x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Recapping the Blackhawks’ games at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase

We have some Blackhawks hockey to discuss. Well, kind of.

Posted on by L_B_R
Source: Blackhawks.com

The Blackhawks prospects were in St. Louis this weekend for the fifth annual Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, where they faced off against both the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild prospects.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Blackhawks action:

Game 1: Blackhawks 3, Blues 2 (OT)

Goal 1: After going down 1-0 in the first period, Taige Harding got the Blackhawks on the board with just over seven minutes left in the second after receiving a slick no-look, cross-ice pass from Sam Rinzel.

Goal 2: The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead with about three minutes left in the second. Ryan Gagnier battled off the faceoff draw and worked the puck to the half wall, where Ryan Mast stepped into it and simply threw it on net, catching the goalie off-guard for a sneaky goal.

Goal 3: The Blues tied the game 2-2 in the third, so overtime was needed and led to a nifty play between Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore. Lardis kickstarted the play with a beautiful breakout pass in motion, hitting a streaking Moore in stride, who turned on the jets and blazed past defenders before slipping the puck in tight under the goalie for the overtime winner. Blackhawks won 3-2.

Game 2: Wild 3, Blackhawks 2

Goal 1: Ryan Greene opened the scoring for the game, putting the Blackhawks up 1-0 late in the second. He carried the puck through the neutral zone down the left boards, gaining the offensive zone with speed before ripping a high snipe past the goalie.

Goal 2: After the Wild evened the score midway through the second, the Blackhawks responded with a rebound goal early in the third. Lardis moved smoothly into the slot, dishing a short pass to Jack Pridham in the right circle for a shot. When the rebound kicked out, Ryan Gagnier was right there to bury it to put the Blackhawks up 2-1.

Final: The Blackhawks ended up falling 3-2 in regulation after the Wild scored two unanswered goals in the third.

Players are sorted by position and then in alphabetical order.

Forward Notes

Nathan Behm

Behm put together a strong, quietly effective showcase, consistently finding smart spots on the ice. While he didn’t always stand out with flash, he was a constant offensive presence and created quality looks, moved the puck well, and showed off some slick passing to complement his shot. His poise in transition was nice to see, making composed plays that kept things moving in the right direction. Overall, a good performance. Behm played mostly on what was considered the third-line at 5-on-5 in the first game, but he was moved up to the second with Moore sitting. He also got some time on the power play.

A few of his individual scoring chances:

And an example of a his passing, specifically a nice drop pass on the rush to Lardis:

Ryan Greene

Greene had a tougher weekend. While he did find the back of the net in Game 2, his overall performance was uneven: his first game was particularly rough, marked by shaky puck management and a lack of truly threatening scoring chances despite some looks. He was better in the second game, especially showing more comfort in the offensive zone, but struggled a bit with transitions, leading to turnovers. He took at least one bad penalty, too. Defensively, he was good, though. Overall, it was likely not the showcase he wanted but a two-game sample is too small to hold against a player, especially considering he had some nice development over the last couple of years.

Greene was the center for the second line both games and was the captain for the second game, the latter of which suggests the Blackhawks do see leadership qualities in him.

Nick Lardis

The forward who stood out the most to me was Nick Lardis, which isn’t surprising, as he’s one of the few Blackhawks prospects with top-six potential. He showcased excellent vision throughout the weekend, creating quality looks for himself and setting up teammates with sharp playmaking, highlighted by his setup on Moore’s overtime winner. He seemed to have the puck on his stick more than any other forward, consistently driving play. While the finish wasn’t quite there — thanks in part to some strong goaltending, especially from the Blues’ netminder — Lardis still made his presence felt.

Some of his chances:

Moore gave credit to Lardis for drawing up the Game 1 overtime goal:

IceHogs coach Jared Nightingale talking about Lardis chances:

Defensively, he was effective with a smart stick, breaking up plays and forcing turnovers. One area for improvement remains the physical side of the game, as he was muscled off the puck a few times in tight areas or along the boards.

Lardis spoke about how he worked on his defensive game and strength in the offseason once he finished rehab for a leg injury suffered at the end of last season:

Some time in Rockford is probably needed for Lardis, but a fast call-up could be possible if he continues his current development trajectory.

