FIRST STAR:C Matthew Highmore, Rockford IceHogs (AHL)THE NUMBERS: 2 GP, 1 G, 0 A
Highmore made his NHL debut for the Blackhawks last season, scoring two goals in 13 appearances with Chicago. It's been a meteoric rise for the undrafted Halifax product, but Highmore doesn't appear to be slowing down. After spending training camp in Chicago, he opened his 2018-19 AHL season with a goal in Rockford's 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Monsters over the weekend. Following an All-Star nod with the IceHogs and an NHL call-up, the 22-year-old Highmore will have his eyes set on an encore this season.
SECOND STAR:LW Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)THE NUMBERS: 4 GP, 1 G, 4 A
From Marcus Kruger (149th Overall -2009) to Dylan Sikura (178th Overall - 2014), the Blackhawks have hit on their share of late-round draft picks. Could Josiah Slavin, the 193rd pick in the 2018 NHL Draft be the next? The 19-year-old is off to a promising start with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. Slavin is captain of the Stars, and has scored a goal and dished out four assists in four games this season. In a 4-2 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers this week, Slavin found the back of the net and assisted on another tally. Slavin is verbally committed to Colorado College in 2019-20.
THIRD STAR:RW Andrei Altybarmakyan (Russia)THE NUMBERS: 13 GP, 3 G, 7 A
Just a year after the Blackhawks made him their third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Altybarmakyan is pushing for a spot with one of the giants of the KHL. Through 13 games in the youth system of SKA St. Petersburg this season, the 20-year-old has recorded 10 points (3G, 7A). It's nothing new for Altybarmakyan, who made 14 appearances with St. Petersburg in the KHL last season and was a regular with the Russian U-20 national team. Entering the final year of his KHL contract, Altybarmakyan could be on the Blackhawks radar in the near future.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Tim Soderlund (Frolunda HC):The Blackhawks 2017 third-round pick scored a goal on three shots in a 6-0 win on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old now has two goals in six games to start the 2018-19 season.
ROCKFORD REPORT:
The IceHogs dropped their first two games of the 2018-19 season, falling to the Cleveland Monsters 4-1 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday night. Highmore opened the scoring on Friday, beating former Blackhawk J-F Berube for his first goal of the season. Tyler and Dylan Sikura skated together on Saturday, connecting on a power-play goal. Tyler Sikura redirected a shot from his younger brother, notching a point for each Sikura in their first game as teammates since high school.
