Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#8: Chicago Blackhawks

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 39

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 2

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 2

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 55th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Sacha Boisvert (15th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Artyom Levshunov (1st)

System Score: 4.5

The Chicago Blackhawks took a major step forward in their rebuild process when they drafted the generational talent Conor Bedard first overall in the 2023 draft. Bedard won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie player last season, and despite a relatively sluggish start to the  2024-2025 season--if 19 points in 26 games can be considered sluggish for a 19-year-old NHL player--he will be the franchise cornerstone for years to come. The key to Chicago's future success will be their ability to build a solid team around Bedard, and they seem well on their way to doing so. In the past three drafts (those under current General Manager Kyle Davidson), the Blackhawks have collected and used 12 first- and second-round draft picks (not including Bedard) to add a set of high-end prospects that give the team one of the best pipelines in the NHL. One of those players--defenseman Kevin Korchinski--already has a full season of NHL play behind him (note that he had been ranked 5th overall in the Hockey Prophets top defenseman prospect ranking before he graduated) or he, too, would be considered one of the best defensive prospects in the game.

The Top of The Pool:

With the second-overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft, the Blackhawks selected the monster defenseman of the draft class and current highest-rated blue line prospect on the Hockey Prophets list, Artyom Levshunov. The 6'2, 208-pound Belarussian blueliner came to North America as a 16-year-old player to join the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers squad, and he has wasted no time climbing the hockey ranks since then. In his one season in the USHL he put together a top-ten performance by a U18 blueliner with 42 points in 62 games, joining a group that includes acclaimed NHL names such as Torey Krug, John Carlson and Owen Power. The next season saw him in a Spartans sweater, leading Michigan State as their top-scoring defender (9 goals and 26 assists in 38 games) and putting up one of the best U19 seasons in the last couple of decades. This season, Levshunov has left college and is playing in the AHL for the Rockford Ice Hogs, where he already has 8 points in his first 16 professional hockey games. 

Levshunov is one of the most versatile and well-rounded blueliner prospects in the game. His play in his own end starts with his excellent hockey intelligence and game awareness and his ability to position himself in the right spot in any situation. If the puck is going to the corner, he can read the speed of the attacking player and adjust his line to the puck accordingly, or recognize that he might not win the race, and then take a superior position to prevent an attack from the corner. He consistently plays on the right side of the puck in the defensive zone and rarely overcommits into a poor position that leads to a chance against. He has great backward and lateral skating mechanics and uses his light feet to his advantage. Up ice, Levshunov again shows his awareness in crisp accurate passing and decision making, releasing attacks or pushing play through the neutral zone as called for by the situation. His right-handed shot has good snap and accuracy, but he looks like a player who prefers getting the puck to the prime goal-scoring opportunity instead of just blindly throwing it at the net. As the season progresses, it is likely that Levshunov will get at least a short look in the NHL to get a feel for the speed and intensity at that level, and he should be ready for full-time play next season.

The top two forwards in the Chicago system were also drafted in the first round of the 2024 draft. Center Sacha Boisvert was drafted 18th overall (note that he was listed 32nd in the Hockey Prophets 2024 draft ranking) from the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he compiled a respectable 68 points (36 goals, 32 assists) in 61 games. Boisvert has good size at 6'2, 183 pounds, and is known for his high-intensity, high-effort play around the net. What Boisvert lacks in speed and agility he makes up for with competitiveness and physicality. He looks like a player who approaches every moment as a battle that he wants to win, and he will make every effort to bend the game to his will. He has excellent hands in congested spaces, making him able to complete the small, crucial plays that often end up in scoring chances. 

Marek Vanacker is the other forward that the Blackhawks drafted in the first round last summer (27th overall, ranked 26th by Hockey Prophets). Vanacker is currently listed at 6'1 and 170 pounds, and he shows very good agility in his skating with tight turning radius and lateral mobility. His form does not always look great, but his feet get him where he needs to be. On offense, he shows good ability to create space for himself and buy time to work the puck to teammates or an open shooting lane. Vanacker is not a prolific scorer, but he shows a good two-way game. However, he will need to increase his overall intensity, especially his off the puck play, as he progresses in his development if he is going to reach his full potential.

Sam Rinzel is another first-round draft pick--25th overall in 2022--in the Chicago system, and another big, solid defenseman at 6'4 and 190 pounds. A Minnesota native playing for Golden Gophers, Rinzel makes his mark on the offensive side of the ice, and he makes that mark quite often. In a combined 55 games of NCAA play for the University of Minnesota, Rinzel has posted 43 points from the blue line, and he has been near a point per game so far this season. He moves the puck well, either in transition or from the point. He tends towards more of a sweeping snap shot than a booming clapper from the blue line, but his preferred method often allows for good deflection opportunities and improved accuracy. Rinzel plays the type of game that seems easy and efficient and almost unnoticed, but he just makes good things happen when he is on the ice.

The Blackhawks also have a group of forwards in the system drafted over the past few years that make this pool outstanding. Colton Dach, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore all have NHL potential (they are currently placed 59th, 62nd and 66th, respectively, in the Hockey Prophets forwards ranking) and should be high-quality contributors to the Chicago rebuilding effort.

Dach is the younger brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Kirby Dach, and like his brother he is a tall, talented scoring threat. Currently in his second season of professional hockey at Rockford, Colton has improved his offense to nearly a point per game this season (8 goals and 9 assists in the first 19 games). He has great shooting ability, and excellent technique. His skating seems to be continually improving, as well, and although it will never be a standout part of his game, it should no longer be much of a concern, either.

Frank Nazar has been developing well in the time since he was drafted 13th overall in 2022. A player with a lot of promise and some questionable decision making has become the leading scorer for Rockford in his rookie season and is currently second overall in AHL scoring with 24 points in just 18 games. Nazar is smaller than most of the Chicago prospects at 5'9, but he has amazing speed and skating ability, and his scoring is well established. His decision making and puck management improved tremendously during his time at the University of Michigan, and he looks like a player who deserves to be moved up quite a bit in the prospect ranking. 

Rounding out the trio is another NCAA speedster, Oliver Moore. A teammate of Rinzel's at the University of Minnesota, Moore is among the top skaters in all of college hockey and he uses his speed effectively on both offense and defense. His agility and aggressiveness make him an excellent penalty killer, and his elite speed means that with the puck he can put even the most confident defenders on their heels. His scoring pace might be off a bit early on this current season, but he should be a point-per-game player as he finishes what will likely be his final season of college hockey before signing his first professional contract.

Chicago's prospect pool has several other quality players such as Gavin Hayes, John Mustard, Paul Ludwinski and Allan Nolan that will help turn this franchise around in short order. The system as a whole has depth, a range of talent and abilities, and several top-end players ready to take the next step.

Return to the Team System Rankings

Below is the full list of the Chicago Blackhawks' ranked prospects.

Top Forwards 

Top Defensemen