Latest Updates on the Top Prospects for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are rolling as the NHL season approaches the Christmas break, and fans are contemplating the team's championship chances once the playoffs start in April.

General manager Stan Bowman will try to bolster his roster to increase the team's championship opportunities as the trade deadline approaches, but his attention is also keenly focused on his team's prospects for the future. 

Blackhawks fans realize that 2012 first-round draft choice Teuvo Teravainen is the team's top prospect for the future, but he is not the only young player Bowman and his staff are following closely. In this feature, we look at the top prospects in the Blackhawks' organization and rank them in order of significance. 

Here are the best of the future Blackhawks.

5. RW Mark McNeill, Rockford IceHogs

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Mark McNeill might not be playing minor league hockey if he was with another organization. The 6'2", 218-pound forward has put his skill on display quite consistently with the IceHogs this season. He has scored nine goals and nine assists in 18 games with the IceHogs, and he has a plus-six rating.

McNeill, 21, will have a hard time winning a place on the varsity unless the Blackhawks suffer a spate of injuries that result in him being called up to the United Center. McNeill was named the American Hockey League's Player of the Week earlier this year, and he has showed he can create his own shot and get rid of the puck quickly and productively.

McNeill has excellent vision, and he can find open teammates and hit them with accurate passes. However, he is at his best when close to the net because he is not afraid to use his big body to establish a net-front presence and take physical punishment if it leads to scoring opportunities.

4. D Adam Clendening, Rockford IceHogs

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Adam Clendening figures prominently in the Blackhawks' plans for the present and near future.

He was brought up from Rockford earlier this season because he is a smart, experienced and talented defender. Clendening, 22, lacks bulk and strength at 5'11" and 190 pounds, but he makes up for his lack of size with puck-handling skill, defensive expertise and intelligence.

Clendening looked like he belonged at the NHL level when he scored one goal and one assist in four games with the Blackhawks during his stint with the team. He has scored one goal and five assists in 25 games with the IceHogs this season.

Clendening has a hard, accurate shot from the point, and if he can get it to the net, he creates rebound and tip opportunities for his teammates.

3. C Nick Schmaltz, University of North Dakota

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The Blackhawks' top pick in the 2014 draft is making a solid contribution as a freshman at North Dakota. Nick Schmaltz has scored three goals and 12 assists in his first season with the Green and White.

After missing several games with an injury, he has been hot recently with five points in his last four games before North Dakota went on its holiday break. Schmaltz is in camp with the U.S. team in the World Junior Championships as he hopes to win a spot on the team.

Schmaltz, 18, is not going to be playing with the Blackhawks any time soon, but he could be an important part of their roster by the 2016-17 season or perhaps in 2017-18. 

At 6'0" and 172 pounds, Schmaltz needs to put on weight and strength. And the Blackhawks will give him time to do that and develop his game.

2. RW Ryan Hartman, Rockford IceHogs

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Ryan Hartman is going to have to turn it up significantly if he wants to get a shot at playing with the Blackhawks—or with any other team in the NHL.

Hartman, 20, was the Blackhawks' first-round pick after they won the Stanley Cup in 2013 (30th overall), and he came to them with a history of being a slick goal scorer who could dart into the scoring areas and take advantage of his opportunities.

However, he is struggling to score consistently with Rockford. The 5'11" and 181-pound Hartman is having a difficult time coping with the physical AHL style and has just four goals and six assists in 31 games. The Blackhawks would like to see more consistency and tenacity from him before he gets a legitimate chance to play in the NHL.

The second half of the season will be vital to Hartman's growth and future with the organization.

1. C Teuvo Teravainen, Rockford IceHogs

Blackhawks fans have been hearing quite a bit about Teuvo Teravainen since the organization drafted him with its first-round pick in 2012.

Teravainen, 20, is a slick skater and stickhandler with top-of-the-line offensive skills, and he is getting the seasoning he needs with Rockford. While there is little doubt that Teravainen has the talent to become a solid offensive player at the next level, he does need to prove he can handle the physical play and hard contact associated with the North American game.

The Finnish-born player has scored four goals and 15 assists in 26 games with the IceHogs. His skating ability is regularly on display, but there have been too many times when it's hard to notice him on the ice.

Teravainen is growing impatient, and he wants a chance to contribute to the Blackhawks. But the team is likely to give him a full season in Rockford. He will have a better chance of contributing next season on a full-time basis.

Teravainen is still listed at 5'11" and 169 pounds. He may have added a few pounds since the start of the season, but he could still use some more weight and strength before he gets an opportunity to play regularly in the NHL.