away last year, Frondell looked early on at both the pro and junior level like he was still finding his game, pace and conditioning. He really stood out over the final few months pre-U18s, though, before playing a bit of a lesser role in the playoffs, with a couple of four-point games in Allsvenskan and that aforementioned second standout showing at Five Nations that included a two-goal, three-point game against USA (though he also had a mediocre Five Nations mixed in with his mediocre U18 worlds). All told, it was a bit of a mixed bag for Frondell, with some real highs (two or three months of excellent play against men) and some lows. On the whole, his HockeyAllsvenskan production was very strong in a historical context; on the whole, it should be noted, producing in line with names such as William Nylander and David Pastrnak at the same age. He then built upon that this year after Djurgarden's promotion to the SHL, becoming just the fourth U19 player in league history to score 20 goals in a season and the first since Daniel Sedin (though there were some ups and downs for him with Djurgarden again this year as well, particularly after a hot start), and impressing in his first NHL action. He was good (eight points in seven games) at the World Juniors without being a force as well, helping Sweden to gold with a couple of big moments. There's a lot to like about Frondell's game. He's heavy but plays with intention, strength and some power (there were some questions about his fitness level after the time off, but he worked on it and quieted those concerns with a strong showing at the scouting combine). He's competitive. He excels in puck protection (which, again, we saw more of late in the Allsvenskan regular season). He engages himself on and off the puck, offensively and defensively, to get involved in impacting play in all three zones. He has fairly quick hands, a big one-timer, a natural and hard release and a good sense for spacing (he does a good job finding soft ice and being opportunistic) and attacking. He has an ability to both create his own looks (though I want to see him do it more consistently), challenge defenders and find and use open ice to play off and to his linemates and free up his shot. He can be relied upon defensively and does a good job supporting play and picking up his assignments when he needs to help out the D. Though he has played mostly wing for Djurgården's men's team, he's a natural center, and I've liked him at both positions. He has pro quality and tools. I've wondered about whether his pace (he can look like he has big boots out there at times but can also build a head of steam when he gets going) and his playmaking are high-end enough, but he should be an excellent top-six player in the NHL who has a strong combination of size, strength, shooting and two-way play. Kantserov emerged as one of the top young forwards in the KHL last year when, despite missing 20 games due to injury, he still finished second on Magnitogorsk in scoring with 38 points in 47 games. He took the league by storm this year, though. Wearing a letter, he led the KHL in goals (36) and broke its U22 points record (64) in 63 games to solidify himself as one of the top young forwards outside the NHL. And he did it playing as a full-time first-line center a year after he didn't play a single game down the middle. Pre-draft, Kantserov was one of the more productive players in the MHL across two seasons, registering 61 goals and 120 points in 112 games at 17 and 18. He finished at No. 65 on my board when the Blackhawks took him at No. 44 in the 2023 draft, but as I wrote at the time, "On talent, Kantserov belongs in the 50s here." (Between his size, his 2004 birthday and the uncertainty surrounding Russian players at the time, I was cautious with slotting Russians that year.) Kantserov is a highly gifted, knifing player who can create for himself with his quick, adjustable hands, plus-level straight-line speed and lateral quickness, real one-on-one skill and attack mentality. But he can also finish plays as a shooter who is capable of playing off his linemates so that he can get open, be opportunistic and take pucks into his quick and dangerous release or comfortable one-timer. And while he's short (5-foot-9), he's well-built for his size (a strong 176 pounds), he's a willing worker and he has clear top-six NHL attributes -- and potentially even some star power. He's coming, and Blackhawks fans are going to love him. For a long time, Rinzel's appeal was all about the potential, and it always felt like he was just scratching the surface. He has realized that potential over the last couple of years, though, and even with some ups and downs in his first full pro season this year, he no longer feels like a "what if." He found another level after returning from the World Juniors two years ago and hasn't really looked back, climbing a steep incline in his progression to become one of the top defensemen in college hockey as a sophomore last season and then immediately impressing at the NHL and bypassing Kevin Korchinski on the NHL depth chart. He's a long, right-shot defender who thrives in transition, continues 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 has really figured out how to deploy and