Blackhawks prospect rankings: Vaclav Nestrasil climbs to top spot after many graduations
<p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks" target="_blank" >Blackhawks</a>' pool of talented young players has not shrunk, but their prospect pool nevertheless has.</p><p>That's because so many of those young players graduated from prospects into NHL players during the past year. The Hawks' roster will be extremely young in 2026-27.</p><p>There will be at least seven forwards age 22 or younger — Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Roman Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene — and all project to occupy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2026/07/26/projecting-blackhawks-lines-patrick-kane-bowen-byram-connor-bedard-frank-nazar" target="_blank" >top-nine roles</a>.</p><p>And among all of the defensemen and goalies, Ian Cole is the lone player older than 25.
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<p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks" target="_blank" >Blackhawks</a>' pool of talented young players has not shrunk, but their prospect pool nevertheless has.</p><p>That's because so many of those young players graduated from prospects into NHL players during the past year. The Hawks' roster will be extremely young in 2026-27.</p><p>There will be at least seven forwards age 22 or younger — Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Roman Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene — and all project to occupy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2026/07/26/projecting-blackhawks-lines-patrick-kane-bowen-byram-connor-bedard-frank-nazar" target="_blank" >top-nine roles</a>.</p><p>And among all of the defensemen and goalies, Ian Cole is the lone player older than 25. Prominent offseason addition Bowen Byram, 25, is actually eight days younger than Alex Vlasic. Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser and Arvid Soderblom are all younger than them, some considerably so, whereas Spencer Knight is two months older.</p><p>The majority of the Hawks' resources this season will go toward helping those young players learn, mature and hopefully eventually succeed in the NHL.</p><p>But prospect development remains important, too.
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- <p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks" target="_blank" >Blackhawks</a>' pool of talented young players has not shrunk, but their prospect pool nevertheless has.</p><p>That's because so many of those young players graduated from prospects into NHL players during the past year. The Hawks' roster will be extremely young in 2026-27.</p><p>There will be at least seven forwards age 22 or younger — Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Roman Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene — and all project to occupy <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2026/07/26/projecting-blackhawks-lines-patrick-kane-bowen-byram-connor-bedard-frank-nazar" target="_blank" >top-nine roles</a>.</p><p>And among all of the defensemen and goalies, Ian Cole is the lone player older than 25.
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Blackhawks prospect rankings: Vaclav Nestrasil climbs to top spot after many graduations
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times