Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Sean Fitzgerald, Andrew Bard and Jimmy O’Malley jump on to talk Blackhawks and IceHogs:

With Jeremy Roenick now in the Hockey Hall of Fame, is Duncan Keith next?

Andreas Athanasiou on waivers

Can, when and how will Connor Bedard get going?

Too early to sell, and if not, what?

Rockford IceHogs news (matter of time for Frank Nazar?)

CHL-NCAA agreement, i.e. Jack Pridham

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 8, Episode 5 – Unwatchable Losses, Waivers and Stuck in Neutral appeared first on The Rink.

I get the utmost pleasure of bringing you coverage and updates of the Blackhawks’ prospects in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) all season long! Last year was a busy year in the CHL, as the likes of Adam Boqvist, Nicholas Beaudin, Philipp Kurashev, and Mikael Hakkarainen were all tearing up either the CHL or USHL. However, all of those players have graduated to the AHL and you can find further coverage on them with Mario. Now, the cupboard is bare in the CHL with only three current prospects across the three leagues—the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)—that make up the CHL, with a potential fourth, which we will get to.

This article is designed to give you an understanding of what to expect from each of the Blackhawks’ CHL prospects so you are prepared to follow along with our coverage all season!

Michal Teply

The Blackhawks’ first fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (105th overall) was originally drafted out of the Czech Republic back in June.

Michal Teply skates toward the net looking to make a play for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech Republic. (Photograph courtesy of Jiri Princ / Billi Tygri Liberec)

Teply is a big winger, standing 6-foot-3 inches and weighing 187 pounds, with a good shot. He has the potential to become a good scoring wing that provides excellent depth for the Blackhawks. However, he will certainly have to work on his skating. During the Blackhawks’ prospect camp scrimmage this past summer, Teply was sprung on a breakaway only to stop his feet and ultimately get caught from behind by the third overall selection in 2019, Kirby Dach. Teply was never a very strong skater, but that play seemed to reinforce that notion.

Aside from his skating, the most notable growth Teply will need is adjusting to North American ice. After being a mainstay on Czech national teams growing up, he has only ever really played on the much wider European ice. If he hopes to have a successful NHL career, the biggest adjustment in order to accomplish that goal will be transitioning successfully to the smaller, faster North American ice.

Teply was drafted twice this past summer, also being selected in the WHL Import Draft, where he was taken fourth overall by the Winnipeg Ice. Through nine games with the Ice as of Oct. 15, Teply currently leads the team in goals (four) and points (eight), while being tied for second in assists with four. The young Czech winger has, so far, lived up to the hype of his import draft slot.

Teply’s progression during this season in the WHL will be telling of his potential pro future. The WHL is known as a tough league, rarely having 100-point scorers that are not veterans of the league. I am not saying Teply will put up 100 points, but if he can average a point per game or better, that will be beneficial for his development and future outlook within the Blackhawks’ organization.

Cole Moberg

The seventh-round pick from the Prince George Cougars in the WHL could be poised to become the gem of Stan Bowman’s 2019 draft class. The defenseman has excellent size for his age (6-foot-3, 198 pounds) and possesses good skating ability along with a cannon of a shot from the point.

Cole Moberg celebrates a goal against the Vancouver Giants. (Photograph courtesy of the Vancouver Giants / Rik Fedyck Photography)

Moberg is coming off a 40-point campaign in the WHL last season, playing in 61 games. The right-handed defenseman also tallied 13 goals and had five power play points during the campaign. The Blackhawks snatched him up in the seventh round, which could make Moberg a gem in their most recent draft class.

Fellow The-Rink writer Juliana Nikac and I both really like Moberg, as heard on one of our latest episodes of The Rinkcast. I compared Moberg to Jason Garrison, before age caught up to the defenseman. He possessed an excellent shot from the point, similar to Moberg, although I believe Moberg will ultimately be a better skater than Garrison.

