DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

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  • Frank Nazar suspended two games for hit on Bo Horvat

    Frank Nazar suspended two games for hit on Bo Horvat

    The NHL has suspended Frank Nazar for two games today for the hit delivered on New York Islander’s captain Bo Horvat.

    The hit took place late in the third period after Horvat shot the puck down the ice towards the Blackhawks’ empty net.

    When the hit was delivered, Horvat was bent over from the follow through of the shot. Nazar made contact with Horvat’s head, which immediately led to Nazar being jumped by surrounding Islanders. Nazar was assessed a five minute major and a 10 minute misconduct.

    It was no doubt a hit to the head, and deserving of discipline. In my opinion, two games seems a little extreme for a player with no history and no clear intent to injure.

    Nazar will miss the next two games against Carolina on Saturday, and Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

    This is a huge blow for the Blackhawks who are already missing their number one center in Connor Bedard. Now the Blackhawks have to go two games without their their second best center.

    Anton Frondell will likely be the next man up in Nazar’s absence.

  • Blackhawks vs Islanders game preview

    Blackhawks vs Islanders game preview

    Tonight the Chicago Blackhawks look to turn one win into a winning streak as they visit Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders (1-2-0) in New York.

    After settling into forward lines that seemed to work well, Teuvo Teravainen went down with an injury, forcing Jeff Blashill to play line juggler once again. There was no morning skate today, here are the lines and pairings from yesterday’s practice:

    Moore – Nazar – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Kantserov

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Donato – Tonintao – Lardis

    Byram – Levshunov

    Vlasic – Cole

    Kaiser – Rinzel

    Spencer Knight is expected to start.

    Oliver Moore is back on the top line with Nazar and Kane, he played there in game one vs Vegas. Roman Kantserov gets bumped back down to the second line with Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi in place of Teravainen.

    Kantserov has struggled to get much going offensively in the first four games of the season, although you can see the chemistry developing between him and Kane. Hopefully slotting him in with a red hot Frondell can help spark some offense.

    Kantserov is someone who has high expectations and is expected to be a top six contributor upon arrival, getting him going would be a big boost for the Hawks.

    Frondell has four points in his last two games (G, 3A) and leads the rookie scoring race as of the morning of October 8. Second place is a seven way tie with two points, including the New York Islanders own Victor Eklund. Eklund is also a good friend of Frondell.

    The fourth line seems to now be the third line, just going off of ice time allocation lately. The usual third line of Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, and Nick Lardis have been the Hawks most disappointing trio over the first four games. A big part of that is Nick Lardis can’t seem to generate any offense, and to make matters worse, he isn’t making wise choices defensively either.

    Defensive pairings stay the same, it worked well last game so why change it?

    A couples keys to success for the Hawks tonight is building on their shot frequency, as well as continuing to tighten their structure. The Hawks broke the 20-shot threshold for only the second time this season last game against St. Louis. It’s hard to win hockey games when being outshot almost 2:1 every night. They also need to play within their structure. too many times guys get out of place trying to do too much.

    Jeff Blashill preaches “the process”. focusing on the process over the results, and the results will follow.

    “There were large parts of the game tonight that our process was the best it’s been…especially in the sense of being on top of people. Our D gaps, ending plays early. Our forward reloads. That’s much more how we want to play.” Jeff Blashill after beating the Blues. (via Ben Pope on X)

    Islanders projected lines:

    Heineman – Horvat – Palmieri

    Schenn – Ritchie – Eklund

    Holmstrom – Pageau – Duclair

    Palat – Cizikas – Maccelli

    Stanley – Schaefer

    Pelech – Pulock

    DeAngelo – Mayfield

    Sorokin

    The Islanders had a nice run last season as a result of Matthew Schafer’s incredible rookie season. However, this team is not by any means “great”. you could argue that on paper they are the Hawks’ worst opponent so far this season.

    No reason why the Hawks can’t head back to Chicago for their seven game home stand with two more points.

  • The Blackhawks defense are making improvements, still have lots to learn

    The Blackhawks defense are making improvements, still have lots to learn

    The Blackhawks broke through last night, finally getting their first win in their home opener against the Blues. A big reason for that was some much needed stability on the back end.

