Tom Kurvers Showcase Notebook: All eyes on Frank Nazar

The Chicago Blackhawks are finally back on the ice after another long offseason. Well, technically they are Blackhawks prospects, but part of the organization nonetheless. For a handful of players participating in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase this week, the opportunity to become a member of the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL roster and not just one of the prospects in the system started on Wednesday.

Unfortunately for Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 draft pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by Chicago, that opportunity was hindered by a right foot injury that will see him miss all of the Tom Kurvers Showcase festivities and could impact his timeline for Blackhawks training camp. Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen, who will lead the prospects this week, didn’t disclose a timeline for Levshunov’s recovery, but did make it seem like there was not much cause for concern for the 18-year-old defenseman.

Here are a few takeaways from the first of two pre-tournament practices in Chicago for the Blackhawks prospects.

Expectations High for Frank Nazar

Without Levshunov, the majority of the attention from Blackhawks fans likely shifts to what 2022 No. 13 overall draft pick Frank Nazar does in his first showing of the 2024-25 season. After ending his 2023-24 hockey season with a three-game stint with the Blackhawks, which saw him score his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot, Nazar comes into his first Blackhawks training camp with high expectations.

There is a better-than-not chance that Nazar could make the NHL roster as a rookie if he shows growth and performs well in the preseason. Behind Connor Bedard, the depth down the middle of the Blackhawks’ NHL roster seems to have a spot open that Nazar could fill, but he’s not focused on that right now.

“I don’t have any comment on that,” Nazar said after the first practice on Wednesday. “We’re here to achieve one big goal as a team…if I’m going to be a part of that group, I have to work and I have to earn that spot anyways. I think I did well and I don’t think I just ‘held my own’ when I Played in those three games, so I have something to work for.”

After a highly productive sophomore season at Michigan, putting up 17 goals and 41 points in 41 NCAA games, and contributing eight assists for Team USA on the way to a World Junior Championships Gold Medal, and scoring in his NHL debut, Nazar set the bar high for him as he steps into his first full season of professional hockey. The biggest difference for him heading into the year won’t necessarily be skill-based, but rather how he will be prepared for a potential 82-game NHL season.

“Going from the USHL and college, playing 82 games a year is not something that U.S. guys are used to. So that is something I’ve worked on a lot, being able to get used to that, doing it day-in and day-out and be at my best every day.” Nazar said of his conditioning work this offseason. “A lot of the bike. The bike sucks.” he added with a smile.

Whether or not Nazar looks like an NHL talent in these next two games will be something to keep an eye on as the Blackhawks play against the Blues prospects and the Wild prospects this weekend. If he can be the best player on the ice for Chicago, it gives him a step in the right direction heading into his first training camp and preseason as a Blackhawk.

Paul Ludwinski Adding Weight

The Blackhawks have built their prospects system under GM Kyle Davidson in the past three drafts with speed on the mind. Being one of the fastest teams in the NHL can lead to success as the league continues to pick up the pace and be more of a younger man’s game. Chicago might lay claim to having the fastest prospect system in the NHL and one player at the front of the group in terms of speed and pace of play is 2022 second-round pick Paul Ludwinski.

After three OHL seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs, where he served as Captain in 2023-24 with 23 goals and 69 points in 60 games, Ludwinski will very likely be playing his first full professional season in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs this year. He finished his 2023-24 hockey year with five games in Rockford following the end of his OHL season.

Measuring just under six-feet tall and being listed as 172-pounds on the Blackhawks roster (187-pounds on Elite Prospects), Ludwinski is part of a group of upper-tier forwards in the system for Chicago that trend on the smaller side. But coming into this week, Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen said that Ludwinski had been putting the work in the offseason in the weight room.

“He’s filled out. He’s stronger. I think he added ten or eleven pounds,” Sorensen said on Wednesday. “I had to ask him if the weight was in the right areas, not like mine, and he said they were.”

For Ludwinski, his speed and his effort level are what will make him stand out from the group of forwards in the Blackhawks’ system that aren’t guys like Bedard and Nazar and Oliver Moore, where their playmaking and scoring abilities are at a high level. Ludwinski being able to his frame in a productive way makes him a stronger player in all facets of the game. His shot looked to have another level of snap to it during Wednesday’s practice and being more filled-out should make him more competitive in board battles and around the net, allowing him to keep playing a hard-nosed game at the professional level and to eventually compete for NHL ice-time in the not-so-distant future.

“He’s a very focused gentleman,” Sorensen added. “He came up to me and asked what he needs to do to make the opening night roster…He’s an energy player. He plays with pace. I really like his attributes as a player with his competitiveness and playing inside of the other team, inside the dots. Those habits are really encouraging to see.”

Ethan Del Mastro: “Veteran” Defenseman

This will be the third go-around in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase for 2021 fourth-round pick Ethan Del Mastro. After making his professional debut last season with the Rockford IceHogs and becoming an AHL All-Star as a rookie, Del Mastro got the opportunity to make his NHL debut late last year with the Blackhawks in a quick two-game stint. After playing his first full professional season and having donned the NHL sweater, Del Mastro is feeling like a veteran amongst the young group of players.

“It’s crazy how it changes. You feel like you just came in and you were kind of nervous, didn’t really know what to expect and now I’ve been through a lot of it and feel comfortable. It’s nice feeling comfortable and knowing where things are and what to expect.”

Although he’s more comfortable in the prospect setting and may be one of the “veterans” at the Tom Kurvers Showcase, Del Mastro is still very much in the learning process as a professional. In his first full pro season, Del Mastro anchored the blue-line for the Rockford IceHogs last season and posted seven goals and 37 points in 69 AHL games. He comes into this Tom Kurvers Showcase period and training camp with a shot at making the NHL roster with a more crowded and actually veteran-filled Blackhawks defensive group.

“Your mindset is still the same,” Del Mastro said on Wednesday. “You want to try to make an impact and set a good foundation and make sure the team notices you…Management has made it clear that they want us to earn everything. There’s some great veterans coming in, there’s a lot to learn from them and soak in.”

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