In only four games as of Canadian Thanksgiving, Moberg has registered one goal and one assist for the Cougars. Moberg currently sits in ninth for team scoring despite playing half as many games as his teammates. 

Keep an eye on Moberg this season in Prince George. He could really surprise a lot of people and be an excellent second or third-pairing defenseman for the Blackhawks down the road.

Alexis Gravel

Goaltender Alexis Gravel is coming off an incredible season with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. After being selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Gravel posted a 33-win season for the Mooseheads and another 14 playoff wins, leading the Mooseheads to a QMJHL championship appearance. 

Alexis Gravel skates for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. (Photograph courtesy of Shawn Davidson / QMJHL)

Gravel has impressed a lot of people given where he was drafted. After his excellent season last year and a solid showing at prospect camp, Gravel returned to Halifax looking to pick up where he left off.

However, the season did not begin as planned. After two games, Gravel gave up eight goals in just over four periods of play during the Mooseheads’ games on Sept. 20 and 21. After sitting for a few weeks, Gravel started back-to-back games during the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, picking up two wins and only yielding a total of three goals. The second game was the most impressive for Gravel, as he stopped 49 of 50 shots on goal and picked up the big win to make it five straight wins for Halifax.

Gravel is a big goalie, standing at 6-foot-3 inches and 219 pounds. The young netminder has certainly shown promise in Halifax and the potential to be a part of the Blackhawks’ future plans as one of their two goalies. On the low end, he seems like he could be an AHL regular who can spot start as needed. On the high end, conservatively, he could be a backup goalie in the NHL.

Keep an eye on Gravel this season as he looks to replicate, and possibly improve on, his impressive run last year in the QMJHL.

Kirby Dach

Kirby Dach is most certainly the wildcard of the entire group being previewed. Yes, he is technically still with the Blackhawks, as he is on a rehab stint in Rockford as of Canadian Thanksgiving. However, once Dach gets his nine-game tryout, if the Blackhawks deem he is not ready for the NHL, he would return to the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL where he would likely “bum slay” the competition. 

Kirby Dach skates with the Saskatoon Blades. (Photograph courtesy of Marissa Baecker / Getty Images)

Dach has excellent size, and if able to quickly adjust to the NHL game, could make an impact on the Blackhawks’ roster this season. However, it is likely that he will return to the Blades, at which time, there will be a nice feature on the young center and what to watch for this season.

For now, all fans will be monitoring the situation with Dach, wondering whether he will stick in the NHL all year or return to the WHL and fine tune his game to be an impact piece on the Blackhawks’ roster next season.

Follow The-Rink on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for prospect coverage all season! And, follow me everywhere, too (@rnldluce). See you out on The-Rink.

The post CHL: Get to know the Blackhawks’ CHL prospects appeared first on The Rink.

Parts of the series

Introduction

Tiers one and two

Tier three

Tier four

Tier five

Tier six

Complete tier listings with our panel’s original average tier ratings (* represents a unanimous rating from the panel)

Tier one

Adam Boqvist (1*)
Kirby Dach (1*)

Tier two

Ian Mitchell (1.833)
Nicolas Beaudin (2.333)

Tier three

Alex Vlasic (2.833)
Alex Nylander (3)
Dominik Kubalik (3.167)
Philipp Kurashev (3.167)
Chad Krys (3.333)
Jake Wise (3.5)
Alexis Gravel (4)

Tier four

Evan Barratt (3.5)
MacKenzie Entwistle (3.667)
Aleksi Saarela (3.833)
Josiah Slavin (3.833)
Dennis Gilbert (4)
Matthew Highmore (4)
Kevin Lankinen (4)
Niklas Nordgren (4)
John Quenneville (4*)
Michal Teply (4)
Lucas Carlsson (4.167)
Tim Soderlund (4.167)
Alexandre Fortin (4.333)

