Why Blackhawks Defenseman Prospect Wyatt Kaiser's Stock Is Rising

Why Blackhawks prospect Wyatt Kaiser's stock is rising originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Blackhawks are in the beginning stages of a full-scale rebuild, and a big part of the process hinges on replenishing their pipeline and turning prospects into eventual impact-type players at the NHL level.

One player whose stock has quietly but quickly increased is defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, who was selected by Chicago in the third round (No. 81 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Kaiser, who turned 20 in July, was thrown into the fire as a freshman at Minnesota-Duluth, where he immediately logged top-pairing minutes and recorded 10 points (all assists) in 28 games. He followed that up with a breakout sophomore campaign in which he compiled 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 34 games, which included 11 points in his final 14 contests. He felt a massive difference from Year 1 to Year 2.

"Freshman year, you're just fighting to survive; you're just treading water," Kaiser told NBC Sports Chicago. "And then sophomore year, you take a step back and think about what things you want to work on. You definitely just get a little bit more comfortable."

The biggest adjustment for Kaiser was trying to stay true to himself on the ice while figuring out what he could and couldn't get away with at the college level. Another part? Preparing himself for the grind of a season, which gets significantly longer and more grueling in the pros.

"There's a lot more that goes into hockey than just playing hockey," Kaiser said. "Outside the rink, mentally, just taking in a little bit longer of a season that I'm used to. It's more of a marathon. Every day you have to work on something to be a pro is what [our coach] likes to say. 

"I would say sophomore year is more of a struggle because now it's like you're trying to figure out what to work on during games. You need to be trying things, so you finally can struggle a lit bit more, which I think sometimes is good because you have to try things if you want to keep growing. But then when it gets to playoffs, that's when you need to lock it in and figure out when you've got to bring your game."

Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin has been instrumental to Kaiser's growth as a player, both on and off the ice, and has seen the Blackhawks' prospect take significant strides in a short period of time.

"I watched him in high school and junior, but when I got him and was around him every day, he is an ultimate competitor," Sandelin said. "His competitiveness, for me, was like, 'Whoa.' It's fun to watch.

"We threw him into a pretty prominent role right away out of high school and he handled it really well. The jump from high school to college is not easy, just like it's not easy to jump from here to the next level. He's obviously a great skater and a really elite defender. His game is maturing."

One scouting report called Kaiser a "breakout machine," which is an accurate description. Kaiser told me his high school coach Mark Manney uses Jonas Brodin as a potential NHL comparable, a calm and poised all-purpose defenseman who's not necessarily great at one thing but is very good in a lot of different aspects.

"That's a pretty good analogy," Sandelin said. "Mark's a pretty smart guy. But part of it is making sure they understand that. The players have to understand that and be good with it. Some guys aren't. Some guys, they like that, yet they still want to try and do more, and I think that's the thing for me with him or other players, is getting them to understand what they're going to be and doing it extremely well. That's a pretty good comparison, that guy's a pretty good player. I definitely think Wyatt is a Top 4 defenseman."

Kaiser, who's listed at 6 feet and 184 pounds, has spent a lot of time working on his shot over the years, which was on display at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. He scored two goals and added an assist in five games, and was one of the standouts for Team USA on the back end.

Kaiser has also put on more than 20 pounds of muscle since his freshman year and has really focused on strengthening his core and lower body to help with 1-on-1 battles, and his conditioning to log heavier minutes on a consistent basis over the course of a season. It's a good thing, too, because he's going to be leaned on heavily this season at Minnesota-Duluth.

"I'm really looking forward to him having a big year for us," Sandelin said. "He's our top guy. I'm excited for him. I think he's got a really good future ahead of him and I know the organization likes him. I'm hoping that, if this is his last year, he makes it an All-American year. He very well could be that type of player."

It wouldn't be surprising if Kaiser turns pro after his junior campaign at Minnesota-Duluth. The Blackhawks are preaching patience with their prospects, but they think highly of him and probably want to get him signed next summer.

Kaiser isn't thinking that far ahead yet.

"I try not to get too concrete," Kaiser said. "I just want to play hockey as long as I can, honestly. Even if it's more time at Duluth, I just want to keep playing hockey."

The Blackhawks' recent first-round selections of Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar, Lukas Reichel and Sam Rinzel will get the most attention during the rebuild. But don't sleep on Waiser, who could turn into a fine NHL player one day.

"He's not flying under our radar," Blackhawks player development coach Erik Condra said with a smile after a day at prospect camp in July. "We're excited about him. You see out here, some of the future that's going to be with the Blackhawks and he's definitely a big part of that."

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