Which Blackhawks prospects stood out during the Tom Kurvers Showcase?

This weekend, several Chicago Blackhawks prospects played in the 2022 Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase at Fifth Third Arena, which culminated with two games against players from the Minnesota Wild organization.

Here’s a summary of the action:

Game 1 Recap: Wild 5, Blackhawks 2

Colton Dach opened the scoring to put the Blackhawks up 1-0 just 23 seconds in the first game Friday night. He blocked a Wild defenseman’s shot then beat Jesper Wallstedt with a sharp-angle wrister.

Cole Guttman made it 2-0 Blackhawks a couple of minutes into the second when Josiah Slavin slid the puck to a net-crashing Guttman. Nolan Allan picked up the secondary assist.

Unfortunately, the Wild then scored five unanswered goals.

The momentum seemed to shift after the injuries to two key players, Dach and Lukas Reichel.

Dach did not return after the first period. It’s unknown when his injury actually occurred, as his last shift ended with about 50 seconds remaining in the first. On Saturday, the team announced that Dach was placed in concussion protocol.

Reichel was boarded by Adam Beckman in the first five minutes of the middle frame. He did return for the third period, though.

Game 2 Recap: Blackhawks 5, Wild 0

Guttman opened the scoring in the second game after a takeaway behind the net and then cashed in on his own rebound.

Ethan del Mastro scored on a delayed penalty to put the Blackhawks up 2-0. Reichel came on as the extra attacker and sent a slick pass through traffic to del Mastro for a tap-in goal.

The delayed penalty was due to a hit on Paul Ludwinski, who did not return to the game and was still being evaluated postgame.

Michal Teplý was bumped up to the first line late in the first and almost immediately scored the third Blackhawks goal. All three linemates were impressive on the play: Teplý with a snipe from distance, Reichel had a beautiful backwards pass to Gavin Hayes after his zone entry, and Hayes got his pass through traffic to tee-up Teplý.

The three would combine again in the second period to put the Blackhawks up 4-0. It was Teplý on the zone exit and pass to Reichel in the neutral zone, then the latter knifed through the Wild players before he passed back to Hayes for a wide-open net and a tap-in goal.

The Blackhawks finished the game 5-0 with the final goal coming from Samuel Savoie on the power play in the third. He got just enough on a Kevin Korchinski rebound for the puck to squeak past Wild goalie invitee Thomas Milic and cross the goal line.

Player Notes

Forwards:

• Lukas Reichel was, as expected, the most noticeable player for the Blackhawks, especially with his transition ability, his active stick and his effective playmaking. He ended the showcase with four assists, but it felt like he deserved to be on the scorecard more with the way he cut through opposing players almost effortlessly. This was obviously just against other prospects, but it could be an indication — along with his dominance in the AHL last season — that Reichel is ready to face higher quality of competition in the NHL.

• Cole Guttman was easily one of the standouts throughout camp and especially in these two showcase games. He has good instincts on where he needs to be, both offensively and defensively, and he’s willing to go into the dirty area to get work done. Even though Guttman is just 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, his size did not deter him from scoring two goals and two assists — though he did joke earlier in camp that he’s “trying to eat as much Chipotle as possible” to keep his weight up. Guttman is one to watch as as a potential surprise to make the Blackhawks this season.

• Paul Ludwinski and Samuel Savoie kind of have to be talked about together because they were such a wrecking duo on the ice in the two games. They’re both speedy, sneaky smart players who are very willing to be physical when needed. Ludwinski is more poised with and without the puck while Savoie has more rat in his game, but both know how to effectively forecheck and disrupt opposing plays. If Savoie is an Andrew Shaw type of player — as Sorensen dubbed him — then Ludwinski can be likened to a (currently) less offensive Dave Bolland.

• Michel Teply and Gavin Hayes each had a goal and assist in the second game and showed flashes of how they could be complimentary players in the NHL if they continue to develop. Teplý spent the first game with Ludwinski and Savoie, but he was bumped up with Reichel and Hayes in the second game, where his passing and shooting ability was of better use. Hayes was with Reichel from the start, and he showed some nice puck skills at times.

• Josiah Slavin looked decent in both games, especially when on the penalty kill in the second game. He may never be a top-nine player, but he plays such a smart, defense-first type of game, that it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Slavin is a regular in the NHL. Slavin was the captain for the Blackhawks during the showcase games.

• Evan Barratt and Jakub Pour had some occasional moments, but just didn’t make as much of an impression as other players.
• It’s disappointing that Colton Dach was only able to play a single period, but he did look good during that small sample. His shot was as strong with some of best looks for the the Blackhawks came from Dach. His skating also looked to have improved more as well. The Blackhawks must think highly of him as he was originally paired with Reichel as a wing.

Defensemen:

• Although he only picked up one assist, Kevin Korchinski dazzled more than a few times this weekend. As expected, his skating was impressive, especially when combined with his puck handling skills. Like Reichel above, Korchinski made it look effortless in the way he skated through opponents with the pick to set up plays. He was fairly responsible defensively when needed and looked fine on the second penalty kill unit with Allan in the second game, but it’s obvious he’s still leans more as an offensive defenseman than a two-way one at the moment.

• Alex Vlasic, Nolan Allan, and Louis Crevier had quiet, mostly effective games: none had major standout plays, but they also didn’t have many mistakes. Considering the trio are defense-first types, quiet is good. Vlasic was on the top-pairing with Korchinski as the latter’s stay-at-home counterpart while Allan and Crevier were together in a more shut-down second-pairing role.

• Ethan del Mastro and Filip Roos rounded out the defense on the third pairing, and though their TOI wasn’t as high as the three above, they had a few more positive eyebrow-raising moments. Del Mastro continues to surprise in how advanced he is in his quest to being a two-way defensemen: he’s able to jump into plays like on his goal above in the recap, but he’s also cognizant of his defensive responsibilities, like disrupting opposing passing plays and defending the blue. Roos was much more active offensively than expected, often jumping into plays effectively, and he skated exceptionally well for his 6-foot-4 size.

Goalies:

• Jaxson Stauber didn’t have the best outing in Game 1, allowing five goals on 32 shots for a .844 save-percentage. It was most likely nerves more than anything, as a couple of the goals given up were not pretty.
• Mitchell Weeks, on the other hand, had a 37-save shutout in Game 2. Weeks is on an AHL contract with Rockford, so not precisely a Blackhawks prospect yet, but his solid play in net had to be mentioned.