It's been a bit of a confusing off-season for the Chicago Blackhawks so far.

They traded the No. 4 pick in a package for Bowen Byram and signed him to a massive contract while franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard remains unsigned. Make it make sense.

There is plenty of work to do, but thankfully for the Blackhawks, they have a number of really interesting prospects on the way. 

In our NHL prospect pool overview series, Tony Ferrari's digging into each team's top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of its pipeline, an overview of its latest draft class and positional depth chart, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.

Aside from some exceptions, a player who no longer holds NHL rookie eligibility is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.

Chicago came into draft week with the fourth overall pick and was poised to add a high-end prospect to its stockpile.

A few days before the draft, they moved that pick, along with the 45th overall pick and Louis Crevier, to the Buffalo Sabres for Byram, a 25-year-old RFA defenseman who has been a bit up and down in his career. 

Byram has shown plenty of potential as a puck-mover and mobile defenseman, but he hasn't really asserted himself as a top-pair guy. The Hawks had to sign him to a deal, especially after paying the price they did for him, and boy, did they ever pay him. Byram signed a six-year deal with a $12.5-million cap hit. It was a bet on the upside of the fourth overall pick from the 2019 NHL draft. 

Outside of that major move, Chicago has plenty to look forward to.

Obviously, Connor Bedard is a certified stud. Battling it out with Macklin Celebrini early in the year for the scoring lead before the Hawks center was met with an injury. Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore looked like impact players at times last year. Nick Lardis looks like a solid NHL scorer. 

Having Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov and Alex Vlasic lead the blueline group while being 25 or younger makes things intriguing on the back end. The Hawks could reasonably ice a blueline group with every player being 25 or younger next season if Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser can join those mentioned.

Coming into the lineup full-time this year is Anton Frondell, one of the more highly regarded forward prospects in hockey. His blend of power and skill is impressive. Frondell stood out last year in the Swedish League, becoming a true force of nature with his good friends in Djurgarden. Frondell has a wicked shot, and he has shown excellent leadership qualities as well. The Blackhawks might be looking at the kind of two-way presence that can help them win a title one day.

Marek Vanacker will turn pro this upcoming season, likely joining the AHL's Rockford IceHogs after putting up 47 goals and 82 points in 60 games for the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs. Vanacker has developed into quite a steady two-way forward while maintaining the shooting talent and offensive punch for which he was drafted. Your first pro season says a lot about you as a player and how you adjust to higher levels of hockey, so Vanacker is well worth watching this year.

After finishing his high school football season, Mason West committed to hockey full time, playing 38 games for the United States League's Fargo Force. He put up a modest 25 points, but there is a lot to like about West and his potential. The Michigan State commit has the fluidity and power you want in a raw prospect, along with flashes of brilliance that could make him incredibly intriguing.

The 25th overall pick from the 2025 NHL draft, Vaclav Nestrasil, had an excellent draft-plus-1 season, jumping to the NCAA and putting up nearly a point per game as a freshman. The 6-foot-6 right winger plays with power, skill and speed. His work rate is impressive, consistently chasing down pucks and getting after opposing defenders down low. Nestrasil is an excellent complementary player on a scoring line, working give-and-gos or cycling the puck along the wall to ensure his team not only keeps possession but also generates chances. Nestrasil will be one of the Hawks' most interesting prospects over the next couple of years. 

After completing his sophomore season at Boston University, Sacha Boisvert signed his entry-level contract and recorded two points in seven games for the Blackhawks. Boisvert looked well at times but was adjusting to the massive step up in competition. The 6-foot-3 center can play with some jam, and he has a very good shot. He might end up playing most of this season in the AHL, but seeing him in the NHL for any period of time would surprise no one. 

One of the most exciting storylines heading into next season is the arrival of Roman Kantserov. The highly skilled undersized winger tore it up in Russia, and Chicago fans have hyped up the highlights online and dreamt of the day he joins the Hawks' young core. The day has come, and there should be plenty of highlights made on North American ice this upcoming season.

AJ Spellacy has displayed impressive flashes, high-end mobility and a physical edge. His production hasn't really improved over the last couple of years, but the way he plays the game is highly transferable. He might never be the top-six option as once thought, but he has the tools to be an effective bottom-six option for the Hawks. 

After an encouraging, albeit up-and-down, rookie season, Kevin Korchinski has struggled to solidify his role in the NHL. His AHL seasons have been quite good over the last couple of years, and yet, he's almost been a forgotten prospect at this point. The 22-year-old has plenty of potential still and could be a massive piece of the puzzle. 

Ethan Del Mastro is a defensive blueliner who brings the physicality that every good defensive core needs. At 6-foot-4, Del Mastro has the length and size to impede attackers and thwart chances. If he can continue to get a bit quicker, stronger, and more confident with the puck, he should stick in the NHL after splitting the last three seasons between the AHL and NHL.

The Blackhawks have a couple of really solid goalie prospects as well.

Drew Commesso was a fixture in the crease for the IceHogs last year, playing quite well with the bulk of the workload. In his three NHL games, he was strong in two, including a 36-save shutout against Nashville in his second game. We could see him earn some more NHL starts this upcoming season.

Adam Gajan signed his entry-level contract after two solid years in the NCAA, playing for the University of Minnesota Duluth. Gajan is an athletic netminder who is a true battler. He has good feet and excellent agility. He will spend the year in Rockford, in all likelihood, getting more crease time if Commesso ends up playing in the NHL for an extended period. 