utilize them in a more cohesive way. There was a stretch last year from college and into the NHL where you could see his confidence building in real time as he started to look like more than just his length and skating. There's been some expected learning this year, but he can really impact play when he's reading the game well. He's going to be a top-four D, and while he hasn't yet established himself on the power play, I expect him to quarterback one in the league. One of the hottest players in the CHL after a trade from Peterborough to Hamilton saw him score 30 goals and 56 points in 39 games to close his draft year, Lardis has been one of the most prolific goal scorers in his age group since, became the first OHL player since John Tavares to score 70 goals last season, scored immediately in the AHL and has started to score in the NHL already. 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 also has 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 who has worked hard to fill out his lean frame), 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 continue to add more strength to his natural athleticism. His speed and skill took over games offensively in the OHL and quickly in the AHL. 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 one-timer, the skill, the quickness and the top-flight speed to try to make him into a top-six scoring winger. Not all of the Blackhawks' abundance of 5-foot-9/10/11, speedy forwards are going to be able to play in the same top six, so that may work against him in a battle for one of those jobs with Kantserov, but he looks more like a first-rounder than a third-rounder -- and has for some time. He has also dealt with some nagging injuries over the years while still maintaining his gaudy goal-scoring totals. I did debate different orders for the prospects in 4-9 tier here, but he has the most goal-scoring upside, and that gave him a slight edge for me this year after he showed he could do it as a rookie against pros. A riser in last year's draft class, Nestrasil's numbers didn't leap off the page, but he started the year with eight points in his first 21 games and finished it with 34 points in his final 40 games in Muskegon, and he did it as a hardworking, driven and 6-foot-6, 186-pound winger. His minutes rose from 10-15 per game to 17-20 per game as last season progressed in the USHL, and he also played well in the playoffs for Muskegon, registering another 13 points in 14 games. He took such big steps in the second half that UMass moved his commitment up from 2026-27 to 2025-26. And he took another big step this year as a freshman with the Minutemen, finishing fifth among U19 NCAA players in scoring with 31 points in 34 games (good for second on the team) and fourth in goals with 13 while playing 19-20 minutes per game. He also had a good World Juniors as an important third piece of the Czechs' successful top line, though I liked him more in the preliminary round than the medal round. Scouts are intrigued by his rangy frame, his room for physical growth and his blend of work ethic and sneaky skill. He skates well for his size, he gets in on the forecheck, he hunts and wins pucks with his body positioning and a great stick and he showed some playmaking sense and skill this year. The belief is that once he fills out his frame further, he could become a middle-six winger who can play with anyone. A favorite of mine over the years, Moore has consistently impressed me across levels and competitions -- 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 from his exhibition run as a freshman through his sophomore year (even if he didn't take a step statistically as a second-year player). I think he looks like he belongs in the NHL as well, and I really liked him in his AHL stint earlier in the year. His consistent impact, even when the points aren't going in, has always been there (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 has 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 has quick hands. He has 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 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 (we all know he's an NHL player). 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. Korchinski is capable of playing an ambitious, free-flowing game when he's at his best and playing with confidence, but has struggled to consistently play at his top level and define his game against pros. He has a June birthday, so while it can feel like he's been around forever and he hasn't fully established himself in the NHL, it's important to remember that he was the youngest defenseman in the NHL in the two seasons before this one, that defensemen typically don't make their way into the league until his current age and that he still has plenty of runway to take steps and get better. I thought he finished last year on a positive note in the Calder Cup playoffs with Rockford, even if he'd been passed by Rinzel and Levshunov by then, and he has had some good stretches this year where he has looked close in my viewings to taking that next step. Korchinski handles the puck smoothly on his hip; his good 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 decent 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 can play under pressure when he's really seeing it. He has made progress in making quicker decisions, he exits and enters the zone well, he can control play when he arrives there, he gaps up well in neutral ice, he sees it and handles it at an advanced level, he has shakes and shoulder fakes. He just needs to be a little firmer out there on both sides of it and has never added some needed strength. He projects as a No. 5 and PP option now. I do wonder if he could become a No. 4 somewhere else with a change of scenery to get out from behind the Blackhawks' young crowd on the blue line, though. 