The Chicago Blackhawks are going to participate in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase alongside the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. It is an opportunity for some of their best young players to play high-level matches against other good prospects of a similar skill set.
Earlier in the week, the Blackhawks announced their roster for this showcase, and it is loaded with talent. Some players will be in other developmental leagues in North America this season, others who aim to be in the NHL, and a handful who have the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL in their near future.
Every prospect is worth watching, as they are all there wearing NHL colors for a reason. However, these five stick out above the rest as “must-watch”:
Artyom Levshunov
Artyom Levshunov’s importance to the organization can’t be put into words. Chicago selected Levshunov with the 2nd overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, so they believe that he has the pedigree to be a top-flight defender.
After playing for about a third of the 2024-25 season with the Blackhawks, and looking like he belonged in the process, he has another chance at competing in this event. As one of the more experienced players on any of the three teams, Levshunov should be on everyone’s radar.
Sam Rinzel
When Sam Rinzel was selected by the Blackhawks in the latter stages of the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, it wasn’t a guarantee that he would be a possible number-one defenseman on a team. The ceiling was always there, but he had to grow into it. It appears as if he has.
With the regular season approaching, Rinzel is coming in with a chance to lead the Blackhawks in minutes, or at least be near the top. He only has 9 games played, so they must be smart about it, but he didn’t look out of place once at the end of 2024-25.
Both Rinzel and Levshunov project to be key contributors to the 2025-26 Chicago Blackhawks, so they should be major factors in an event like this.
Nick Lardis
Nick Lardis scored 71 goals with the Brantford Bulldogs in 2024-25. Add in 46 assists for a big total of 117 points in 65 games played. That’s outstanding, especially for a player picked in the 3rd round (67th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Now, Lardis is looking to turn pro. Whether he sticks with the Chicago Blackhawks or Rockford IceHogs at the beginning of the season remains to be seen. How he plays in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase will certainly impact that.
Ryan Greene
Ryan Greene played in 2 NHL games last season after a strong year as the captain of Boston University. Greene was a second-round pick (57th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he has all of the tools to make him a successful NHL role-player.
Greene didn’t collect any points in his two NHL games, but he isn’t out there to be a primary scorer. He can contribute, but it’s the little things that he does at a high level everywhere he goes that make him noticeable.
During the Prospect Showcase, watch him to see how he impacts the game, whether the puck is on his stick or not. His style of play would make for a great bottom-six forward on a good team.
Oliver Moore
Oliver Moore could be the fastest player on either of the three teams. Sometimes, he moves too quickly for his own good. However, there is no denying the talent that made him a first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft.
After a good year at Minnesota (and back-to-back Gold Medals at the World Junior Championships with Team USA), Moore came to the NHL for nine games at the end of 2024-25. He collected four assists in those nine games.
Watch him at this event to see if he brings the speed and tenacity that he’s capable of bringing. If he does, he will help the Blackhawks win games. Moore is one of those players capable of being all over the ice because of his speed, which will keep eyes on him at this event.
He’d like to be in the NHL to begin the year, which could happen if he has a good camp. A strong showing here would be a great start.
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