A phrase I read and hear quite a bit is that the Blackhawks won’t win another Stanley Cup anytime soon because the next Jonathan Toews isn’t in the system. That same mantra seems to apply to varying degrees to the other members of the historic core, i.e. Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Corey Crawford.
Is this phrase a critique that there literally is no carbon copy of Toews -- or other members of the core -- in the system? Or is the name Jonathan Toews just a generic term for an elite player or impact player?
Either way, is this phrase “not in the system” true? Is the Blackhawks system really devoid of talent to build a contender?
Let’s take a look at each member of the core to see if there is a replacement in the system, then see if those replacements -- or lack thereof -- will impact the team’s capacity to ascend again to perennial contention status.
A key factor to keep in mind is the concept of comparables. When a draft pick or prospect has a comparable to a certain established NHL player, then it generally means in terms of playing style and not necessarily in terms of having identical impact and productivity level.
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Is the next Toews in the system?
While Kirby Dach was drafted to be the future 1C and is poised after his rookie year to be on a promising trajectory toward that role, he is cut from a somewhat different cloth than Toews.
Toews is elite on faceoffs, provides solid defense, plays a power offensive game mixed with some finesse, and has an iron will to win. Plus, he’s considered one of the best captains in the NHL who teammates revere.
Can Dach replace all of that eventually?
While his faceoffs need improvement and his defense needs refinement, I believe Dach can get to the same level of effectiveness as Toews while also demonstrating that he may be future captain material.
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Is the next Kane in the system?
Quite simply, no.
Nobody in the system comes even close to Kane’s level of vision, hockey IQ, skill, creativity, and ability to dominate a game on his own.
Take Mitch Marner as an example of a budding star who has been compared to Kane as far as playing style and skill package but still not on the same plane as 88 -- at least not yet and perhaps never will.
That’s no knock on Marner as he’s an excellent player. Kane, though, is a rare gem and dare I say generational.
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Is the next Hossa in the system?
Short answer is no but there is a caveat.
The Hossa we know as the benchmark for impeccable 200-foot play was not always that way. For a majority of his career, Hossa was viewed as more of an offensive force -- even as a mercenary -- than a player who could state his case to have the Selke trophy renamed after him.
It wasn’t until his lone year in Detroit playing with Pavel Datsyuk where play without the puck became an elevated priority for Hossa.
Why does that matter? It matters because Hossa proves that players can evolve to be more well rounded if they commit to the defensive side of hockey. Mike Modano was the same way under Ken Hitchcock.
Playing like Hossa means being able to lock it down defensively whether your offensive mojo is on fire or is ice cold.
And for those who really have no offensive mojo to begin with (see David Kampf as Exhibit A), playing like Hossa earns you job security.
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Is the next Sharp in the system?
Sharp was a swift, goal scoring winger who played a feisty style, in all zones, and on both special teams.
Alex DeBrincat is a goal scorer and has a feistiness to him. He’s built sturdy and is quite strong and agile. Regardless, his defense is woeful which renders him unfit to take PK duty.
Dominik Kubalik is also a goal scorer. While he’s not pitiful defensively, he still has room to grow so he can be more of an impact without the puck rather than be a force only when he has it. Feisty factor? Not really high but he’s no pushover either
Is anyone else in the system the next Sharp Shooter?
The closest prospect is Michal Teply. He’s a goal scorer with some playmaking ability but needs to work on his play without the puck. While not slow, Teply does stand to gain a gear for speed bursts, particularly his first few strides.
Niklas Nordgren is a goal scorer, too, but needs to stay healthy, get stronger, and vastly improve his skating. He’s a long-term project who eventually needs to start developing on the smaller North American ice sheet.
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Is the next Keith in the system?
It depends on the definition.
If the definition is beast mode Keith with a case full of prestigious hardware like gold medals, Norris trophies, a Conn Smythe trophy, and Cup rings, then the answer is no.
However, if the definition is a two-way defender who neutralizes plays defensively, flips the ice swiftly, and generates offense with cerebral playmaking, then there is potential for the next Keith.
