The 2026 NHL Draft is in the books, and the Blackhawks have held their annual development camp. While we didn’t get much game-like action on the ice, we did get a look at some Blackhawks prospects skating that we hadn’t seen in that capacity previously in Chicago, which was nice.
Which means it’s time for us to update our rankings of the best prospects in the Blackhawks’ pipeline. And this list has evolved from our previous edition.
For the purposes of our new prospect rankings, I am graduating everyone who has appeared in at least half of one NHL season with the Blackhawks and/or is waiver exempt moving forward. As such, you won’t find the following players included in our rankings any longer: Nick Lardis, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro. At this time, because he has not signed a second contract yet, I am also excluding Drew Commesso; he would absolutely be included here and will be in the future when he signs.
Jack Pridham is also obviously no longer here, but we’ve added a few of the 2026 draft picks to our rankings.
Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesBlackhawks Top Prospects
1. Anton Frondell, C
6-2, 204DOB: May 7, 2007Shoots: LeftAcquired: 1st round (No. 3) — 2025 NHL DraftSIGNED
I only listed Frondell as a center because every indication is that will be his position with the Blackhawks to begin his first full professional season on North America. And our preseason rankings will likely be the last time the top two players in these rankings are eligible; they’ll both be every-night NHL players this coming season. Frondell is the total package as a power forward who will be a big part of the Blackhawks’ top six moving forward.
2. Roman Kantserov, C/W
5-9, 176DOB: Sept. 20, 2004Shoots: LeftAcquired: 2nd round (No. 44) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Ottawa in Zaitsev trade)SIGNED
Big change from our end-of-season rankings is the SIGNED under Kantserov’s name. And, unlike Frondell, I am listing Kantserov as both a center and a wing because he primarily played down the middle in the KHL this past season but appears to be more likely to start his NHL career on the wing.
3. Václav Nestrašil, RW
6-6, 186DOB: April 6, 2007Shoots: RightAcquired: 1st round (No. 25) — 2025 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Toronto in McCabe trade)
Nestrašil was a fascinating prospect when he was drafted and then took a huge step forward as a freshman at UMass this past season. He’s a stronger player now who has a good performance for Czechia at the World Junior Championship as well. He’s a candidate to sign a pro contract whenever his sophomore season ends and could be a nice piece for the Blackhawks in the near future.
Blackhawks Prospect Václav Nestrašil On College, Maturing, World Juniors, More4. Xavier Villeneuve, LHD
5-11, 162DOB: Sept. 29, 2007Shoots: LeftAcquired: 2nd round (No. 34) — 2026 NHL Draft
The first player from the 2026 NHL Draft class to make an appearance on our list is Villeneuve, a highly-skilled defenseman who needs to put on some weight. But he’ll have plenty of time to do that and work on his game at Boston University — a program the Blackhawks know very well. He’s an electric offensive player whose skating is elite. He could end up being a steal in this summer’s draft.
5. Marek Vanacker, LW
6-1, 188DOB: April 12, 2006Shoots: LeftAcquired: 1st round (No. 27) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Carolina in pick swap)SIGNED
Vanacker led the OHL in scoring this past season and will be a full-time pro in the coming year. He plays a power forward game; he can create for himself and also plays well around the net. He’s likely headed to Rockford for the coming season, where he’ll be tested against bigger, stronger, professional players. He’s strong on his skates and could be a middle-six contributor in the future.
6. AJ Spellacy, C/W
6-3, 204DOB: Feb. 24, 2006Shoots: RightAcquired: 3rd round (No. 72) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Ottawa in DeBrincat trade)SIGNED
What I love about Spellacy is he knows who he is, what he does well, and what he needs to do to make the NHL roster. He’s a former football player who loves to play with a physical edge. We’ve seen him look good in two training camps and prospect showcases against other top prospects; he’s also played in NHL preseason games and showed well for the US at the World Juniors this past year. He could be in the mix to win a roster spot in Chicago before too long
AJ Spellacy Ready to Fight for a Blackhawks Roster Spot7. Nathan Behm, RW
6-2, 208DOB: April 18, 2007Shoots: RightAcquired: 3rd round (No. 66) — 2025 NHL Draft
Behm will head to Arizona State this coming season to work on his game. Like Vanacker, he has the body to be a power forward at the pro level(s). There’s a lot to like about his ability to create offense for himself and his skating is very good. The Blackhawks can afford to give him time in the college ranks to build strength and develop his game.
8. Mason West, C
6-6, 218DOB: Aug. 3, 2007Shoots: RightAcquired: 1st round (No. 29) — 2025 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Carolina in pick swap)
West is another former football player whose development curve is going up. He’ll head to Michigan State this fall with one of the best rosters in the country. He can play center or on the wing and has terrific size. West also skates well for someone who’s tall, and uses his body well. He’ll get excellent coaching with the Spartans and practice with nine other former first-round picks on an incredibly talented college team.
