Blackhawks Prospects of the Week: Big Numbers in the OHL

Earlier this week, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson met the media to have a midseason discussion on the current state of the franchise. While the results at the NHL level are not good, Davidson was quick to point out how many Blackhawks prospects are doing well. When you pull back and see how many amateur players are having big seasons, you should start to feel better about the future. Brighter days are coming, and these three players might be a big part of them.

Nick Lardis – Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

When the Blackhawks drafted Nick Lardis in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, his size was the first thing that stood out. At 5-foot-11 and well under 200 points, many were worried about another undersized forward getting added to the mix. When you have a shot like Lardis has, size won’t be a factor.

Since being drafted, all Lardis has done is score. A wrist injury limited his 2023-24 season to 37 games, but he still scored 29 goals and 50 points. He currently leads the Ontario Hockey League in goals with 41. His 72 points in 44 games have him fourth in OHL scoring.

Lardis has been scorching hot of late. He is on a seven-game goal streak and an eight-game point streak. He has nine goals and 14 points in his last eight games. This past week, he scored four goals and six points in his three games. The Brantford Bulldogs are in the third place of the OHL’s East Division, just two points behind the first-place Oshawa Generals.

Jack Pridham – Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Davidson used the third of three third-round picks to select Jack Pridham at last summer’s NHL Entry Draft. Ironically, this pick originally belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 2025 third-round pick given up to get this one was returned to the Blackhawks in last week’s Taylor Hall trade.

Pridham is a north-south skater with great speed and a well-rounded 200-foot game. The 19-year-old winger has taken a strange path to the OHL. He started this season with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL, where he had five goals and 10 points in 12 games. When the Canadian Hockey League allowed college-bound prospects to play in the league, he quickly jumped to the Kitchener Rangers. The transition was smooth, as Pridham has 15 goals and 29 points in 27 games.

Pridham scored a goal in all three Rangers’ victories last week. Kitchener has the second-most points in the OHL, with 70. Unfortunately, the only team with more points is the London Knights, who are in the same division.

Dominic James – University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)

You have to go back to the late stages of Davidson’s first draft to find where Dominic James was selected. The sixth-round pick in 2022 is in his fourth year at UMD. His post-draft season was his best, with 10 goals and 28 points in 35 games for the Bulldogs. A dislocated shoulder and torn cartilage cost James all but two games last season.

James has bounced back quite well this season, with 10 goals and 21 points in 23 games. He is one goal shy of a new career high and needs just seven points for a new high mark at UMD. At 22, if the Blackhawks sign him after the season, he should make a smooth transition right into the AHL.

UMD split a weekend series with the University of Denver, with James recording an assist in both games. On Friday, he was nominated for the Hobey Backer Award, joining fellow Blackhawks prospects Sacha Boisvert, Aiden Thompson, Ryan Greene, and Sam Rinzel. You can vote for all of them by heading to the Hobey Baker site.