Lardis was selected 67th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft on Thursday.
An early January trade from OHL Peterborough to Hamilton appeared to give Lardis new life and it's fair to wonder how much higher he would have gone if he was with the Bulldogs the entire year. Lardis managed just 12 goals and 19 points in 36 games for the eventual league champion Petes before exploding to the tune of 25 goals and 46 points in 33 games with Hamilton. Lardis' two best assets are his speed and his shot. His confidence seemed to grow by leaps and bounds in his new surroundings with an increase in both responsibility and ice time. If even half of what we saw from Lardis late in the year is here to stay, Chicago will have gotten a potential steal at this stage of the draft.