Blackhawks Russian prospect could next force to hit NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks have seemingly turned a corner this season. That’s no surprise. It’s hardly a shock to see Chicago’s prospects graduate to the NHL and impact the league. What has been mildly surprising is that turnaround happening this season.

The Blackhawks are on the fringes of the Western Conference playoff race and don’t look to be going away. Yes, the Hawks are on the up-and-up as prospects become bona fide NHLers. But players like Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Artyom Levshunov are just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s one Russian prospect who could be the next impact player for the Blackhawks: Roman Kantserov.

Kantserov is no stranger to Blackhawks fans. He’s been a much talked-about prospect over the last couple of seasons. But it’s his growth in the KHL this season that has the organization excited about what he could do in the NHL.

That promise has put everyone on notice. As Scott Powers wrote in The Athletic:

“Kantserov, a 2023 second-round draft pick, looked like he had a chance to be a decent prospect after the last couple of seasons in the KHL. He’s gone to a whole other level this season. Through 34 games, he leads the KHL with 22 goals and is tied for second in 39 points. Kirill Kaprizov was the last player around that age to produce similarly in the KHL. With increased production, Kantserov looks a lot more like a top-six NHL winger. His KHL contract expires after this season, and he is expected to sign and join the Blackhawks next season.”

The Kirill Kaprizov comparison is tantalizing. Blackhawks fans can only imagine a player like that hitting the ice with Connor Bedard. Two high-end forwards matching speed and skill, while bearing down on opponents. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

The best part is that Kantserov looks done in the KHL. He’s ready to head to North America. As such, he’ll get every chance to make the team next season.

As Sergey Demidov of RG Media described, Kantserov and the Blackhawks maintain close communication. Chicago is keeping tabs on how their prized asset is doing. Kantserov told Demidov the following in an exclusive interview:

“Of course I follow [Connor] Bedard. They’re a young team in a rebuild, but they’re doing quite well. As for our communication, it’s normal, professional. They know I’m in the last year of my contract, and I can feel they’re showing more interest now. We have calls roughly every 10 games, go over clips, and discuss areas to improve. Still, the systems in our leagues are very different, so we mostly talk about individual skills.” 

It seems the Bedard connection is there. So, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Kantserov and Bedard team up next season.

In the meantime, Kantserov offered this politically correct statement on his NHL future:

“I’ll make that decision next year. Right now, I’m focused on helping Metallurg. We have a great team and great opportunities here. But of course, if the chance comes, I’d really like to test myself over there.”

If Kantserov keeps things up, he’ll surely get that chance.