What we learned at Chicago Blackhawks development camp, including Vaclav Nestrasil thinking ‘bigger'

Chicago Tribune

02-07-2025

Just to clear things up, Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Vaclav Nestrasil pronounces his name, 'VAS-slav NEH-stra-shill.'
'Yeah, it's a hard name,' the Praha, Czechia, native admitted.
A hard name looking for a harder game.
Nestrasil, 18, grew up idolizing Patrick Kane, but that's where the similarities end between the Hawks legend and the 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward prospect.
'I'm a two-way player,' Nestrasil told the Tribune on the first day of development camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena. 'Obviously big size, I think I can provide almost anywhere on the ice. I can provide in tough situations, I can score a goal, I can make a great pass.
'I don't think there's anything I'm lacking.'
Except for weight, he later acknowledged.
'I feel like getting bigger is the biggest part of my game that I need to work on,' added Nestrasil, who will play at the University of Massachusetts next season. 'Just get bigger, get more comfortable in my body and hopefully everything will come with that.'
The Hawks are on the same page.
Between the end of the 2023-24 season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the United States Hockey League's Fall Classic, Nestrasil 'put 15 pounds on and he just took off,' Hawks director of amateur scouting Mike Doneghey said. 'He's a cerebral player. He does have to get stronger, but that'll come with maturity.'
Here are five more things we've learned at development camp this week.
Photos: Inside Chicago Blackhawks development campThe Hawks brought back Lafferty in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. The 6-2 forward became a key chess piece in the rebuild when the Hawks traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2023.
The Hawks sent Lafferty, defenseman Jake McCabe and conditional fifth-round picks in 2024 and 2025 to Toronto and received a 2025 conditional first-round pick and a 2026 second-rounder.
They used that 2025 pick, which ended up being No. 25, to select Nestrasil on Friday.
The forward prospect, who earned National Collegiate Hockey Conference rookie of the year honors last season, explained his decision to transfer from North Dakota to Boston University.
'Well, the coach got fired, pretty simple,' Boisvert said Tuesday, referring to Brad Berry's firing at North Dakota in March. 'He recruited me when I was 14, and that's tough to see a coach leave. That was when I made a decision.'
He said he 'definitely (felt) a lot of emotions. Definitely not expected (I would be) transferring.'
But he said talks with his camp led him to that decision.
'I'm really excited to go to Boston,' said Boisvert, the No. 18 pick in the 2024 draft. 'It's closer to home (Trois-Rivières, Quebec), about a six-hour drive, so the family's able to come more. It's a great program, great coach, Jay Pandolfo.'
Who did the Chicago Blackhawks select in the 2025 NHL draft? Meet the 8-player class.Earlier this summer the Hawks extended qualifying offers to defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Louis Crevier and goalie Arvid Söderblom but didn't qualify unrestricted free agents Kurashev, Jalen Luypen, Aku Raty and Antti Saarela.
Kurashev was Connor Bedard's running mate during the latter's rookie season in 2023-24, but Kurashev had a career-worst 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 51 games last season, and it was abundantly clear he fell out of favor in Chicago.
'Phil Kurashev had a bit of a tough year and just probably a lack of defined role with us moving forward,' general manager Kyle Davidson said, 'as well as a little bit of a question on where that potential arc could've come out. It was probably better for all that he finds a new path.'
Kaiser looks like he's on the cusp of establishing himself, even in a crowded defensive group.
'Wyatt and Louis, they're still young players, early in their career,' Davidson said. 'We see promise and a very viable path to meaningful NHL roles this year, so we wanted to keep them around.'
As for Söderblom, Davidson said he had 'a nice bounce back' from a tough 2023-24 season.
In a peculiarity you won't find in many NHL locker rooms, Hawks forward prospects Mason West and Spellacy have football backgrounds.
Spellacy was a sought-after recruit who played safety and wide receiver for St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. West, the No. 29 pick Friday, will play quarterback for Edina (Minn.) High School this fall.
When asked about a bond, Spellacy said he recruited West for the prospects volleyball tournament Thursday.
'I drafted for my Team Green this week, so we got that little connection going already,' Spellacy said. 'So we're looking to win it.'
The Hawks haven't had the prospects take the ice for the third straight development camp, so the staff crafts some unusual team-building activities for them — from boxing lessons to improv comedy.
Spellacy perked up when he announced, 'We've got a beach volleyball tournament going Thursday, so we're excited for that one.'
Marek Vanacker said Tuesday was 'kind of weird.'
'We had walkie-talkies and we were in separate rooms and we had to communicate how to build Legos to the exact (specifications),' Vanacker said. 'So it was a little difficult. We don't usually do that type of stuff.
'Just trying to trust your teammates is a big part of that, but it was fun in the process. We liked it.'