Chicago Blackhawks Prospects: Projecting 2017 Defensemen

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The Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Camp is now underway, and there are a decent amount of good defensive prospects to be excited about

With the possibility of a opening on the blue line for the Chicago Blackhawks, there’s an opportunity for a prospect to fill that spot. For the defensemen who are at the organization’s prospect camp, it’s an even better opportunity to show the Blackhawks what they’ve got.

These guys have to impress if they want any chance to make the Blackhawks’ roster for Opening Night. Let’s take a look at some of the best defensive prospects attending camp, who has the highest ceiling, and who can most likely make the team.

Ian Mitchell

Compared to other years, there were way more Canadian junior A players taken in this year’s draft. Ian Mitchell, who played for the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL, was one of the better available prospects. Drafted 57th overall, Mitchell is a strong skater and great distributor of the puck. He created lots of offensive opportunities for the Saints this past season, collecting 37 points. That’s good for 3rd on his team in scoring. The St. Albert, Alberta native is also extremely mobile. Standing at 5’10”, this allows him to always find the right path to the net. He can also to race back into his position when he gets caught down low in the offensive zone. He’s a right-handed shot, which is always a plus.

If there’s any downside to Mitchell, it’s his size. He’s a shorter defenseman and only weighed in at 165 pounds at the combine. Because of his size, he tends to shy away from physical encounters when he’s defending. However, he’s also only 18 years old. Mitchell committed to the University of Denver, where he will play this upcoming season. Playing in the NCAA will allow him to develop his raw skill set into more solid tools. It might take him a while to develop, but the Blackhawks are patient with their prospects. Ian Mitchell can be a solid defenseman for the team in the long run, and maybe even in the near future.

Lucas Carlsson

After being passed over in 2015, the Blackhawks selected Lucas Carlsson in the 4th round (110th overall) of the 2016 draft. Lots of teams overlooked him due to his lack of size and scoring in the Swedish Hockey League. Still, Carlsson can be a highlight-reel machine at times. He’s a 200-foot defenseman, calm and composed in his own zone. While it may seem like 11 points in 41 games isn’t good enough, the SHL is notorious for being one of the more difficult leagues to score in. Carlsson was also only playing an average time-on-ice of 15:54 per game, which typically equals that of a third-pairing defenseman.

Part of Carlsson’s troubles have been due to his size. He has a frame that can fill out, but still has to build up some muscle. Because of this, he tends to lose a lot of one-on-one puck battles along the boards in the offensive zone. Also, Carlsson also isn’t a big puck-mover, but can make significant plays at the right time. He has some offensive upside, but not a ton of it.He hasn’t been exposed to a lot of special teams, either, which makes it a little more difficult to analyze his offensive ability. The 20-year-old can make good defensive plays when necessary, as well. It’s hard to predict what Lucas Carlsson’s ceiling is, but he’s most definitely a solid player in the system for the Blackhawks.

Darren Raddysh

This signing was a bit of a surprise, considering there were multiple other teams that reportedly wanted to sign Darren Raddysh to an entry-level contract. In the end, he signed an AHL deal with Rockford after putting up a career-high 81 points with the Erie Otters. He also was a point per game in the OHL playoffs. Raddysh was named OHL Defenseman of the Year for the 2016-2017 season. He also had the most points for an OHL defenseman, as well. He was overlooked early on in his career due to playing with guys like Sam Bennett, Connor McDavid, and Dylan Strome. But Raddysh is a right-handed defenseman with a ton of offensive upside. This made him very attractive to lots of teams, including the Blackhawks. He’s an exceptional puck mover at an affordable price.

The one issue with Raddysh is what he’s supposed to do: defend. He’s got some work to do when he’s fighting for the puck along the boards while defending. Creating a strong sense of where to be when battling one-on-one is a weakness of many prospective defensemen, though. It’s common, but definitely something Raddysh has to work on if he wants a shot at making the NHL. Out of all defensive prospects, I think he has the best chance of getting a spot on the blue line sooner rather than later. If he performs well during prospect camp, he could be signed to an ELC rather than just an AHL deal.

Luc Snuggerud

At a time when the Blackhawks’ prospect pool was a little more full, the Luc Snuggerud pick went under the radar. Since he was drafted, he’s emerged as one of the best defensive prospects in the system. Snuggerud played at Eden Prairie High School for most of high school before he was drafted, the same team former Blackhawk Nick Leddy played for. He had 139 points in 134 career games in the USHS before transitioning to the USHL for 7 games. From there, Snuggerud played for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He developed into a stud defenseman in the NCAA, tallying 65 points in 113 career games. Snuggerud also impressed in the 13 games he played for Rockford after he signed an ELC with the Blackhawks in May.

Snuggerud has lots of potential, and still has time to produce into a solid second or third pairing defenseman. He’s an offensive-minded player who distributes the puck exceptionally, especially on the rush. His best skill is joining in on the attack and being the quarterback of the power play. Like the others that have been mentioned, he has to strengthen his defense a little more. In an interview with The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Snuggerud even admitted to having improve in some areas of his game. Adding a little more size can also help him a bit, as well. Overall, this is another guy the Blackhawks have that can emerge with the team in the near future. Luc Snuggerud has a great chance at making the Opening Night roster in September.

Henri Jokiharju

This was one of the big steals on the 2017 NHL Draft, in my opinion, even though he was projected to be drafted around where the Blackhawks picked him (29th overall). Henri Jokiharju was a dominant player at the beginning of his career in Finland while playing for Jr. A and Jr. B teams. Two years ago, he scored 30 points in 37 games with Jokerit U18, as well as 6 points in 10 playoff games. With Tappara U20, Jokiharju tallied 29 points in 47 games, which is mighty impressive. He really came into his own when he joined the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, proving the ability he has. He had 48 points in 71 games, good for second in scoring by defenseman on Portland behind Oilers prospect Caleb Jones.

Jokiharju’s biggest asset is his skating. His solid speed puts him at a great advantage over others. He also transitions smoothly from forwards to backwards when defending. His mobility helps him power past others and carry the puck into the offensive zone, showcasing his offensive instincts and excellent passing skills. Defensively, Jokiharju is more developed than others his age. He’s not very physical, and much like Duncan Keith, gets his stick in shooting and passing lanes. Despite not being the biggest defenseman on the ice (6’1”, 187 lbs), he’s not easily intimidated by opposing players. Henri Jokiharju easily has the highest ceiling out of all of the defensive prospects the Blackhawks have. While he most likely won’t make the transition to The Show this season, he has a very good chance to do so next season.

Next: Chicago Blackhawks: Notes from Day Two of Prospect Camp

We want to hear from you guys! What do you think of the Chicago Blackhawks prospect camp so far? Who has the best chance of making the roster for Opening Night?

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