Blackhawks Prospects: Mid-February Updates
Many of the Blackhawks prospects are doing impressive things this season. Luc Snuggerud is among the top scoring defensemen in college this season and a handful of the Hawks players in juniors are averaging a full point per game.
But no prospect has earned as much attention as Alex DeBrincat, who reached 100 points for the third consecutive OHL season on Wednesday.
According to the OHL story, DeBrincat joins Dale McCourt (HAM, 1974-77), Jim Fox (OTT, 1977-80), Wayne Groulx (SSM, 1981-85), Chris Taylor (LDN, 1989-92), Brett Seguin (OTT, 1989-92), Bill Bowler (WSR, 1992-95) and John Tavares (OSH/LDN, 2006-09) as the eighth player in the league’s modern era to record three consecutive 100-point campaigns.
- FORWARDS
Alex DeBrincat – Erie Otters (OHL)
48 games, 47 goals, 53 assists, 100 points
Alexandre Fortin – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
38 games, 15 goals, 24 assists, 39 points
Radovan Bondra – Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Vancouver Giants (WHL): 32 games, 19 goals, 12 assists, 31 points
Prince George Cougars (WHL): 17 games, 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points
Slovakia (WJC): 5 games, 0 points
Bondra was traded to Prince George on Jan. 10
Maxim Shalunov – Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)
47 games, 19 goals, 17 assists, 36 points
John Dahlström – Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): 51 games, 23 goals, 26 assists, 49 points
Sweden (WJC): 8 games, 2 goals, 0 assists, 2 points
Nathan Noel – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
40 games, 17 goals, 16 assists, 33 points
Graham Knott – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Niagara IceDogs (OHL): 14 games, 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points
Windsor Spitfires (OHL): 31 games, 7 goals, 14 assists, 21 points
Roy Radke – Barrie Colts (OHL)
30 games, 14 goals, 11 assists, 25 points
Radke missed 20 games because of an ankle injury.
Mathias From – Rögle BK (SHL)
Rögle BK (SHL): 26 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points
Denmark (WJC): 3 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points
Artur Kayumov – HK Ryazan (VHL)
HK Ryazan (VHL): 10 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL): 4 games, 0 points
Loko Yaroslavl (MHL): 33 games, 8 goals, 11 assists, 19 points
- DEFENSEMEN
Lucas Carlsson – Brynäs IF (SHL)
Brynäs IF (SHL): 31 games, 3 goals, 6 assist, 9 points
Sweden (WJC): 7 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points
Andreas Söderberg – IK Pantern (Allsvenskan)
45 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points
Joni Tuulola – HPK (Liiga)
44 games, 2 goal, 6 assist, 8 points
Jake Ryczek – Waterloo (USHL)
36 games, 6 goals, 17 assists, 23 points
NCAA prospects
- FORWARDS
John Hayden – Yale*
25 games, 16 goals, 12 assists, 28 points
* – Hayden is the captain at Yale this season
Dylan Sikura – Northeastern
30 games, 19 goals, 30 assists, 49 points
Anthony Louis – Miami (OH)**
28 games, 13 goals, 19 assist, 32 points
** – Louis is an alternate captain at Miami this season
Matt Iacopelli – Western Michigan
28 games, 16 goals, 9 assists, 25 points
Chris Calnan – Boston College*
31 games, 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points
* – Calnan is the captain at Boston College this season
Fredrik Olofsson – Omaha
27 games, 10 goals, 10 assists, 20 points
Beau Starrett – Cornell
25 games, 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points
Jack Ramsey – Minnesota
26 game, 1 goal, 2 assist, 3 points
- DEFENSEMEN
Luc Snuggerud – Omaha
32 games, 11 goals, 18 assists, 29 points
Dennis Gilbert – Notre Dame
30 games, 0 goals, 16 assists, 16 points
Chad Krys – Boston University
30 games, 4 goal, 5 assists, 9 points
Ryan Shea – Northeastern
30 games, 1 goal, 8 assists, 9 points
Blake Hillman – Denver
29 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points
Sure seems like there will be lots of new blood in Rockford next year. Dcat, Knott and Fortin have contracts so they will likely be Hogs. Also Hayden and possibly Sikura and Louis. Will Snuggerud and Gilbert think it is time to start their pro career instead of a third year of college hockey? What about the European prospects and other guys in juniors (Radke, Noel, Dahlstrom). Not sure how many contracts we will have available but it seems clear that some won’t be offered (Calnan, Iacopelli?). Will be fun to see if we can get 2-3 solid NHL players out of this big group.
Looks like Rockford needs an injection of new blood in their system,.,.,they are having a hard go this year . Not sure what the hell happened but ,.,man the Hogs are struggling ,hope the boys who were sent down of late will elevate the team . Fortin and D-cat look like hopefuls but,.,.,do we have any D men in our system ready to make an N.H.L push ?
ms, I went home to Buffalo over Christmas and bumped into one of Gilbert’s old coaches. He believes Gilbert will play one more year at ND and then sign with the Hawks.
Here in Omaha, it’s pretty common knowledge that Snuggerud is leaving after this season to sign with the Hawks. I spoke with somebody from the program last week, he said UNO would love to have Snuggerud back for his Senior year but at this point, in his words, that’s not realistic.
Knott will be interesting-he’s still growing at 6’4 but he will need to dedicate himself in the summer and Rockford to becoming a better skater and worker.