    Pretty much every defenseman had their best game of the season last night, something the Blackhawks desperately needed.

    Let’s start with Artyom Levshunov. Levshunov was put on the top pair with Bowen Byram, allowing Byram to play his natural left side.

    The risk with pairing those two together is that they are both offensively minded defenceman who have gaps in their defensive games.

    Last night put some of that worry to bed, at least for now. Levshunov had 18:00 minutes of ice time where he put up one assist and was a +1.

    Beyond just his beautiful assist, Levshunov has shown steps forward in his defensive game this season. He has been given opportunity on the penalty kill, totaling 7:58 of ice time in the first four games of the season.

    With the defensive game improving, and him showing those dominant offensive flashes, Levshunov hopes to take a big step this season.

    “It was good, good play by me” Levshunov told Mark Lazerus after last night’s win.

    Byram had a decent game. He played 21:23, was a +1, had two shots on goal, and a block. There were moments where Byram looked dangerous, but couldn’t finish anything.

    I am still waiting for a dominant game from Byram. He obviously made a great first impression in the pre-season when he recorded a hattrick, but I want to see something like that when it counts.

    Alex Vlasic played arguably his best game of the season last night. He led all Blackhawks defenseman in time on ice with 21:48, was a +1, had a shot, and two blocks.

    Beyond the numbers, Vlasic has been using his defensive stick much more effectively over the last two games, and has been closing gaps a lot better. He also has added to his offensive game. There have been multiple times where last year’s Vlasic would just dump the puck in. This season, however, Vlasic loves to carry the puck in, often leading to a shot on goal or some sustained pressure.

    “There were a couple points in the season last year where…I’d have a couple bad games [with] a couple turnovers, a couple goals [against], and then I’m in my head, I’m not playing at that same level of confidence. This year, if something bad happens, it’s in one ear, out the other.” Vlasic told Ben Pope after last night’s win.

    Vlasic has also quietly added some more physicality to his game. Playing with Ian Cole seems to be a good fit for Vlasic. Another defensive defenseman to help shut down the other team’s top scorers, but having Cole there allows Vlasic to explore that newly found offensive side of his game.

    Wyatt Kaiser and Sam Rinzel were the bottom pairing for the Blackhawks last night, and they seemed to work okay together. They played the least out of all defenseman last night. Kaiser played 17:56 and Rinzel played only 17:45.

    Rinzel was a healthy scratch in Buffalo after playing very poor hockey in the first two games of the season. You hope a reset like that can help a player turn things around.

    Rinzel looked better on the defensive side of the puck, which was a good sign. He also scored the Blackhawks first goal of the game off a Frank Nazar rebound. Rinzel also scored in last years home opener against Montreal.

    It was a much needed goal for the offensive defenseman’s confidence. Hopefully Rinzel can build on this positive momentum.

  • Blackhawks lose two forwards, have to dip into Rockford

    Blackhawks lose two forwards, have to dip into Rockford

    In the second period of last night’s win over St. Louis, a Blues player fell hard on Teuvo Teravainen’s right ankle. Teravainen played the remainder of the second period but didn’t return for the third.

    Jeff Blashill told media that Teravainen would not travel with the team to Long Island for their game against the Islanders Thursday, and that updates would come in the next few days.

    After now losing both Teravainen and forward Andrew Mangiapane, who was announced week-to-week on October 5, the Blackhawks have to call up somebody from the AHL.

    Many people would have expected the first call up to be either Landon Slaggert or AJ Spellacy. Rather, the Blackhawks have decided to go with the 32-year-old veteran Dominic Toninato.

    Toninato played eight games with the Blackhawks last season where he notched one assist. Toninato is a responsible fourth line caliber center who can be trusted to make the right play.

    This makes me wonder, with Teravainen out, what does the second like look like?

    Assuming Blashill doesn’t touch the first line of Frank Nazar, Roman Kantserov, and Patrick Kane, who joins Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi on line two? Both lines have been clicking, so it’s important to not mix them up or mess with chemistry too much.

    My first instinct is to bump up Nick Lardis from the third line, however, Lardis has looked out of place to start this season. He looked particularly bad when playing with Frondell. Frondell has four points in his last two games. He is finally going and you don’t want to mess with that.

