Blackhawks' Jack Pridham: BU commit selected in Round 3
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Pridham was the 92nd overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
A native of Ontario, Pridham spent last season with West Kelowna of the BCHL, where he posted 23 goals and 49 points in 54 games. He has above-average speed and is very good at slicing around and through opposing defenders. The BCHL isn't the highest level of competition, so a much better idea of Pridham's long-term potential will come when he heads to Boston University this fall.
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Blackhawks' AJ Spellacy: Ohio native joins Blackhawks
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Spellacy was the 72nd overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
An Ohio native that plays for Windsor, Spellacy has quickly earned a reputation as one of the hardest workers in the OHL. He's a big (6-foot-3, 200 pounds), physical forward, with quality speed and limited offensive abilities. A good chunk of Spellacy's offense comes from the "home plate" area right in front of the opposing net. The hope at this point is that Spellacy can eventually develop into an energetic, bottom-six grinder for the Blackhawks.
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Blackhawks' John Mustard: Providence commit joins Chicago
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Mustard was the 67th overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
A native of Ontario, Mustard played his prep hockey in New Jersey and spent last season in the USHL. He had zero issues with the transition, posting 29 goals and 56 points in 60 games for Waterloo. Mustard has the foot speed to beat opposing defenders wide, and while his offensive abilities are more average than above average, he's displayed good hands, particularly in tight, and plays hard. Toss in a mid-August birthday and Mustard looks like a value pick for Chicago at this stage of the draft. He's a 2025-26 commit to Providence College.
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Blackhawks' Marek Vanacker: Character guy goes in first round
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Vanacker was the 27th overall pick by the Blackhawks at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Vanacker is a complementary winger who skates well and works hard, and oozes character as a top-flight teammate. His skill isn't high end, but he plays with energy and jam. He'll spend plenty of seasons in the NHL as a third-line forechecker who can score. The Hawks are building a team based on character, and Vanacker's work ethic is a strong fit. He'll be back in the OHL this fall once his surgically-repaired shoulder has healed, and he'll be looking to build on an 82-point season (2023-24).
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Blackhawks' Sacha Boisvert: Heads to Chicago at 18
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Boisvert was the 18th overall pick by the Blackhawks at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Boisvert is a smart, responsible, two-way center with a great shot. He skates well, makes good reads and can play with skilled wingers. Plus he has size -- Boisvert is already 6-foot-2. When the pounds come (he's only 176), he'll be a solid middle-six center for Chicago. With some luck and continued hard work, Boisvert may be able to carve out a Brock Nelson-like career. That's great for the Hawks, but not for fantasy managers, as that maturation came late for the Islanders' star, so watch from afar. He's headed to North Dakota to grow his game, so the next few seasons will be important development years for Boisvert.
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Blackhawks' Artyom Levshunov: Elite defender second pick at draft
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Levshunov was the second overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Levshunov has that rare package that makes NHL scouts spill bad arena coffee whenever they watch him play. He's a cornerstone, right-shot workhorse defender with size, skill and finesse, and a smarts/snarl combination that calmly controls the game every time he hops the boards. Levshunov's trajectory has exploded over the last couple seasons and he's expected to leave the NCAA and Michigan behind this summer as a one-and-done. We've heard Noah Dobson comps, and we won't disagree. The real question is whether he starts October in the NHL or the AHL, and whether his development path mirrors Dobson's three-season path to a plus-50 point season.
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Blackhawks' Ilya Mikheyev: Dealt to Chicago
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Mikheyev, along with the negotiating rights to Sam Lafferty and a second-round pick in 2027, were traded from the Canucks to the Blackhawks on Wednesday in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.
Mikheyev's a useful player, but his $4.75 million cap hit had become burdensome for the Canucks. This deal gives them cap flexibility heading into the draft and free agency, while the Blackhawks get a middle-six forward with speed and defensive skills to bolster their depth. Mikheyev had 31 points in 78 contests in 2023-24 after being limited to 28 points in 46 games due to a knee injury the year prior.