Tier five

Brandon Hagel (4.333)
Antti Saarela (4.333)
Dominic Basse (4.5)
Artur Kayumov (4.5)
Josh Ess (4.667)
Jakub Galvas (4.833)
Mikael Hakkarainen (4.833)
Reese Johnson (4.833)
Cole Moberg (4.833)
Andrei Altybarmakyan (5.167)
Ivan Nalimov (5.167)
Joni Tuulola (5.167)

Tier six

Mathias From (5.333)
Roope Laavainen (5.333)
Ryan Shea (5.333)
Parker Foo (5.5)
Jake Ryczek (5.5)
Nathan Noel (5.667)
Graham Knott (5.833)

Note: Our panel discovered at a later date Jack Ramsey had been omitted from the series and agreed Ramsey falls into tier six.

The post RECAP: The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers appeared first on The Rink.

Johnson missed most of the 2015-16 season and all of 2016-17 with a serious shoulder injury, but has battled back to returned to form. Last season, in 72 games, he put up 39 points (23G, 16A) and has already put up 45 points (22G, 23A) in 62 games this season. He is second in scoring on the Red Dear team behind Blackhawks prospect Brandon Hagel, who was also signed as a free agent October 30th.

Of his 22 assists this season, 18 of them are primary assists, which would suggest he has good play making ability at the pivot position.  It remains to be seen whether the Blackhawks intend on using him at center or on the right wing.

Johnson signed a 3-year entry-level contract worth $925,000 per season and will stay in Red Deer with the Rebels for the remainder of the season but, as Mario / Aaron / Ron mentioned yesterday, he could potentially find his way to Rockford once his Western Hockey League season commences.

The post Who is New Blackhawks Prospect Reese Johnson? appeared first on The Rink.

Notably, Philipp Kurashev continues to dominate the QMJHL and recently signed Brandon Hagel continues to dominate the WHL. Defenseman Adam Boqvist has hit his stride in London and fellow OHL player Mackenzie Entwistle has shown promise for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

BRANDON HAGEL – RED DEER REBELS – 3 GOALS, 4 ASSISTS

Brandon Hagel and the Red Deer Rebels played five games during this past week’s action. In each game, Hagel registered at least one point. Hagel collected one assist in losses to the WHL leading Prince Albert Raiders, the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

In Red Deer’s 6-2 victory on November 30th over the Calgary Hitmen, Hagel has his best performance of the week. He registered two goals and added an assist. Hagel was the only Rebels player to record three points in the win. He also collected his third goal of the week in a 3-2 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on December 1st. The goal helped ignite the Toque Toss in Red Deer, benefiting the Red Deer Christmas Bureau Society. 

There it is! Hagel answers back for the Rebels, and here come the toques for the Red Deer Christmas Bureau Society! #RDR pic.twitter.com/yk9fiLSNiL

— X – Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 2, 2018

Hagel has been incredibly hot of late, registering 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) in ten games in the month of November. Despite being an over-age junior player, Hagel’s performances should give Blackhawks something to look forward to in Rockford next season where he will gain extra seasoning.

Hagel and the Rebels (sounds like a great band name) will return to action on Friday, December 7th against the Regina Pats and Saturday, December 8th against the Swift Current Broncos. This weekend’s action will begin a six-game home-stand for the Rebels.

PHILIPP KURASHEV – QUÉBEC REMPARTS – 2 GOALS, 2 ASSISTS

The former 2018 fourth round draft pick continued his impressive QMJHL season adding four points in three games over the past week for Québec. He collected an assist in the first game for the Remparts, which aided in the 3-2 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres on November 28th.

Kurashev had his best game of the trip in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. The young center registered one goal and one assist, helping the Remparts to their second consecutive victory. In the Remparts’ final game of the week, Kurashev registered his second goal in the Remparts’ 5-3 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Saturday, December 1st.

After this week’s action, Kurashev remains 7th in league scoring. He is tied with Jakob Pelletier for sixth in points, but has more games played than Pelletier (30 for Kurashev vs. 28 for Pelletier). Nonetheless, Kurashev has shined for the Remparts all season. He has been solid in the faceoff dot, with a 53.8% win percentage.

