Blackhawks prospect John Mustard has fleshed out his game with better shooting, decision-making

Entering last summer, Blackhawks forward prospect John Mustard's finishing skills were holding him back from being an elite college player.

Instead of simply firing a million pucks at an empty net every day, Mustard raised the difficulty level, training with veteran NHL goalie Alex Lyon — who has become a big part of the Sabres' surprising success this season, posting a .915 save percentage in 30 games.

Over time, Mustard learned how to pick the right spots on Lyon, and that has transformed him into a terror for college goalies during his sophomore season at Providence.

"I’m starting to read goalies a little bit and take more high-percentage shots," Mustard said recently. "[Lyon] really helped me out. It’s pretty hard to score on him. [I'm] trying to work on getting shots through on him."

Mustard's shot has become one of his stronger attributes. He has 15 goals in 34 games this season, up from seven goals in 37 games last season. His shooting percentage has jumped from 6.5% to 11.6%.

Since getting drafted in the third round in 2024, he has flown somewhat under the radar within the Hawks' massive prospect pool, but that needs to change soon. At 19 years old, he looks like a probable future NHL player. Hawks assistant general manager Mark Eaton, who oversees the prospects, has been generous with praise.

Mustard's speed was his calling card when drafted, and it remains a crucial ingredient in his game. The difference is he has fleshed out everything else, and his brain has figured out how to keep up with his legs. Eaton mentioned his decision-making as another attribute that has improved.

"When you’re moving at a high speed, it’s hard to make plays," Mustard said. "Lanes close pretty quickly. That’s something I’ve had to learn over time.

"It’s just about keeping my eyes up. It’s not just thinking 'shot' all the time. It’s working off guys and reading off them."

A back injury slowed him down for a few weeks in January, but he played through it and considered it a useful opportunity to "learn what my B-game was."

He's fully healthy now and has scored in five of his last eight games. He has skated a decent amount lately on the same line (on opposite wings) as fellow Hawks prospect Julius Sumpf, a 2025 fourth-round pick and overage freshman at Providence.

Pucks haven't gone in much for Sumpf this season — he has four goals and 17 assists — so he actually has looked to Mustard for advice on that front, which exemplifies just how much Mustard's shot has improved.

"Whenever you give [John] the puck in the offensive zone, he’s a threat," Sumpf said. "Everyone has to respect his shot...[and] his speed is unbelievable sometimes. He can beat everyone down the side. Every defenseman has to be aware of him."

Mustard, in turn, raved about Sumpf's intelligence and reliability, noting how he "almost never makes the wrong play." The Hawks have also liked how much Sumpf, who turned 21 in January, has improved this season.

"Usually you don’t mean it literally when you say it, but [Sumpf] has literally gotten better every single game," Eaton said.

"He’s not super-physical or a speed demon or super-skilled, but he’s a coach’s dream. He’s such a responsible player: always in the right position, always on the right side of the puck. And his strength on his skates allows him to be hard to play against."

Providence enjoyed an excellent regular season as a team and has a good chance to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, which would offer Mustard and Sumpf more high-intensity experience.

It sounds like Mustard will likely return for his junior year in 2026-27, although he and the Hawks will discuss plans further after Providence's season ends.