Chicago Blackhawks: Taking Stock of Prospects in the Wake of Rookie Tourney

Chicago Blackhawks' prospects returning from the Toronto Rookie Tournament will be starting training camp with some game experience under their belts. As these players prepare for the opening of Blackhawks' training camp on Friday, a few players saw their stock rise in the organization.

Saturday's first game saw the 'Hawks drop a 4-2 decision to Toronto after leading 2-1 in the third period. Sunday saw Chicago's rookies take a 3-2 lead after one period before Ottawa rallied for a 6-5 win.

The Hawks came out on top of Pittsburgh on Tuesday via a 4-1 victory that saw top draft pick Mark McNeill score his first goal of the tournament. Seems like a good player to start on.

McNeill: 'Hawk faithful who speculated that he might challenge for a roster spot and weren't swayed by his performance at rookie camp have another piece of evidence that Chicago's first selection in the 2011 draft will spend at least another season in juniors. He had some moments in Toronto, but let's not rush things.

Brandon Saad: If the early returns are any indication, Saad was a steal when he fell to the 'Hawks in the second round. Saad had three goals in the first two games and played a pretty good game on Tuesday. Again, it looks like another year of juniors for him, but he showed some skill in the tournament.

David Towes: Chicago's newest acquisition played in all three games. He had an assist in Sunday's win. Toews was at wing on one side or the other throughout. Though he failed to notch a goal, he took the puck strong to the net several times.

It's going to be interesting to see where he ends up in the organization. He's nowhere near NHL material at this stage, and it might be hard for him to break into Rockford's lineup at forward. Juniors is not an option, so don't be surprised if he winds up in Toledo for a spell.

Peter LeBlanc: LeBlanc is under contract with the Ice Hogs and took part in the last two games. He had a goal and assist on Sunday and had a great pass to Philip Danault for the 'Hawks third goal on Tuesday. LeBlanc isn't listed as a 'Hawks prospect, but I like his game.

Philip Danault: Made things happen with the puck all weekend and showed some toughness after taking a high-stick to the mouth Sunday. Did he make Saad look good or was it the other way around? Both guys had solid tournaments.

Jimmy Hayes: Scored a pair of goals in Sunday's loss and was the game's second star. Still needs to learn to use that big frame.

Jeremy Morin: This looked to be a big weekend for him after missing most of the second half with an injury after flipping over onto his head in January. The problem was that he was scratched in all three tournament games. It seems a bit odd that he'd make the trip if the 'Hawks didn't plan on playing him.

Toews was a late addition to the roster, and it's possible Chicago chose to kick his tires and sit a known commodity in Morin until camp. Are they playing it safe, or is something wrong?

Shawn Lalonde: Last year at this time, he looked like a deer in the headlights in Toronto. As an alternate captain, he showed what a season of AHL play can do to season a prospect's game.

Ryan Stanton: The other alternate captain, Stanton provided stead play on the back end, much as he did as the season wore on in Rockford last year. I'm curious to see how he fares at training camp.

Mac Carruth/Nick Mattison: I wasn't real impressed with the performances in net, although Tuesday was better (the two split time in this game).  Mattison gave up some soft ones in the second and third periods Sunday. Apparently, the 'Hawks best prospect, Kent Simpson, was unable to take part in the tournament.

There were other solid performances. Rob Flick showed a willingness to throw down the gloves, as did Andrew Shaw. Chris DiDominico, who came over from Toronto last summer and had a disappointing season split between Rockford and Toledo, had a goal and assist in the first game.

It's hard to forecast the fortunes of prospects playing other prospects, but for those of us lucky enough to catch some highlights or a live stream of one of the games, it whets the appetite for a long season ahead.