The 2023 version of Second City Hockey’s Top 25 Under 25 rankings opens with a quartet of players who were included on ballots but did not earn enough voting points to make the 25-man list. The voters for this year’s installment consisted of each of the four SCH writers, who submitted individual ballots.
No. 25 — Adam Gajan
- Position: Goalie
- Birth date: May 06, 2004 (19)
- Acquired via: 2023 second round
- 2022-23 team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL); Chippewa Steel (NAHL)
- 2022-23 stats: .906 sv%, 2.28 GAA in 34 USHL games; .917 sv%, 2.57 GAA in 34 NAHL games
- Size: 6-foot-3, 181 pounds
- Contract: Unsigned
- Rankings: 20 (Eric), 23 (Mil), 24 (Dave), Unranked (LBR)
- Last T25U25 ranking: N/A
Much has been made about how the Blackhawks haven’t been able to draft and develop a defensemen since Niklas Hjalmarsson, but the same is true of goaltenders since Corey Crawford. There are a couple in the system currently with some starter potential — namely Arvid Söderblom and Drew Commesso — but the shallow depth in goal meant it wasn’t surprising the Blackhawks selected a goalie with their first pick in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Adam Gajan put up decent but not otherworldly numbers in both the NAHL and USHL this past season, but his improvement over such a short period of time has been seriously impressive and had him shoot up draft boards everywhere, including the Blackhawks. His performance at the 2023 World Juniors — where he upset Team USA and almost single-handedly defeated Connor Bedard’s Team Canada — cemented him as on the top goalie prospects. He finished that tournament with a .936 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average in four games.
In terms of playing style, Gajan differs somewhat from the other two goalies in the Blackhawks prospect pool. Where the other two are often described as technical-first and composed, Gajan tends to rely more on his athleticism and explosiveness. Gajan is extremely aggressive, using his quick lateral movements and slide mobility to protect the net. Sometimes this can be an issue, as he can take himself out of position and his general positioning will need more refinement over the years, but he makes up for it with his recovery time being so sharp. Oh, and his 6-foot-3 frame helps as well.
NCAA hockey is next for Gajan, who’ll head to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, a solid next step for a goalie with only one year of North American play under his belt. Although he was selected as an overager — he was drafted at 19 — he’ll likely spend two or three seasons in college before making the transition to professional hockey and playing with the Rockford IceHogs.
No. 24 — Samuel Savoie
- Position: Winger
- Birth date: March 25, 2004 (19)
- Acquired via: Third-round pick (81st overall) in 2022 NHL Draft
- 2022-23 team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
- 2022-23 stats: 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 60 regular season games
- Size: 5-foot-10, 190 pounds
- Contract: Three-year, $878,333 AAV
- Rankings: 22 (Mil), 23 (Dave, Eric), 25 (LBR)
- Last T25U25 ranking: Unranked
Savoie was signed by the Blackhawks in July after nearly doubling his production year-over-year, racking up 59 points (26 G, 33 A) in 60 regular-season games and eight points (2 G, 6 A) in 13 playoff games with the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL. That 0.98 point-per-game rate was top-10 among Blackhawks prospects last season and sixth among those under the age of 20. He wasn’t necessarily drafted for his production, but the improvement in that area is part of why he made the T25U25 rankings this season.
Even with the uptick in points, Savoie is most known for how high-energy and physically aggressive he can be on the ice. He’s one of the most tenacious puck hounds who relishes in hitting opponents whenever possible, especially along the boards. As a result, he always been very good in terms of puck retrieval and battles defensively, but he was able to use those skills in better cycle work and offense for his team last season. He’s not necessarily a playmaker, but he has efficient enough passing ability that he could earn points in the NHL. In terms of shooting, Savoie is just alright, tending to score more in-close on dirty goals than anywhere else on the ice. His skating is also solid, though he’s more agile than he is fast. Savoie isn’t ever going to be the most offensively skilled player on the ice, but if developed correctly, he has the right tool set to be complementary to several roles on an NHL team.
There’s somewhat of a buzz of excitement around him from a fan perspective, as he has a similar playing style as former fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Savoie can be a bit too violent at time, making poor hitting decisions too often, and his after-whistle scrums were too obvious. With 108 penalty minutes in 73 total games last season, he’ll need to definitely need to be more disciplined and learn how to utilize his “rat” tendencies more effectively, drawing more penalties than committing. This is especially important when considering he’s always been one of the better penalty killers for his team.
Savoie is expected to return to the Olympiques for another year. He’s also on the radar to compete for a roster spot with Canada’s 2024 World Juniors team.
No. 23 — Nick Lardis
- Position: Winger
- Birth date: July 08, 2005 (18)
- Acquired via: 2023 third round
- 2022-23 team: Peterborough Petes/Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
- 2022-23 stats: 65 points (37 G, 28 A) in 68 regular season games; 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in 6 playoff games
- Size: 5-foot-11, 168 pounds
- Contract: Unsigned
- Rankings: 21 (Eric, Mil), 24 (LBR), Unranked (Dave)
- Last T25U25 ranking: N/A
The Blackhawks had 11 picks during the 2023 NHL Draft, and they selected nine forwards with a variety of playing styles and skill sets. One such forward was Nick Lardis, a smaller but highly skilled player who will likely be a project with top-six potential. It was his play in the second half of the OHL season that had him listed by many as a possible surprise late-first rounder. After Lardis was traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs, he had 46 points (25 G, 21 A) in 33 regular-season games and another 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in six playoff games. Lardis ultimately dropped to the top of the third-round, but the offensive skills are already refined enough that Blackhawks fans should be excited to see how else he’ll progress.