Remparts coach Patrick Roy relies heavily on Kurashev, starting his top line in almost every contest. At only 19-years-old, Kurashev  has time to continue his junior development. If he continues on this path, the Chicago Blackhawks may have found a hidden mid-round gem.

After sweeping this past week’s games, the Remparts return to action on Wednesday, December 5th against the Saint John Sea Dogs in Saint John. The Remparts travel to Charlottetown to take on the Islanders on Thursday, December 6th and then to Cape Breton to face the Screaming Eagles on Saturday, December 8th. After these three road games, the Remparts will return to Québec for four straight home games.

ADAM BOQVIST – LONDON KNIGHTS – 1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST

Boqvist continued his red-hot tear over the weekend with one goal and one assist in the only game he played. He was held out of London’s 8-1 win on Saturday the 1st for what is reported to be illness. London’s 6-3 victory over the Sarnia Sting was kicked off by Boqvist’s 7th goal of the season. Like Hagel before him, Boqvist’s goal ignited the Teddy Bear Toss for the London Knights on Sunday, December 2nd.

Nothing in the #OHL quite like a @GoLondonKnights #TeddyBearToss @NHLBlackhawks prospect @BoqvistAdam makes it rain inside @BudGardens scoring his 7⃣ of the season. pic.twitter.com/myN9ST3AAY

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 2, 2018

We've run the numBEARS

The final count is… 8,763 TEDDY BEARS! pic.twitter.com/nSmioTAeSY

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) December 2, 2018

The goal was not only a great play from Boqvist, but gives the impression that the young defenseman is becoming much more comfortable on the North American ice sheet. Boqvist read the play and slid to the open space in the slot. Showing off his speed, Boqvist found the pass from his teammate and took the puck to the net, finishing the play with a nice fake-forehand, backhand combination. Fans keeping up with Adam Boqvist’s play in London this season may have seen that move once or twice before. Boqvist added his second point of the game as a secondary assist on Josh Nelson’s goal.

The London Knights return to action on Friday, December 7th against the Kingston Frontenacs in London. The Knights follow that game up on the road on Saturday, December 8th against the Owen Sound Attack. The Knights look to maintain their position atop the OHL Western Conference and second place in the league overall. Only the Ottawa 67’s have more points than the Knights to this point.

MACKENZIE ENTWISTLE – HAMILTON BULLDOGS – 2 GOALS, 1 ASSIST

Blackhawks prospect MacKenzie Entwistle continues to have a solid campaign for the Hamilton Bulldogs. This week’s action gave way to Entwistle adding two goals and an assist, bringing his point total to 24 through 26 games. His 13 goals have already matched a career high in the OHL.

After being held off the score sheet in the Bulldogs’ 5-2 win against the Mississauga Steelheads on Friday, November 30th, Entwistle rebounded quite nicely on Saturday against the Windsor Spitfires. Entwistle potted two goals in the 3-2 Bulldogs’ victory, and was also tied for the team lead in shots on goal with four for the game. As the Bulldogs looked for a sweep off their weekend action, the Niagara IceDogs ended the Bulldogs’ win-streak with a 5-1 beating. The silver lining came in form of an Entwistle assist, to bring his weekend to a point-per-game pace.

BULLDOGS GOOOOAAAAL!!!

: Mackenzie Entwistle
: Brandon Saigeon, Arthur Kaliyev

Bulldogs take a 2-1 lead over Windsor! #GoHAM pic.twitter.com/e6qrOscqbQ

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) December 1, 2018

BULLDOGS GOAAAAL!!!

