Blackhawks NCAA/USHL Prospect Update, 2/19: Mustard and Sumpf taking steps forward

With Olympic hockey in full-swing, now is a good time to do a check-in on the Chicago Blackhawks prospects at the NCAA level. I also took a look at Mason West, even though he\'s in the USHL. You can find him below with the forwards.

Of the players I looked at, I was most disappointed with Sacha Boisvert, but he\'s also been dealing with shoulder issues and is playing on a not-so-great team. John Mustard impressed me the most out of the bunch, and his teammate, Julius Sumpf, deserves a nod for solid play as well.

Forwards

Sacha Boisvert (C) | Boston (NCAA)

Stats: 16 points (3 G, 13 A), 26 PIM, 46 SOG in 22 games

The last time we checked in on sophomore Sacha Boisvert (18th overall pick in 2024), he had a slow start to the season due to a nagging shoulder injury. Through 12 games, Boisvert recorded 11 points (2 G, 9 A). Not ideal, but Boisvert was playing through a hurt shoulder. He missed time from Dec. 12 to Jan. 8, and the hope was that Boisvert would return healthy, rested, and looking like his former self (32 points in 37 games as a freshman with North Dakota). So, how has he looked since returning to the lineup on Jan. 9?

Not great. Boisvert has appeared in 10 games and only scored one goal while tallying four assists. His shoulder is still likely a factor, as his time on ice has steadily increased since his return. In this stretch of 10 games, he\'s averaging 16:51 of ice time -- Boisvert averaged 19:48 through his first 12 games. While he\'s a two-way forward, his drop in production is concerning. Despite consistently playing on the first line, Boisvert\'s production has dropped from a 0.91 points per game pace in his first 12 games to 0.51 in his last 10. He\'s only scored two points in his last seven games. Boisvert is still shooting at roughly the same rate as before his return, however: 2.08 shots per game in his first 12 games to 2.1 shots per game in his last 10.

Boisvert did get into a fight , which saw him miss two games as a result.

We have a college hockey fight! Sacha Boisvert and Connor Eddy drop the gloves 👊 pic.twitter.com/e74jnmwgRp

— EVERYTHING COLLEGE HOCKEY (@TeamECH) January 17, 2026

While it\'s been a disappointing season for Boisvert, Boston is 14-15-2, not an ideal season for the club as a whole. Boisvert has also seen different linemates with little consistency. The combination of Boisvert\'s injury and a not-so-great team (BU is 29th in the current NPI poll ) impacts his point totals this season. Indications are that Boisvert will turn pro following the end of BU\'s season. But I wouldn\'t be surprised if Boisvert needed another season at BU.

John Mustard (LW) | Providence (NCAA)

Stats: 21 points (12 G, 9 A), 21 PIM, 110 SOG in 29 games

John Mustard and Providence College are certainly having a better season than Boston. Mustard has already surpassed his freshman year points total with 21 points through 29 games -- he scored 20 points through 37 games last season. Providence ranks No. 7 in the most recent USCHO.com NCAA poll with a 19-8-2 record.

Mustard, selected in the third round in 2024, is tied for the team lead in goals with 12. In his last 10 games, Mustard has scored five points, four of those being goals. While Mustard has a 0.72 points-per-game pace, it\'s his speed that\'s most noticeable. His last goal has that speed on display (as well as a cameo appearance by another Hawks prospect we\'ll talk about shortly).

Gamache sends Mustard down the left wing and he finishes on the backhand for his 12th of the season! Julius Sumpf also earns as assist on the play. https://t.co/fGIZhNe3B0 x @ESPNPlus https://t.co/6A8D1e9NQD pic.twitter.com/ImnZGdta7q

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) February 14, 2026

Mustard\'s skating and speed check the box for Kyle Davidson\'s \"mold\" for the forwards he\'s drafted. But at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds (with a frame to build), Mustard is larger than the smaller, faster skaters Davidson has drafted earlier in his tenure as general manager.

Since our last check-in, Mustard has appeared mostly on the second line and at times on the third line, playing in a middle-six role on the left wing. Mustard has been given consistent linemates and recently has had Hawks prospect Julius Sumpf on his opposite wing. I haven\'t seen anything indicating that Mustard could turn pro following this season, but boy, do I hope to see Mr. Mustard\'s name on a Blackhawks sweater one of these days.

