With the Chicago Blackhawks' rebuild in full swing, the organization's prospect pool has been flooded with high-end talent from the top of the last several drafts. In 2024-25, the IceHogs will be treated to several of these prospects as they begin and continue their pro hockey journeys.

To go along with the strong group of prospects that played in Rockford in 2023-24, 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov, 2022 seventh overall pick Kevin Korchinski, and 2022 13th overall pick Frank Nazar will also be eligible to play in Rockford this season. Those three combined with the rest of the incoming and existing prospects in the AHL would make the IceHogs one of the youngest and potentially most exciting teams in the league.

Of course, all three of these players, and many mentioned below, will have chances to make the Blackhawks' roster out of training camp. This article is merely speaking in terms of potential.

Rockford has seen plenty of first-round picks since the team began AHL play in 2007, 31 in fact, but what makes 2024-25 stand out is not just the quality of the prospects, but the quantity of youth that Hogs fans could see throughout the lineup sheet. This season's squad could feature a bevy of other young Blackhawks prospects along with the first-rounders. Paul Ludwinski (2022 2nd), Gavin Hayes (2022 3rd) and Samuel Savoie (2022 3rd) all will be turning pro and are eligible to play with the IceHogs.

At the start of July, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson scooped up eight players in free agency (not including Ilya Mikheyev, who was traded for on June 26) to make the team more competitive for the upcoming season. The influx of established professionals limits the number of NHL roster spots that will be available to young players who still require time to enhance their game and improve their bodies.

"One thing we have at our disposal is Rockford," said Davidson. "I don't know if we've had a player that's gone down and come up that hasn't gotten better."

"We've got a ton of trust in Anders [Sorensen] and his staff and the development staff working in Rockford to make sure that [when] players are going down there, they're going to be better," added Davidson. "And all the evidence has shown that they do get better in Rockford."

In order: Drew Commesso, Colton Dach, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan

Davidson and the Hawks were not shy about stacking Rockford's lineup with prospects last season. 14 players made their AHL debuts with the IceHogs in 2023-24, including names like Nolan Allan (2021 1st), Drew Commesso (2020 2nd), Colton Dach (2021 2nd), and Ethan Del Mastro (2021 4th). 17 players on the roster 2023-24 roster were selected by the Blackhawks (including Ryder Rolston, whose rights were acquired from Colorado).

In addition to new faces, Rockford could return plenty of the youngsters from the 2023-24 group that all have bright futures ahead. Below is a list of the Blackhawks draft picks that debuted with Rockford in 2023-24:

The above list does not include 2020 second-round pick Drew Commesso who led the team last season as a rookie with a .906 SV% and 2.65 GAA in net.

2020 third-rounder Landon Slaggert is eligible to spend time in Rockford after playing in 16 games with the Blackhawks at the end of last season. Cole Guttman and Wyatt Kaiser are returning to the organization in 2024-25 and are also eligible to continue their development with the IceHogs.

Regardless of which prospects spend time in Rockford, the BMO Center in 2024-25 will host several pieces of the Blackhawks' future. Below is a table of Blackhawks draft picks that could potentially see time significant time in Rockford in 2024-25:

The above list does not include Isaak Phillips or Louis Crevier who are both restricted free agents. It also does not include college or junior players who could join the IceHogs after their respective seasons. Players on entry-level contracts are eligible to be sent to the AHL without needing to clear waivers.

The IceHogs have always welcomed talented prospects to the Stateline, but few past seasons stack up to the potential of 2024-25 in terms of volume and quality.

As The Athletic's Scott Powers pointed out, Rockford's 2007-08 team also featured a stocked cupboard of high-end draft talent. That year's IceHogs team featured 27 NHL draft picks that saw action and eight future Stanley Cup Champions. Rockford went 44-26-4-6 that season and advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs before falling to the eventual champion Chicago Wolves.

