With Dylan Sikura and Blake Hillman headed to Chicago on new pro deals, could there be more college prospects on the way?
The Blackhawks continue to bolster their roster depth with the additions of Northeastern forward Dylan Sikura and Denver defenseman Blake Hillman. Both players signed two-year entry-level contracts and will most likely see time in the final games of the Blackhawks season. We have already seen top prospect and newcomer Victor Ejdsell called up to the Blackhawks and have noticed good things so far. This theme of testing young players at the pro level is new for the Blackhawks, but needed to happen eventually.
Dennis Gilbert
Sikura and Hillman are great additions to the team, but could there be more? The answer is most likely yes. One player that comes to mind is Notre Dame’s Dennis Gilbert. Gilbert is a defensive defenseman for the Fighting Irish who has been a very durable player in his three years in South Bend. He has played between 37 and 40 games each year for the Irish and has always had a positive plus/minus.
FINAL!
2-1 Notre Dame defeats Providence and advances to the #FrozenFour !
Back-to-back appearances for the Irish #Blackhawks prospect Dennis Gilbert will also make his 2nd appearance in the National Semi-finals#NCAAHockey #CawlidgeHawkey— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) March 25, 2018
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Notre Dame is currently in the Frozen Four and depending on their success, Gilbert may or may not suit up for the Blackhawks this season. He could also return for his senior season if he feels like he could use more development. But at this point, his success and experience at the collegiate level would suggest that he is ready for the pros.
Fredrik Olofsson
It was recently reported by Scott Powers of The Athletic that Olofsson will not be turning pro and will return to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for his senior season. He would’ve been a great addition to the Blackhawks system, but his development at Omaha will also be beneficial. He recently changed over from wing to center so it’s possible he felt he could use another year to adjust.
Honorable Mentions
A couple of other names that you can throw out there are Cornell’s Beau Starrett, Minnesota’s Jack Ramsey, and even possibly Boston University’s Chad Krys. But I anticipate all these players return to their collegiate teams next season. Gilbert is the only prospect I believe is on the bubble when it comes to signing.
This upcoming draft will be very important when it comes to the prospect pool. With two picks in the first round and a shot at a top three pick, the Blackhawks could really make up some lost ground when it comes to prospects. Yes they have a couple nice pieces from last year’s draft but those guys aren’t nearly ready for the NHL. Adding a Dahlin, Svechnikov, or Tkachuk could catapult the Hawks into a faster rebuild than many anticipate. But even if they select 7th overall as they are currently projected, that player will hopefully impact the team in the near future.
Glibert didn’t impress me as much as Hillman and Mitchell but he seems like a big kid who can be a shut down guy. He got absolutely walked in the Michigan Tech game but bounced back quickly and was really aggressive after.