Ian Mitchell seems to be a viable candidate as he has displayed these traits in the NCAA. He coincidentally idolizes Keith so emulating -- and perhaps playing alongside -- your hero is a definite plus.
Nicolas Beaudin is developing in the Keith mold, too. A pair of Keith-like blueliners could be just as good as one of the real McCoy.
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Is the next Seabrook in the system?
Just like his long-term partner Keith, finding the next Seabrook depends on the definition.
If the definition is a rugged defender who can play stifling defense while also being reliable at transitioning the puck out of the zone, then there are two prospects who could approximate what Seabrook was in his prime.
Lucas Carlsson defends the net and is willing to engage physically. Once the puck is on his blade, he skates fairly well to move it out but can also make a strong crisp pass out of the zone. And like Seabrook, Carlsson has a cannon from the point that stays low and gets through traffic.
Then there’s Alex Vlasic who is still many years away from knocking on the NHL door. He has size and reach. His smooth skating aids his transition game. What’s missing are holding his own against the toughest of opponents and having snarl. The former can be learned but not really the latter.
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Is the next Hjalmarsson in the system?
Who is the most fearless and selfless D prospect to literally get in harm’s way of a screeching puck and protect the zone like life depended on it?
Carlsson perhaps but he is closer to Seabrook than Hjalmarsson as far as style and what he has in his tool belt.
Other than Carlsson, nobody really.
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Is the next Crawford in the system?
Given the seemingly lack of faith in Malcolm Subban and debate that Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen, and Matt Tomkins may not have what it takes to be an NHL starter, the answer is a resounding no.
Could any of those goalies surprise and emerge with proper development and guidance from goalie coach Jimmy Waite? Anything is possible.
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So what does this all mean?
While there aren’t perfect one-to-one analogs for the core, there are some great pieces both on the team already and in the system to use as building blocks for a new competitive team that grows to become Cup contenders.
The operative word, though, is competitive. Can this collection of talent display the compete level -- from whistle to whistle within each game as well as game after game -- needed to attack offensively in waves and shut down the other team defensively in waves?
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To me, the issue isn’t that there aren’t sufficient prospects in the system to at least contribute to either a new core or a reboot of “Here come the Blackhawks, the Mighty Blackhawks” as that jingle goes.
The issue is more so the lack of effective strategies in the system to bring it for a full 60 minutes in all zones.
Whether it’s Jeremy Colliton and his current crew of coaches or another bench boss and hired crew, part of the battle is impressing systems that are realistic to implement consistently no matter the skill level of each player.
The other part of the battle is execution by all players. It just takes one weak link to rupture the system and expose the team to perpetual turnovers and costly mistakes.
Even though the system has largely bottom-6 prospects, they seem wired to play the right way: going full throttle while executing fundamentals and making simple plays.
Matthew Highmore is a prime example and he’s a fixture on the 4th line now.
Brandon Hagel is a mirror image of Highmore just with more offensive upside.
MacKenzie Entwistle could be the best out of the trio as he’s coachable, willing to do what it takes to win, and can be relied upon in all situations even when the game is on the line.
Other prospects like Dylan Sikura, Pius Suter, Philipp Kurashev, Tim Soderlund, and Reese Johnson aren’t far off either in terms of hustling to contest every puck and attempt to make every play count towards something positive.
On the backend, that same hustle and compete are still requisite to protect the net and win back pucks. What else is needed are vision and agility to move the puck out of the zone quickly either with a deft pass to a teammate or by skating the puck out themselves.
Adam Boqvist’s development illustrates that focus on learning how to defend first before flexing the full gamut of offensive muscles. Can’t flip the ice if you don’t have the puck. And can’t just rely on stick checking either. Play the body, manage gaps, close off time and space.
There may not be an exact Keith, Seabrook, or Hjalmarsson clone in the D prospect pool but a good proportion of them have a solid base to build from. Boqvist, Mitchell, Beaudin, Carlsson, and Vlasic may lead the pack but don’t sleep on Chad Krys, Wyatt Kalynuk, Alec Regula, or Slava Demin either.
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See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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