Artyom Levshunov (Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fbcdbda6-2174-4393-b669-9a230be1e038.webp] Artyom Levshunov (Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images) It's never fun for a team to go through a rebuild and lose a ton of games year after year, but sometimes it really pays off. The Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] haven't been a threat for a number of years and have collected draft picks, finished low in the standings, and drafted very well. Even if half of their higher draft picks don't hit, the ones who have been performing and the sheer number of prospects with high expectations is undeniable and will push the Blackhawks to many successful years. The last five drafts cover the span of 2020 to 2024 and there are many talented young players already on the Blackhawks with a lot of highly talented players on their way. Current NHLers that fill the roster include Lukas Reichel, Landon Slaggert, Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier, Colton Dach, Ethan Del Mastro, Frank Nazar, Connor Bedard, and Artyom Levshunov. But on top of that, Kevin Korchinski, Nolan Allan, and Drew Commesso have all played games this season for Chicago. It is definitely a battle for playing time amongst the young defenders and not all of these d-men who have been fighting to prove themselves and stick in the NHL will with the Blackhawks, but all of the ones mentioned will be NHLers for at least a handful of years. Eventually the Blackhawks will have to make decisions on who to trade, and it's not going to be Levshunov. The amount of prospects doing well in other leagues is very encouraging for the Blackhawks, even though a good amount likely won't make the NHL and many won't play for Chicago for very long, if at all. Of the top tier prospects that have been proving themselves, I want to point out Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, Sacha Boisvert, and Marek Vanacker. The next tier of players, give or take one or two that may be able to move up to the top group, include Aidan Thompson, A.J. Spellacy, Adam Gajan, Victor Soderstrom, Antti Saarela, Dominic James, Jack Pridham, Ryan Greene, Ilya Safonov, Alex Pharand, and Martin Misiak. Now that's a lot of names, but to break it down easier, these are all players who haven't played in the NHL yet (other than Soderstrom) that have impressed this season and taken steps forward in the OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl], NCAA [https://thehockeynews.com/ncaa], or overseas like the KHL or SHL. There are a lot to choose from and some could be used as trade bait, some could burst into the NHL and be impact players, and some could fizzle out and not be able to transfer over their game. It's hard to look at many other organizations and see this much talent. The rebuild has been tough on Bedard and company so far, but the Blackhawks are ramping up to be a threat for many years because of the great drafting and sheer number of talented players on their way. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.