    Does Oliver Moore or Ryan Donato get another shot in the top six?

  • 2027 NHL Draft Prospect Report – Roberts Naudins (F)

    Roberts Naudins

    #18 Penticton Vees.  Center.  6.06. 210lbs

    DOB: November 28, 2008

    Naudins is a big center in his first year in the WHL. He is very responsible and trustworthy in the D-zone, getting down low and covering in front of the net to support the defenceman. When he is F2 or F3, he stays high, covers the high slot, and gets in shooting and passing lanes to stop cross-ice passes and point shots. In the offensive zone, he does well when he goes to the net, using his size to protect the puck and bang in rebounds.

    He needs to use his size more and play bigger and more physically. Drive to the net more than taking shots from low-danger areas from the outside. Naudins should utilize his size more effectively and play a more physical game. He can improve his faceoff skills and work on leaning into opposing players to create turnovers. He can do this by playing more aggressively and using his strength to gain an advantage on the ice.

    With his size and as he continues to mature on the ice, I think he can be a solid two-way bottom-six forward with enough offensive skill to produce as a depth forward. I see him as a 2nd- to 4th-round pick.

  • Blackhawks vs Blues game preview

    Blackhawks vs Blues game preview

    Tonight is a big night for the Blackhawks for multiple reasons. Home opener against the rival St. Louis Blues, Patrick Kane’s return to the United Center, and Bowen Byram’s first regular season home game.

    All of which would probably be bigger talking points if the Blackhawks weren’t heading into this one 0-3-0.

    On a positive note, Bowen Byram is back in the lineup after his wife gave birth to twins. The timing unfortunately caused Byram to miss his return to Buffalo.

    Not only does Byram have new dad strength. but he also has a new defensive partner, Artyom Levshunov.

    The Blackhawks offence was better in Buffalo than they had been in the first two games of the season, probably due to the fact that Blashill went back to similar lines from training camp.

    The defence last game is what left people concerned. Granted, they were missing Byram, but the overall play was inexcusable. So it seems Blashill has changed up the pairings:

    Byram – Levshunov

    Vlasic – Cole

    Kaiser – RInzel

    Korchinski – Del Mastro

    Slotting Levshunov on the top pair makes sense for a couple reasons. It allows Byram to play his natural left side, but it also gives Levshunov the chance to play with a very skilled partner. Levshunov has been one of the few bright spots on the back end this season, albeit far from perfect.

    Keeping the second pairing of Alex Vlasic and Ian Cole is a wise decision. Vlasic had by far his best game in Buffalo and he was paired with Cole. Vlasic was using his stick effectively, using his body, and jumping up into the play offensively. He had two assists.

    Sam Rinzel gets back into the lineup after being scratched for poor play. Rinzel seems to have a longer runway than other defenseman. Korchinski has looked better most of the time and can’t seem to get into the lineup.

    Spencer Knight gets the start tonight for the second straight game.

    The forward lines stay the same:

    Kantserov – Nazar – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Teravainen

    Donato – Moore – Lardis

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Anton Frondell is coming off of a good game. There has been conversation around whether he is better as a center or winger. I think it’s too early to rule him out as a full-time center, he looked good there in Buffalo. However, I would like to see a larger sample of him with Connor Bedard.

    Bedard joined the Blackhawks for practice for the first time yesterday. He was taking rushes, and doing one-on-one drills with light contact. There is still no update on his return date.

    It’s too early in the season to call a game a must-win game, but the Blackhawks are almost there. Given how high expectations were coming in to this season and how bad they have been to start, they need to make a statement tonight. St. louis in town, Patrick Kane’s first game back, and Byram’s first regular season game should be enough to get the guys going early.

    St. Louis Blues projected lines:

    Holloway – Thomas – Snuggerud

    Buchnevich – McTavish – McMichael

    Neighbours – Dvorsky – Berggren

    Dean – Suter – Dube

    Broberg – Parayko

    Lindstein – Carlo

    Fowler – Jiricek

    Hofer

    The St. Louis Blues come into town 1-1-0 and they should definitely come out with some gas after losing to Colorado 6-1 on Saturday.

