On Tuesday, the Ontario Hockey League shared the results of their 2023-24 Coaches Poll, which asks the coaches around the league to rank players in specific areas. Two Blackhawks prospects finished in the top three in specific areas.
Nick Lardis of the Brantford Bulldogs ranked second in the Eastern Conference in the “Most Dangerous In Goal Area” category. Lardis, who the Blackhawks selected in the third round (No. 67) in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored 29 goals in 37 regular-season games.
What excites me most about this recognition is that Lardis was still mentioned this frequently considering his last regular season game was in mid-January. He came back and scored twice in his return game to open the playoffs and now has four points in three games to open the postseason for Brantford, but someone else could have passed him in the minds of the coaches with that amount of time out of the lineup.
Paul Ludwinski, captain of the Kingston Frontenacs, ranked second in the Eastern Conference in the “Best Skater” category. The Blackhawks drafted Ludwinski in the second round (No. 39) in the 2022 NHL Draft. He scored 23 goals with 46 assists for 69 points in 60 games this season.
What excites me about this recognition is Ludwinski dealt with a series of injuries last year and his overall numbers were disappointing for a post-draft season. The Blackhawks signed him to his entry-level contract, but some questioned what he could bring to the table after only looking at his offensive production. He bounced back in a huge way this season and was in a leadership role for Kingston as well. He’s one of a number of excellent skaters the Blackhawks have drafted over the past couple years.