After free agent frenzy, Blackhawks walk win-now, win-later line at development camp

CHICAGO — Mark Eaton’s primary job as assistant general manager for player development for the Chicago Blackhawks is to ensure that the prospects in the pipeline make it to the NHL. Kyle Davidson’s primary job as general manager is to make the Blackhawks as competitive as possible.

This week, those two jobs seem to be in conflict.

On the same day the Blackhawks opened development camp to all those prospects, Davidson went out and signed seven veteran free agents 29 or older, leaving few spots for younger players. The Blackhawks got a lot better, but the rebuild might have taken a year or two longer.

Eaton didn’t seem too concerned. Fewer spots means more competition.

“It’s about competition,” he said. “That’s what we’ve tried to create as our prospect pool gets bigger. It creates more competition. … That’s the foundation of the Blackhawks, a high level of competition. So when you have more competition, the cream of the crop can rise to the top and push each other in a positive way — push each other more. To me, that’s the biggest benefit of maybe having fewer spots and more guys competing for fewer spots. It allows the cream of the crop to rise to the top and take themselves to another level.”

Perhaps the one benefiting most from the increased competition is Anders Sorensen, coach of the Rockford IceHogs.

“Everything has to be earned,” Sorensen said. “So if there’s someone in front of you who’s older, or plays better than you, it’s up to you to find a way to push that guy out.”

The Blackhawks learned the value of an overripe player in Rockford with the emergence of Alex Vlasic, who went from a fringe NHL prospect to a genuine top-four defenseman on a six-year deal after spending three seasons at Boston University and one in Rockford. And if they all marinate together, they could come to the NHL with good chemistry already built in, something that benefited the recent championship eras of the Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“As players, you have to grow together,” Sorensen said. “And when you have a core of guys that can grow together, it’s really beneficial. If you look at Tampa and how they’ve done it, they’ve put a core of guys together. And we’ll see if that happens.”

Three days into the Blackhawks’ second development camp, which took place entirely off the ice, here are some quick takeaways:

The fate of Levshunov

The Blackhawks and Artyom Levshunov have yet to decide where the No. 2 pick will spend next hockey season. Is he better off dominating college hockey as a sophomore at Michigan State or starting his professional hockey career in Rockford under the watchful eye of the Blackhawks staff?

Eaton clearly has a preference.

“Obviously, being able to be hands-on every day is a huge bonus,” he said. “That’s the trajectory we walk with our amateur prospects — realizing they’re all playing for different coaches, they’re all playing in different systems. So having the opportunity to have him in-house (with) our great staff in Rockford, our development staff working with him on a daily basis, to bridge the gap between where he is and where he needs to go — I think it’s just a bonus.”

Levshunov said he is still talking to his family and advisors, but said it will be a mutual decision between him and the Blackhawks, not a unilateral one. He also slipped in that he had another option for next season.

“Maybe NHL,” he said with a quick smile.

Artyom Levshunov speaks to members of the media after being selected No. 2 overall by the Blackhawks. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Söderblom’s setback

The Blackhawks entered last season thinking that Arvid Soderblom was their goalie of the future, and that he could handle a relatively even split with veteran incumbent Petr Mrazek. He wasn’t. Soderblom won just five of his 29 starts, posting a .879 save percentage and allowing nearly four goals per game. Of the 96 NHL goalies, only Ottawa’s Joonas Korpisalo had a worse-than-expected goals-save percentage, Soderblom’s minus-12.99.

The arrival of veteran replacement Laurent Broissoit means that Söderblom will return to Rockford next season to compete with Drew Commesso, looking to not only become the IceHogs’ No. 1 goalie, but potentially the Blackhawks’ No. 1 goalie in the future.

Sorensen suggested that the irregular routine of being a reserve exacerbated Soderblom’s problems last season. The worse he played, the less often he played, the worse he played.

“For Arvid, it’s just finding his game again and finding a rhythm to play in and just knowing that he’s going to play the next game, even if he has a little hiccup,” Sorensen said. “I think in the NHL, it’s all performance-based, and if you don’t have a couple good games, you’re not going to see games for a while. I don’t think it’s the same for us. I think it’s just important to get him in a rhythm.”

Arvid Soderblom had a 3.92 goals-against average in 2023-24. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Martinez the mentor

Kevin Korchinski, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has already progressed beyond development camps at this point in his career, but as a 19-year-old just hitting his ceiling, he’s still a promising prospect in many ways.

One of the veterans the Blackhawks have brought in free agency is Alec Martinez, who turns 37 later this month. There’s a good chance Martinez (or TJ Brodie) will be Korchinski’s defensive partner this season. In his Zoom introduction on Wednesday, Martinez said he was ready to take on that mentor role.

