The Chicago Blackhawks and the rest of the NHL are officially at the Olympic break. The rosters are frozen, vacations are planned, and the players representing their countries are on their way to Milano Cortina. For the Chicago Blackhawks, Teuvo Tervainen is their only NHL player headed to the games.
The trade deadline is not long after the games in Italy end (March 6th), so some big decisions have to be made about some of the pending free agents. Anyone moving out will create roster space not only for the rest of this season but also for next season.
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The Blackhawks have a loaded prospect pool filled with players trying to make their way to the NHL as soon as possible. It will take some longer than others, and some may never. There are even a handful that may be used as trade bait to get NHL-ready guys in the lineup.
As we hit the big break, these are the top-ten prospects (non-full-time NHL players or under 50 games played) in Chicago’s system right now:
1. Anton Frondell
With guys like Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore no longer appearing on lists like this, Anton Frondell is the top forward prospect in the organization.
After becoming the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, his season with Djurgårdens of the SHL is going very well. In a league that’s incredibly hard to score in, he has 15 goals and 6 assists for 21 points in 33 games played. That’s extra special coming from a teenager with up and down ice time.
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Frondell was Sweden’s best player en route to a Gold Medal at the World Junior Championships this year, which is another achievement on his resume. Frondell will likely either draw into Chicago’s lineup at the end of this season or the start of next.
2. Sam Rinzel
Sam Rinzel is very close to graduating from this list. He is one of Chicago’s most talented defensemen in the organization, but he’s needed some time to develop in the AHL this season as well. For being a rookie playing the hardest position in the game, he’s handled it so well.
Rinzel has been working on his defensive game, which is always the last thing to truly click at the NHL level. Since coming back up before the break, he’s played much better. His puck-moving skills are at another level, which has allowed him to be a power-play quarterback quickly. It won’t be long before he’s considered a true top-pair guy.
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3. Roman Kantserov
Few players have raised their stock in the last 12 months more than Roman Kantserov. He has dominated the KHL offensively this season. He is 21 years old and has declared that he’d like to come to North America at some point. His KHL contract is up at the end of this season.
4. Nick Lardis
Speaking of reasoning their stock, Nick Lardis has been on a tear since the beginning of 2024-25. Scoring 71 goals in the OHL will do that for anyone.
Lardis didn’t stop there, though. Up to this point, he is a point-per-game player in the AHL and had a good stint in the NHL while the Blackhawks dealt with injuries.
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Next time Lardis suits up in the NHL, it may be for good. His ability to shoot the puck is up there with any young player in the organization, but he never looks out of place in other areas of the game, either. For being a former 3rd round pick in the draft, the Blackhawks found great value in Lardis.
5. Marek Vanacker
The Chicago Blackhawks traded up to get Marek Vanacker in the 2024 NHL Draft at the end of the first round. He dealt with some injuries and inconsistencies during 2024-25, but has bounced back nicely this year.
Canada snubbed him from their World Junior Championships roster, despite him being one of the best players in the OHL. That is fuel to his fire, and it has helped him stay dominant playing for his club in Brantford.
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Will we see Vanacker make his NHL debut this year? How about in the AHL? It is possible, but with him being signed, he is sure to be a pro hockey player by the start of 2026-27.
6. Kevin Korchinski
Kevin Korchinski is still an incredible skater. He has a full season of NHL experience (his rookie year pro) under his belt, but he has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. He has mostly played for the Rockford IceHogs since that year in the NHL.
While in the AHL, Korchinski has been an All-Star twice. The first time, he won MVP of the event after showing off his incredible skills as a former first-round pick. Now, he’s trying to work his way back to the NHL.
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Will there be room for him after the trade deadline? His biggest problem is that the one thing he does best, offense, is not much better than Sam Rinzel’s or Artyom Levshunov, so he must round out his game a lot more.
7. Vaclav Nestrasil
The Chicago Blackhawks somewhat shocked the world when they took Czech forward Vaclav Nestrasil 25th overall in 2025. He wasn’t on the radar, but his play since being drafted proved why their scouts were so high on him.
In addition to playing a key role on Czechia’s Silver Medal-winning team, he’s been a high-end producing freshman at UMass. It is unclear when he’ll turn pro, but there is little doubt that the organization believes in his talents.
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8. Nathan Behm
Nathan Behm is a high-end offensive player in the WHL, currently playing for the Kamloops Blazers. Size, skill, and speed have been a theme for the Blackhawks in recent drafts, and Behm provides all of that to their system. Arizona State is where he will play college hockey next season before attempting to turn pro at some point.
9. Jack Pridham
Jack Pridham decided to stay with the Kitchener Rangers in 2025-26 in favor of going to Boston University, where he committed to play college hockey. Now, he could still go back there after another dominant year in the OHL, or he could become a pro hockey player in Chicago’s organization. Either way, Kyle Davidson has to like what he’s seeing from their 2024 third-round pick.
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10. Sacha Boisvert
Sacha Boisvert had an incredible year at North Dakota last year as a freshman. After transferring to Boston University ahead of 2025-26, things haven’t gone quite as well. He is still having a productive year, but injuries have kept him from taking the step that many thought he would. Will this keep him at BU for one extra season? It may. He may also still turn pro. Even with his slightly lowered stock, he still projected to be a solid NHL contributor.
Honorable Mentions:
Mason West
Mason West is a football quarterback and a hockey player. After leading Edina High School to a State Championship, he is skating with Fargo of the USHL. He will play for Michigan State in 2026-27 as he continues to develop.
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AJ Spellacy
AJ Spellacy is a strong, speedy, energetic guy. He showed some of what he can do playing for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. Winning teams need depth forwards with Spellacy’s potential in their prospect pool.
Drew Commesso
Spencer Knight is the starting goalie of the future in Chicago. However, with the way Drew Commesso has developed at Boston University and with the Rockford IceHogs, Commesso will eventually get a chance to be the backup.
He could also get an opportunity to start somewhere else if the Blackhawks ever trade him to help acquire players at different positions. The talent is there for Commesso to do great things in the NHL.
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John Mustard
Providance College is a great team, and John Mustard plays a big role in that success as one of their top offensive players. He can score goals, create chaos with his speed, and knows what to do with the puck when it’s on his stick. Will his speed and skill translate to pro hockey? We will find out shortly.
Adam Gajan
Playing for Minnesota Duluth, Adam Gajan has been one of the best goalies in college hockey. This level of play has earned him the opportunity to represent Slovakia at the 2026 Olympic Games. For a college goalie to get that type of honor, you know he’s great. As far as his future with Chicago, it will depend on how his development continues, along with those around him who play the same position.
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