Yesterday we looked at the five Blackhawks prospects who made Scott Wheeler’s top 50 rankings for skaters at The Athletic. Chicago was among the better represented teams on that list, which is encouraging for the rebuild. Of course adding Connor Bedard certainly helps.
But what about the Blackhawks’ goaltending depth as an organization?
On Wednesday morning, Wheeler dropped his top ten drafted goaltenders. And the Blackhawks were once again well represented.
My annual top 10 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking is out at @TheAthletic!
Featuring full scouting reports, 25 honourable mentions, tiers and more.
The full list: https://t.co/IcZPqoTM0y— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 19, 2023
Blackhawks prospect Drew Commesso took the final spot in Wheeler’s top ten. The 21-year-old will make the jump to the professional ranks this coming season after three solid seasons at Boston University. Here’s some of what Wheeler had to say about Commesso:
I see a mature makeup as a kid and goalie. At 6-foot-2, he’s not big by today’s standards for a goalie, but he blends a studious approach to the position with sharp angles, sound technique, and a calming, poised demeanour to keep shots in his chest, control rebounds, settle down plays and hold firm to his edges. And while he’s not a dynamic athlete, he can fall back on his athleticism when the play does break down, he’s efficient in his movements, he’s quick on his feet and he doesn’t put himself into many scrambles because of the way he reads the play.
Arvid Söderblom, who is presumed to be on the NHL roster this coming season, and 2023 second-round pick Adam Gajan were listed among Wheeler’s 25 honorable mentions as well. By my math, that indicates the Blackhawks have three of Wheeler’s top 35 goaltending prospects in the NHL in the organization. Which is solid.
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