Martin Misiak

Misiak had a solid showing at both ends of the ice. While he still hasn’t shown much of a scoring touch, his playmaking has noticeably improved since his draft year and was the most noticeable element of his offensive game this weekend. He also showed off his versatility, too, by playing a responsible defensive game marked by smart positioning, physicality, and strong puck protection.

Misiak noted on Friday that he focused on improving his speed over the summer—and it showed in his games, along with added strength. He projects as a potential bottom-six power forward who can contribute defensively, bring energy, and be a reliable presence on the penalty kill.

In fact, Nightingale singled out Misiak’s penalty killing in his post-Game 2 comments, praising him as a “utility” player who can contribute in a variety of roles:

“I thought Misiak played really well both games. He ate a lot of the dirty minutes on the PK, and he filled up on the power play. He’s kind of that utility player, kind of play multiple roles, kind of get under the skin. I thought he did really well.”

Oliver Moore

I saw the word “dominate” thrown out in regards to Moore in this tournament, but I personally wouldn’t go that far — he wasn’t as good as Frank Nazar was last year, for example — even though he was objectively one of the two best forwards on the ice. Moore’s elite skating is really what made it seem like he was playing well above everyone else, but other elements of his game like finishing and timing with his passing were hit or miss. His puck management had some issues too, like on the turnover that led to the first Blues goal against, but he settled that down as the game went on.

Moore getting better as the game went on is why it would have been nice to see him in Game 2.

Still, Moore’s one game was really nice, and he showed why he’s going to be an NHL player one day: he’s a fast, dynamic skating two-way player with a high compete level who drives play with speed, forechecking pressure, and strong defensive responsibility and can contribute offensively as a playmaker and goal scorer. The only thing that will limit his ceiling in the final points on scoring, but if he can keep going to the right places at the right time –like on the overtime goal with Lardis — he’ll do pretty well.

The first clip in the video below shows another example of Moore being where Lardis wanted, just without the finish:

One situation when Moore looked undisputedly ready for professional hockey was on the penalty kill. Kid has no off-button when chasing opponents or the puck:

Jack Pridham

Pridham had some nice moments throughout both games, even if he was overshadowed by a couple of other forwards because he’s not as naturally dynamic. He showed off his speed and high motor, and kept up well with other high-pace players like Moore. His upside is seen more in playing smart, his work ethic, forechecking and neutral zone play than in being a flashy top scorer. Pridham could be a surprise player that works his way into a top-nine role in the NHL one day.

This dish to Lardis is a good example of the straightforward, effective way Pridham plays:

AJ Spellacy

It’s tough to miss Spellacy when he’s on the ice as his physicality and relentless motor demand attention. His aggressive, hard-nosed style was on full display over the weekend, where he delivered heavy hits, stirred up post-whistle scrums, and even dropped the gloves in a full-on fight. He also had some nice offensive moments when his strong skating was showcased, though he still lacks a real scoring touch.

It’s unlikely that Spellacy will ever be a highly producing offensive player, but it’s easy to see how he could carve out a role in the NHL one day. He’s most likely suited for the bottom-six in a checking line role, but he could also be a power-forward type that could theoretically play up and down the line doing the dirty work on lines. He’d need to work on his timing with higher quality linemates for such a role, but it’s possible — coaches do seem to love him.

Spellacy did miss the third period in Game 2 due to an unknown injury, but Nightingale said it was not serious.

Aidan Thompson

Thompson was fine this weekend in general. He was on the second line and did well enough in a support role on the line, using his vision and pace well. While not the biggest or flashiest player, he’s competitive and responsible defensively. He did have a few took many stick penalties, and he didn’t really stand out, but he still has the potential to be a solid bottom-six NHL forward who can contribute at both ends of the ice.

Marek Vanacker

One of the more disappointing players this week was Vanacker. He wasn’t without some positive moments — like he had that nice pass to Lardis in one of the clips above — but he was mostly quiet or ineffective. While he did not have the offensive growth last season in the OHL, he did round out his game well, using his high hockey IQ and strong checking/physical play in useful way as the season progressed. We didn’t see much of that this weekend, but I also wouldn’t hold a two-game sample against him.

Defense Notes

Ashton Cumby

Not really anything to say about Cumby — he didn’t do anything of notice. I almost left him off, but he’s one of only two of the kids drafted in 2025 who played in this tournament. No fights for him, the main thing he’s known for in the WHL.

