Chicago Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Chicago Blackhawks, NHL or NHLPA
Blackhawks 2nd Round Lighting It Up In The KHL
Photo credit: Yardbarker
Roman Kantserov was selected in the 2nd-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, 44th OA. He's on a tear in the KHL with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Roman Kantserov is one underrated Blackhawks prospect who gets lost in the discussion of the players who are currently in the system.
While the Blackhawks do have Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, and others, Kantserov seems to get memory holed, due to his location.
This season, he's set to exceed his production from the 2023-2024 season. Last season, he scored 53 points(8 G, 7 A) and won the Gargarin Cup with the Magnitogorsk.
While this season, in 18 games he'd already replicated the production from last season with 16 points( 8 G, 8 A) and is at almost a point-per-game.
. NHL Central Scouting had Kantserov as the 16th best European skater in the draft. He is a smart forward with a high hockey IQ who has been able to score at every level he's played in.
Kantserov has shown brilliance in his play in the KHL, as he's been considered a potential middle-six, scoring winger. A winger, who ironically the Blackhawks could use at this moment in time.
But looking back at the draft, GM Kyle Davidson prioritized picking Kantserov for some reason, and looking back on highlights from this and last season it's obvious why.
After initially owning four second-round picks, the Blackhawks traded the 51st overall selection to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the 167th pick and a 2023 second round pick, which originally belonged to the Los Angeles Kings. With one of their remaining three selections in the second round, the Blackhawks drafted Roman Kantserov 44th overall.
His season in the KHL hasn't even concluded and is setting himself up to exceed his past production. Another winger who was a skilled forward, and produced at a high rate, was Matvei Michkov, who was a product of the same draft and is in the Calder Trophy discussion this season.
While we don't have an idea of when Kantserov will don a Rockford IceHogs, or Chicago Blackhawks jersey yet, we look forward to seeing him make the leap from the KHL to the NHL.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 23 | 126 ANSWERS Blackhawks 2nd Round Lighting It Up In The KHL Do you think forward Roman Kantserov will turn pro with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2025 or 2026? | ||
| 2025 | 54 | 42.9 % |
| 2026 | 72 | 57.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
