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Blackhawks dominate The Athletic's latest prospect rankings

Blackhawk Up · Jul 22, 2026 19:21 · 3 min read

Blackhawks dominate The Athletic's latest prospect rankings — Apr 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Anton Frondell (16) battles for the puck with St. Louis Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux (23) during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Blackhawks are a young, rebuilding team, which is why it would surprise no one that they had eight prospects, including one goalie, in the latest To

The Chicago Blackhawks are a young, rebuilding team, which is why it would surprise no one that they had eight prospects, including one goalie, in the latest Top 100 Drafted Prospects ranked by Scott Wheeler at The Athletic. In his latest piece, dated July 15, he had two definitive lists, one ranking skaters and one for goalies.

Here's a look at which Blackhawks prospects made Wheeler's rankings and where they're expected to play in 2026-27.

Naturally, the list begins with the top two picks from the 2026 Draft, Gavin McKenna (Toronto) and Ivar Stenberg (San Jose). They were joined by Porter Martone (Philadelphia), Michael Misa (San Jose), and Chase Reid (Seattle) to round out the top five. Meanwhile, the first Chicago prospect to appear on the list is Anton Frondell, who ranked 18th overall.

Last year, the 19-year-old from Sweden made his NHL debut, skating in 12 games and collecting three goals and nine points. Since former first overall pick Connor Bedard is going to begin the season on the IR, there’s a chance for Frondell to earn a larger role and cement himself in the Blackhawks lineup.

Right behind him at 23rd overall is forward Roman Kantserov, a second-round pick from 2025. The 21-year-old has been playing in the KHL for the past three seasons, scoring a career-high 36 goals and 64 points in 63 games last season. Kantserov is now committed to coming to North America with hopes of earning a full-time NHL role.

Next, just inside the Top 50 is defenseman Sam Rinzel, who ranked 49th overall. At just 22, he’s skated in 63 NHL games and has four goals and 19 points. Despite 54 games with the Blackhawks last year, he spent 23 more in the AHL with the Rockford Icehogs, scoring 14 points.

After three prospects within the Top 50, Chicago had three more in the Top 75, including Nick Lardis (57th), Oliver Moore (62nd), and Kevin Korchinski (75th overall). Lardis is another prospect who has found himself plenty of playing time in the NHL, dressing for 41 games last season, scoring 10 goals and 15 points, with another 18 goals and 32 points in the AHL.

Moore has more NHL experience, playing 60 games thus far, with only five goals and 19 points. Moreover, the 19th overall pick from the 2023 Draft hasn’t played in the AHL yet, logging just nine games last year, scoring six goals and nine points.

Finally, Korchinski, the seventh overall pick from 2022, has skated in the most NHL games among the Blackhawks on these lists, playing in 105 contests through the 2025-26 season. The 22-year-old defenseman has six goals and 19 points in Chicago, while adding five goals and 53 points in the AHL.

The last Chicago prospect to crack the Top 100 is Vaclav Nestrasil, who ranked 96th. Currently, the 19-year-old from Czechia is skating in the NCAA after two years in the USHL. He had 13 goals and 31 points with UMass as a freshman last season.

Regarding names on the goalie list, the Blackhawks' prospect Drew Commesso secured the 20th and final spot in Wheeler’s rankings. In limited NHL time, he's 2-2-0 with a .901 SV% and 2.61 GAA, with much better numbers in the AHL. Through five seasons and 114 games, Commesso is 49-51-13 with a .906 SV% and 2.75 GAA. The 24-year-old second-round pick from 2020 is slated to be one of the IceHogs' workhorses in 2026-27.

Overall, the Blackhawks led all teams with eight prospects in the Top 100 rankings, which means someday soon, the club will be contenders for more than a playoff spot, but another Stanley Cup. Just like two decades ago when Chicago stockpiled names like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the successes eventually came, and with a lot more patience and a healthy Bedard, according to this list, the wins are just around the corner.