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. So, after a bad year on the ice, off it, and with his health after a transfer to BU this season, try to remember the two years prior when you're recalibrating your expectations a bit. As one rival USHL coach put it to me in his draft year: "Sacha Boisvert is a really good player." He was also 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 continued to build on that in a strong freshman season for the Fighting Hawks last year as well. And while this year was a disappointment in every way and he still has clear areas that he needs to work on, Boisvert is unique in the Blackhawks' pool, and that could help carry him. This year wasn't all bad either: Before it started, I thought he was a standout at the World Junior Summer Showcase and looked like he had a chance to make Team Canada. He has the desired height (6-foot-3) and position on his side, room to continue filling out his once-wiry but always-strong frame (which he already added a bunch of muscle to the last couple of summers; he still looks lean with further growth to come) and NHL skill and competitiveness. Intangibles came up a lot when I spoke to people about him pre-draft and into that first year at North Dakota (he even dropped the gloves a few times last year, including in the playoffs) and while there are others at North Dakota and BU who aren't as kind now after he left both schools on a sour note, he plays with jam and has shown that early on in the NHL. 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 work ethic and a two-way commitment when he's focused, and there's a lot to like. He has to improve in the faceoff circle, but there's a useful game there with the right development/refinement. If he commits to a development plan, he still projects as an impactful third-line center who could play up your lineup if needed. Vanacker is a player who, after he impressed me in an early-season live viewing to start his draft year, I immediately made time for on tape and asked around about. After that, I became more and more of a fan. After a good showing in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game's combine testing, he found another level in the second half of his draft year to finish as the Bulldogs' leading scorer after Lardis went down with an injury in January, with 36 goals and 82 points in 68 games at season's end (while playing through a shoulder injury that he then had surgery on in the offseason and which delayed the start of his post-draft year). He had a quiet U18 worlds (again, while injured) and didn't produced at the same rate following his return to play at the end of November of last year (42 in 45, though that included 24 goals) but I think the injury had a lot to do with both of those outcomes and he re-established himself as a top power forward in the OHL this year, leading the league in goals with 47 in 60 games and playing well both at the World Junior Summer Showcase and Canada's selection camp after he was a late invite (and before he was eventually cut). There's a lot to like. He has a strong foundation of tools and habits. He has an athletic 6-foot-1, 190-or-so-pound build, he's a strong skater, he'll take pucks to the net, he protects and shields the puck well, he knows where to be and go on the ice, he has a solid two-way game and he works to get the most out of his above-average skill. He has the makings of a complementary winger, and he knows who he is and what he's going to have to be up levels. He's just a good player, and I could envision him producing 20 goals and 40 points per season over a long career. He banks a lot of pucks in at the back post on the power play, a la Brantford owner Zach Hyman, as well, another transferable NHL skill. West was one of the most interesting prospects and stories in last year's draft. He was a two-sport athlete at Edina High in both hockey and football who made the decision to pursue hockey but honored his commitment as a captain and quarterback to put hockey aside this fall and play football one last time. