Blackhawks sign speedy sniper to entry-level deal

The Blackhawks signed left-wing prospect Nick Lardis to a three-year, entry-level contract Wednesday, per a team announcement. The deal carries a cap hit of $897K.

Lardis, 18, was picked up by Chicago last summer, heading to them with the 67th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The Ontario-born winger has been a much-improved talent this season with OHL Brantford, notching 29 goals and 50 points in an injury-plagued campaign that limited him to 37 games.

The speedy sniper is a top-10 talent in a top-10 prospect pool. In The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s 2024 rankings, he was the ninth-ranked prospect in the organization. His skating is his biggest threat in terms of his straight-line speed and edgework, but he has quite a capable shot as well. He lacks over-the-top size at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, somewhat limiting his appeal on draft day last year, but was a solid value selection at the time. Early returns look very promising. Since beginning his major junior career in 2021, he’s amassed 84 goals and 152 points in 169 games for Peterborough and Brantford/Hamilton.

Lardis will likely return to Brantford next season, as he still needs more development time. Making Chicago’s roster out of camp appears unlikely, and he’s too young for assignment to AHL Rockford per the NHL/CHL transfer agreement. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season, his ELC will defer to 2025-26. Given his age, he’s only eligible for a slide once, not twice. In that very likely event, he’d become an RFA upon expiry in 2028.