“I can’t stress it enough, and I told Kyle the same thing: I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I know everything, no matter what,” Martinez said. “I make just as many mistakes as anybody else. But I thought it was a pretty unique opportunity to play with some younger players that have a lot of talent. And if I can help them in any way, I’m happy to do that and I’m looking forward to doing that.”

That said, Martinez looks around at all the new players — Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Pat Maroon, Craig Smith, Brodie, Broissoit, Ilya Mikheyev and himself — and doesn’t see a rebuilding team that will compete for a top-five pick anymore.

“I don’t know about you, but when you see some of the names, the type of guys, the pedigree, the quality of the people — I get pretty excited,” Martinez said. “I think we’re going to be pretty good, too.”

For the record, it only took two questions to quiz Martinez about his goal for the Kings in overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals at the United Center.

“I’m surprised it took until question two,” he said with a laugh.

The Rockford Dilemma

The NHL’s abundance of veterans likely means there are plenty of NHL-caliber players in Rockford. That’s good for Sorensen, but the Blackhawks want him to focus as much (or more) on developing all those young players as he does on winning. Often, the best AHL teams are loaded with former NHL veterans. Rockford has lost in the first round in three straight seasons, winning just one of its 10 games in that series.

It’s a fine line for a coach who wants to win, but must first do the right thing for his parent organization.

“I think you can definitely combine the two,” Sorensen said. “Younger teams seem to get off to a good start and then they hit a bump somewhere around Game 20. I think that’s where the veterans come in. … There’s definitely a balance, but I think you can combine development and winning if you do it the right way. We haven’t really found the sweet spot yet, but I think we’re getting closer.”

Camping classes

Johnny Oduya, one of the fittest Blackhawks ever, gave the prospects a lesson on how to control their breathing on Wednesday. Other activities included a cookout and a game where everyone carried a tennis ball around all day and tried to steal other players’ tennis balls. But no tackle on recent first-round pick Marek Vanacker as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

Lessons from Forsling

Can we learn a lesson from Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling, who was cut by the Vancouver Canucks at 19, by Chicago at 23, and by the Carolina Hurricanes at 24 before blossoming into a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman and Stanley Cup champion with Florida at 28?

Maybe not for the Blackhawks front office. Forsling’s path is clearly an unusual one. But there’s something to be said for patience with prospects, especially defensemen. And Forsling could be an inspiration to those toiling in the minors, waiting for their big break.

“It’s a reminder,” Eaton said. “Everybody’s path is different. Some guys get there early. Others take five, six, seven years. Maturity happens differently for everybody. For Gustav, the talent and the skill was always there, but maybe the adjustment to North America, the maturity level with him, the comfort level here, didn’t happen until four or five years later.

“You hope it’s not like that, but sometimes the biggest wake-up call for young players with a lot of talent is when they get traded or put on waivers. It’s a big part of what we do, to say, ‘Don’t wait for that moment. Have that sense of urgency now, because sometimes you don’t get a second chance.’ Fortunately for Gustav, he got a second and a third chance, and he made the most of it.”

Prospect catch-up

Let’s close this out with brief thoughts on some other top candidates:

• 2022 first-rounder and Minnesota rising sophomore Sam Rinzel on filling out his frame, one of the things that made it a long-term project for him: “I’m right around the 190 mark, I’d say. Hopefully I’ll get to 195 or 200 for next season, and then hopefully 200-plus after that. … Eat as much as you can. Make sure you eat a lot before you go to bed, but make sure it’s good food and not just a bunch of fat. Make sure it’s good muscle and good fat.”

• 2022 second-round pick Ryan Greene on why he’s going back to Boston University instead of going pro: “My freshman and sophomore year, losing the Frozen Four, it still hurts. I still can’t quite forget it. There’s definitely a little bit of a revenge factor. You want to try again and hopefully win a national championship.”

• 2023 first-rounder Oliver Moore on the challenges of his first year at Minnesota, where he had nine goals and 24 assists in 39 games: “College is different than junior. You do more schoolwork, the lifestyle is a little different. There’s a lot of things you’re juggling. I feel like I’m really preparing for my sophomore season and with a little more time I can get off to a better start.”

• 2023 third-round pick Nick Lardis on the role he played in getting his Brantford teammate Vanacker drafted in the first round by Chicago: “Throughout the year, they asked me about Marek and what he was like as a person, a player. And he’s obviously a guy (where) there’s nothing negative about him. He’s such a positive, great guy in the room and on the ice.”

(Top photo of Artyom Levshunov and Connor Bedard at Friday’s NHL Draft: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)