The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping that a good amount of their youngsters will hit new levels for them in 2025-26 as they continue their rebuild. When noting that the Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players, there are undoubtedly some good breakout candidates to watch.
One under-the-radar defenseman who fans should not be ignoring heading into this upcoming campaign is Ethan Del Mastro.
Del Mastro, 22, demonstrated good promise this past season when given the chance to play on the Blackhawks' roster in 2024-25. In 24 games on the year with the Original Six club, the 6-foot-4 defenseman recorded two goals, four assists, six points, 21 blocks, and 40 hits. Overall, the Burlington, Ontario native showed signs of being a solid shutdown defenseman, and he will be looking to build off that.
Del Mastro is one of the many young Blackhawks defensemen looking to cement themselves full-time spots on Chicago's roster. When noting that he is already a smart defenseman with size, the possibility of him becoming a key part of the Blackhawks' blueline this season is certainly.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very fascinating to see what kind of year Del Mastro has for the Blackhawks in 2025-26. It is hard not to feel optimistic about the 2021 fourth-round pick.