The Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year, but several of their young players who skated in the NHL in 2023-24 will continue to gain valuable experience in the AHL playoffs with the Rockford IceHogs. Eligible prospects are getting the chance to play meaningful hockey and develop further. While Chicago's season ended at a disappointing 23-53-6, the excitement is ramping up for the IceHogs, a team with talent that could make run toward a AHL's Calder Cup. Here are top Blackhawks prospects to keep an eye on as Rockford opens a best-of-five playoff series on Saturday, April 27 against the Grand Rapid Griffins. You can track coverage here or at https://icehogs.com/ [https://icehogs.com/]. LUKAS REICHEL The Blackhawks had pretty high expectations for Lukas Reichel this season as the team wanted the 21-year-old to step into the second line center role behind Connor Bedard. In the final year of Reichel's entry-level deal, that didn't work out as planned. Blackhawks struggling forward Lukas Reichel will go to Rockford for the AHL playoffs to work on game, consistency. The Blackhawks sent Reichel down to Rockford in mid-February for a month to "get it together" after he struggled and fell short of the role the Blackhawks expected of him. Reichel showed some flashes down the stretch in Chicago after returning on March 17. The team wanted the 2020 first-round draft pick to keep building momentum in the AHL playoffs. Before the season, coach Luke Richardson had said "(Reichel’s) got the explosive speed that he can go from zero to 60 as fast as anybody." Richardson also wanted Reichel to be defensively responsible and he was also excited at the opportunity to play in the middle. Reichel, the Blackhawks No. 1 prospect before Connor Bedard was drafted, is going to have to regain that status with a dominant performance in the AHL playoffs. COLTON DACH In THN's 2024 Future Watch, Colton Dach was the Blackhawks' highest rated forward prospect playing in the AHL and is someone to get excited for. The one problem: The physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound Dach has been injured often. Following solid training camp with Chicago last fall, the 21-year-old Dach had a good rookie season in the AHL with 11 goals and 27 points in 48 games. He is a big, strong centerman that will be in the NHL if he continues his trajectory. He is one of the few Blackhawks' top prospects who will be playing for Rockford in the playoffs that hasn't appeared in the NHL yet. COLE GUTTMAN Cole Guttman is 25 and a bit older than the rest of the prospects. He has a fair amount of NHL experience though, playing 41 games over the past two seasons. After four years at the University of Denver, he split time between the NHL and AHL in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Guttman has proven ability to score, recording 40 points in 39 games for the IceHogs this season. He is a bit more of a shooter than a playmaker, but in the NHL, would likely settle in as a depth player. He is mostly utilized at even strength and the penalty kill, but if need be, could help out on the second power play unit on the Blackhawks. At 5-foot-10, Guttman is not the biggest player, but has a high compete level and already provided depth scoring for the Blackhawks in his limited games and ice time. WYATT KAISER Wyatt Kaiser, the Blackhawks' third-round pick from 2020, has turned into a very good young defenseman and even ranks higher than Sam Rinzel on THN's Future Watch. Kaiser had a bit of an up-and-down season, but there's a ton of promise. His training camp was strong enough to make the Blackhawks, but the Twin Cities product was eventually sent down to the AHL after his confidence faltered. Kaiser finished the season in the NHL and has great speed, but is still a bit raw. He has become a defender who tries to stay in good positioning and doesn't take as many risks. Blackhawks fans saw him in 32 games this season and he seems to fit into more of a defensively responsible role for the future. ETHAN DEL MASTRO Ethan Del Mastro was a late-season addition to the Blackhawks as a reward for a strong, AHL All-Star season with the IceHogs. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound OHL product impressed in his first pro campaign and has shown he can do it all on the ice, whether that be strong even-strength play, killing penalties or playing on the power play. Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson talks about giving defenseman Ethan Del Mastro a "cookie" with a call-up from the AHL. Del Mastro played just two games at the end of the season on the Blackhawks, but he put up 37 points in 69 games in Rockford. He is considered a shutdown defenseman and could play that role in the NHL. NOLAN ALLAN Nolan Allan is even more of a shutdown/stay-at-home defenseman than Del Mastro and is ranked slightly higher than him on THN's Future Watch. While Allan doesn't put up as many points, he nearly made the Blackhawks out of training camp last fall. His skating is a strong point in his game and it is considered NHL-caliber already. He has the hockey IQ to be able to defend well and should continue to be paired with Del Mastro in the AHL for Rockford's playoff run. DREW COMMESSO Drew Commesso is someone to pay attention to from THN's Future Watch as he is one of two goaltenders who appear in the top 10. The Boston University product is just 21 years old and still needs some time to fully develop into an NHL goalie, but is on his way. In his rookie season for the IceHogs, Commesso posted a 2.65 GAA and .906 save percentage in 38 games. It will be interesting to see who starts for Rockford the playoffs. JAXSON STAUBER Jaxson Stauber is the goalie prospect with a little bit of NHL experience who came last season in six games for the Blackhawks. In that trial run, he did very well, posting a .911 save percentage on a weak Chicago team. He has mostly split games with Commesso this season, but has taken a slight backseat when it comes to games played this season (31) and save percentage (.902). Stauber is the most NHL-ready goaltender the Blackhawks have in their system and he could see more NHL action in 2024-25. There is no rush as he is still exempt from waivers for one more season. RECENT BLACKHAWKS NEWS Handful of Blackhawks Set to Move on in Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/handful-of-blackhawks-set-to-move-on-in-free-agency] Blackhawks Seth Jones Frustrated With Losing: "I Really Didn't Want To Rebuild..." [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-seth-jones-frustrated-with-losing-i-really-didnt-want-to-rebuild] Comparing Rookie Seasons of Connor Bedard to Connor McDavid [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/comparing-rookie-season-of-connor-bedard-to-connor-mcdavid] Nick Foligno's Impassioned Plea To Blackhawks: "We Have To Change." [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/nick-folignos-impassioned-plea-to-blackhawks-we-have-to-change]
