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Alex Vlasic, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Previews: Alex Vlasic

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brooke LoFurno | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Chicago Blackhawks have an important season ahead of them. The organization has committed to building through the draft, and a plethora of draft picks are NHL-ready, or on the cusp of being NHL-ready. Many young players will have a chance to make their mark this season; some becoming everyday players while many others will make their NHL debuts. Meanwhile, a small group of veterans will be tasked with helping the youngsters find their way.

In this series headed into the 2025-26 campaign, we’ll preview each player projected to make the roster, and what their role will be with the team. This edition’s spotlight is on defenseman Alex Vlasic.

Vlasic By The Numbers

Drafted: Second round (43rd overall) in 2019 by the Blackhawks

Position: Defenseman (Left Handed)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 217 pounds

Age/Birthdate: 24 years old (6/5/2001)

Country: USA

2024-25 Stats: 4 goals, 26 assists, 30 points in 82 games

Career Stats: 7 goals, 42 assists, 49 points in 179 games

How He Got Here

The hometown guy came in with a bang. After being drafted in 2019, it was thought that there was a lot of untapped potential. Of course, you can’t teach size and skating to go with that size. But I don’t think many expected Vlasic to become the defenseman he is today.

After making his NHL debut in 2022, following his time at Boston University, he became an example for the Blackhawks’ player development. This is because he played 15 NHL games at the end of the season, but then spent most of the 2022-23 season with the Rockford IceHogs. He had 19 points in 56 games, and it showed that patience is a virtue.

When he came to training camp for the 2023-24 season, things seemed to fall into place. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic wrote, “Vlasic said it was early in training camp when he realized he really had taken that next step, thinking to himself, “Hey, I have a lot to work with here.” (from ‘Blackhawks’ Alex Vlasic takes a huge leap forward — just a hop, skip and a jump from home – The Athletic – 11/22/2023).

That very season, he established himself early on as a top-pair defenseman alongside Seth Jones. The analytics even had him as the second-best shutdown defenseman in the NHL. After his first full NHL season, where he notched 16 points in 76 games, he got a six-year, $27.6 million contract extension in April 2024. It was the first long-term contract handed out by general manager Kyle Davidson, and boy, was it an important one.

Despite mentioning feeling like he struggled with consistency last season, he was still as advertised. His 30 points doubled his previous point total, and his 23:16 minutes of ice time were a career high. He was second-best on the Blackhawks in blocked shots (157). Furthermore, his 53 takeaways were fifth-best among NHL defensemen (only two behind Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard).

Vlasic’s Role in 2025-26

With Seth Jones’ departure in March, Vlasic had to carry a lot of the load. Next season will likely be no different as he will be leaned on, on the top pair, to lead the defense. He should continue to be a great mentor to the other young defensemen on the team, including Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, and it seems to be an aspect he is looking forward to. As he said during his exit interview in April, “I think next year, something that I want to do more of is just be a little bit more vocal and try to become a leader that I think I can be.”

It was a fun summer for Vlasic, winning gold for Team USA at the World Championships alongside Frank Nazar, and hopefully that will bring another element into training camp.

Vlasic is a defenseman who seems like he has even more to give. Even though he’s not known for being an offensive defenseman, it will be interesting to see if he will surpass more than 30 points for a new career high, and also see how his leadership will grow.