On the eve of Blackhawks prospects hitting the ice to begin skating for their prospect showcase games against the St. Louis Blues, Steven Ellis at Daily Faceoff wrote about ten prospects whose stock improved the most from last year. And two of Chicago’s young players made his top ten list.
After scoring 10 goals in 41 games for the Blackhawks last year, Nick Lardis appeared on Ellis’ list at No. 9. Here’s what he wrote:
Lardis is a personal favorite of mine; I love players who do whatever it takes to get shots on net. But what some scouts – and myself – have wondered is whether his subpar skating would translate to the NHL, and whether he’d continue to score at 5-on-5. Well, mission accomplished. He had 18 goals and 32 points in 35 games as an AHL rookie, earning him a spot on the big club. Lardis then registered 10 goals and 15 points in 41 games with the Blackhawks, ensuring he’ll never go back down to Rockford. I’d still like to see him add a bit more speed, but his hockey sense and offensive tendencies have been enough to prove he’s capable of playing a scoring role in the short term. Will it last? We’ll see, but it was amazing watching him keep up his scoring prowess after the move to the pro ranks.
It’s good to see Lardis getting some love from a national writer like Ellis. There were questions about how his goal scoring ability would translate to the pro ranks after he blew up for 71 goals in 65 games at Brantford. Lardis answered with 18 goals in 35 AHL games with Rockford and 10 more in his 41 NHL appearances.
And, after leading the KHL in goals as a 21-year-old, Roman Kantserov checks in at No. 2 on Ellis’ list. Here’s what he wrote about the most exciting new face in the Blackhawks’ lineup this season:
We know it’s hard for a smaller player to break through, but Kantserov looks like the real deal despite being 5-foot-9. The 21-year-old had 36 goals and 64 points in 63 games this past year, leading the KHL in goals. The 2024 Gagarin Cup champ was downright dangerous every time he hit the ice, and, despite being a smaller forward, he’s not afraid of anyone. Kantserov’s season was the most productive by a U-22 forward in league history, leading Blackhawks fans to envision a world where he’ll step into a top-six role immediately. And, honestly, that looks extremely likely.
Kantserov figures to join the Blackhawks’ top six forwards to start this season, where he’ll join Anton Frondell as a Calder Trophy candidate. The crew at The Athletic and Ellis ranked Kantserov and Frondell among their top Calder candidates as we near training camps beginning next week.
Blackhawks forward Roman KantserovLardis, Kantserov helping the Blackhawks offense
With Connor Bedard out of the Blackhawks’ lineup to start the season because of injury, there’s some intrigue surrounding the Blackhawks’ top two center spots to open the campaign. Frondell figures to be one of the two, and there has been some speculating — including by yours truly — if Kantserov could see some run at center. He excelled as a center in the KHL last year and might be comfortable starting his NHL career there.
As I’ve noted previously, Frondell and Kantserov being left-handed complements Bedard and Frank Nazar (both right-handed) well.
It will be interesting to see which of them gets to run with Patrick Kane to start the season as well.
Lardis, meanwhile, showed he can score at the pro level. With Bedard out, he could get some action in the Blackhawks’ top six. He might ultimately be on a third line, which extends the Blackhawks’ scoring depth even further. That’s something the Hawks have lacked in recent years — three lines that can find the back of the net.
Ellis notes that both Blackhawks prospects were unranked heading on his list into the 2025-26 season. Lardis moved up 54th to while Kantserov moved up to No. 20 this season.
Three of the other eight names on Ellis’ list are in the Central Division: Nashville’s Yegor Surin (10) and Ryker Lee (7) and St. Louis’ Adam Jiříček (8).
I took a look at 10 of the most improved prospects from the past season.Matvei Gridin, Alexander Zharovsky and more: t.co/nD2iDqeSfD
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) September 10, 2026Hence then, the article about two young blackhawks stock among biggest risers from last year was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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