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Whether it’s the Chicago Blackhawks or any other team, the difference in ranking prospects is half about criteria and half about the eye of the beholder.
[See the full post at: Blackhawks Prospect Rankings: Pronman vs Ellis vs Coach Frenchy]
Just wrote a 3-4 paragraph response that didn’t take…. In a nutshell love your work, Frenchy. Read everything you wrote here since I found you and will do so everyday. No fluff, no bs or lazy hot takes. Your work will spark reasoned mature debate thru the next part of the rebuild. Really good work here.
But Frenchy, who are you? You’ve obviously seen decades of Hawk’s games and write professionally so I must have missed you? … Maybe you can take a 1/4 of your next post to give us a Frenchy profile?
Very fun read Coach. I think you and Ellis see things pretty much eye to eye, however Pronman’s list seems a little flawed. Of course, rating prospects is a task in itself as we are only predicting what holds for the future for these young players. And this is without seeing them in person, speaking with them, understanding their work habits etc.
However, I thought several names on Pronman’s list were questionable. Mason West is an athlete pure and simple, but a player that is labeled as raw. But how can you gauge what kind of player he will be at this point, and place him high on a list, when there are other prospects who have a more distinct hockey history. I think that’s why I think GM Davidson said that he was going for a grand slam on West’s pick, kind of a gut feeling lottery pick. I think Nestrasil would make more sense if you were to pick a young giant sized prospect for the list.
He chose Allen over Del Mastro, which isn’t that big of a deal, but I just thought Del Mastro was fine and not noticeable in a good way while up with the Hawks. Allen was ok too, but seemed to have penalty problems, which probably had him sent back to Rockford to be worked on.
He also chose Green, who by all accounts should be a good player, but nothing shows that he will be destined to a top 6 role.
Since Chicago’s pipeline is rated so high amongst the hockey writers, you’d figure that their top 10 list would be littered with top 6 forwards and top 4 D-men. I think your list and Ellis’ list show this.
Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to respond to the article!
First, on Nick Lardis: I watched him play a lot last season, and he’s my wildcard in the Blackhawks’ system. He has the speed and shot to surprise people if he adjusts well to the AHL.
On Colton Dach, I feel the same as you. This is a huge season for him to show what his future looks like with the team. Honestly, he was borderline for me — right on the edge of the top 10 or just outside of it.
We’re also in full agreement about West. The tools are there, and the upside is high, but he’s still too raw to lock into a top-10 spot right now.
As for Greene and Allan, I’m still not sold. Allan could settle in as a reliable third-pairing guy, but I’m not sure yet if Greene will ever become an everyday NHLer.
And you’re right — the 2026 NHL Draft should bring Chicago another top-5 pick. Whoever that player ends up being will likely crack the top 10 prospect list immediately.
Thanks so much for your kind words — I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. It means a lot to hear that you’re enjoying the work and checking in every day. That’s exactly why I write — to share knowledge, spark good hockey conversations, and keep the debates reasoned and respectful.
Just to clarify, the founder of Hockey Hot Stove is former Flyer Chris Therien, and Bill Meltzer is part of the site as well. It’s a fairly new platform, and I joined as a contributor about a month ago. I agree with you on Meltzer — first-rate writer and always worth the read, even if you’re not following the Flyers closely.
As for me, I’ve been around hockey my entire life. Born in Montreal, I’ve spent over 40 years in the game, mostly on the video coaching side — from junior hockey up to the ECHL. I’ve always been a big fan of both the Canadiens and the Blackhawks. Denis Savard was the spark — I was around him in junior — and when Chicago later drafted Eric Dazé, another junior I coached, I stuck with the Blackhawks ever since.
Hockey has always been my passion, and now I’m lucky enough to share that through writing and live shows. I’m glad you found me here, and I’m excited to keep talking Hawks as this next phase of the rebuild unfolds. Like you said — the talent is stacked, but the rubber is hitting the road now.
Thanks again for the support. Looking forward to more great debates with you and the rest of the community.
