Blackhawks Notes: Injuries, Lardis, Boisvert
The Blackhawks were without a pair of players for their game tonight against Colorado. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Louis Crevier were both injured on Thursday in Minnesota. There’s no word on how much time either player might miss. Mangiapane has a goal and an assist in seven games since coming over in a trade from Edmonton earlier this month while Crevier has held his own as a full-time NHLer this season. He has 17 points in 66 games along with 73 blocks and 107 hits while averaging a little under 17 minutes of ice time per night.
More from Chicago:
- When Chicago recalled winger Nick Lardis after the trade deadline, it looked like he was in line to get an extended look down the stretch. However, he has averaged just 10:33 per game of ice time since the promotion. That led Pope to question how the team has used the 20-year-old. While Blashill has talked about trying to see how Lardis fares in a more limited role to give him a better opportunity to establish himself in the NHL, the youngster has averaged just shy of a point per game in the minors this season and could use a boost in their top six. Giving him a chance in that role could have longer-term benefits than showing that he can handle a fourth-line role if needed.
- Prospect Sacha Boisvert’s NHL debut will have to wait a little longer. Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old’s visa paperwork has yet to be processed. Accordingly, it’s more likely that he debuts next week on Chicago’s road trip. Boisvert, a first-round pick in 2024, recently signed his entry-level contract and is burning the first year of that down the stretch. He won’t play enough to accrue a year of service time toward UFA eligibility and if he doesn’t play in at least 10 games down the stretch, Boisvert wouldn’t be eligible for an offer sheet in 2028.
Blackhawks Sign Sacha Boisvert
3/16: As expected, the Blackhawks have announced the signing of Boisvert to his entry-level contract. The deal will cary a $974,167 cap hit. Boisvert will join the Blackhawks’ active roster, as the deal begins immediately and runs through the 2027-28 season.
3/8: While the Blackhawks will be missing the playoffs once again this season, there could still be roster reinforcements coming down the stretch. Top prospect Anton Frondell is expected to come to North America once his season in Sweden ends and it appears another center will be joining him. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays that Chicago plans to sign Sacha Boisvert when his college campaign comes to an end and have him debut in the NHL.
The 19-year-old was a first-round pick in 2024, going 18th overall after a strong showing with USHL Muskegon. Since then, Boisvert has played in college. Last season, Boisvert notched 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games with the University of North Dakota but still opted to transfer to Boston University this season. Production has been harder to come by in 2025-26 as he has just three goals and 13 assists in 24 games.
However, that doesn’t appear to be deterring Chicago’s desire to sign him. Assistant GM Mark Eaton indicated that he feels Boisvert’s style of play is better suited to the professional ranks than the college game and their intention to sign him coming off a quiet year suggests they’re not too concerned about the limited production.
While it might seem counterintuitive to have a young player burn the first year of his entry-level deal in a lost season (something that won’t be the case for Frondell given his age), GM Kyle Davidson hasn’t shown much hesitance in doing so. Just last year, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene did just that, as did Frank Nazar the year before. It appears that Boisvert will be joining that group in the near future.
College Notes: Boisvert, Perron, Conmy
After entering the transfer portal earlier this week, it appears that Blackhawks prospect Sacha Boisvert has found his next team. RDS reports that the 19-year-old will play at Boston University next season. Boisvert was the 18th-overall pick back in June and spent this season at the University of North Dakota where he led the team in scoring with 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games. Boisvert becomes the second Chicago prospect committed to the Terriers for 2025-26 as Jack Pridham, a third-round pick from last year, will also suit up there next season.
Other college news involving NHL prospects:
- Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron is expected to transfer to the University of Michigan next season, reports Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson (Twitter link). The 20-year-old winger entered the portal late last month. A third-round pick back in 2023 (94th overall), Perron spent his first two college years at the University of North Dakota. After putting up 18 points in 38 games in his freshman year, Perron notched ten goals and nine assists in 31 outings this season, finishing seventh in team scoring.
- Kings prospect Ryan Conmy has entered the transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Los Angeles in 2023, going 182nd overall. The winger’s first two seasons at the University of New Hampshire were solid, tallying 29 goals and 35 assists in 68 games, leading the team in scoring both seasons. He’ll now look to find a new school to play at and it will be interesting to see if he winds up with a program that can keep him on the top line or if he’ll look to play for a stronger team with more of a limited role.
Blackhawks Prospect Sacha Boisvert Enters Transfer Portal
It has been a busy few days for some of Chicago’s first-round picks. Over the weekend, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Sam Rinzel (a 2022 first-round pick) center Oliver Moore (a 2023 first-rounder) to entry-level contracts and gave them their NHL debuts on Sunday. One of their first-round picks from 2024 will have a new team as well, just not at the professional level.
Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Sacha Boisvert has entered the NCAA transfer portal. After spending his freshman year at the University of North Dakota, he’ll be on the lookout for a new school to play for next season.
Boisvert was the 18th-overall selection last June following a solid second year with USHL Muskegon. The 19-year-old recorded 36 goals and 32 assists in 61 games with the Lumberjacks last season which had him ranked in the 20s by most scouting services. Clearly, Chicago felt a little stronger about his upside, selecting him with one of the top post-lottery picks.
On the surface, Boisvert’s decision to play elsewhere is a bit surprising. He had a solid freshman year for the Fighting Hawks, tallying 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games. His 32 points led the team which is particularly notable among a group of skaters that featured 14 NHL draft picks. Already getting a prominent role, he’ll look to find a better fit somewhere else in the coming weeks.
When he was drafted, Boisvert was viewed as a bit of a project selection who would need several years of college hockey before being ready to turn pro. This news doesn’t accelerate that timeline, instead likely cementing it. But after a strong first season of college, Boisvert seems to be on the right track development-wise, even if he’s setting out to chart a new path.