The Chicago Blackhawks had a decent idea of the plans for most of their top prospects going into the 2025-2026 season. Nick Lardis is a favorite to finally break through to the main roster after a tremendous season in the OHL. Anton Frondell hopes to make it as well, but will return to Sweden if not. There also seemed to be a clear path for Jack Pridham. The 3rd round pick from last year spent his recent season in the OHL for the Kitchener Rangers. Everybody, including the Blackhawks, expected him to attend Boston University afterward.
Things have changed. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, Pridham now plans to forego college entirely and make the jump directly from the OHL to the NHL.
Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham’s original plan was to go from the BCHL to the NCAA after Chicago took him in the third round of the 2024 draft. Once the NCAA announced it would allow OHL players to play college hockey, however, Pridham, who is from the Toronto area, decided to include the OHL in his development plan while keeping his commitment to Boston University.
Now, after playing last season with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, Pridham has decided to alter his development plan again. He de-committed from BU and hopes to earn a contract with the Blackhawks out of training camp.
It is a bold move.
Chicago's farm system is littered with loads of young talents hoping to compete and make the main roster this training camp. Pridham will face plenty of roadblocks to his goal. Can he do it? Maturity was always considered the strength of his game. He's often one of the smartest players on the ice. Combine that with his ongoing productivity, and his chances are better than you'd think.
Pridham would be a big help to the Chicago Blackhawks' offense.
He continues to demonstrate a versatile game. His recent OHL season saw him score 27 goals and deliver 27 assists in 48 games. If that weren't enough, he added seven goals and six assists in 16 playoff games. He is consistently effective, regardless of circumstances. The Chicago Blackhawks need more offensive firepower. Having somebody like Pridham who can shoot and facilitate equally is so valuable. He likely got wind of the fact that the team is basically declaring open season for the young guys on the roster this summer. This is a golden opportunity for him to crack the NHL ahead of schedule. He aims to seize it.
