The Blackhawks have a competitive force in 1st-round pick Vaclav Nestrasil

The Chicago Blackhawks may have reached when they selected Vaclav Nestrasil with the 25th pick in the first round of this year's draft. Then again, the Blackhawks could take a risk since the 25th pick was not originally theirs to begin with.

That draft pick belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs but was owed to Chicago to complete a prior trade made in 2023.

General manager Kyle Davidson wanted to add some size to his prospect pool and Nestrasil provides that with his 6-foot-6 frame. He also has skill to go along with his massive frame. He posted decent production for the Muskegon Lumberjacks last year in the USHL, with 19 goals and 23 assists.

His most desirable trait might be his competitiveness.

Nestrasil recent spoke with Locked On NHL Prospects. He said he kept a list of the 60 players who made the Czech Under-15 team and crossed the names off as he felt his game surpassed them on the ice.

He prefers to ruin power plays rather than rack up power-play goals. He enjoys making opponents miserable on the ice.

You just do not hear many young prospects talk like he does. Keeping a list of names and working to be better than them is a trait only the truly competitive have.

Most players come to embrace skating on the penalty kill only after it becomes clear that it is one of the few paths to the pros (or staying in). Nestrasil had the offensive pedigree to still be given an NHL shot. It is not like he has to play on the penalty kill to make a name for himself, so having this competitive intangible only makes him more of an exciting prospect.

Although it will be a few years before he joins the Blackhawks. He is headed to UMass this year to play college hockey as he continues on his development path.

The only downside to Nestrasil going to UMass this year is he missed out a chance to be tutored by former Blackhawks veteran Pat Maroon in Muskegon.

Maroon recently agreed to be an assistant coach for the Lumberjacks after retiring at the end of the 2024-25 season. He would have been the perfect mentor for Nestrasil given both are around the same size.

The timing just did not much.

Nestrasil will still get to play against some better competition in the Hockey East. He will get to face off against national powerhouses like Boston College and Boston University.

Hopefully, he makes a list of the players in that conference and crosses off their name as his game surpasses theirs.