Blackhawks Have Top Prospects Playing Outside of North America
Ilya Safonov, Roman Kantserov and Viktor Stjernborg are three talented young forwards playing overseas and could make an impact down the line.
Blackhawks Have Top Prospects Playing Outside of North AmericaThe Chicago Blackhawks have a deep prospect pool, with a lot of their talent playing in North America in the NCAA, AHL and CHL.
Chicago also has some top prospects who have been skating overseas and are doing well. They might be flying under the radar.
Three young forwards in particular are in the top leagues in Russia and Sweden. Ilya Safonov, Roman Kantserov and Viktor Stjernborg could very well make their way to North America and have an impact in the Blackhawks organization in the next couple of years.
Ilya Safonov
Safonov is possibly the most exciting prospect the Blackhawks have overseas right now. He came in seventh on THN's 2024 Future Watch.
This big center was chosen in the sixth round of the 2021 draft and is now 22 years old. Typically, Russian players spend a little more time in the KHL before coming to North America, like Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov (debuted in the NHL at 23) or New York's Artemi Panarin (debuted with Blackhawks at 24). It seems to be working for Safonov who has been gaining some attention and is a goal-scorer.
Safonov has played four seasons in the KHL for Ak Bars Kazan and scored 13 goals and 20 points in 67 games in 2023-24. It is a step back from 19 goals and 37 points last season, but still impressive for someone his age in that league while not playing on the best team.
Roman Kantserov
The Blackhawks have another prospect in the KHL, but he is only 19 years old and exploded offensively in the playoffs this season. Kantserov, a winger, played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in his rookie season and has scored at every level.
Kantserov had eight goals and 15 points in 53 games during the regular season, but put up four goals and 13 points in 23 playoff games. He thinks the game really well with the puck, whether that be with the first move or ability to pass and stickhandle out of trouble.
Kantserov was drafted 44th overall in the second round by the Blackhawks in the 2023. If his development continues at this rate, he will garner a lot more attention in the coming years.
Victor Stjernborg
Stjernborg, a Swedish center/winger, just wrapped up his second season in the SHL and performed well for only being 20 years old.
Stjernborg scored six goals and recorded 18 points in 46 games this season while adding an assist in eight playoff games for Vaxjo Lakers HC. What makes him so exciting is that his compete level, effort and two-way ability are strong parts of his game.
Since he is playing in Sweden, it is likely we will see Stjernborg in North America sooner than the others and he could jump right into the AHL. He is controlled on the ice and has the ability to use reserve energy to make a play at the end of shifts all the time.
All three of these prospects might reach Chicago, but that's a ways off. For now, they are all interesting players to follow as they do well in the top leagues in their home countries. The Blackhawks might just have something with one or more of these prospects.