Reads like your responding to my post Frenchy. Unfortunately, my original post is not shown anymore within the comments. Kind of disappointing that I take the time to write my thoughts and then they disappear in the ether somewhere. Maybe it is just a quirk in the website.
Thanks for your comment today. You and I are pretty much on the same page overall. You brought up a lot of strong points about the Hawks’ prospects, and I share your view on Greene, Allan, and West.
I really appreciate all the comments you leave on my articles and the time you take to read them. It doesn’t go unnoticed, and it means a lot.
Wishing you a great weekend!
Honestly, I’m not sure what happened there — it’s out of my control. The good thing is that I still get all the comments by email, which allows me to read and reply even if they don’t show up under the thread. I couldn’t track your post down directly, so I wanted to make sure to respond here instead.
I apologize for the mix-up and hope it doesn’t happen again. Please know that I truly value your long, thoughtful comments — they add a lot to the discussion, and I really appreciate the time you put into them.
@BetweenTheDots, excellent comment my friend and thank you! You gave a really good breakdown of the Hawks’ prospects, and I agree with many of your points.
I’ve watched a lot of Nick Lardis, and I also feel he’s underrated by some prospect analysts like Pronman. His speed and compete level stand out, and I think Rockford will be an important test for him this year.
And you’re absolutely right about KD — he’s built up a ton of assets, which gives the Hawks flexibility to make the right moves at the right time. That’s how you sustain success and keep the pipeline strong.
Enjoy your weekend, my friend — always appreciate your thoughtful comments!
I don’t know what the record of the Blackhawks will be but I’m excited about this season, it sucked when we traded Cat, Hagel, Kane, and had to watch a bunch of scrubs.
Bedard was exciting to watch and to see Vlasic grow into a solid defenseman.
But we are finally in a spot where i can enjoy watching both the Blackhawks and the ice hogs.
I believe one of the things i mentioned that wasn’t posted was what i really like about the rebuild is the depth, if one of Korchinski, Arty or Rinzel don’t work out that’s fine but what does a team like SJ do if Dickinson doesn’t become the guy many think he will? They have to hope a 26 year old Dobson is available for tradeb and have to pay him.
Habs had to give up 2 first round picks which will affect future depth for them.
I’m hoping to one day see a PP of Bedard, Nazar, Lardis, Frondell, and Arty or Rinzel. They all can shoot and are good at handling the puck.
I do think they need to have 2 different prospect rankings
NHL ready prospect rankings
Nazar and RinzelTop talent rankings, when they begin to reach their prime at about 24 years old
Arty, Frondell, Moore, West, Lardis, Kansternov, Korchinski and so on.
Just think in the past 4 years the Blackhawks have drafted 15 kids in the top 40!!!!
Hard for any team to compete with that and i think when it’s all said and done Frondell will be the prize of that draft.
Thanks for the comment! You’re right — the toughest part is behind us. Now, every season feels more exciting as new prospects join the roster. By next year, I expect we’ll see at least one or two fresh faces make the jump.
What really stands out about this rebuild is that the Hawks finally have options. With so many assets, Davidson can always move pieces to target a specific player down the road. If the team keeps improving in the standings while developing the young core, that’s already a successful season in my book.
The goal should still be to land one more top-5 pick in 2026. After that, Davidson can start really building out the roster. With five veterans hitting free agency at the end of this year, there’s a good chance to pick up more assets at the deadline. And next summer’s UFA class looks strong enough to add one or two important pieces.
It all comes down to patience. The Blackhawks are on the right path, but it’s going to take at least two more years before this team is truly ready to take off.
Thanks for your input again! What I really like about the Blackhawks’ rebuild is how Davidson focused on building a strong defensive core first. On top of that, their second- and third-round picks over the last three NHL drafts have been very smart — you can see the depth starting to take shape.
This season, I’ll be providing weekly coverage every Monday with a full recap of the Blackhawks. That will include updates on the NHL roster, the IceHogs, plus prospects in the NCAA, CHL, and Europe. I’ll also be naming the 3 Stars of the Week in each category, so Blackhawks fans can follow everything happening across the entire Chicago hockey system.
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