As with many Blackhawks prospects lately, Lardis is a great skater: he’s both very fast and has four-way mobility that he utilizes well in transition and in the offensive zone. His rush plays are often a thing of beauty and his ability to deke around players in-close is tantalizing. Lardis’ skating, combined with his absolutely lethal shot, made him a threat to score from anywhere on the ice, beating goalies with wrist shots, one-timers, and backhands from practically any distance.
Lardis is pretty light currently, sitting just under 170 pounds, but he was one of the younger players drafted and has plenty of time to put on some more weight before he’s playing professional hockey. Being small isn’t as much of an issue in the modern NHL, but Lardis does need to learn to at least play a little bigger, especially along the walls. He has a high motor and is willing to engage physically when needed, but he does get bodied off the puck too often right now. Defensively, Lardis has more work to become better positionally and in terms of coverage rather than relying too much on skating to bail him out of situations.
Lardis will return to the Bulldogs in the OHL, where he’ll probably play in a top-line role. It terms of projection, it’s very possible that he could hit at least 50 goals and average over a point-per-game this next season.
No. 22 — Jalen Luypen
- Position: Center/Winger
- Birth date: June 28, 2002 (21)
- Acquired via: 2021 seventh round
- 2022-23 team: Tri-City Americans (WHL)
- 2022-23 stats: 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 38 regular season games; 6 points (3G, 3A) in 6 playoff games
- Size: 5-foot-10, 154 pounds
- Contract: Three-year, $859,166 AAV
- Rankings: 20 (Eric), 23 (Mil), 24 (Dave), Unranked (LBR)
- Last T25U25 ranking: No. 13. Down 9 spots.
Although Luypen dropped in the ranking from last season, it’s less of an indictment against him and more about the influx and development of other players in the Blackhawks prospect pool. He also missed the first few months of the season recovering from rotator cuff surgery and thus was only able to skate in 38 regular season games with the Tri-City Americans this past season. Despite the injury and recovery time, Luypen improved slightly offensively: he had a 1.03 points-per-game rate this season, up from his 0.97 rate in 2021-22. He also led Tri-City with six game-winning goals on the season, a new career high for him, and was tied for second on the team with six points (3 G, 3A) in six playoff games.
Luypen has sometimes been compared to Brandon Hagel in terms of role and development curve: a later-round pick who may take more time to hit top potential, he’s a two-way player with a high motor who is relentless in his hunts for the puck, posts great puck recovery numbers, can kill penalties, and generally does a lot of little things right. He’s still a little undisciplined when it comes to taking penalties, which these high-energy types of players always tend to struggle with early in their careers. Defensively, he’s positionally sound and never gives up on a play, earning him ample playing time on the penalty kill, and additionally he’s extremely strong in the faceoff dot. Size could be an issue when trying to transition to playing against bigger opponents, but Luypen has always played more physical than his weight suggests he should.
Again, although Luypen maintain his good play, he dropped primarily because other players improved at a slightly faster rate this past season. There are also more than a few players who play a similar style as him, so he’s got more competition now to carve out a future role with the Blackhawks.
Luypen will be in Rockford next season — he got a taste of life in the AHL briefly last season as he joined the IceHogs after his WHL season ended and even got into three games with the team during their short playoff run.
No. 21 — Ilya Safonov
- Position: Center
- Birth date: May 30, 2001 (22)
- Acquired via: 2021 sixth round
- 2022-23 team: Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
- 2022-23 stats: 37 points (19 G, 18 A) in 64 regular season games; 6 points (3 G, 3 A) in 24 playoffs games
- Size: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
- Contract: Unsigned
- Rankings: 18 (Dave), 19 (Mil), 22 (LBR), Unranked (Eric)
- Last T25U25 ranking: Unranked
Safonov might be an unexpected name to see on this list — even in the lower 20s — but his latest strong season in the KHL has reportedly moved him u—the Blackhawks’ internal prospect board. He had 37 points (19 G, 18 A) in 64 games — the goal total being the most of any under-22 player in the KHL that season — while playing both second and third-line center with Ak Bars Kazan. The season could be an outlier, but it’s possible that Safonov is having a late development spike that could mean big potential for him in the future.
The first thing typically noticed about Safonov is his size and physicality. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he has a big frame that he knows how to use very well in terms of forechecking and smart hitting, often coming away with possession during any puck battles. Smart is a word that can be applied to most of his game, too, as he sees the ice well, makes good decisions with the puck, and tends to be right place at the right time. He’s also a strong and mobile skater with above average puck handling, making him great in transition.
Safonov was originally drafted as a defense-first type of player at 5-on-5 and an excellent penalty killer — and that might be the role he ultimately plays if he’s ever brought to the NHL — but the uptick in his offensive game suggests he could be more of a two-way player. He’s always had a great release, but he increased his shot quantity and was able to put himself in better positions to score this past season, resulting in more than doubling him best goal results year over year.
Signed for another two season with Ak Bars, it’s going to be a while before Blackhawks fans get even a potential chance at seeing Safonov in action in North America, if ever.
2023 Blackhawks Top 25 Under 25 list (so far):
Nos. 21-25: Safonov, Luypen, Lardis, Savoie, Gajan
Honorable Mentions: Misiak, Roos, Stauber, Thompson