What does Nick Lardis’ future with the Blackhawks hold? Luke Evangelista offers some clues

When projecting the future for rookie Blackhawks forward Nick Lardis, third-year Predators forward Luke Evangelista offers a relevant blueprint.

Lardis, 20, and Evangelista, 23, have both followed similar trajectories as second/third-round NHL draft picks who exploded in the OHL in their second seasons after getting drafted and then produced at point-per-game rates in the AHL the next season.

They’re both slightly undersized, have similar skating motions and have similarly dynamic offensive tools.

It turns out they’re also friends. They both grew up in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario. They shared the same minor hockey coach, although they didn’t overlap. And they use the same skills coach during the offseason, meaning they’ve trained together occasionally over the last three years.

Lardis said Evangelista’s NHL success as a “similar player” has motivated him. Evangelista said Lardis’ deadly one-timer from the half-wall — as well as his “quick, twitchy game” — have impressed him.

Obviously they’re not the same person, so there’s no guarantee they’ll continue on the same trajectory moving forward, but it shouldn’t be surprising if they do.

With that in mind, here’s the path Evangelista has blazed in Nashville: a promising first taste of the NHL (15 points in 24 games in spring 2023), followed by two just-OK full seasons (39 and 32 points), followed by a possible breakout season (24 points in 33 games this fall).

A beautiful goal Saturday marked the latest highlight in an exciting season for Evangelista, but it took him years to reach this point. When he looks back on his career so far and considers what lies ahead of Lardis in Chicago, he believes it all comes down to consistency.

“The grind of a pro season is going to be different,” Evangelista said in November. “Just learning to be consistent and maintain that kind of production throughout a full pro season is going to be big for [Nick].”

His own experiences reflect that.

“[There are] ups and downs throughout the year,” Evangelista added. “I didn’t feel like there was one point where you really hit a wall, but a couple games where you’re not feeling good about yourself [and a] couple games where you do. [It’s about] just finding that consistency.

“It’s a long season, but you’ve got to be able to bring it every night. That’s a big learning curve in pro. That’s even something I’m still dealing with and figuring out myself.”

Lardis hasn’t yet played enough NHL games — only four — to experience any major fluctuations. He’s still trying to catch his breath since his call-up last weekend.

Tons of family, friends and former OHL teammates have attended all four games, including his impromptu Toronto homecoming last week. And his first two games coincidentally matched him up against his two childhood idols, Patrick Kane and John Tavares.

Hawks coach Jeff Blashill has kept Lardis’ ice time relatively limited so far (12:28 per game), but his first NHL goal Saturday against the Senators demonstrated one of his greatest strengths: “Being at the right spots at the right times in the offensive zone,” as he described it.

Moving forward, it’s inevitable Lardis will struggle with consistency, whether or not he stays in the NHL or returns to the AHL for the majority of the season.

Based on advice from Evangelista and others, though, he’s prepared for that. It theoretically shouldn’t fluster him.

“It’s been an awesome experience,” Lardis said. “I’m just trying to soak it all in, learn from the mistakes — and the stuff I’m doing good — and keep getting better every day.

“It’s the best league in the world. You’re not going to find success right away in every league. Some guys do; some guys don’t. [I’m] making sure I’m learning. I think I adjust pretty well to leagues when I go on — like the AHL took me a little while.”

Analyzing four games

Connor Bedard’s injury prompted Lardis’ call-up, but general manager Kyle Davidson gives Lardis credit for positioning himself to seize this earlier-than-expected opportunity by playing so well in Rockford (26 points in 24 games).

“He’s done a little bit of everything we’ve asked of him,” Davidson said. “He’s a very young pro, so there’s going to be growing pains. But I wouldn’t be able to say with a straight face that he hadn’t earned a recall.

“The dominoes fell in a way that [we said], ‘You know what? Let’s give him a go. We’ll see how he does, and he can learn.’ In the end, this is all education for him. He gets to taste it. As much as anyone can tell you what the NHL is like, when you live it, now you know. And you can take that information — whether it’s here, in Rockford or in the offseason — to grow your game to the point where you can be successful at the NHL level.”

Reading between the lines, Davidson seems more bullish about Lardis than his coach is.

Blashill’s deployment of Lardis in a fourth-line role Saturday was strange; he gave him only 8:17 of ice time, including only two shifts in the third period despite his goal. When asked why, Blashill’s explanation wasn’t very enlightening.

It’s true Lardis’ defensive game isn’t refined, and he has turned the puck over in the neutral zone a few times. But when chasing the game late, his skills seem like they could’ve helped.

Blashill did previously make a good point about how Lardis must rely on his intelligence and efficient shooting in the NHL due to his below-average size (5-11, 185 pounds) and athleticism.

“Getting opportunities in the scoring areas is the hard part in this league, especially if you’re not going to separate yourself with your size or your speed,” Blashill said. “[It’s] not that he’s not a fast-enough skater, but it’s hard to separate yourself. Now you’ve got to really use your brain.”

Frank Nazar’s injury leaves the Hawks without arguably their best two forwards, which could increase Lardis’ opportunity. However, it’s also possible Lardis could return to Rockford once the NHL’s holiday roster freeze ends next weekend.

Davidson said he’ll prioritize Lardis’ long-term development over short-term team needs when deciding how long to keep him up.