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 27th among North American skaters in their final rankings, and he was a three-star quarterback recruit who had offers to play football at Miami, Marshall, Kent State and South Dakota before choosing to pursue hockey. He's also an August birthday who is nearly 6-foot-6. He was an honorable mention on my lists for much of last year because I wanted to see him play in the USHL before slotting him, but he played well enough for Fargo down the stretch (nine points in 10 regular-season games, his first games in the league) to warrant a second-round rating on my board, and there were multiple teams prepared to take him late in the first round. This season, after joining the Force in mid-December, West registered 23 points in 36 games -- with some games of real promise mixed in with some where he still looked like a work in progress. He's committed to Michigan State. You can see some of the natural athleticism in his skating (which could still use another step, but isn't awkward for his size), handling and dexterity. He has good hands, can make plays into space and can catch and tip pucks. He also sees the ice well and plays the game with good poise and his eyes up (with a little of the quarterback in him there as well). He's also a natural center, though some view him as a winger up levels. Teams were very intrigued by his raw talent, athleticism and strength, but also the runway he still appears to have ahead of him. I've often wanted him to be more engaged/harder for his size. He was very much a roll of the dice on a unique profile, and he's going to need to marinate in college and play catch-up to some of his peers in terms of development. After a .915 freshman year at BU, Commesso climbed back to a .914 sophomore season with the Terriers following a slow start (for him and the team in front of him, which was banged up and not at its best out of the gate) and did the same again as a young junior (he was still just 20) after he gave up six goals in his second start of his final year of college before finishing with a .913 save percentage and even being named an alternate captain. After making the jump to the AHL two years ago, he played better than his .906 save percentage as a rookie indicated, consistently giving a mediocre IceHogs team that struggled to score a chance to stay in games. After a slow start to last year, his save percentage climbed to .911 by year's end, and he has played well again between the AHL and NHL this season. I see a mature makeup. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he's not big for a goalie, but he blends a studious approach to the position with sharp angles, sound technique (including good habits and post integration) and a calming, poised demeanour to keep shots in his chest, control rebounds, settle down plays and hold firm to his edges. And while he's not a dynamic athlete, he can fall back on his athleticism when the play does break down, he's efficient in his movements, he's quick on his feet and he doesn't put himself into many scrambles because of the way he reads the play. Commesso reliably makes the saves that he should and plays the same game to game. He doesn't steal a ton of starts, and I wouldn't say he has any A-grade tools that really pop, but there's not a lot in his game that you can nitpick either. I -- and the rest of the hockey world (including USA Hockey, who've already brought him to men's worlds and the Olympics) -- expect him to become a decent No. 2 or strong No. 3 goalie, even if he doesn't have starter upside. Spellacy is a physical force who can run you over with and without the puck and can play wing or center (he has been a center in the OHL for the last two years, but may be a go-getter wing at the pro level next year). He was a standout in his first NHL training camp and is an incredible athlete who was a highly recruited free safety and could be playing college football right now. Though his statistical profile doesn't point to an NHL future, he's a powerful and fast skater who can really impose himself north-south on games with his speed, physicality and strong 6-foot-3, 200-plus pound frame. He's also very early in his skill development, didn't make the full-time switch from football to hockey until he was in the OHL, and never trained or spent his offseason on the ice until a couple of summers ago. As he plays catch-up with his peers in some of the finer skills, I expect him to build toward a potential role as a prototypical fourth-liner in time. He has a hard shot, does everything forcefully, plays in the guts of the ice, wins wall battles and is developing his hands and hockey sense. I thought he was a standout at the World Junior Summer Showcase twice and had a strong case to be a fourth-liner for Team USA at last year's World Juniors in Ottawa, and he played an effective role for them in his second crack at it in Minnesota this year. His game is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get, north-south game that can push on the counterattack, forecheck and win battles, while contributing on the penalty kill and winning his minutes (14:05 per game). There's not a lot of creativity or finesse to his game, but he does some important things very well and plays with a clear identity. We would all like to see him produce more in the OHL than he has, but he has also been one of the league's best role players on one of its deepest teams while wearing a letter. I debated ranking him a couple of spots lower, but he just feels tailor-made for a specific job. Watch the way he can get chugging here: Pridham is a high-end skater and impressive athlete whose speed and shot made an immediate impact in the BCHL and OHL. He's one of the OHL's fastest skaters, finished one goal back of Vanacker for the league lead this year with 46 and routinely beats guys wide or to pucks. I first watched him at St. Andrew's