It is a rare occurrence for junior players, let alone a diminutive third-round pick, to make an almost seamless transition to pro hockey. Yet Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis has done just that for the Rockford IceHogs to start the 2025/2026 season.
Lardis currently leads the IceHogs and all AHL rookies in goals (11) and points (22). His statistical profile is extremely encouraging so far, but it only tells a small part of the story.
The 20-year-old’s standout attribute is his laser of a shot, if that was not made clear by the 71 goals he scored last year. The speed at which he fires the puck is unbelievable as is his accuracy. Lardis certainly loves one-timing pucks from the right circle on the power play, but he can score in a variety of ways and scenarios (wrist-shots, catch-and-release plays & tap-ins).
Besides for his shot, one of the reasons Lardis is able to rack up points is due to his mastery of finding and exploiting space. He’s able to find open ice at the right times, and capitalizes either by using his shot to score or by drawing opposing players to himself and finding teammates with his distribution skills. Lardis is also a plus level skater which combined with his high hockey sense allows for him to get to said open ice with ease.
The big questions with Lardis are his size/physicality and defensive play. At only 5’11” and 185 pounds he struggles in board battles and puck protection. Additionally, his defensive habits and reads are far from perfect and clearly need some refinement.
However, the good news is that Lardis is improving in both categories, especially defensively, according to IceHogs Head Coach Jared Nightingale. “Before he started putting points up his play away from the puck and defensive game [impressed me]. He scored 70 goals in junior but his care and hockey IQ away from the puck, I think that’s what really got his game going.”
He is likely competing with fellow prospect Roman Kantserov for the last spot in their future top six, and whoever loses that battle is likely traded out of Chicago. If Lardis continues to lean into his strengths while also improving his weaknesses, it’s not difficult to see a future where he’s in the top six next to Connor Bedard or Frank Nazar.