2025 Blackhawks Top 25 Under 25: Alex Vlasic shifts to No. 3

The 2025 version of Second City Hockey’s Top 25 Under 25 rankings continues well into our Top 10, which will contain a lengthier breakdown of each individual who made it into that group.

Alex Vlasic

Position: Defense

Birth date: June 5, 2001 (23)

Acquired via: Second-round pick (43rd overall) in 2019 NHL Draft

2024-25 team : Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

2024-25 stats: 30 points (4 G, 26 A) in 82 games

Size: 6-foot-6, 217 pounds

Contract: Six years, $4.6M AAV

Rankings: 3 (Dave, LBR), 4 (Eric, Zack)

Last T25U25 ranking: No. 2 (tie), down one spot

Vlasic entered the year as a promising second-pair defender and finished it as the team’s de facto No. 1, playing 25 minutes a night and filling the massive void left by Seth Jones after his trade to the Florida Panthers around the trade deadline. Vlasic carved out a reputation as a composed, defense-first player who handled top-four responsibilities easily and, while this season wasn\'t perfect by any means, he handled the changes and extra pressure pretty admirably. Despite a rougher ending to the season and not as high of a ceiling as some others ranked below him, Vlasic\'s overall performance and proven NHL capabilities kept his position in this list relatively even, only slipping one rank.

Vlasic opened the season on the second pairing with Connor Murphy and looked right at home, playing with a poise that belied his age. His ability to read plays, angle off rushes, and move pucks cleanly stood out. Averaging over 22 minutes a night with extended time on the penalty kill, it was clear Vlasic had more than earned the trust of the coaching staff on the defensive side of the game. When Jones went down with a foot injury in mid-November, Vlasic’s role expanded as he slid into top-pair matchups and increased minutes, and he showcased more robust offensive instincts. His confidence with the puck noticeably improved, and he began using his long frame more aggressively at both ends of the ice. Vlasic showed improved shot discipline and a growing willingness to jump into the play, becoming more active and assertive in the offensive zone. As a result, he registered nine points (2 G, 7 A) in the 16 games Jones was out, and that 0.56 points-per-game rate was a solid boost from the 0.35 rate in the 17 games prior.

Alex Vlasic blasts one home on the power play for his second goal in as many games. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ueUK1rCbCq

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 7, 2024

These guys can really shoot the puck 😮💨

Tage Thompson leads the way with the fastest single shot of the season, topping the list of players’ max shot speeds in 2024-25! pic.twitter.com/W8mD1o6Sb2

— NHL Fantasy / EDGE 🏒 (@NHLFantasy) July 9, 2025

Vlasic was occasionally exposed in odd-man situations as he played in more offensive situations than he was used to, which led to some coverage issues, but he continued to have overall strong defensive play -- especially in terms of puck retrievals and exits. Considering how horrible the Blackhawks played as a team defensively in the early months of the season, the only minimal change for Vlasic in his own zone while his role shifted is a testament to how solid a player he is.

With Jones returning in in late December, Vlasic shifted back into a more supporting role. His minutes remained fairly high, but he was back with Murphy in a more shutdown role. Understandably, he went quiet offensively with just one assist in the next 20 games and he had some bad stretches in his own end during this span. He wasn\'t the only one -- Murphy looked tired and slow, Jones played poorly for a while (likely coming back from injury too soon to play in the Winter Classic), TJ Brodie hit new season lows -- but Vlasic definitely had more off games than usual.

In February, Vlasic rediscovered his rhythm and consistency, which held through until March. His positional awareness, willingness to sacrifice the body for blocks, and ability to disrupt plays with his long reach and active stick were all back on full display. He illustrated his excellence in defensive transitional play with good, crisp outlet passes and smart stretch plays. The sample is small with only eight games in February, but he also quietly strung together one of his more productive months with five assists in that span (0.63 point-per-game), thanks in part to his possession-first transition play.

Vlasic led the team in exits with possession/60 (10.56) and clears/60 (4.18). #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CaqvddJsPG

— Steve Kwiatkowski (@DirtyThird81) August 4, 2025

When Jones was sent to Florida in March, Vlasic officially assumed No. 1 defensemen duties, once again leading all Blackhawks defensemen in minutes and matchups. The results were decently solid to start the month: he was still calm under pressure defensively and continued to show some elevated play-driving ability. In the latter weeks, however, he had some defensive errors and breakdowns that seemed out of character for him. There was an influx in defensive prospects starting during this month, so pairings rotated a bit, which probably did not help with consistency. Vlasic also saw his role on the power play reduced too. He finished the month with six points (2 G, 4 A) in 15 games, which is solid but below his seasonal highs.

The wear and tear of a full season and a heavier workload seemed to catch up with Vlasic in April as well. Vlasic closed out the last couple of weeks with just two assists in eight games, looking noticeably worn down and sluggish at times in the defensive zone. Still, he was one of just four Blackhawks to appear in all 82 games, leading the team in total TOI (over 1,907 minutes) and finishing top-15 league wide in distance skated among defensemen. It wasn\'t a bad ending, just somewhat more middling. Vlasic’s next steps will require more conditioning, more physicality, and continued offensive development.

In the end, Vlasic finished with a solid 30 points (4 G, 26 A), and he became one of Chicago’s most trusted players, displaying maturity beyond his years and showing he could do well in high-leverage situations for the most part. While it seems unlikely Vlasic sticks as the team’s long-term No. 1 , he showed this season that he can handle the high minutes and responsibilities when needed. He\'s projected as a No. 2 acting as the defensive springboard for a more offensive partner or a very strong shutdown No. 3. Where he actually lands depend on how he handles the grind, develops his shot, and adds a more physical layer to his game as well as the development of the other defensemen in the Blackhawks system.

"I like to think I stepped up a little bit [as a leader]. Next year, I want to try to be a little more vocal.” -Blackhawks D Alex Vlasic pic.twitter.com/6TBdIcSx3Y

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) April 17, 2025

2025 Blackhawks Top 25 Under 25 list (so far): No. 4: Sam Rinzel No. 5: Artyom Levshunov No. 6: Spencer Knight No. 7: Anton Frondell No. 8: Roman Kantersov No. 9: Kevin Korchinski No. 10: Oliver Moore No. 11-15: Lardis, Del Mastro, Kaiser, Boisvert, Reichel No. 16-20: Dach, Nestrasil, Commesso, Greene, Vanacker Nos. 21-25: Allan, Slaggert, Behm, Spellacy, Mustard Honorable Mentions: Pridham, Savoie, West

Alex Vlasic

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