On Saturday, I highlighted the outstanding recent performance of third-round pick Nick Lardis as a reason why he was the steal of the 2023 draft. By Wednesday afternoon, it became clear the Blackhawks’ front office shared the same opinion, as the sharp-shooting forward was signed to his entry-level contract.
Lardis’s deal is for three years and comes with a cap hit of $896,667. The 18-year-old OHL standout won’t be old enough to join the IceHogs this fall, so his options are either to remain with the Brantford Bulldogs for another year or make the jump to the NHL. Sources indicate he’ll spend next year in the OHL, making his contract slide another season. By the 2025-26 campaign, he’ll be in the AHL and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his debut in Chicago.
Lardis has been stellar when healthy all season, but when he really caught the eye of the front office and media was when he returned from a serious wrist injury. He had initially logged 29 goals and 50 points in just 37 games, but his regular season came to an end in mid-January. When he returned for the start of the OHL playoffs, he picked up two goals and an assist in his first game without missing a beat. Lardis is a shoot-first winger who is lethal from any range and will eventually be a huge part of the Blackhawks’ offense.
For Lardis to sign with the team less than a year after becoming a third-round pick is a huge win for GM Kyle Davidson and his staff. The first-rounders in last year’s draft class get talked about enough, with Connor Bedard and Oliver Moore representing obvious wins. But if Lardis can make a serious impact at the NHL level as a 67th-overall pick, that would make him one of the biggest steals of his draft class, and he’s well on his way to doing so. The top Blackhawks prospect already represents a huge win for his franchise, and his impact will only continue to get bigger.
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