Blackhawks Pipeline Leads New Top 100 Drafted Prospect Rankings ...Middle East

On Tuesday morning, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic published his annual top 100 drafted prospects rankings. I will, as always, caveat our discussion that these rankings are the opinion of one writer/analyst, but also note that I value Wheeler’s work and respect his thoughts on prospects. Which is why I share his comments about the Blackhawks’ pipeline frequently.

And, speaking of frequently, that’s the best way to describe how often Blackhawks prospects appear on Wheeler’s new list. Here’s how he broke down the leaderboard:

The Blackhawks lead this edition with eight prospects in the top 100, followed by the Flames and Predators with seven each, and the Sharks, Red Wings and Canucks with six apiece. Three teams don’t have a ranked prospect: the Avalanche, Stars and Panthers.

Here are the Blackhawks prospects who made his list, where they ranked, and some of what Wheeler had to say about them:

Tier 2

18. Anton Frondell, C

Here are some of Wheeler’s comments about Frondell:

He’s heavy but plays with intention, strength and some power. He’s competitive. He excels in puck protection and engages himself on and off the puck, offensively and defensively, to get involved in impacting play in all three zones. He has fairly quick hands, a big one-timer, a natural and hard release and a good sense for spacing and attacking. He can both create his own looks, challenge defenders and find and use open ice to play off and to his linemates and free up his shot. He can be relied upon defensively and does a good job supporting play and picking up his assignments when he needs to help out the D. Though he has played mostly wing for Djurgården’s men’s team, he’s a natural center, and I’ve liked him at both positions. He has pro quality and tools.

My two cents: I was somewhat surprised to see Wheeler have him this low (he did say he thought about him being higher). Wheeler has him ranked as the No. 6 center on his board, which is also interesting.

23. Roman Kantserov, RW

Here’s some of what Wheeler had to say about Kantserov:

One of the top young forwards outside the NHL over the last couple of years, Kantserov is a highly gifted, knifing player who can create for himself with his quick, adjustable hands, plus-level straight-line speed and lateral quickness, real one-on-one skill and attack mentality. … While he’s short, he’s well-built for his size, he’s a willing worker, and he has clear top-six NHL attributes — and potentially even some star power. Blackhawks fans are going to love watching him play this year, and I think he has a chance to be in the Calder mix.

Kantserov appears to have replaced Frank Nazar as the Blackhawks prospect nobody can agree on, but Wheeler likes his ceiling. While I was disappointed with Frondell being as low as he was, I was pleasantly surprised to see Kantserov this high with his only pro experience in Russia.

Tier 3

49. Sam Rinzel, RHD

Here’s some of what Wheeler wrote about Rinzel:

You can see the tools, and he has really figured out how to deploy and utilize them in a more cohesive way. There was a stretch from college and into the NHL where you could see his confidence building in real time as he started to look like more than just his length and skating. There was some expected learning last year as he tried to establish himself, resulting in some AHL time, but he can really impact play when he’s reading the game well. I still think he’s going to be a top-four D.

Still having Rinzel in the top 50 overall after a first full pro season that disappointed a lot of fans (and, undoubtedly, Rinzel) is good to see. It’s also another reminder that the development timeline for defensemen is unique for every individual. Wheeler still likes the upside with Rinzel long term (I do, too).

Tier 4

57. Nick Lardis, LW

Here’s part of what Wheeler said about Lardis:

He’s making more and more soft area plays into space as a passer while remaining net-focused on offense. His hands are moving in unison with his feet, edging and shading pucks with ease against junior-level players. He flashes slick one-on-one handling. He’s an excellent saucer passer, which makes him an even better flank guy on the power play because he can go back against the grain with a pass when the one-timer isn’t there.

I’d be eager to work with him to build around the one-timer, the skill, the quickness and the top-flight speed to try to make him into a top-six scoring winger. Not all of the Blackhawks’ abundance of small, speedy forwards are going to be able to play in the same top six, so that may work against him in a battle for one of those jobs with Kantserov, but he looks like more like a first-rounder than a third-rounder — and has for some time.

