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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 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.
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.
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?
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]
