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5 Must Watch Blackhawks At 2026 Prospect Showcase
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- 5 Must Watch Blackhawks At 2026 Prospect Showcase
Earlier in the week, the Chicago Blackhawks announced their roster for the 2026 Prospect Showcase. This event will take place at Blackhawks Ice Arena in Chicago, and it will feature three practices, two morning skates, and two games against the St. Louis Blues prospects.
Once again, the Blackhawks are bringing an above-average amount of talent to an event like this. Not every one of Chicago's top prospects is attending, but there is enough to consider it a highly competitive group.
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Of the players showing up to this showcase, these five are the ones who will have extra attention on them for different reasons:
Sacha Boisvert - FWD
Sacha Boisvert was a first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft. Naturally, that will place excitement on him because there is a certain expectation that comes with selections like that during a rebuilding phase.
Boisvert, after finishing his NCAA career, signed with the Blackhawks at the end of last season for a handful of games. He didn't play every game after signing, but there is clear upside in his game. There is a lot more development ahead of him, but he is a player to watch out for above most at this Prospect Challenge.
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Marek Vanacker - FWD
Marek Vanacker was also a first-round pick in the same draft as Boisvert. The Blackhawks made him the 27th overall pick that year. This is another forward that the Blackhawks are hoping will play a role on one of their four lines in the future, if not used in a trade. In the upcoming games against the Blues, Vanacker will make an impact on one of the top two lines.
Ryan Roobroeck - FWD
Ryan Roobroeck is the only player on this list who isn't signed. Unless he is uncuttable in camp and the preseason, he will return to Major Junior hockey in 2026-27 to play for the Guelph Storm of the OHL.
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Roobroeck, a second-round pick (35th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft, has a fresh feel to him as a prospect. Of all the players drafted by Chicago in 2026, Roobroeck will get the most attention at this event. It will be interesting to see how he is used compared to some of the older forwards in attendance.
AJ Spellacy - FWD
AJ Spellacy may not be the most skilled or flashy player of the bunch, but he has an argument for being the most "NHL-ready". Spellacy plays a hard-nosed game and is always going full steam ahead.
Spellacy's play style makes him a perfect third forward on a line to complement skill guys. He wins puck battles, hits hard, and isn't afraid to go to the front of the net. His tenacity will allow him to score goals at every level he reaches in hockey.
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This is also a player with a clutch gene. When things matter the most, you can expect Spellacy to make a difference.
Adam Gajan -G
Spencer Knight is the organization's number one goalie; Arvid Soderblom is going to be the backup for another year, and Drew Commesso is waiting in the wings. Still, you can never have too much goaltending depth. Adam Gajan is going to be a part of that moving forward.
Gajan was one of the NCAA's best goaltenders last year, and he even found a way onto Team Slovakia's roster at the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. He was the third stringer in the end, but he may be the future of the position for that country.
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It will be an AHL start for Gajan in his pro career, which is the case for most goaltenders in NHL history. If he gets a look in a Blackhawks uniform this year, it would only be because of multiple injuries, but that is likely not something he will experience until next year or beyond.
As far as the showcase, he is the best non-skater attending for Chicago. Jason Schaubel, the other goalie on the roster, will likely split the net with Gajan when it comes to the games. Schaubel was with the Kitchener Rangers en route to a Memorial Cup victory earlier this year.
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