Blackhawks Draft Profiles: Malcom Spence

We started our series of Blackhawks Draft Profiles by looking at six options for the third overall pick in this month’s NHL Entry Draft. The Blackhawks also have the 25th overall pick, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 trade for Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty. General manager Kyle Davidson has been aggressive on draft night before, so there is no guarantee that this pick will be made. Malcom Spence should be a target at this spot, but the Blackhawks might have to trade up to nab him.   

Tale of the Tape

Date of Birth: Sept. 22, 2006
Place of Birth: Mississauga, ON
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 201 pounds
2024-25 Team: Erie Otters (Ontario Hockey League)

Player Profile

Spence first stood out when I was watching video on Blackhawks 2023 second-round draft pick Martin Misiak. I’m sure he also turned the heads of Chicago scouts checking in on Misiak. Spence had 16 goals and 56 points in 2022-23 as a rookie. He showed why he was the second overall pick of the 2022 OHL Draft with 32 goals and 73 points in his draft year.

The 6-foot-2 winger has the size the Blackhawks need and the speed they crave. He uses both to disrupt the game, throwing his body around at every chance. He uses his defensive awareness and speed to create offense. Whether on the penalty kill or at 5v5, he quickly breaks up a play and instantly gets the puck up the ice.

Spence brings intensity and leadership to the ice. He spent the last two seasons as an alternate captain for the Otters. He is relentless on the forecheck, wins one-on-one battles, and has a relentless motor. His energy and drive never take a shift off. He still has a lot of work to do with his consistency, both in his physicality and playmaking. His raw talent makes him a first-round pick, but it will be up to him to become a force in the NHL. He will attend the University of Michigan next season, where his development can take major strides.

What Experts are Saying

“When Spence is at his best with his motor at full throttle, he can take over games, connecting with teammates in the offensive zone, roaming the high slot, getting open at the right moment to unleash his one-timer, and relaying his passes to the slot after eluding defenders on the wall.” –EliteProspects  

“Spence is the type of player you can put out there with anyone and get solid results. The Mississauga, Ontario native isn’t flashy, but he’s a hard worker who loves hitting everyone he can and getting anyone off their game. He’s also on pace for around 90 points, so he’s no scrub in the offensive department. Spence isn’t a high-end producer in the OHL, but he has been a point-per-gamer for most of the past two seasons. He’s very versatile, although not necessarily a top-six play-driver. I think he will be one heck of a middle-six player, at the very least.” –Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“Spence is a pro-style winger with the puck skills, physicality, and two-way awareness to project as a full-time NHL player. His skating and hard shot suggest top-six potential, though his inconsistent decision-making and vision with the puck need refinement to reach that ceiling.” – Joseph Aleong, FC Hockey 

Blackhawks Fit

Do you like what you see from Sam Bennett in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? That’s what Spence’s ceiling could be. If he maxes out, he could be the physical forward on a line with Connor Bedard or Frank Nazar, who comes up big during the most important games of the year. He has a long way to get there, but the potential might be too good to pass up.

Video Room

Additional Draft Profiles

James Hagens
Porter Martone
Anton Frondell
Caleb Desnoyers
Jack Nesbitt
Cullen Potter
Daniil Prokhorov