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Blackhawks' Cole Guttman: Gets contract extension
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Guttman signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Blackhawks on Thursday, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago.
Guttman played 27 games at the NHL level in 2023-24, scoring four times while adding four assists over that stretch. He was sent down to AHL Rockford at the end of January and finished the season in the minors, scoring 16 goals and 40 points in 39 AHL games. He should see some NHL action in 2024-25, but he'll likely once again spend most of his time in the minors.
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Blackhawks' Zach Sanford: Signs one-year deal
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Sanford signed a one-year, two-way contract with Chicago on Tuesday.
Sanford provided six assists, 24 shots on goal, 19 blocked shots and 24 hits in 29 appearances between the Blackhawks and the Coyotes in 2023-24. The 29-year-old forward will be a depth player for Chicago next campaign but could spend most of the season in the minors.
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Blackhawks' Martin Misiak: Inks entry-level contract
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Misiak signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Chicago on Tuesday.
Misiak produced 23 goals and 47 points in 60 regular-season outings for OHL Erie in 2023-24. He also notched one goal and one assist in four playoff appearances. The Blackhawks selected the 19-year-old forward with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
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Blackhawks' Brett Seney: Inks one-year extension
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Seney signed a one-year, two-way contract with Chicago on Monday.
Seney supplied 23 goals and 63 points in 68 contests with AHL Rockford during the 2023-24 regular season. The 28-year-old forward has one goal in 11 NHL outings with the Blackhawks over the past two campaigns.
Reichel signed a two-year, $2.4 million contract extension with the Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Reichel hasn't really lived up to expectations since being selected 17th overall in the 2020 Entry Draft -- he logged a career-high 65 games at the NHL level in 2023-24, but the 21-year-old forward managed just five goals and 16 points while posting an ugly minus-29 rating over that span. Reichel will likely be a full-time NHLer in 2024-25, but if he doesn't get his game together at the top level soon, he may not last with the Blackhawks beyond this two-year extension.
Vlasic signed a six-year, $27.6 million contract extension Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.
The 22-year-old blueliner managed two goals, 14 assists, 56 hits and 148 blocked shots in 76 appearances this season. He played against all the top lines, as he was part of the No. 1 pairing alongside Seth Jones. Expect 25-30 points from Vlasic next season, making him a fringe fantasy asset in deeper pools.
Reichel will get in some playoff action at the AHL level -- the Blackhawks failed to make the playoffs. Reichel managed five goals and 11 assists in 65 games with Chicago while scoring one goal and adding six helpers in nine games with the Ice Hogs.
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Blackhawks' Mackenzie Entwistle: Bags apple in overtime loss
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Entwistle posted an assist and three hits in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Kings.
Entwistle isn't known for his offense, but he ended the campaign with four points over his last seven outings. The 24-year-old forward had 11 points, 66 shots on net, 138 hits, 47 PIM and a minus-29 rating over a career-high 67 appearances this year. Entwistle enters the offseason as a restricted free agent. He's not of much interest in fantasy as a pure bottom-six forward.
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Blackhawks' Landon Slaggert: Provides helper in overtime loss
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Slaggert posted an assist in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Kings.
Slaggert racked up four points over 16 contests in his first taste of NHL action in 2023-24 after four years at Notre Dame. He added 14 shots on net, 16 hits and a plus-1 rating while seeing bottom-six minutes. Slaggert projects as a physical bottom-six forward, so his fantasy utility is likely to be limited for most of his career.
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Blackhawks' Kevin Korchinski: Gathers helper in finale
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Korchinski recorded a power-play assist in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Kings.
Korchinski set up a Tyler Johnson tally in the third period. The 19-year-old Korchinski faced an uphill battle to make an impact this season, but he was able to stick in the NHL all year. He posted 15 points, 93 shots on net, 82 blocked shots and a minus-39 rating over 76 appearances -- while not great numbers, they make sense in the context of playing for one of the worst teams in the league. Korchinski's got a bright future ahead as a two-way defenseman who could be a staple of the Blackhawks' top four for years to come.