What. A. Move. 😮💨

Mustard nets his 10th of the year to open the scoring! https://t.co/xXsJsqav4s x @ESPNPlus https://t.co/t5KF2RKynU pic.twitter.com/tMb33NBa0j

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) January 25, 2026

Julius Sumpf (C) | Providence (NCAA)

Stats: 19 points (3 G, 16 A), 4 PIM, 37 SOG in 29 games

The last time we checked in on the 2025 fourth-round pick, Julius Sumpf had eight points through 18 games. Since then, he\'s added 11 points in 11 games, including a three-point night on Jan. 9 during a 6-1 rout over Maine. He\'s factored in 11 of 43 goals for Providence in their recent heater, a nine-game winning streak that began on Jan. 9 and ended on Feb. 13 in a 4-2 loss against Northeastern.

Kivvy puts it on net and Sumpf is there for the clean-up as he nets his third goal of the season to give us a 2-0 lead! Clint Levens also earns an assist. https://t.co/xXsJsqav4s x @ESPNPlus https://t.co/4GuDl8D678 pic.twitter.com/LeLyVntaEC

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) January 25, 2026

The freshman has seen his play elevated by playing on the second line with fellow Blackhawks prospect John Mustard. He\'s also been on Providence\'s power play, situated in front of the net while Mustard takes the flank. While he wasn\'t as noticeable as Mustard in my viewings, I thought Sumpf looked steady with smart passes and reads. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season fares for Sumpf as they have five games left on the schedule.

Vaclav Nestrasil (RW) | UMass (NCAA)

Stats: 23 points (11 G, 12 A), 8 PIM, 69 SOG in 26 games

The 25th overall pick in 2025 had an excellent start to his freshman year when we last checked in with him. A hat trick, 20 points in 18 NCAA games, and eight points in seven games during the World Juniors were impressive marks for the 6-foot-6, 190-pound forward.

Vaclav Nestrasil scores his 11th goal of the year for UMass against his former @MuskegonJacks teammates Tynan Lawrence and Sacha Boisvert

Vaclav Nestrasil has 11G 10A 21P in 20GP pic.twitter.com/vF91NLgNJ1

— Anthony Donati (@Deepdishsports7) January 11, 2026

Since Nestrasil\'s return to the lineup on Jan. 9, his production slowed down considerably, posting three points (1 G, 2 A) in eight games before culminating in an injury on Feb. 1. Nestrasil has been out since, and his club continues to ride a hot streak, even though they\'re 17-11 and rank 20th. UMass is 8-1 in their last nine games, which includes a seven-game winning streak.

#Blackhawks prospect, Václav Nestrašil (#11) suffered an injury on this play on Sunday. He didn't return to the game. pic.twitter.com/KlL1V4nrzB

— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) February 3, 2026

Mason West (C/W) | Fargo Force (USHL)

Stats: 14 points (6 G, 8 A), 6 PIM, 41 SOG in 21 games

Mason West resumed playing with Fargo Force (USHL) following his latest football heroics, in which he led Edina High School to the state championship. The good news is that West is committed to playing hockey with Michigan State next season, where we\'ll get a better picture of how he\'ll fit with the Hawks\' long-term plans.

Drafted 29th overall last season, West is a 6-foot-6, 218-pound giant. Davidson drafted a lot of larger players in last year\'s draft, and considered West a \"big swing\" when he traded picks 34 and 62 to grab the large forward. In West\'s last 10 games, he\'s put up seven points (3 G, 4 A).

MASON WEST. TOP SHELF. NASTY. pic.twitter.com/lhWJsq2ICK

— Fargo Force (@FargoForce) February 14, 2026

Goalies

Adam Gajan (G) | Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)

Stats: 15-11-0 record, .905 save percentage, 2.29 goals-against average in 29 games

Adam Gajan started his sophomore season on a good foot with a .918 save percentage at the time of our last check-in. However, Gajan\'s numbers have come back to earth in the six games since. He\'s only tallied one win, his save percentage has dropped to .905, and his goals-against average has risen to 2.29. His worst loss of the bunch was a 6-0 loss on Jan. 16 in which he stopped 20 of 25 shots on goal. The following three games saw him give up four goals in each game.

There was a lot of promise to Gajan\'s start of the season, especially since he finished his freshman year with a .885 save percentage. Adam Gajan was also selected to Slovakia\'s Olympic team, and although he more than likely won\'t be playing, he\'ll at least get to be a part of the atmosphere when Slovakia takes on Team USA in the semifinals. Still, Gajan\'s last game was Jan. 31. If he wasn\'t on Team Slovakia, he could be getting actual games in. Minnesota-Duluth has played two games since and is ranked ninth with an 18-12 record.

Talking Points