  • 2027 NHL Draft Prospect Report – Landon DuPont (RD)

    Landon DuPont

    #8 Michigan Wolverines. Right Shot Defenseman. 6.00/190

    DOB: May 28, 2009

    Landon DuPont is an elite-level defenseman who is responsible at both ends of the rink. Landon can contribute on the power play, 5-on-5, and on the penalty kill. His edge work and skating help him be aggressive on puck carriers and get into shooting and passing lanes. 

    DuPont’s vision and Hockey IQ make him stand out on the backend. His quick decision-making and precise first pass help his team in transition to get up the ice quickly. He is always moving his feet, looking for open ice and a soft spot in the offensive zone to create Grade A scoring chances for him and his teammates with quick tape-to-tape passes.

    Landon Dupont is projected as the first overall pick in the 2027 NHL draft for his elite-level skill. He is a good defender who may get overshadowed by his offensive ability. I see him as a top pairing defenseman at the next level who will play big minutes on a nightly basis. He is always one step ahead when he is on the ice with the puck.

  • 2027 NHL Draft Prospect Report – Odin Vauhkonen (LD)

    Odin Vauhkonen

    #4 Victoria Royals. Left shot defenseman. 6.02/189

    DOB: September 16, 2008

    Odin Vauhkonen projects as a dependable defensive defenseman with the tools to develop into an NHL second- or third-pairing contributor. He plays a mature, structured game and consistently makes smart decisions with the puck. While his primary value comes from his defensive reliability, he also shows solid playmaking ability and can contribute to the power play. Vauhkonen moves the puck effectively, distributes with confidence, and helps maintain possession through clean exits and simple, efficient plays.

    Defensively, he is an engaged shot blocker who willingly sacrifices his body to protect the net. One of his better habits is closing gaps early and using body positioning to separate opponents from the puck before dangerous plays can develop. His awareness and willingness to compete make him a difficult defender to play against.

    To maximize his potential, Vauhkonen would benefit from adding strength and becoming more powerful on his skates. Improving the speed of his puck movement will help reduce turnovers under pressure, while better anticipation and preparation for opponent transitions out of the offensive zone will strengthen his overall defensive game.

    At this stage, I project Vauhkonen as a middle second-round selection with the upside to become a reliable NHL second- or third-pairing defenseman.

  • Weekly 2027 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    Another week of hockey is in the books, and that means a new set of draft-eligible three stars. This edition features an undersized Czech defender trying to follow in the footsteps of some other highly drafted diminutive offensive producers, an Ontario Hockey League centre with NHL bloodlines, and, finally, a Western Hockey League pivot trying to prove his production at a summer showcase wasn’t a fluke.

    Here are the 2027 NHL Draft eligible three stars for the week of September 28 to October 5:

    Lukas Kachlir | RHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec / Czechia

    Czech defender Lukas Kachlir has started his draft year with a bang offensively. He has six points in 10 games. Those points include three goals and three assists across Czechia’s pro league and the U20 level. After getting a taste of pro hockey last season in 13 appearances, Kachlir has already gotten into eight pro games in 2026.

    This week the 5-foot-8, 150-pound defender opened with a trio of assists in a 5-3 loss for his team in U20. He joined the pro squad for three games and, despite low ice time, was able to make an impact.

    The offensive dynamo got his team on the board against HC Litvinov. With the game tied at one midway through the first, Kachlir walked in from the point to find a loose puck. He then wired a wrist shot up and over the goalie’s blocker side shoulder.

    Kachlir played just over 12 minutes in his second pro game of the week. He registered two shots in a 2-0 win.

    The Czechia native added another goal in his last game of the week. After taking a pass from his partner at the point, he walked into some open ice. Using the opposing defender as a screen, Kachlir fired a hard wrist shot into the top corner.

    Aleks Kulemin | C | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

    Kingston Frontenacs centre Aleks Kulemin is getting off to a great start in his draft year. With nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven games, he is tied for second in points in the Ontario Hockey League among draft-eligible players.

    The son of former Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders winger Nikolai Kulemin is paving his way to his own NHL future. In two games this week, the 6-foot-2 pivot had four points in two contests.