Anton Frondell (C/LW), Connor Bedard (C), Artyom Levshunov (D), Nick Lardis (LW/RW), Oliver Moore (C/LW), Roman Kantserov (RW), Sam Rinzel (D), Frank Nazar (RW/C), Ryan Greene (C/RW), Kevin Korchinski (D), Sasha Boisvert (C/W)

Round 2, 34th overall - Xavier Villeneuve, D, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

Round 2, 35th overall - Ryan Roobroeck, LW/C, Niagara (OHL)

Round 3, 66th overall - Samu Alalauri, D, Pelicans Jr. (Fin.)

Round 7, 194th overall - Alexander Ivanov, D, Kazan (Rus.2)

Round 7, 200th overall - William Sorbrand, C, Timra Jr. (Swe.)

Without the fourth overall pick, the draft started in the second round for Chicago, where they had a couple of picks even after trading the 45th overall pick to Buffalo.

The Blackhawks still managed to grab two players who were first-round caliber at 34th and 35th overall.

Defenseman Xavier Villeneuve is the most dynamic defender in the draft class. His mobility and puckhandling are elite. The issue scouts have is that he's a 5-foot-11, 164-pound blueliner who has had some defensive lapses. He did show some improved defensive play, using his skating to defend in space. What makes him special is his ability to shimmy and shake offensively, bringing the kind of creative playmaking that very few defenders are capable of. If he hits, Villeneuve could be one of the game's most effective defensemen.

Coming into his draft year, center Ryan Roobroeck was widely viewed as a potential top-15 pick. He was coming off a draft-minus-one season in which he put up 41 goals and 87 points on an OHL team that didn't give him much help. As a 6-foot-4 center, he had scouts drooling over what he could become. His draft year wasn't what he hoped, however, as he dropped to 30 goals and 58 points in 49 games.

Roobroeck is a powerful forward who can shield off defenders and drop his shoulder when necessary. He's got a great shot and nifty mitts around the net. His skating remains the biggest drawback in his game, but if he can become at least a decent skater, he could be a really interesting middle-six option down the line. 

The Hawks got solid value on two-way defenseman Samu Alalauri early in the third round. He's a good skater who seems to have solid reads defensively, using his feet to get to where he needs to go to cut off the attack. Alalauri is a heavy defender who can hold his own in battles. When the Finn is on his game, he's a very effective puck-mover and passer. When he's a bit off, he can make some questionable decisions with the puck. There's a solid base to build around, and he could be a potential second- or third-pair defender in the NHL one day. 

Chicago didn't draft again until the seventh round, when it took Alexander Ivanov, a Russian defender who played pro hockey all year and held his head above water but did not blow anyone away. He has the skating and defensive processing to allow him to succeed, and he can move the puck well at times. He's an interesting swing in the seventh round. 

Finally, Swedish forward William Sorbrand is a very physical player who can absolutely annihilate opponents. He has found some scoring touch around the net, but his offensive game is a bit raw and unrefined. His best attribute is his crash-and-bang mentality. He's a fun, low-upside swing late in the draft. 

When the Blackhawks took Bedard first in the 2023 NHL draft, they instantly gave themselves a potential No. 1 center for the next decade-plus.

The same year, they took Oliver Moore. The year before, they took Frank Nazar.

Heading into the 2026-27 season, those are their top three centers, and Nazar will be the elder statesman at 22.

Although Bedard, Moore and Nazar aren't prospects anymore, Chicago still has really intriguing potential centers. Even if some of them end up on the wing, they could still use the tools that made them a center prospect.

Frondell is being pencilled in as a left winger, but it wouldn't shock anyone to see him find a role down the middle and move Nazar to the wing. Boisvert could be an excellent complementary player in the bottom six, whether he's centering the fourth line or potentially splitting duties with Moore on the third.

Despite having a few interesting players on the back end, such as Alalauri, Villeneuve, Korchinski and Del Mastro, the Hawks lack high-end quality and depth on the blueline.

They should shift their focus heading into next year's draft and target defenders a bit more at the top of the class. 

As a sophomore at NCAA Providence, Mustard looked much more comfortable and used his speed more effectively. His shot also became a more important part of his game, as he scored 17 goals in 36 games.

Mustard isn't likely to have a top-six role in the NHL, but he's the kind of bottom-six scorer who brings a solid work ethic and speed, making life difficult for more traditional bottom-six players who don't have the speed or skill to keep up. 

After finally signing his entry-level contract, Kantserov is coming over to North America, where he is expected to step right into the Hawks' lineup.

He was one of the most effective scorers in the KHL last year, putting up 64 points in 63 games to finish ninth in league scoring.

Kansterov is likely to be an immediate option on the power play as a player capable of finding the back of the net and facilitating play. He should ease the burden for Bedard and the Hawks' other young offensive players.

LW: John Mustard, Marek Vanacker, Gavin Hayes, Joel Svensson

C: Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert, Ryan Roobroeck, Paul Ludwinski, Julius Sumpf, Jiri Felcman

RW: Mason West, Vaclav Nestrasil, Roman Kantserov, AJ Spellacy, Nathan Behm, Martin Misiak

LD: Xavier Villeneuve, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, Ty Henry

RD: Samu Alalauri

G: Drew Commesso, Adam Gajan, Ilya Kanarsky

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.

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