It’s that time again, Blackhawks fans! As the NHL trudges through the dog days of August, there’s precious little in terms of important news to discuss. While the game’s top players continue to rest, recuperate, and train for the upcoming season, all eyes are now on the continued development of each team’s prospect pool. Chicago has developed its pipeline as well as anyone over the past few seasons and are set to reap the benefits soon.
After kicking off the top 25 rankings yesterday, we’re continuing to move up the list to now take a closer look at some of the players rounding out the Blackhawks’ top 20 prospects. These players are all at various stages in their development, but each figures to be a big part of Chicago’s success a few years from now.
Given his lack of professional experience, it certainly feels as if Savoie is close to being able to contribute to the Blackhawks sometime soon. That’s because he spent so much time around the big club last season after suffering a broken femur in the preseason in Chicago. Savoie certainly made the most of his unexpected time there, learning and rehabbing among the best of the best. Now healthy and headed to the IceHogs, Savoie has stood out to the Blackhawks because of his style of play – he’s a cannonball on the ice who is constantly laying opponents into the boards, almost to a fault. The 2022 third-round pick is already signed, and while he could develop his game a bit more in Rockford, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him on the bottom six in Chicago in the next few years.
After being drafted as the highest-taken goalie in 2023, Gajan was quickly dubbed as the future between the pipes for the Blackhawks. His most recent season in the USHL was a bit of a hiccup in that plan, posting an .893 save percentage. Still, everyone knows goalies take longer to develop, and the fact that he’s still just 20 years old is great news for Chicago’s long-term plans with him. As he heads to the University of Minnesota-Duluth this fall, he’ll have plenty of time to get back on track. Drew Commesso, who we’ll see later in the list, is considered the “next man up”, and each of the two NHL goalies is signed for the next two seasons.
The way I see it, Kantserov is one of the most consistently underrated prospects in the Blackhawks’ entire system. The only reason he wasn’t higher on my list is the NHL-readiness factor – he’s signed in the KHL for two more seasons, after which we could see him in Chicago. The Russian league is notoriously difficult for young players, but that didn’t stop Kantserov from performing well in a total of 76 games last season. He came alive in the playoffs, scoring 13 points in 23 games while showcasing his elite playmaking ability. A second-round pick in 2023, Kantserov will make a huge impact on a contending Blackhawks team in 2026 and should provide a spark in a prominent middle-six role.
As one of the most well-rounded players in the Blackhawks’ system, Ludwinski doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area. But after being drafted No. 39 overall in 2022, he’s developed into one of Chicago’s best prospects and more than they could have hoped for. He served as the captain of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs last season, and after 69 points in 60 games there, he’ll head to Rockford, where he’s only a phone call away from the big club. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made his NHL debut at some point this season.
It’s difficult to rank this year’s first-round picks in this list, but 16th feels like a safe spot for Vanacker, the Blackhawks’ third pick in the first round this summer. He’ll be out until December with a shoulder injury and was signed on Monday so that he could have access to Chicago’s medical facilities and learn from the best like Savoie did. Vanacker has already proven he’s an elite scorer at the OHL level with an impressive 82 points in 68 games last year. He specializes in creating odd-man rushes and taking advantage of opportunities, and although he has a bit of work to do defensively as he progresses toward the NHL, he has tremendous upside and is a big part of the Blackhawks’ future plans.
