The Chicago Blackhawks are still getting plenty of love in the prospect game, and the latest wave of recognition only reinforces how deep that pipeline has become.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff recently put Chicago at No. 1 in his ranking of NHL prospect pools, and he did it in separate columns that gave the Blackhawks a strong stamp of approval. Even with several players no longer fitting the prospect label, Ellis still had the depth in GM Kyle Davidson’s system sitting above the rest of the league. Five recent draft picks were also singled out in a top-75 ranking, which adds even more fuel to the buzz around the organization’s future.
That Blackhawks pipeline praise comes at the same time two rookie forwards are drawing attention in another major preseason conversation. Both players were included in a top-20 Calder Trophy candidates ranking for the 2026-27 season, and they’re also showing up near the top of the oddsboard. That gives both forwards a real path toward NHL Rookie of the Year consideration.
Connor Bedard continues to land on national lists as well. The NHL Network placed him at No. 44 in its Top 50 Players Right Now, with Nos. 41-50 recently revealed. Bedard’s 2025-26 season was almost a tale of two halves, so the ranking lands as a fair snapshot for now.
He also checked in at No. 29 on Paul Pidutti’s Daily Faceoff ranking of the NHL’s top 50 forwards. Bedard landed just behind Mitch Marner at 26, Matt Boldy at 27, and Aleksander Barkov at 28. That’s strong company for the 21-year-old heading into his fourth NHL season.
Around the league, the St. Louis Blues made a notable leadership call on Wednesday by naming Robert Thomas their new captain. Thomas, 27, takes over for Brayden Schenn, who was dealt to the New York Islanders in March after being in trade rumors leading up to the 2026 deadline.
There was also discouraging news out of Calgary, where Flames GM Craig Conroy said Jonathan Huberdeau suffered a minor setback in his recovery from surgery and might not be ready for the start of the season.
In New Jersey, James Nichols broke down why the Devils should move quickly to extend Luke Evangelista after acquiring him from the Nashville Predators earlier this week.
And in San Jose, a podcast appearance by former Sharks defenseman Curtis Gabriel sparked a messy public back-and-forth after he tore into former teammate Evander Kane. Since then, Gabriel and Kane have traded shots on social media, and Patrick Marleau’s wife also weighed in.
The most troubling story, though, comes from Arizona State University’s hockey program. St.
Louis Blues prospect and Sun Devils incoming transfer Matthew Mayich remains in a coma after an outdoor workout, and police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his collapse. Details have emerged that the workout was run by a former green beret in the Arizona heat.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Rebuild Suddenly Has A Real Breakthrough Path
The Blackhawks rebuild suddenly looks a little less theoretical because the pieces around Connor Bedard are starting to give the front office something more than hope. Patrick Kane is back in the mix, young forwards Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov are part of the longer-term picture, and the defense group has its own reasons to push after years of growing pains. Add in the possibility that Spencer Knight can stabilize the crease, and Chicago can at least sketch a path toward a season that feels more purposeful than the ones that came before it.
Bedard remains the obvious hinge, though, and his timeline still shapes everything about how quickly this can turn. The broader question is whether the Blackhawks can survive the opening stretch well enough to keep the season alive until their top talent is available, because the difference between another development year and a real breakthrough may come down to how much help they get from the rest of the roster before the face of the franchise is back on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Just Put More Pressure On Connor Bedard Than Ever
Connor Bedard is heading into his fourth NHL season in Chicago still waiting for his first playoff berth, and the pressure around him has only grown as the organization keeps trying to raise the team around its young centerpiece. The Blackhawks have already made notable moves this summer, including adding defense help and bringing Patrick Kane back into the mix, as Kyle Davidson continues to reshape a roster that has struggled to find any real balance.
The latest reminder of how much is being asked of Bedard came from The Athletics recent player tier rankings, which put him in the third tier and pointed to concerns about his defensive game on a team that has had trouble in its own end. For a player who is supposed to drive Chicagos next era, the message is clear: the Blackhawks are building with urgency, and they need Bedard to look like much more than just a star scorer if this push is going to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Two Blackhawks Rookies Are Suddenly At The Center Of Calder Buzz
A little more than a year out from the 2026-27 NHL season, the Blackhawks already have two rookies drawing serious attention in Calder Trophy conversation. The Athletics Harman Dayal, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman put forwards Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell among the top candidates, a sign of how much belief there is in both players as possible top-line and power-play contributors for Chicago.
For a rebuild still looking to turn promise into results, that kind of early buzz matters because it reflects both ceiling and opportunity. FanDuel Sportsbook has Frondell and Kantserov among the favorites as well, which only adds to the intrigue around how quickly they can translate prospect hype into NHL impact once the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]