: Mackenzie Entwistle
: Matt Strome, Brandon Saigeon

Captain Mack gets his 2nd of the night to put the Dogs up 3-1! #GoHAM pic.twitter.com/dPwzpUTHTg

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) December 1, 2018

Entwistle has proven to be a solid contributor for the Bulldogs so far this season. Despite not being a point-per-game player as many expect top prospects to be in junior, Entwistle brings other intangibles to the team.  He is able to play center, winning just under 50% of his draws, while still playing his natural wing position. He also has no fear of going to the net (as shown by the highlight above) giving himself opportunities to leverage his size against smaller players. Entwistle is also the Bulldogs’ captain, showing his leadership qualities that he brings on and off the ice.

The Bulldogs return to action on Thursday, December 6th against the Peterborough Petes in Peterborough. Hamilton follows that up with back-to-back home games on Saturday, December 8th and Sunday, December 9th. The Bulldogs will welcome the Flint Firebirds and the North Bay Battalion in those games, respectively.

Other:

• Mikael Hakkarainen – Muskegon Lumberjacks – 2 Assists
• Nicolas Beaudin – Drummondville Voltigeurs – 2 Assists
• Alexis Gravel – Halifax Mooseheads – 2 Wins

WORLD JUNIORS

On Monday, December 3rd, the Canadian World Juniors camp roster was announced. Blackhawks’ CHL prospects Nicolas Beaudin and MacKenzie Entwistle both made the roster with fellow Blackhawks prospect Ian Mitchell. Keep an eye on these three as they push to make Team Canada for the fast approaching World Juniors, while other prospects like Kurashev, Evan Barratt, Jake Wise, Niklas Nordgren, Adam Boqvist, and Jakub Galvas could all potentially make their country’s respective rosters.

#Blackhawks prospects Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell, and MacKenzie Entwistle all named to Team Canada #WorldJuniors Camp Roster https://t.co/lfITWhxWTO

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 3, 2018

Keep up with The-Rink for extensive CHL/USHL coverage of Chicago Blackhawks prospects.

The post Blackhawks Junior Prospect Roundup: 11/26 – 12/2 appeared first on The Rink.

Notable performances came from defensemen Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin, fellow 2018 first round draft picks, and forwards Philipp Kurashev and MacKenzie Entwistle.

ADAM BOQVIST – LONDON KNIGHTS – 4 GOALS, 1 ASSIST

After recording three points in pre-Thanksgiving action, the Sweden-native came out strong in London’s three games over the American holiday weekend. Although Boqvist was held scoreless in the third game of the weekend (a London Knights win), Boqvist recorded five points in the first two games.

On Thursday, November 22nd, Boqvist was a star for the Knights in their victory over the Mississauga Steelheads. The young defenseman scored two goals and added an assist in the 7-4 London win. The goals represented Boqvist’s third and fourth tallies of the season and the assist helped his point total climb to 17 points in 17 games.

On Friday, November 23rd, Boqvist once again had a multi-goal outing for the London Knights. Boqvist’s goal total climbed to six for the campaign, and another seven goal outing for the Knights powered them to their second win in as many days, this time a 7-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack. After being held scoreless during Sunday’s action, Boqvist now has 19 points in as many games.

Defenceman @BoqvistAdam is

Second straight 2⃣ game for the @NHLBlackhawks prospect who scores the opener and winner Friday for @GoLondonKnights who extend streak to 1⃣1⃣ pic.twitter.com/eXwgeMZm0H

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) November 24, 2018

The Knights return to action on Friday, November 30th against the Erie Otters at home for one last game in the month of November. The Knights will remain at home, and after a day off, take on the Sarnia Sting on Sunday, December 2nd.

NICOLAS BEAUDIN – DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS – 1 GOAL, 5 ASSISTS

Beaudin registered at least one point in each of the three contests for Drummondville over the holiday weekend. On Friday, November 23rd, Beaudin registered one assist in a dominant 7-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs in Saint John.

On Saturday, November 24th, Beaudin once again made his presence felt. Drummondville won 7-1 over the Moncton Wildcats, in Moncton, and Beaudin registered one goal and two assists. To continue his torrid pace, Beaudin also registered two assists in Drummondville’s Sunday win over the Halifax Mooseheads.  

