The Chicago Blackhawks will get their annual prospect camp underway on Monday afternoon, and some of the biggest names in the team’s prospect stable will be on the ice at Johnny’s IceHouse West.
The young Blackhawks’ prospects will be split into two groups, and they will participate in on-ice workouts and practices through the first four days of the camp. The final day on Friday will see Teams A and B compete in a scrimmage, which will get started at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning.
For fans planning on attending any of the workouts, we’ve come up with a list of five players that you should keep an eye on as camp gets underway. These players are some of the best that the team’s system has to offer, and you could see them hitting the NHL ice within the next few years if their development goes as planned.
Evan Barratt
A third round pick of the Blackhawks this year, Barratt is a player that fits the Blackhawks’ mold almost perfectly. He is a player that gets to the front of the net and makes plays happen with his physicality and with his lightning-quick hands, and if he can develop other areas of his game, his penchant for being in the right place at the right team could be a massive benefit to the team.
Alex DeBrincat
If you feel like you’ve been hearing about DeBrincat more than any other Blackhawks’ prospect, it’s because he’s one of the most exciting youngsters that the team has developed in a long time. DeBrincat was named the top player in the OHL this season, becoming the first Hawks prospect since Stan Mikita to win the prestigious Red Tilson Trophy.
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DeBrincat scored 65 goals and racked up 62 assists for the Erie Otters this season, and even though he’s small in stature, his game is eye-popping, and he could very well make the team’s opening night roster.
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Henri Jokiharju
The Blackhawks’ first round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Jokiharju will get his first chance to don the Blackhawks’ sweater on the ice this week. A solid, athletic defenseman, Jokiharju brings serious athleticism to the ice, and the Blackhawks have made a conscious effort to cultivate that throughout the offseason.
Anthony Louis
Louis, a sixth round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2013 Draft, got a look with the Rockford IceHogs last season, scoring a goal and adding an assist in 13 games. He had a strong collegiate career at Miami University, scoring 14 goals in his final season at the school, and he will be looking to make the jump into the conversation as an outside roster candidate before all is said and done.
Luc Snuggerud
The University of Nebraska-Omaha product left school a year early to join the Blackhawks’ farm system, and he made a quick impact at Rockford, scoring a goal and dishing out five assists in 13 games to wrap up the season. He would be an extreme longshot to make the roster right away this season for the Blackhawks, but a good showing at prospect camp could enable him to surprise observers and get a call-up sooner than many are anticipating.