1st rounders: Cam Barker, Jack Skille, Sergei Samsonov (Boston, played 2 games)
2nd rounders: Bryan Bickell*, Mike Blunden, Danny Richmond (Carolina), Dave Bolland*, Corey Crawford*, Akim Aliu
3rd rounders: Colin Fraser* (Philadelphia), Evan Brophey, Adam Berti,
Rounds 4+: Petri Kontiola (7th - Chicago), Troy Brouwer* (7th - Chicago), Kris Versteeg* (5th - Boston), Jake Dowell (5th - Chicago), Niklas Hjalmarsson* (4th - Chicago), Jim Fahey (8th - San Jose), Dustin Byfuglien* (8th - Chicago), Adam Hobson (7th - Chicago), Wade Flaherty (9th - Buffalo), Jonathan Paiement (8th - New York Rangers), Dusty Collins (5th - Tampa Bay), Jean-Claude Sawyer (5th - Minnesota), Brennan Turner (5th - Chicago), David Koci (5th - Pittsburgh), Mike Brodeur (7th - Chicago)

*Name on Stanley Cup

In order: Cam Barker, Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Bryan Bickell, Kris Versteeg

Of the 27 former NHL draft selections, 17 of the 2007-08 team were taken by Chicago. That Rockford squad appears to be most similar 2024-25's potential due to the number of young players that would go on to have significant roles in the Blackhawks' Cup runs. The Hawks are hoping that the loaded 2024-25 team can develop a high volume of prospects into valuable NHL players just as the loaded 2007-08 group did.

Other IceHogs groups have rolled out swarms of highly drafted players as well, but few have had the same depth as the 2007-08 team.

The 2010-11 team had nine first round picks- the most of any IceHogs squad. Rockford hosted eight first-rounders in 2012-13 and seven in 2013-14. The number of high-end draft picks in those seasons didn't necessarily line up with team success or even the true number of NHL prospects. Several of the former first-rounders on those teams were past their 'prospect' years by the time they got to Rockford, and none of those three IceHogs squads reached the postseason.

2024-25 figures to be different than those seasons in the early 2010s. Levshunov, Korchinski, and Nazar are all up-and-coming, and if those three spend time in Rockford, it would be the most top-of-the-draft prospect talent that has ever come through the Stateline. If Levshunov laces up his skates for the IceHogs, he would be the highest draft pick to ever play for Rockford.

The Hogs' 2017-18 season, when they reached the Western Conference Finals to mark the deepest Rockford postseason run, did not have nearly the same array of prospects compared to 2007-08 or to the potential of 2024-25. All but three of the 12 first, second, and third rounders from the 2017-18 team had already played in parts of three North American professional seasons before the 2017-18 campaign. Again, many of them were past their entry-level contracts.

1st rounders: Henrik Samuelsson (Pheonix)
2nd rounders: Adam Clendening, Carl Dahlstrom, Tomas Jurco (Detroit), Ville Pokka (New York Islanders), Laurent Dauphin (Pheonix), Graham Knott
3rd rounders: Cody Franson (Nashville), Matteson Iacopelli, John Hayden, Lance Bouma (Calgary), Jeff Glass (Ottawa)
Rounds 4+: Anthony Louis (6th - Chicago), Luke Johnson (5th - Chicago), Chris DiDomenico (6th - Toronto), Vinny Hinostroza (6th - Chicago), Luc Snuggerud (5th - Chicago), Erik Gustafsson (4th - Edmonton), Robin Norell (4th - Chicago), Gustav Forsling (5th - Vancouver), Nathan Noel (4th - Chicago), JF Berube (4th - Los Angeles), Joni Tuulola (6th - Chicago), Robin Press (7th - Chicago), Matt Tomkins (7th - Chicago)

Rockford's most successful team leaned on balance and depth as opposed to developing young, future NHLers.

Last season's IceHogs team was young, with an average age of around 24.5 throughout most of the season. The 2024-25 version of the IceHogs will likely be even younger.

This season's Blackhawks team figures to be more competitive based on the free agency moves made by Davidson, but the long-term success of Chicago will largely be impacted by several players who don an IceHogs sweater in 2024-25. Rockford fans have enjoyed the play of dozens of high-caliber draft picks and prospects since the team began its affiliation with Chicago in 2007, but this season's crop of young talent could clock in at a different level.