College a few years ago, and his burst in straight lines and rounding corners immediately caught my eye. The staff there loved him, and he has continued to turn people into fans since for his hardworking speed game. He's committed to BU and should become a really strong college player and scorer who gets signed and has a long pro career. Whether that's in the NHL is the TBD part. His pace, athleticism and PK upside should give him immediate value to Jay Pandolfo's staff as a freshman. Mustard was one of the top players in 16U AAA hockey and immediately became one of the top rookies in the USHL in his draft year, stepping right in to become Waterloo's leading goal scorer (29 in 60 games) and a real driver with his pace. Given his mid-August birthday and the only one season of junior he played before making the jump to college last year, he also had a respectable freshman season, registering 20 points in 37 games (tied for fourth on the team). He took a step for the Friars as a teenage sophomore this year as well, leading them in scoring with 17 goals and 29 points in 37 games, and shots with 137 (3.7 per game), despite playing just 15 minutes per game. (I think there's potential for him to become a valuable penalty killer there next year, which is something they haven't really tried with him, but feels like a potential NHL use case for his speed.) Mustard is a tremendous skater who uses his speed to get out in transition, turn defenders with the puck, get on pucks and win races. He fits well with the Friars' identity as a hardworking forward who gets after it. He has also shown some skill, a quick release and a hard wrister (and again, he was just a month away from eligibility for the 2025 NHL Draft) over the years. His athleticism, skating, competitiveness and well-rounded skill will carry him a long way. If he can continue to develop his feel for the game and consistency, he'll have a chance to be an NHLer. He's also 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, which is up 10 pounds from his draft year. Behm was a riser in the first half of his draft year last season before leveling off a little in the second half. There was a time when some thought he might be a late first before he was ultimately an early third-rounder. And he was an important part of the Blazers at 17, playing 18-19 minutes per game as a go-to forward at five-on-five and on the power play (he didn't penalty kill for them) and the team's second-leading scorer, breaking the 30-goal mark and finishing with 66 points in 59 games. He took a natural step forward this year as well, finishing top 10 in league scoring in goals (38) and points (86) while playing 20 minutes per game. Behm was a first-rounder in the WHL and is a good-sized winger with some skill, but I've had a tough time with him because I don't think his skill level is dynamic/screams top-sixer; his off-puck play defensively needs some development; and he needs to be more consistent in his competitiveness and physicality if he wants to become a bottom-sixer. But he's also almost 6-foot-2 and over 190 pounds, he has a quick and natural release, good skill, he skates well enough (I like him on cuts/attacking on angles) and he gets open and finds his way onto chances around the slot with good instincts inside the offensive zone. If he can work on some of his habits and work rate, he'll have a chance to play. He's now committed to Arizona State for next season. An overage riser in the 2023 class, Gajan wasn't even on anyone's radar playing in Slovakia's junior ranks in his first year of eligibility. Then he made the move to North America, impressed in the NAHL and USHL with Chippewa and Green Bay and became a late add to Slovakia's World Junior team for Halifax. He somehow grabbed the starting job and won the tournament's top goaltender award, committing to the University of Minnesota-Duluth along the way before becoming the first goalie off the board with pick No. 35 (in what has become a good goalie class). There have been some highs and lows for him in the three seasons since (one more in the USHL where the numbers dipped but he had a second good World Juniors showing) and two in college (with some struggles as a freshman behind a poor team) and a hot start as sophomore before a bit of a regression through the middle third and a decent finish behind a much better team (in part because of his improved play). He impresses most going post to post, with standout athleticism and surprising control holding his outside edges when he moves into his spots. Add in good hands, a competitive disposition in the net to fight for pucks on scrambles and hold his pads down when he's splayed out, a growth spurt that he has now settled into, and room to get stronger and more powerful in the net to complement his quickness, and there's a lot to like. He's an excellent goalie down low but stays up just long enough to make shoulder/high-blocker saves. He's outstanding going left to right and right to left, and one-on-one with shooters on breakaways. And while his athletic ability and skill have been his strengths, he can track and find pucks, too. His Achilles' heel has been shots through the body/a tendency to scramble. He was the final cut for the Blackhawks' top 15 for me, and