If not for injury, who knows what Nick Lardis could have done in the OHL this season. Instead, a wrist injury shelved the dynamite winger who sat second in the league with 29 goals. He hit that feat with just 37 games played, and while Lardis called himself “super motivated” by the season he had, the kid who idolized Patrick Kane put on quite the scoring clinic himself.

Albeit an abbreviated one.

“Obviously it was pretty tough to start to kind of get a little hot streak going there with myself and the team and kind of have everything just go from a complete stop for about three months and then just have to pick it right back up again in the playoffs,” Lardis said at development camp. “But I was really motivated to make sure I was ready for the playoffs and help my team and I thought I did a good job of that.”

Lardis leads our look at the #7-10 Blackhawks prospects, a final four comprised of forwards. Both Vinnie and I ranked prospects respectively and I called upon a close friend and lifelong Blackhawks fan to play tiebreaker because there were a few close calls–as you’ll see at the top of the rankings.

Additionally, a player like Wyatt Kaiser was not included as he played 32 games with the Hawks, although he is still only 21 years old. If you’re looking for him, that’s why you won’t find him on the list.

Here’s a look at how it shapes out from #7-10.

#7: Nick Lardis

Nick Lardis was a goal scoring machine, having several multi-point games (12) before shelved by injury. In his first game back during the OHL Playoffs, he tallied a pair of goals and an assist. So the Brantford Bulldogs winger, who was a line with newly picked Marek Vanacker, picked up where he left off.

The Blackhawks inked him to an entry-level deal in April and Lardis will need to bulk up a bit. But if he goes on another scoring tear with a full season under his belt, the Hawks may have another steal on their hands.

#8: Gavin Hayes

Another big time producer in the OHL was Hayes, who nearly exceeded his 41-goal scoring season a year prior. He was just too busy winning the gold at the World Juniors with fellow Americans and Hawks prospects Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore, and Frank Nazar. Hayes has a nose for the net and now makes the jump to Rockford, a chance to really get on the Blackhawks radar. Playing 11 less games, Hayes was just four goals away from hitting his career high. His playoff had seven goals in 11 games–topping it off with 16 points.

Blackhawks Director of Development Mark Eaton was pleased with what they saw from Hayes.

“Offensively, his instincts are as good as anybody’s but coupling that with an added step, little being stronger on pucks, being able to absorb hits really helped him take his game to another level,” Eaton said.  “We’re excited to see what he can do at the pro level.”

#9: Sacha Boisvert

The Blackhawks 18th overall pick in the 2024 Draft cracked the list thanks to a higher ranking from one of our voters. But he was on all three individual lists, showing that he’s already getting some hype. Boisvert not only has the offensive side of the game, but adds the physical, something that will pay dividends down the road for a team that is sharpened with both speed and scoring skill.

How about some snarl, too? Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Doneghey pointed out a couple prominent names to compare.

“He boxes in the summer–his father owns a gym,” Doneghey said at the Draft.  “He plays on the edge, but he also had 36 goals in that league. If you look back at the Kyle Connors and the Brock Boesers and those guys, those are similar numbers to what he had. He’s got size down the middle, he can skate, he’s good on faceoffs and he’s another fantastic kid.”

#10: Paul Ludwinski

Ludwinski battled through injuries a season prior but came back stronger than ever, posting career numbers with 69 points (23-46) in 60 games to close out his junior career. He then appeared in five games with the Rockford IceHogs, a warmup for him as he’ll hit the professional ranks with a very prospect heavy Hogs squad this fall. Another of Chicago’s speed, scoring, high IQ picks, Ludwinski inked his entry-level deal in 2023.

Now he joins a talented group of forwards working to find their place in Chicago.