Labor Day weekend is upon us and hockey is not quite ready to emerge from its summer slumber. So there is only one thing left to do as we enter the home stretch of the offseason:
It's time for the top 25 under 25.
Yes, our critically acclaimed series returns for another round, following the same methodology as always: Individual ballots from SCH staff are compiled into a top 25 list, and honorable mentions land at the bottom. Before we begin this year's endeavor, a reminder of what the 2023 version of the top 25 under 25 list looked like:
- Connor Bedard (of course)
- Kevin Korchinski
- Lukas Reichel
- Frank Nazar
- Oliver Moore
- Wyatt Kaiser
- Arvid Söderblom
- Philipp Kurashev
- Drew Commesso
- Isaac Phillips
- Alex Vlasic
- Ethan Del Mastro
- Sam Rinzel
- Nolan Allen
- Ryan Green
- Cole Gutman
- Roman Kantserov
- Gavin Hayes
- Colton Roof
- Paul Ludwinski
- Ilya Safonov
- Jalen Luypen
- Nick Lardis
- Samuel Savoy
- Adam Gajan
The honorable mentions were in alphabetical order: Martin Misiak, Filip Roos, Jaxon Stauber and Aidan Thompson
The two graduates from the 2023 list were Soderblom at No. 7 (turned 25 on August 19) and Guttman at No. 16 (turned 25 on April 6). Everyone else on that list was still eligible for this year's rankings, although Kurashev joined shortly after the October 1 deadline with his impending 25th birthday on October 12.
We'll present the rankings in the same format as last year: a top 10 as usual, with the remaining 15 candidates divided into groups of three: 11-15, 16-20, and 21-25. A handful of honorable mentions will kick things off on Friday.
Before we reveal this year's rankings, it's worth taking a quick trip back in time to see how drastically things have changed in the Blackhawks' talent pipeline. Kyle Davidson was named the team's interim general manager in October 2021 and was relieved of that position on March 1, 2022. As a reminder of what Davidson inherited when he took over, here are our T25U25 rankings from the summer of 2021:
- Alex DeBrincat
- Kirby Roof
- Dylan Strome
- Philipp Kurashev
- Lukas Reichel
- Brandon Hail
- Michael B.
- Wyatt Kalynuk
- Nicolas Beaudin
- Drew Commesso
- Henrik Borgstrom
- Riley Stillman
- Alex Vlasic
- Alex Nylander
- Arvid Söderblom
- MacKenzie Entwistle
- Wyatt Kaiser
- Alec Regula
- Evan Barratt
- Landon Slaggert
- Isaac Phillips
- Nolan Allen
- Artur Kayumov
- Adam Gaudette
- Michael Hardman
Honorable Mentions: Caleb Jones, Michal Teply
Quite a difference in three years, isn't it? The top six are expected to be NHL players next season, but spots seven through 12 include one player still in Chicago's system, three heading to Europe and two set for the AHL. And the Blackhawks' current system has the most players, according to Corey Pronman's annual rankings of The athlete.
At this point, however, the Blackhawks were should have one of the best farm systems in the NHL. In the last three drafts, Chicago has had three top-10 picks, five more first-round picks, five second-round picks and eight third-round picks. Davidson has to be given credit for increasing the number of picks by selling the assets Chicago had, but the future success of this entire process will depend on the Quality of these draft picks. This is how we will judge Davidson's work in the future, and that is still completely uncertain at this point, since the Stanley Cup is not awarded to the NHL team with the best prospects.
There is a lot to like here, but it is far from perfect as other sources suggest. More candidates are on the way in future drafts. Free agency is another avenue to be explored to add to that initial group of players. Trades are perhaps the hardest path of all, and figuring out which candidates won't be around for the long haul and combining those with future draft picks should give Davidson enough bargaining chips for the smart hockey trades that will turn a good roster into a Cup contender. Here comes the real challenge is.
But for now? We're going through this Top 25 Under 25 series and eyeing Chicago, which sits atop the young player rankings for now, with the hope that the Blackhawks' next step up is a trip to the NHL standings.
Editor's Note: The Top 25 Under 25 rankings are available exclusively to Second City Hockey subscribers, so now is a great time to show your support for SCH. with a monthly subscription!