he has the talent and ability. I'll be eager to see what the Chicago/Rockford goalie coaches can do with his talent. I have a lot of time for Sumpf, who was one of the best players in the QMJHL last year and earned his third-round selection as an overager. I know the Friars staff think they have something with him as well, and while he only scored four goals as a freshman there this year, he did register 21 points in 36 games (sixth on the team in scoring). He's a 6-foot-1 center who is strong in the faceoff circle, immediately became a go-to penalty killer in Moncton and then at Providence this year, can be trusted, plays off his linemates and to their strengths, shot just 5.1 percent this year and is consistent shift-to-shift in his approach and habits. I do wonder with Sumpf whether he just becomes a really good middle-six AHLer, but he's going to have a long pro career, and I wouldn't be surprised if he plays NHL games someday, even if he's a bit of a long shot to stick. I expect him to produce more at Providence next year as well. Savoie is a fiery, scrappy, ultra-competitive 5-foot-10 winger who can skate, plays with an edge and has enough skill to contribute in all of the dirty areas he sticks his nose into. It's hard at his size to win that role in the NHL, and he may just be an AHL version of it, but I felt he was worth a mention here. A top prospect in eastern Canada growing up, Furlong considered going the college route for a long time before being pulled to Halifax. In his draft year, he played huge minutes for the Mooseheads (which finished with an astounding 48-minute night in Halifax's triple overtime loss in Game 4 of their first-round series against Acadie-Bathurst) as arguably the team's top defenseman, playing ahead of older Calgary Flames third-rounder Cameron Whynot. Post-draft, he continued to play a leading role on a strong Mooseheads team and earned his way onto Canada's World Junior team in the process. His game always looked like it would top out as AHL depth/maybe a No. 7-9 if all went well, but that's not nothing, and he has played 20-plus minutes per game to positive defensive results for Rockford since being acquired by the Blackhawks in January. Furlong is a steady, dependable defender who makes a clean first pass and plays the game with the maturity and intention players typically find later in their careers. He's tidy on outlets and is composed and sure enough of himself. He knows what he is, and he plays his game to be effective and consistent. He's not going to walk through traffic or pull you out of your seat, but he manages the blue line competently, and he keeps his eyes up. He lacks acceleration, which can hurt him going back to get chipped pucks, but that's really my only issue with his game (he doesn't have high-end qualities, but he doesn't have low-end ones either). He's well-built physically. His statistical profile in terms of counting stats certainly doesn't scream NHLer, but his role and consistent level have proven him to be a good player for multiple coaches across multiple levels. Some organizations need vanilla in case of injury troubles, and that's what he'll represent. After going scoreless in his first 11 OHL games, which also came in his draft year after he lost his 16-year-old season to the pandemic, Hayes worked his way into being a third-round pick, registering 49 points in his 54 games the rest of the way after he finally broke the spell. He then broke 40 goals and 80 points in his post-draft season, made Team USA for the world juniors in his draft-plus-two season and played his best junior hockey after a trade from Flint (where he was an alternate captain) to Sault Ste. Marie, regularly imposing his will on games and racking up some big shot totals. Now he's in his second year in the AHL, and he's having a respectable sophomore season with Rockford. He's a versatile player who can play on both special teams (though I always thought he'd be more of a penalty killer than power-play guy as a pro and it has been the opposite this year in Rockford) and both wings, has east-west and north-south attributes (though more of the latter), and can play on the puck as a direct attacker or off the puck on his line as more of a push and pop guy. With it, he's capable of taking defenders one-on-one, and I've seen him make skill plays through feet, under sticks and around defenders. Without it, he'll use his long skating stride to push in straight lines to get open in transition or apply pressure on the forecheck. Now it's about working his way into the call-up conversation. Felcman has never inspired me, but he's a 6-foot-4 center who played a regular shift in a good pro league in the NL this year as a 20-year-old, and his entry-level contract is earned. I've always found his game a little vanilla and don't see him having PP (he played net-front with Langnau but won't at the next level if he were to make it) or PK utility (he struggles in the faceoff circle, though that will hopefully come with more man strength). But he's a smart big man who sees the ice fairly well and knows where to be on both sides of the puck. I've always kind of thought "That's a third-line AHLer," but his size and position make him worth at least a mention after a decent year.