Beaudin has been sensational since returning from a wrist injury early in the season. In 16 games, Beaudin has 3 goals and 15 assists, giving him a better than point-per-game pace. Since returning from injury, the Blackhawks’ first round pick has registered 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in seven games.

The Voltigeurs return to action on Friday, November 30th against Gatineau at home. The Voltigeurs will have a day off in Drummondville before taking on the Charlottetown Islanders, also at home, on Sunday, December 2nd.

PHILIPP KURASHEV – QUÉBEC REMPARTS – 4 GOALS, 1 ASSIST

Kurashev continued his marvelous campaign for the Remparts over the last week. Québec began their playing week on the 20th against the Moncton Wildcats. In the 6-3 loss for the Remparts, Kurashev registered his then 10th goal of the season.

On Friday, November 23rd against Val-d’Or, Kurashev recorded his second multi-goal game of the season for the Remparts. Despite the great individual effort, the Remparts dropped the contest to the Foreurs, 3-2 in overtime.   

After a day of rest, the Remparts returned to action on the 25th against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in Québec. Kurashev once again made his presence known, recording one goal and one assist in yet another losing effort. The Remparts lost in a shootout 4-3.

Kurashev has been spectacular for the Remparts this season. He now ranks tied for sixth in the QMJHL in scoring with 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in only 27 games. He is currently ten points off the league lead.

Kurashev and the Remparts return to action on Wednesday, November 28th against the Victoriaville Tigres. The Remparts will play one last game in November on Friday the 30th against Chicoutimi, before beginning December action on Saturday, the 1st, against Baie-Comeau.  

MACKENZIE ENTWISTLE – 3 GOALS, 1 ASSIST

Entwistle came into the weekend’s action with 17 points in 20 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Bulldogs captain had a strong weekend, posting three goals and one assist for the Bulldogs in three games over the weekend, all despite being held scoreless in Hamilton’s first game on Friday, November 23rd.

On Saturday, November 24th, Entwistle scored two goals for the Bulldogs, his fourth multi-goal game of the season. Entwistle’s two goals helped lift the Bulldogs to a 5-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs. The goals were Entwistle’s 9th and 10th for the season. One of Entwistle’s goals on Saturday was a beauty! After shaking off a defender, Entwistle skated in on a breakaway to score.

BULLDOGS GOOOOOAAAAL!!!

: Mackenzie Entwistle
: Brandon Saigeon, Kade Landry

Ewww @5twisty5 pic.twitter.com/qyXRiwa8b8

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) November 24, 2018

On Sunday, November 25th, Entwistle followed up his two goal performance with one goal and one assist in a losing effort to the Peterborough Petes. Entwistle collected his 11th goal and 10th assist giving him 21 total points, which puts him tied for fourth on the Bulldogs this season in scoring. 

The Hamilton Bulldogs return to action on Friday, November 30th, in Mississauga, to take on the Steelheads. The Bulldogs also play on Saturday, December 1st and Sunday, December 2nd. Both games are at home against the Windsor Spitfires and Niagara IceDogs, respectively.

Other:

• Mikael Hakkarainen – Muskegon Lumberjacks – 2 Assists
• Brandon Hagel – Red Deer Rebels – 1 Goal, 1 Assist
• Jake Ryczek – Halifax Mooseheads – 1 Assist
• Alexis Gravel – Halifax Mooseheads – 1 Win, 2 Losses

Check out this pass over the weekend from Mikael Hakkarainen. Although not talked about above, certainly worth sharing!

What was better… that pass from Mikael Hakkarainen or that finish from Alex Gaffney??? Asking for a friend. @MuskegonJacks lead big #WhosNext pic.twitter.com/g4m4Sv6GaC

— USHL (@USHL) November 24, 2018

Keep up with The-Rink for extensive CHL/USHL coverage of Chicago Blackhawks prospects.

The post Blackhawks Junior Prospect Roundup: 11/19 – 11/25 appeared first on The Rink.