Blackhawks prospect regains rookie scoring lead with an impressive two-goal showing

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis returned to the AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs lineup recently after missing two games because of an injury, but he made the most of his return.

He scored twice against the Texas Stars and then scored two goals again in their following matchup.

Don't be surprised to see Lardis as the next player that the Blackhawks call up to their lineup if they need another body, considering that Jason Dickinson is still dealing with an injury.

As of yesterday, he was first in AHL scoring among rookie players:

It's a good sign that Lardis showed that he was no worse for wear from the time he missed and is able to help the IceHogs on the ice.

Lardis has always been an offensively gifted player, especially evidenced by his impressive output in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 117 points (71G, 46A) in 65 games.

So far this year with the IceHogs, he has 18 points (9G, 9A) in 17 games, scoring at over a point per game pace.

The Blackhawks took Lardis with the 67th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and if he continues making this kind of an impact in the lower leagues, it would be surprising if he wasn't the first player that the Blackhawks call up the next time they need to get reinforcements from the AHL.