I love the way Wheeler closed his thoughts on Lardis, who really showed another level to his game in his final promotion of the 2025-26 regular season with the Blackhawks. With Frondell and Kantserov theoretically joining the Blackhawks’ top power play this coming season, I could see Lardis and Nazar making the second unit dangerous.

62. Oliver Moore, C

Here’s some of what Wheeler wrote about Moore:

Increasingly, his game isn’t all just about the speed/hound element, and I’ve been impressed by his puck protection in and out of stops and starts in the offensive zone, changing directions to beat defenders off the wall into valuable ice. …

I don’t see much to nitpick in his tools or his approach, although he does need to think the game a little better with the puck at times. He has the ability to impose his will on games. But while his game is fast and tenacious, I think you’re more likely looking at a fast and determined third-liner.

Wheeler actually wrote a lot about Moore, who he admittedly has always liked as a prospect. Wheeler does note that finishing is something that needs to improve, which is partially why he closes with the comment that he may ultimately be a really good third-line center. Which is where I think the Blackhawks will slot him to start this coming season and… hopefully not have to worry about that position for the next 5-10 years.

Tier 5

75. Kevin Korchinski, LHD

Here’s how Wheeler opened his comments on Korchinski:

Korchinski projects as a No. 5 and PP option now. I do wonder if he could become a No. 4/5 somewhere else with a change of scenery to get out from behind the Blackhawks’ young crowd on blue line, though. He’s capable of playing an ambitious, free-flowing game when he’s at his best and playing with confidence, but has struggled to consistently play at his top level and define his game in the pros. He has also been asked to do too much at both the NHL and AHL levels at times and his man-to-man defending is still a work-in-progress.

Again, the development timeline for defenseman is unique for every individual. But the circumstances around Korchinski’s pro career path have been far from ideal, which hasn’t been helped by the Blackhawks drafted more defenseman after him who appear to be closer to being top-four guys already. I found it interesting that Wheeler began a fairly lengthy write-up on Korchinski by suggesting he’s a change-of-scenery candidate. That seems to be a feeling around a lot of the hockey world these days.

79. Xavier Villeneuve, LHD

Here’s some of what Wheeler wrote about Villeneuve:

His skill level, offensive hockey sense and puck play are all legitimately elite. He’s constantly making plays and finding openings. And while he’s more shifty than fast (he has mastered using his head, shoulders and eyes to be deceptive and shake past opponents), his straight line speed has improved, he’s explosive laterally, he opens up a lot of space for himself on the ice, and he defends smartly for his size, using his edges and a combination of IQ and instincts. It’s his shimmies over his breezy feet that really grab you, though. He beats and loses players effortlessly and plays the game with incredible poise and dimension. He has phenomenal edges, a quick release and a good stick. His ability to break ankles will translate.

Further complicating the long-term outlook for Korchinski is the arrival of Villeneuve in the pipeline after he was the Blackhawks’ first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s headed to Boston University this coming season — a program that’s developed undersized defensemen into NHL stars. He’s an exciting prospect to watch moving forward.

Tier 6

93. Václav Nestrašil, RW

Here’s part of what Wheeler wrote about Nestrašil:

His rangy frame, his room for physical growth and his blend of work ethic and sneaky skill make him very intriguing. He skates well for his size, he gets in on the forecheck, he hunts and wins pucks with his body positioning and a great stick and he showed some playmaking sense and skill last year. The belief is that once he fills out his frame further, he could become a middle-six winger who can play with anyone.

I’ve got a lot of love for Nestrašil, who might be one of the sneaky long-term options as a power forward for the Blackhawks in their middle-six up front. He’s headed back to UMass for a second season of development, but that could be the end of his NCAA career if/when the Blackhawks sign him at the conclusion of the year.

My annual top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking is out at @TheAthletic!– Full reports and projections– Tiers– Sortable user interfaceThe 2026 edition ( free to read): t.co/sQzkpQbOiC pic.twitter.com/cJvpL0EOj4

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