Just how good is Nick Lardis?
Everyone around the Blackhawks organization is eager and excited to learn the answer to that question during the coming months and years. The intrigue level is high.
That’s what happens when a formerly nondescript third-round draft pick explodes for 71 goals (and 46 assists) during his final season of junior hockey, scoring more goals than any OHL forward since John Tavares in 2016.
Lardis is eager to learn the answer, too. For as fun and gratifying as last season was, it’s this moment — his first genuine NHL opportunity — that he has understandably spent his 20 years of life dreaming about.
“For me, this year, turning pro, it’s a different mindset — knowing I’m going to stay here, whether that’s in Chicago or Rockford,” Lardis said Thursday. “I want to work as hard as I can to show I can play at this level.”
New Rockford coach Jared Nightingale, who’s running Hawks rookie camp this week, is watching closely.
“His talent is through the roof,” Nightingale said. “It is an adjustment [when] you’re playing against men, bigger ‘D’-men. But he’s going to be a great project for us. We know it’s a process for younger forwards, but I’ve got a lot of high hopes for Nick.”
The recent history of professional career paths for OHL leading goal-scorers is a very mixed bag, ranging from NHL stars (like Tavares and Alex DeBrincat) to NHL depth forwards (like Luke Evangelista and Nick Robertson) to minor-league washouts.
It’s worth noting prospect projection models like to compare Lardis to Rangers first-liner Vincent Trocheck, which would be an excellent outcome for the Hawks.
Lardis’ career could conceivably follow any path within that wide range, but he hopes a few specific things maximize his chances of succeeding.
Firstly, it should help that he has spent so much time in recent years thinking about how he could effectively translate his game into the NHL. While dominating the OHL, he specifically tried to score goals in NHL-style ways, such as driving the net instead of ripping shots from further out.
Secondly, it should help that he gave himself a head start competing against NHL foes this summer. He trained in Muskoka, Ontario, with a large, prominent group that included Tavares, Evan Bouchard, Dylan Cozens, Brandon Montour, Scott Laughton and Adam Henrique.
“Juniors is a different game than pro hockey,” Lardis said. “It’s a lot stronger. You’re going against bigger and tougher guys. Doing those skates in the summer, [I] really learned what it takes with the battle drills and the skill that they have.
“I’d score sometimes and they would be like, ‘Oh, that’s 70 [goals] right there.’ So that’s kind of funny.”
Thirdly, it should help that Lardis and young Hawks cornerstone Frank Nazar — who’s already well on his way to succeeding in the NHL as a similarly undersized forward — have become close friends. Nazar is 5-10 and 190 pounds; Lardis is 5-11 and stabilized around 185 pounds this summer despite working out twice a day.
“There’s so many guys in the NHL that are successful [even though] they’re smaller guys,” Lardis said. “I just think it’s about your compete [level] and grit and the way you work out there, and [how you] learn how to play as a smaller guy.”
Lardis has spent some nights at Nazar’s place, and over dinners at various Chicago restaurants, they’ve shared many tips and stories.
Partly because of Nazar’s experience, Lardis won’t be discouraged in the slightest if the Hawks decide he should start in the AHL this fall. It’s all part of his — and their — process of discovering just how good he is.
“It’s cool to see how [Frank’s] progression went, from where he was at the start of last year to now,” Lardis said. “It’s motivating to see guys like that. I’ll try to be like him.”