Taige Harding

Harding will be an interesting player to watch in Rockford this next season because he’s not been particularly standout when he switched to the NCAA but he held his own playing on the top pair with Rinzel in the first game. He didn’t try to do too much, was basically where he needed to be every shift, and wasn’t prone to many mistakes. For a guy not really on the radar at the moment in the logjam of defensive prospects, that’s a pretty good showing, honestly.

Artyom Levshunov

Levshunov showed much of what we’ve come to expect — elite skating, high-end offensive instincts, and physical tools that stand out — but it was a mixed-bag showcase overall. The high-end flashes are just so mesmerizing, he looks like he can take over a game at will once he’s fully realized. But his decision-making was shaky at times: he forced plays, overcommitted offensively, and took risks in transition that led to turnovers or odd-man rushes. Some breakouts were quite wonky but then others were dynamic, showcasing how much potential he has when he’s really on. His playmaking in-zone was really nice, in my opinion, even if he didn’t have any points to show for it.

Defensively, he struggled early on in the game, like the lost positioning off the rush due to poor reads. One of those mistakes contributed to the second goal against: while Moore’s turnover started it, Levshunov overcommitted on the initial 2-on-1 and failed to recover, chasing the puck instead of sticking with his man. I don’t think Dmitry Kuzmin is a particularly good fit for Levshunov — he was not great at covering for Levshunov last year and did basically nothing of merit in this game either.

This clip kind of shows of the two sides of Levshunov. He’s obviously gifted in terms of skating, but he doesn’t do a good job of scanning the ice for possible options (like maybe to his teammate on the half wall) and ends up with a low-danger shot. Still, him going for a stoppage of play rather is better than forcing something too.

He used his skating best when being dogged, backchecking hard and forcing opponents to make errors as a result.

It’s important to note Levshunov did get better as the game went on, which is why I wish he’d played in Game 2. Levshunov delivered the flashes that make him such a top prospect, but he also displayed some of the same issues we know of him from Rockford and his stint in Chicago last year. However, I’d much rather have a prospect attempt crazy plays as they’re developing so they can figure out what works for them. The AHL seems like the best place for Levshunov to learn timing and refinement, and while the forwards may be better this year, I do worry about the defensemen: Levshunov really needs a specific type of partner who is willing and able to cover for him while he learns how to manage his aggressive style effectively. Basically, he needs to have a Brent Seabrook-type, and I’m not sure there will be one in Rockford in the upcoming season.

Sam Rinzel

Now speaking of the word dominate, I think that really only applied to Rinzel. He utlized his blend of size and mobility extremely well throughout the first game, moving the puck with confidence and showing strong offensive instincts. He really does skate exceptionally well, which allowed him to jump into transition plays and even quarterback the power play effectively. His no-look pass to Harding for the goal showcased Rinzel’s ability to draw defenders toward him, pull their focus away from teammate, and then capitalize with a perfectly executed feed. Harding had all the time in the world to pick his shot because of Rinzel.

Let’s take another look at it because it’s beautiful:

A lot of Rinzel’s game is centered around his skating, and he was quite impressive in the offensive zone in Game 1. This clip below shows how well he worked around opposing players, though he’ll need to work on timing the passes better to his teammate when there is traffic. Like with Levshunov, high-skill prospects should be trying these types of moves so they can see what works and what doesn’t — it’s up to the Blackhawks to either reel them back (more for Lev) and/or refine those skills for NHL-quality situations (in Rinzel’s case).

Defensively, Rinzel was also quite solid, though he had a few issues related to gap control and he wasn’t as physical as you’d want for someone his size. He’s never been a highly physical player before, but he also said he put on about 15 pounds in the offseason so he could definitely use that new strength and weight more effectively.

Goalie Notes

Stanislav Berezhnoy

The Blackhawks signed the 22-year-old Russian netminder Berezhnoy in July to be Drew Commesso’s backup in Rockford, and the kid looked really nice in his North American debut. He was in net for the first game against the Blues, which was pretty wide open defensively so both netminders saw a good number of shots. He used his size well, seemed to have strong positional sense, and did an admirable job challenging shooters effectively.

LOGIN SIGN UP

Talking Points