(he doesn’t look like a bean pole anymore-is filling out)
IMO opinion he will be a bottom 6 guy, but if he can develop it’s nice to have a big guy down the middle with some offensive upside.
Hogs are a shit show right now… no skill/offense.
I still think at least 1 of these Prospects ( plus one or two of FA’s from NCAA/Russia) make the Hawks next year… and add value right away… Hawks will be better next year with current rookies gaining experience/strength… -imo- Hayden/Fortin could have added value this year.
WTS- SB-if makes the right cap move before next season… Hawks could be set for a real Cup run next year…
Can’t wait for next season- for both Hawks/Hogs… I usually attend several Hogs games/year… but with no talent down there… haven’t seen one this year… next year should Hogs should be much better…
Were going to get better each yr going forward with young guys getting better and more good young guys coming (even with core getting one yr older each yr/as every other top teams core does as well). The Bowmans have a plan.
Keep banking cap space. 8 and 67 back up/48 and 42 stayed.
8-19-14
72-15-88
38-67-81
70-16-11
Thanks for putting these together Tab really enjoy these posts. The amount of production we’ve seen this year is very promising given how low the opinions were on our current prospect pool at the beginning of this season. The consensus seemed to be that we lack anyone of who projects at a Top 6 F or Top 4 D. Has this season so far changed anyone’s opinion on that? Who would most consider to be our highest upside prospects(or if you wanted to put together a top 5)?
Tab, you do a great job on this list. You should repost it on the frontpage from time to time after you update. Would like to see how peoples opinions change as the year goes on.
http://committedindians.com/future-hawks-prospect-profiles/
Hogs have had horrible goaltending most of the year
But I thought Johansson was the next Anders Nilsson
Tab, nice list but could you have added, if the forwards are centers, LW or RW and the same for the D men? I know that there will be changes, but it would be nice to see how the future positions are lining up.
Is there a goal tender worth noting in the minors, college or overseas?
DeBrincat with another 2 points tonight – 1g/1a. He now has 48 goals so he needs 2 more goals in the last 10 games of the regular season to become only the 2nd player in OHL history to have 3 straight 50 goal seasons. I believe the first time it was done was back in the 70’s.
So, how far away is a guy like deBricant?
BILBO161 – that’s the question. No one knows the answer. We shall see.
Yes and that would be great for DCat. But most of the snipers don’t stay in the OHL for 3 years. DCAT started young
For all of those who bemoan the Andrew Shaw move, without those picks from Montreal, Bowman does not get DeBrincat. I’m sure a lot of teams are regretting letting him get to the second round of last year’s draft. This is exciting! I’m still in the mindset to play to win this year. If Bowman has a chance to upgrade this roster for a Cup run, trade draft picks and prospects and then replenish.
No real comps for a guy like DCat… w/ lack of size -sniper… most smaller guys we see now that are studs in NHL rely on great speed/agility… Kane, Gaudreau, etc.
In camp- DCat seemed to be a good skater… but not special… he found his way to the scoring areas for one timers… fanned on a couple (most likely – trying to play a little quicker than he can – right now (kinda like Saad his first 30 games))…
I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes the “Martin St. Louis” path… MSL- dominated NCAA, then AHL… but never really cracked the NHL until his mid-20’s..
In his favor- the Cap… which seems to be pushing more prospects into the NHL sooner… If DCat works hard on his skating/agility- he should be able to crack the NHL in less than 2-3 years… and how fast (if ever) can he adjust to the “speed” of the game??? For Example- Schmaltz has all ready seemed to make major improvements in reading/anticipating plays in half season.
Debrincat really didn’t start early. He started at 17. Most kids start at 16. Let’s not drool too much over Debrincat. Look at the list Tab mentioned. 3 guys have a combined 158 nhl games. Most kids that put up huge numbers do so in overage seasons. Let’s be hopeful he turns into a stud. But we’ve been let down before with kids that had stellar junior numbers, only to not live up to the hype.
Bowman always makes the trade when it makes the roster better and we have a guy who can play in the position open now/or near.
Ernie, good point. We simply don’t know if DeBrincat has what it takes in speed/quickness so vital for a small player, plus how will he react and can he prosper in an environment where he will be battered and tossed around like a ragdoll? Some guys can and some guys can’t and we won’t know until he is put in the position to prove it one way or the other.
That said, he has gaudy offensive numbers the likes of which we haven’t seen from a Hawks prospect since Kane was burning up the score sheet in London, which was actually before he was a Hawks prospect.
Bolly had sick numbers to.
Missing a guy like Leighton in net ,calm ,cool and mature , see it,s not all bad getting old . We had great goal tending a few years back in Rockford ,.,.that could be part of the issue ,.,.3 or 4 key players are frequent flyers on the BIG team now as well .
Better than Debrincats…but that was 2 years after his draft year. “Only” 85 points in 66 games the year after. 130 points in 59 games 2 years after draft.
Yep. Leighton would solve all of Rockfords problems. It’s not the absence of young guys like Hartman. Danault, Teravainen, Johns, Rasmussen. Or veterans like Peter Regin and TJ Brennan. Nope, definitely not a talent issue. It’s all that veteran goalie.
Now, I will say that if you want to go after Leighton for the purpose of extending him and exposing him be my guest.
Did you read my post Ernie or ,.,.,you just shooting off at the mouth again .
You really just can,t help yourself can you .