Connor Bedard on his way to Blackhawks prospect camp. Will join team on Thursday.

Connor Bedard will skate with the Blackhawks squad at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in Minnesota this weekend. 

We don't know yet whether the NHL's top draft pick of 2023 will appear in one or both of Chicago's games at the TRIA Rink in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 16 against the St. Louis Blues and Sunday, Sept. 17 versus the Wild's youngsters.

Bedard wasn't on the ice with the Blackhawks' group for an opening day of practices at the Fifth Third Arena on Chicago's West Side on Wednesday. The 18-year-old forward was still traveling with the NHL's preseason media tour  and is expected to arrive on Thursday.

After that? Well Rockford IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen, in charge of the 23 Blackhawks prospects headed to the showcase, isn't exactly sure.

"We expect him to come in tomorrow, and then he's part of the group here," Sorensen said. "That's all I really know at this point. He'll play, but I don't know more now."

Defensemen Kevin Korchinski, Allan Nolan and Ethan Del Mastro, as well as forward Colton Dach — all Bedard's teammates on Canada's gold medal winning 2023 World Junior Championship team — were on the ice Wednesday. Top goaltending prospect Drew Commesso also was with the group that will include 14 forwards, seven D-men and two goalies once Bedard arrives.

"For us, it's getting them ready for (training) camp as well," Sorensen said. "It's getting them into the game mode, creating good habits right off the get-go here so they have a little bit of an advantage coming into camp. I think this is a really good tune up for them."

Bedard is expected to be on the Blackhawks' roster when their season opens on Oct. 10 at Pittsburgh. 

More critical eyes will be on the 6-foot-3, 187-pound Korchinski, a Blackhawks first-round pick (seventh) overall in 2022. The lanky 19-year-old is at his second Kurvers camp and seems closer becoming a pro after a terrific 2022-23 season with the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds and Canada's WJC squad.

"I think I said this before," Sorensen said. "He looks like a man. Everything is quick. Everything is fast. And it looks like everything is quicker and faster now. He looks firmer than he did in the past."

Korchinski has signed an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks. But because he's still 19, he must either play with Chicago or be returned to Seattle this season. Per an agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, players younger than 20 can't skate with minor pro teams, so Rockford isn't an option.

"Last year I came not really knowing what to expect, Korchinski said "This year, I know how the camp and the preseason works.

"I think it's really exciting," he added. "We obviously have a really deep prospect pool with a really bright future. It's just really exciting when you talk among your teammates."

Commesso is the Blackhawks top goalie prospect. After three seasons at Boston University, the 21-year-old also signed an entry-level contract.  

It's likely that Commesso will start the season Rockford, as veteran Petr Mrazek and Arvid Söderblom have the inside track on the Blackhawks two NHL goalie spots. 

But Commesso trained hard over the summer to elevate his game. The native of Boston's South Shore worked on a full menu of activities, including breathing exercises, yoga, flexibility, quickness and improving his lower body strength.

Commesso also changed his diet to build added muscle. He got up at 5:30 a.m. to "eat, work out, eat again, skate and eat again," he said  Commesso stayed at home and credits his mom with "cooking great meals for me that I could bring to the rink."

"I feel like I got a great summer," Commesso said. "I feel so much stronger and faster and I'm just really looking forward to having a great rookie camp, and hopefully a great training camp and hopefully a great season."