Chicago Blackhawks 2017 Prospect Camp Recap

On the final day of prospect camp, it was clear who brought their “A-Game”

Anticipating a packed Johnny’s Ice House, my crew and I arrived promptly at 8:30am and secured a good spot at center ice.  We were crossing our fingers that Alex DeBrincat would finally show us something to write home about since we hadn’t seen much from him all week.  There were a couple of players from my previous posts that I was high on, but some guys really caught my eye during the full 5 on 5 scrimmage Friday that I had not noticed yet.

With individual drills and even 3 on 3 practices, it’s hard to judge positioning and hockey IQ when the boundaries are more open.  Thursday the ‘Hawks prospects ran 4 on 4 practices which was more interesting but nothing like today.  Today there was a little bit of hitting, some good board-play down low, and a ton of great passing.  You could really tell the difference between each defenseman’s style and how differently the forwards attacked in the offensive zone.

Although the game wasn’t overly physical, players were competitive after being buddy-buddy all week at the hotel.  There were a couple of penalties early in the game, but nothing terribly bad.  If I had to sum up the game in one word, I would probably say it was unpredictable.  I have been writing all week about the guys who are supposed to be at the top of this prospect pool under-performing and nothing changed Friday.  But first, let’s talk about the biggest surprises.  Pleasant surprises I must say.