Blackhawks Prospect Report: Misiak, Lardis, Vanacker & More

Also on the Otters squad is Blackhawks prospect Ty Henry, a sixth-round selection in 2024. The physical defenseman had one assist in five games. In the regular season, he had 17 points in 63 games. Misiak, Henry, and the Otters advanced to the Western Conference semifinals to face regular-season conference champion London Knights, which swept Owen Sound in the first round of the playoffs.

Nick Lardis, Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs

Nick Lardis continued his outstanding play from the regular season into the playoffs. The Blackhawks’ third-round pick had 117 points in 63 games in the regular season and then put up seven goals and two assists in five games as the Bulldogs eliminated the North Bay Battalion four games to one. Like Misiak, Lardis had a hat trick in the series-clinching game. Recently, the OHL released the results of the coaches’ poll. Lardis received the most votes in three categories: Best Shot, Hardest Shot, and Most Dangerous in Goal Area, and he finished second in the Best Skater category.

Marek Vanacker, the 27th overall pick in 2024, had five points in five games, including an assist on Lardis’ first goal in Game 5. His first goal of the playoff series was the overtime winner in Game 3. In the regular season, Vanacker had 24 goals and 18 assists in 25 games for the Bulldogs. The 18-year-old did not start his 2024-25 OHL season until November, recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.

The Bulldogs will play the Oshawa Generals, who closed out their series against the Brampton Steelheads on Sunday (April 7).

Jack Pridham – Kitchener Rangers

Jack Pridham, a third-round selection in 2024, had three goals and two assists in helping lead the Rangers to a 4-1 series win over the Flint Firebirds in what was described as “brutal play” from both teams. The 19-year-old had 54 points in 48 games for the Rangers, after being signed to an OHL Scholarship & Development Agreement on Nov. 15. Previously, he played in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the West Kelowna Warriors. Pridham went viral late February when he scored a Michigan goal for the Rangers.

Pridham, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant general manager Brandon Pridham, will join his Rangers teammates in facing the Windsor Spitfires in Round 2 of the playoffs, beginning on Thursday, April 10. Next season, Pridham is expected to play for Boston University in the NCAA.

A.J. Spellacy – Windsor Spitfires

A.J. Spellacy missed the last three games in the Spitfires’ 4-1 series win over the Soo Greyhounds. He did pick up a goal and two assists in the first two games before missing the last three due to an apparent injury. It is unknown if he can play when the Spitfires face the Kitchener Rangers in Round 2. The third-round pick in 2024 had 37 points in 62 games for the Spitfires.

The 19-year-old signed a three-year entry-level contract that runs through the 2026-27 season ($975,000 salary cap hit) in January. In the yearly OHL Coaches Poll, he was also recently named as third Best Bodychecker in the Western Conference. Spellacy also set a career-best by picking up 20 assists in the regular season.

Alex Pharand – Sudbury Wolves

Unfortunately, Alex Pharand will be the only Blackhawks’ prospect not moving on to the next round as the Sudbury Wolves were swept out of the playoffs by the Kingston Frontenacs. The Blackhawks’ fourth-round selection in 2023 had one assist in the four playoff games after getting 59 points in 65 regular-season games. It will be interesting to see if he gets more ice time with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, as he did last year when his OHL season concluded.

Participating in post-season action is an added bonus to a prospect’s development, especially in an organization where the NHL team has not been involved in the postseason in a few years. Check back to see how these young players have developed, and someday, they may don a Blackhawks sweater in the NHL Playoffs.