Welcome to the latest installment of the “Future Hawks” prospect series. In this column, we take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks prospects who are standing out and enjoying success, whether they’re playing in Canadian juniors, the American Hockey League (AHL), Europe, Russia, or anywhere around the world.
In this issue, we will look at four Blackhawks prospects who were nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the player considered to be the most outstanding college hockey player for that season. Also, the Blackhawks recently signed one of their top draft picks and called up a top defensive prospect when a forward was placed on injured reserve.
Recently, THW’s Logan Horn ranked the Blackhawks as having the best prospect pool in the NHL. Horn stated that the development of their prospect group and a general lowering of the talent pool after a number of the league’s top prospects entered the NHL has brought them back into the top spot on his ranking. Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar look like potential top-six pieces, while second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov looks like a potential top-pairing defender.
Let’s look at some of the prospects and what they have been doing recently.
Hobey Baker Award Nominees
Recently, the nominees for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award were announced. Sacha Boisvert of North Dakota, Aidan Thompson of Denver, Sam Rinzel of Minnesota, and Ryan Greene of Boston University are the Blackhawks draft picks nominated for the Hobey Baker Award this year.
Rinzel was a first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. As a defenseman, he is close to operating at a point-per-game pace at the University of Minnesota, which could also be a team that has a very good shot of winning the NCAA title. If they make a deep run, Rinzel will play a major role for the Golden Gophers in all three zones.
Greene is the captain of the eighth-ranked Boston University team and could also contend for a national title. Greene has more points than games played, and BU hopes to keep it that way down the stretch. His two-way game is terrific, and he projects as a solid and reliable NHL forward.
Thompson was a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has been outstanding at Denver, including a National Championship in 2024. This year, he has taken his game to another level with a point-per-game campaign. Denver is currently ranked fifth in the most recent NCAA poll and has a very good chance of winning back-to-back titles.
Boisvert was one of Chicago’s first-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft. His freshman year is going about as well as you can expect from a first-year player. He started the season a little slow but has recently been lighting it up offensively. Boisvert currently leads North Dakota with nine goals and 18 points this season.
Blackhawks Call Up Ethan Del Mastro
The Hawks recently announced that Del Mastro has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The team has also placed forward Craig Smith (back) on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 8. Del Mastro logged just under 16 minutes of ice time in Friday’s (Jan. 24) 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He should get a few more opportunities with the Hawks until Smith comes off the injured reserve list.
The fourth-round selection of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has posted eight assists in 38 games with the IceHogs this season. His eight assists and eight points each rank third among all team blueliners. Del Mastro appeared in two games with the Blackhawks during the 2023-24 campaign, making his NHL debut on April 12, 2024, vs. the Nashville Predators.
Del Mastro is a big and physical shutdown defenseman who has been playing that role for the IceHogs this season and will get the chance to play that kind of role for the Hawks.
AJ Spellacy Signs
On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Blackhawks announced that AJ Spellacy was signed to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old was drafted 72nd overall in the 2024 NHL Draft last June.
The 6-foot-3 center has 11 goals and 25 points in 40 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires this season. He set a career-high 21 goals and 38 points in 67 games last season with the Spitfires.
WHAT A SHOT TO TIE THE GAME 🚨😱@NHLBlackhawks prospect AJ Spellacy launches an absolute laser beam over the shoulder of Medvedev for his 11th goal of the season and tying the game at 2-2 for the @SpitsHockey!#OHL | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/kvYBm4inmL
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 15, 2024
Part of the reason for the signing at this time is that this keeps Spellacy from playing college hockey in 2025-26 under the new rule that junior players can go to college. Per the AHL’s age rules, however, he won’t be able to play for the IceHogs next season. It will either be with the Blackhawks or Spitfires.
Related: Blackhawks’ Louis Crevier Beating Odds & Making Most of Opportunity
Despite the loss to the Lightning, it was good to see that the Blackhawks’ goals were scored by Frank Nazar, Louis Crevier, and Colton Dach, all promising prospects in the organization. With the Taylor Hall trade, they have acquired many draft picks, which continues to help their prospect group become one of the highest-ranked and deepest in the NHL. Check back to see how these young players develop and hopefully don a Blackhawks sweater in the future.