9. John Mustard, W
6-1, 195DOB: Aug. 16, 2006Shoots: LeftAcquired: 3rd round (No. 67) — 2024 NHL Draft
Mustard’s a great skater whose offense took a nice step forward this past season at Providence. He’s headed back to college this season with a goal of dominating more consistently. He can help the defensive side of the rink as well.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images10. Sacha Boisvert, C/W
6-3, 205DOB: March 17, 2006Shoots: LeftAcquired: 1st round (No. 18) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Islanders in pick swap)SIGNED
Boisvert’s one season at Boston University didn’t go well for anyone, and opened the door for a lot of questions. He still signed after two collegiate seasons and got a brief taste of the NHL before the summer. He told us during camp that he’s put on 15-20 pounds and looks like a stronger player on the ice. We’ll see how that translates to the pro game for a full season this fall. Now playing at 205, he has the strength to be a factor at center or on the wing.
11. Jiří Felcman, C
6-4, 198DOB: April 17, 2005Shoots: LeftAcquired: 3rd round (No. 93) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Arizona (Utah) in pick swap)SIGNED
Felcman signed near the end of the season and got a little run with the IceHogs down the stretch. He was very impressive during that brief look, and has opened some eyes in the organization (and outside of it). He has terrific size, is an excellent skater and has a lot of skill to his game as a big center. He’s one to keep an eye on moving forward in Rockford.
12. Ryan Roobroeck, W
6-3, 209DOB: Sept. 25, 2007Shoots: LeftAcquired: 2nd round (No. 65) — 2026 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from New Jersey in pick swap)
The Blackhawks traded up a couple spots to take Roobroeck in the 2026 draft and they really like his game. He scored 30 goals this past season and has a pro-ready body already as a teenager. His performance was inconsistent, however, which is why he was available early in the second round. Roobroeck’s rights were traded to Guelph this summer; they’ll host the Memorial Cup this coming season. He has work to do, but the raw elements of his game are exciting.
13. Taige Harding, LHD
6-7, 237DOB: Jan. 3, 2002Shoots: LeftAcquired: 3rd round (No. 91) — 2021 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Carolina in pick swap)SIGNED
Harding is an enormous defenseman who plays with an edge. He’s an older prospects who played a full college career at Providence before turning pro. He was arguably the most improved player in Rockford last year and really got the attention of the coaches there and the front office. The Blackhawks’ blue line is crowded in the NHL, but he could be a guy to watch in the coming years. The size he has is undeniable, and the work is paying off.
14. Samu Alalauri, RHD
6-2, 215DOB: May 31, 2008Shoots: RightAcquired: 3rd round (No. 66) — 2026 NHL Draft
I was pleasantly surprised Alalauri fell to the Blackhawks early in the third round, making him a terrific value addition to the pipeline in this year’s draft. He’s headed to UMass to work on his game this coming season. He played big minutes internationally and is a good all-around defenseman. There’s no rush here, but he could be a really nice piece for the Blackhawks in a few years.
15. Martin Mišiak, W
6-1, 200DOB: Sept. 30, 2004Shoots: RightAcquired: 2nd round (No. 55) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from NYR in P. Kane trade)SIGNED
One of the reasons I’m elevating Mišiak here is IceHogs head coach Jared Nightingale specifically mentioned he and Harding were the two most improved players in Rockford this past season. He’s had an up-and-down path since his draft season, but he appears to be finding his game now.
16. Adam Gajan, G
6-2, 180DOB: May 6, 2004Acquired: 2nd round (No. 35) — 2023 NHL DraftSIGNED
Gajan bounced back from an injury-plagued freshman season at Minnesota-Duluth and was excellent this past season. He was not only among the best college netminders, but also made the Olympic roster. He’s still developing and could find himself in Indy with the Fuel at some point just to get reps; that’s not a bad thing by any means. There’s still a lot to like here and he’s still a young goaltender.
17. Gavin Hayes, LW
6-1, 176DOB: May 14, 2004Shoots: RightAcquired: 3rd round (No. 66) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Montreal in K. Dach trade)SIGNED
Hayes had a much better season in Rockford last year, in large part because he was on the ice more frequently. He isn’t going to blow past anyone on the ice, but he plays a smart game. Hayes was a good scorer in junior who is now learning to play a bottom-six role as a pro.
18. Julius Sumpf, C/W
6-2, 190DOB: Jan. 11, 2005 Shoots: LeftAcquired: 4th round (No. 98) — 2025 NHL Draft
Sumpf had a good freshman season at Providence and will return to college this coming season. He has good size and could play center or on the wing. Again, there’s no rush here and he could be a nice depth piece for the Blackhawks down the road.
19. Joel Svensson, RW
6-1, 194DOB: April 15, 2005Shoots: RightAcquired: 5th round (No. 138) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Calgary in R. Carpenter trade)
Svensson’s stock went up a lot this past season as a versatile winger who has decent size and skill. We’ll see if the Blackhawks sign him at some point before his rights expire, but the organization is high on him right now. A nice late-round lottery ticket here that might cash for the Blackhawks.
20. Ashton Cumby, LHD
6-5, 216DOB: July 19, 2005Shoots: LeftAcquired: 6th round (No. 162) — 2025 NHL Draft
Cumby signed a two-year AHL deal with the Rockford IceHogs at the end of May to join the organization, albeit not with the Blackhawks. He has all of the size you want and he’s hard to play against. Whether he ever gets to the NHL is TBD, but getting his foot in the door with Rockford is a good step.
courtesy @NHLBlackhawksHonorable Mention
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