Jack Pridham has until Monday to make a decision or he goes back into the NHL draft, and the Maple Leafs have a chance to bring the Stouffville native back home.
The Chicago Blackhawks drafted Jack Pridham 92nd overall in 2024 but are at risk of losing his draft rights if he doesn't commit to the NCAA, at that point he re-enters the draft. The son of former Maple Leafs GM Brandon Pridham, the Maple Leafs have a chance to bring him home and add some serious firepower to their pipeline.
Pridham, 20, put up an astounding 90 points in 65 games for the Kitchener Rangers this year while also adding 17 points in 18 playoff games. He was critical in helping the Rangers reach the Memorial Cup Finals, and he very well could walk away with the trophy when all is said and done.
Chicago losing the rights to Pridham isn't surprising given the circumstances surrounding their prospects
But Chicago losing his rights is going to hurt them, and considering that they already have a logjam of forwards in the system, it's likely he re-enters according to Chicago Sun Times reporter Ben Pope:
The Blackhawks will lose the rights to prospect Jack Pridham, the OHL's second-leading goal scorer, and he will reenter the NHL draft if he doesn't sign an ELC or commit to a college by Monday.
Which, considering the mass of other forward prospects in the Hawks' system, he's probably unlikely to do. His decision to de-commit from BU last year and return to Kitchener opened this door.
-
The news was originally reported by Scott Powers in his article for The Athletic which went through the offseason updates for the Blackhawks.
Chicago has Nathan Behm, Marek Vanacker, Roman Kantserov, Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert, Nick Lardis as well as Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar all either on the team or about to make the leap so there's not a lot of room.
Toronto has a chance to bring in a hometown kid with serious potential to reshape their pipeline
Pridham is a player who a lot of NHL teams would love to get their hands on given his immense offensive potential plus what he brings to the ice. He possess a relentless motor and is someone who will skate up and down the ice with aplomb, and use that incredible stamina to outwork opponents.
It's why him going back into the draft makes this a lot more interesting, especially for the Maple Leafs. They currently hold the first overall pick, and then nothing until the 59th. They should realistically look to package that second round pick with a player like Nick Robertson and move up.
With his stock rising Toronto could look to make a deal with Calgary to get one of their early second-round selections at 35 or 36.
That allows them to grab Pridham before everyone and his stock will have shot up considerably after this season. He also was born an hour outside of Toronto and would instantly be one of their top prospects who can come into the league with Gavin McKenna at the same time.
Also of note, Pridham is the son of former Maple Leafs GM Brandon Pridham, and while he's no longer there, it was an amicable split. If there's no ill will, then there's no issues with bringing him in. They got the front office version, and they'll have a shot at the on-ice product.
You don't often see players fallback into the draft, especially after so much commitment anxiety but clearly Pridham felt the NCAA wasn't the best choice and he doesn't want to waste time getting to the NHL so Toronto should waste no time trying to bring him aboard.
Should the Maple Leafs trade up to draft Jack Pridham if he goes back into the NHL Draft?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Conflicting reports emerge around the Maple Leafs coaching search after Elliotte Friedman's update