The rating game
Our ranking of the prospects the rebuilding hawks have put together
The Blackhawks’ prospect pool has developed into one of the deeper groups in the NHL in recent years. And with the Hawks now committing to youth more than ever at the NHL level, the quality of that pool seems more important than ever.
These rankings update the midseason rankings, with 2020 draft picks and signings added in. The order is determined partly by NHL readiness and partly by upside.
No. 1: Ian Mitchell, defenseman, 21
† Previous ranking: No. 1.
† Projected 2021 team: Hawks.
Mitchell easily topped the list at midseason, and he easily tops it now.
The only change is that he since has signed his entry-level contract and has been penciled in — at long last — as a top-four defenseman for the Hawks this coming season.
No. 2: Lukas Reichel, wing, 18
† Previous ranking: N/A.
† Projected 2021 team:
(Germany).
The 17th overall pick in the draft last month is two or three years away from NHL readiness, but his extremely high potential pushes him to No. 2 in his rankings debut.
Reichel’s hockey intelligence and two-way reliability stand out as the biggest positives in his game.
Eisbaren Berlin
No. 3: Philipp Kurashev, center, 21
† Previous ranking: No. 2.
† Projected 2021 team: Hawks.
Kurashev hasn’t gotten a lot of attention nationally yet, but he displays all the tools it takes to become a top-nine playmaker in the NHL.
His offensive skills are crafty at worst and dazzling at best. He has excelled on loan in the Swiss league this fall.
No. 4: Brandon Hagel, wing, 22
† Previous ranking: No. 4.
† Projected 2021 team: Hawks.
Hagel never will be a star, but his tireless work ethic has made him a favorite of the Hawks’ front office. He led Rockford — the Hawks’ American Hockey League affiliate — in scoring last season.
‘‘He’s got that motor and that engine that we’re trying to get everybody to play with,’’ general manager Stan Bowman said recently.
No. 5: Evan Barratt, center, 21
† Previous ranking: No. 7.
† Projected 2021 team: Rockford.
Barratt will make the jump from Penn State to the AHL after signing his entry-level contract in the spring. His skating is a weakness, but his vision, creativity and soft hands more than make up for it.
No. 6: Wyatt Kalynuk, defenseman, 23
† Previous ranking: N/A.
† Projected 2021 team: Hawks.
Kalynuk was a fantastic skater and leader atWisconsin, and he’ll be a strong contender for one of the NHL jobs available in training camp.
No. 7: Nicolas Beaudin, defenseman, 21
† Previous ranking: No. 3.
† Projected 2021 team: Rockford.
Beaudin had an up-and-down rookie year in the AHL, not entirely living up to expectations as a former first-round selection, but he improved as it went on and made his NHL debut in theMarch 11 ‘‘coronavirus game.’’
No. 8: Lucas Carlsson, defenseman, 23
† Previous ranking: Excluded.
† Projected 2021 team: Hawks.
Carlsson flew under the radar for more than a year in Rockford before emerging as a reliable NHL fill-in in February. He now projects as a second- or third-pairing guy.
No. 9: Michal Teply, wing, 19
† Previous ranking: No. 5.
† Projected 2021 team: Rockford.
Teply’s stock skyrocketed in 2019-20, when he used his 6-3 frame to score 63 points in 53 games withWinnipeg of theWestern Hockey League. He’s on loan to a Czech team now and could stay in the Czech Republic, return toWinnipeg or be assigned to Rockford.
No. 10: Alec Regula, defenseman, 20
† Previous ranking: Outside the top 10. † Projected 2021 team: Rockford.
The trade return for Brendan Perlini last November, Regula played so well in training camp in July that the Hawks brought him to the bubble. The sample size is small, but Regula looks like a steal so far. † Other prospects to watch: Alex Vlasic, defenseman, 19; MacKenzie Entwistle, wing, 21; Antti Saarela, center, 19; Drew Commesso, goalie, 18.