    Kulemin helped the Frontenacs to open the scoring in his first game of the week against the Peterborough Petes. Using his big frame down low, Kulemin picked up the puck down below the opposing goal line. He fed Landon Wright, who found draft-eligible defender Matt Henderson wide open at the point. Henderson wired a wrist high and over the goalie to give Kulemin a secondary helper. The Woodbridge, ON native added another helper later in the first period. He won an offensive zone face-off straight to winger Robin Kuzma. Subsequently, the winger sent it to New York Rangers draft pick Andre Mondoux, who wired a wrist shot home.

    In a wild 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Erie Otters, Kulemin tickled twine twice. Midway through the first period Kulemin made his way to the front of the net. Following a shot from the point, the power forward tipped the puck past the Otters’ keeper for a 2-0 Kingston lead. In the second period with the game knotted at 4, Kulemin doubled up. Sneaking in behind the defense, he found a rebound in front of the net. He tapped the puck off his backhand to his forehand and chipped it over the goalie.

    Kayden Stroeder | C | Edmonton Oil Kings

    Kayden Stroeder’s impressive showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August with nine points (four goals, five assists) set the stage for him to have a big draft year. Despite starting slowly with just one goal and one assist for the Oil Kings through his first four games, the Saskatoon, SK, native broke out against the Regina Pats.

    The 2024 Western Hockey League fifth overall pick posted a hat trick in his team’s lone game of the weekend. The 6-foot, 165-pound centre got himself a breakaway in the second period. The Regina goalie was able to make the initial save and his backhand, but with a second effort, the Oil Kings forward slipped the puck in. Later in the frame with Edmonton on the power play, Stroeder went for a skate around the top of the offensive zone before whipping a wrist shot that went off the inside of the crossbar and out. About halfway through the third period with the Oil Kings on the power play, Stroeder brought down the hats at Rogers Place. Following up on a rebound from a point shot, the Hlinka Gretzky gold medallist in 2026 chipped the puck over the goalie’s glove.

  • Anton Frondell was a bright spot in Blackhawks’ third straight loss

    Anton Frondell was a bright spot in Blackhawks’ third straight loss

    The Blackhawks are going into their home opener on Tuesday 0-3-0. The fact that they are win-less isn’t the issue, it’s how the losses have looked.

    Last night in Buffalo was their best effort so far, they had the lead for most of the game, and didn’t trail until the game-winning-goal late in the third, but that kind of effort still isn’t going to be enough to beat most teams in the NHL.

    There were a few promising individual performances from Alex Vlasic, Spencer Knight, Frank Nazar, and Anton Frondell.

    Frondell assisted on two of the three Blackhawks goals, both of which were primary assists. He finished the night with two assists, a +2 rating, one SOG, one hit, and 16:06 of time on ice.

    His first assist in particular was very impressive. It all started with a great defensive play behind his own goal line to start the breakout, which turned into a rush led by Alex Vlasic. The puck eventually found Frondell wide open in front. The entire arena thought Frondell was gonna shoot that puck, but instead he sent a perfect no-look pass to Tyler Bertuzzi back door.

    His second assist came from a two-on-one with Oliver Moore. Frondell send a perfect pass to Moore who made no mistake putting it home.

    There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not Frondell should continue playing center or move to the wing, and while he hasn’t been great so far this season, last night was a promising sign. Although, his faceoffs still need work. He was only six for ten on the dot, a measly 37.5%.

    “It’s boring to lose games. That’s not what we want to do. But I think today just shows that we can play better.” Frondell after 4-3 loss to Buffalo (Via Mark Lazerus on X).

    Frondell struggling early was never anything to worry about, he’s only 19 years old and is getting throw into a top six center role on a sub par team that is missing their best player.

    There were moments last night when Frondell was on the ice that made you think “oh, there is the raw talent, that’s why he went third overall”.

    It sems as though the Blackhawks will be missing Connor Bedard for at least a couple more weeks, so if there were ever a time for Frondell to find his game, it’s right now.

    The entire team, including Frondell, hope to build on their effort in the home opener. The rival St. Louis Blues are in town, this is a great chance for the Blackhawks to get back on track.