Anton Frondell headlines a Chicago Blackhawks prospect pipeline that's still deep despite recent graduations.
Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov and Oliver Moore all made the jump to full-time NHL duty last season, and the early bumps in the road weren't anything to worry about.
Rinzel put up 14 points in 54 games this season, while Levshunov added 24 points in 68 games, both getting real minutes as rookies on the back end.
Moore chipped in 19 points in 51 games up front, rounding out a trio that graduated together and gave Chicago real NHL experience to build around.
Even after losing three names to the actual roster, the cupboard isn't bare. Frondell, Chicago's 2025 first-round pick, headlines what's still coming.
Kevin Korchinski also got NHL run this season, appearing in 13 games, though his sample size keeps him closer to the prospect conversation than a finished product.
Why Chicago's defense prospect pool still needs work
Chicago's real strength right now is wing depth. Frondell started his NHL look on the wing, though plenty of scouts still see him settling in at center long term.
Roman Kantserov is expected to take on a real role as a rookie this year, and Nick Lardis looks ready for full-time NHL duty as well.
Václav Nestrašil is probably another year or two away, and Marek Vanacker profiles as one of the hardest-working goal scorers in the system, real options for a Bedard still hunting for wingers.
The defense side is thinner by comparison. Xavier Villeneuve stands out as the top name left in that group, and Samu Alalauri could carve out a third-pair role down the line eventually.
Ethan Del Mastro has 41 career NHL games under his belt, but the read here is he profiles more as a call-up option than an everyday NHL defenseman these days.
That's a real change from where his stock sat just two years ago, for what it's worth.
Losing three graduates in one summer would gut most systems. Chicago just shrugged and kept the pipeline moving, and that alone says plenty about where this rebuild actually stands.
Is Anton Frondell better suited long-term at center or on the wing?
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