Blackhawks Prospect Rankings: Pronman vs Ellis vs Coach Frenchy

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.

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.

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.

I think Ellis and I are higher on Lardis than most — we’ve got him at 7 and 6. He had a really strong season last year, and for me he’s definitely a prospect to keep an eye on heading into this season. Appreciate your comment today!

Thanks for your comment and solid input. I don’t really disagree with your take on Lardis. Like a lot of players coming out of the CHL, the jump to the AHL takes time — the speed, the physical grind, and playing against grown men is a big adjustment. He’s going to have to figure it out if he wants to stick. Until he proves he can handle that part of the game, he’ll have that “target on his back,” like you said.

As for Korchinski, I see your point. Defensemen take longer to develop, and maybe the Hawks rushed him by putting him in the NHL at 19. Another year in junior or more time in Rockford could have helped. He reminds me a bit of Cole Sillinger in Columbus — strong rookie year, but struggled badly as a sophomore and ended up in the AHL. That’s the risk when you keep a young guy in the NHL too early. With Korchinski, the key is improving his physical play and tightening up his defensive-zone coverage. Patience is needed here.

On Arty, I lean the other way from you. The way Davidson approached the summer — no big UFA signings, no splash trades — shows he wants his young core to get real NHL minutes. That’s why I believe Arty will be on the roster. And honestly, if you remove both Korchinski and Arty like you suggest, the blue line looks pretty thin: Vlasic, Murphy, Rinzel, Crevier, Kaiser, Nolan, and Del Mastro. Training camp will sort it out, but my gut says at least one, if not both, of KK and Arty will be in the top seven defensemen to start the year.

You’ll never annoy me — I love talking hockey! I like the way you compared Greene to Tyler Motte, that’s a really good take. On top of that, Greene brings leadership — he was captain at BU last season — and now he’s a player to watch with the IceHogs. He plays a solid 200-foot game and, if he develops properly, I see him becoming a reliable 4th-line NHL player.

Thanks for your comment. I really like how you compared Korchinski to Forsling — that’s a smart way to look at it.

Maybe the Blackhawks rushed him a bit by keeping him in the NHL at 19 instead of giving him one more year in the WHL. Defensemen usually take longer to develop, and whether you’re drafted 7th overall or 23rd, the process isn’t a straight line. Prospects go through ups and downs before they figure it out.

When Korchinski was drafted in 2022, the scouting reports were clear: excellent skater, strong on offense, but his defensive play needed work. He put up 65 points in 67 games that year, which showed his talent. In his rookie NHL season, 15 points wasn’t bad, but his defensive struggles stood out. On top of that, he still needs to play with more physicality and win more one-on-one battles.

He actually reminds me a lot of Justin Barron — flashes of skill, but inconsistencies because of the lack of physical edge. That’s why I wouldn’t trade Korchinski at all. Give him two more years inside the Blackhawks system, let him grow into his game, and then we’ll know what he really is.