Chicago Blackhawks: Players To Watch
Wake up, hockey fans! The NHL is back! It feels good, doesn’t it?
The Blackhawks kick off their 2020-21 season on opening night. We don’t have to wait a day or two to see them. For some fans, that’s a great thing. I know that others are dreading the season because it isn’t looking like it’ll be a good one.
A quick recap for the doom and gloom crowd:
In-experienced goaltenders
No Toews (out indefinitely with illness)
No Dach (4-5 months after broken wrist)
Question marks on defense
Sure, I’ll agree with you that the Blackhawks won’t have a great season record-wise. But, there are some very positive things to look forward to heading into this season.
First, while I said there are some big question marks on defense, that isn’t automatically a huge negative. There are two kids to keep an eye on - Ian Mitchell (2017) and Adam Boqvist (2018) They were chosen in the top two rounds of their draft class - Boqvist being chosen 8th overall.
We got a taste of Boqvist’s game during the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs. Earning a roster spot, especially in the playoffs, isn’t easy for a rookie defender. What is easy - seeing his potential. It will be interesting to see how he’s developed in the offseason and how he will throughout his sophomore season.
Ian Mitchell decided to not sign with the Blackhawks last season in order to finish his junior year at the University of Denver and serve as captain of the Pioneers. His season was cut short due to COVD-19 shutting down college sports. In the 36 games he played, he certainly made an impact.
From University of Denver Pioneers’ website:
Named First Team West All-American
Pioneers' Dr. Ralph Verploeg Most Inspirational Player
Pioneers' Bill Masterton MVP
Finished 6th in scoring among NCAA defensemen
2nd in scoring among NCHC defensemen
2nd among all Pioneer skaters with a career-high 32-point season
Second-most power-play points for Denver
3 three-point games (sharing the lead for Denver)
Named NCHC Defenseman of the Week (Oct. 14, 2019, Feb. 24, 2020)
This kid comes into the Blackhawks with a lot of hype around him. I can’t wait to watch him at the NHL level.
Something else to look forward to is sort of along the lines of the point above, but broader. There are a lot of young players who are getting a chance this season. It’s unfortunate that Dach is out because we would see how he fares as a first line center. But, we already know he is good and could, quite possibly, be great in the coming years.
Other Players to Watch:
The three goaltenders - Malcolm Subban (27 years old), Collin Delia (26 years old), Kevin Lankinen (25 years old)
They’re all in the age range where goaltenders, on average, hit their prime. Any one of the three could have a true breakout season and take over the role of starting goaltender vacated by Corey Crawford. Here’s a good tidbit for you - Corey was 25/26 when he became the #1 guy for the Hawks.
Brandon Hagel (F 22) - Fast skater, drives to the net, decent shot
Dylan Strome (F 23) & Alex DeBrincat (F 23) - Do they have a bounce back year? Hopefully DeBrincat is less snake bitten
Wyatt Kalynuk (D 23) - New kid out of college, high praise in training camp
Lucas Carlsson (D 23) - Great shot from the point, decent speed, needs to work on Dzone coverage
Matthew Highmore (F 24) - Responsible, good shot, has chemistry with his linemates
Pius Suter (F 24) - Free agent signing, could impress right away
Lucas Wallmark (F 25) - Responsible two-way player, 12 goals last season, 50%+ at faceoffs each season
Dominik Kubalik (F 25) - Does he build off of last season’s success?
While there are question marks all over the roster, and it certainly as strong on paper as we’ve seen for much of the last decade - there’s a new wave of young players coming in. That’s worth getting excited about. 2020-21 is a development year. I wouldn’t worry so much about the record they end with or whether they make the playoffs. The important thing is seeing a progression in our young guys.
That will make this season a success.