The roster depth of the Blackhawks is already being tested with Kirby Dach out for what is expected to be several weeks -- if not months -- and Alex Nylander out for the entire season.
Actually, the roster started to look more clear as far as players likely to be the 23 serving on the active list plus who may be on the taxi squad and in Rockford's starting lineup.
Consider this as a possible roster with Dach and Nylander on the shelf:
Suter - Toews - Kubalik
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Janmark - Wallmark - Shaw
Hagel - Kampf - Highmore
Carpenter
Keith - Mitchell
de Haan - Murphy
Zadorov - Boqvist
Seabrook, Carlsson
Subban
Delia
Taxi Squad:
Pirri
Quenneville
Smith
Lindholm
Seeler
Lankinen
In Rockford, next in line:
Entwistle, Johnson, Kurashev, Soderlund
Beaudin, Kalynuk, Krys, Regula
Tomkins
(Credit to Tyler Cameron for suggesting and convincing me that Hagel may deserve a shot over Carpenter while Mitchell may be better paired with Keith which matches Murphy with de Haan.)
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As quickly as the roster calculus changed with the sidelining of Dach and Nylander, the deck reshuffled again with this weekend's signing of 6'3" 210 lb forward Carl Soderberg.
On paper, Soderberg is a shrewd pickup by the Hawks. He's reputationally aggressive, physical, reliable in all zones and situations (ES, PP, PK), and capable of 0.50 PPG.
There's also Soderberg's one-year $1M deal which is favorable for a rebuilding team that still needs to be frugal with contracts particularly for players with NHL mileage.
Like fellow countrymen Mattias Janmark and Lucas Wallmark plus hulking Russian defender Nikita Zadorov, the option of flipping them at the trade deadline for futures is a plus.
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With Soderberg, the water gets murky when reconsidering who is on the active roster, where each player slots, and how certain moves contribute to the proclaimed youth movement.
It shouldn't be forgotten that the team identity and direction aren't focused on just prioritizing youngsters but also play style predicated on work ethic and competitiveness.
One reason why general manager Stan Bowman brought in newcomers Soderberg, Janmark, Wallmark, and Zadorov is because they amplify the team quotient for these two traits.
These foundational elements can serve as a base to build upon for the youth to emulate. Couple that with the championship pedigree of the core, that's a respectable starting point.
However, Janmark and Soderberg aren't young either at 28 and 35. Zadorov is entering his eighth season and Wallmark his third. All four of them figure to be everyday players.
Does their presence as starters take away opportunities for the youth to play and develop at the NHL level?
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Consider this roster with Soderberg now in the stable:
Shaw - Toews - Kubalik
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Janmark - Wallmark - Soderberg
Carpenter - Kampf - Highmore
Suter
Keith - Mitchell
de Haan - Murphy
Zadorov - Boqvist
Seabrook, Carlsson
Subban
Delia
Taxi Squad:
Pirri
Quenneville
Smith
Lindholm
Seeler
Lankinen
In Rockford, next in line:
Entwistle, Hagel, Johnson, Kurashev, Soderlund
Beaudin, Kalynuk, Krys, Regula
Tomkins
Even in a rebuild, that bottom 6 is one I'm comfortable going to war with. The desire is for them to be a pain to play against due to a relentless forecheck and suffocating defense.
Janmark, Wallmark, and Soderberg can each play center but Wallmark is the best at pivot due to his faceoff prowess and intelligence that makes up for not being fleet of foot.
Furthermore, mobile and defensively-minded linemates like Janmark and Soderberg complement Wallmark nicely. Industrious is a word to aptly describe them individually and as a line.
Ryan Carpenter has two years left on his $1M AAV contract but could be the odd one out relegated to the taxi squad if the goal is to get more youth injected into the lineup.
Imagine that Carpenter is on the taxi squad, replace him with Brandon Hagel so that he and Pius Suter can have fair shakes at playing in games to gain NHL experience.
There is also the risk that Andrew Shaw has an unfortunate relapse with his head injury or his kamikaze style lands him back on the disabled list due to whatever ailment.
Another question mark is Zack Smith. Assuming he’s healthy by training camp, does he make the active roster or is he assigned to the taxi squad or forced to the AHL?
The downside to Carpenter, Smith, or other veterans on the taxi squad is that it can make it tough to trade them or to at least optimize their value if they're not playing.
Then there's Dylan Strome's status on the team. Once he’s re-signed, is he immediately traded or do the Hawks retain him to further his development as a top 6 center?
The new teammate who may be impacted most by Soderberg's signing is Strome. A few days ago Dach's injury was Strome's chance to step in. Does Soderberg close that window?
Perhaps not if Soderberg is a winger with ability to play center in a pinch. Strome could then continue to advance his career as a top flight center in the Hawks top 6.
A silver lining of Soderberg on board is that it pushes Brandon Pirri down the depth chart, likely onto the taxi squad. Between the two, Soderberg is too valuable to stash there.
Strome, Smith, Shaw, and Carpenter are the wild cards for determining whether spots will be open for more forward youth. Otherwise, there may not be any rookie starters.
In contrast, the blueline could be half newbies in Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, and Lucas Carlsson. Odds are low for them all to be starters off the bat but maybe in due course.
Boqvist and Mitchell are almost certain to begin the season in the opening lineup. However, Carlsson may need to wait his opportunity until later in the season for an opening.
It's not out of the question for Carlsson to at least be on the active roster. He may then get into the lineup if a veteran gets hurt or moved before or by the trade deadline.
Additionally, older defensemen with extensive injury history like Brent Seabrook, Calvin de Haan, and Connor Murphy could also use off days to rest so they stay fresh.
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So if Soderberg is slotted as a winger, this allows Strome to remain on the team and continue his growth as a top 6 center while Dach nurses his arm back to health.
Even once Dach matriculates back into the lineup, it may not be keen for him to play center. An idea is to have him at wing until he's more comfortable with the NHL rigor again.
If this is the case, that is another reason why Strome is a necessity rather than a throw away. He has more to prove yet also has a lot to give if he can elevate his game.
Nonetheless, the Hawks will need two bonafide top 6 centers for the future as Jonathan Toews enters the back nine of his career and powers down to 3C level sooner or later.
Dach and Strome fit the bill as a 1-2 punch down the middle. Not any of the new Swedish pivots Janmark, Wallmark, or Soderberg and likely not a prospect like Philipp Kurashev.
But if Strome is dealt, who plays 2C with Dach out for an extended period of time? Soderberg isn't a top 6 center and neither are Janmark, Wallmark, Carpenter, Smith, or David Kampf.
Once the season is over, the team will still need a long-term 3C. Having Toews, Dach, and Strome as the top centers to spread out across lines 1-3 may be a wise investment.
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At present, though, having Toews, Strome, Wallmark, and Kampf as the starting centers is pretty solid. Taking Strome out shifts the slotting and perhaps not in a good way.
Temporary rearranging of positional depth is fine for the short term but players slotted inappropriately for a longer period of time can impact depth at all positions.
In other words, shifting one player up or down a line and/or from center to wing (or vice versa) causes a chain reaction where subsequent players may need to be displaced.
Some players are versatile to withstand constant moving around in the lineup. Shaw comes to mind. So does Drake Caggiula. But some players don't adapt well to displacement.
At least that's an issue in theory. Head coach Jeremy Colliton may see it differently as the bench boss who puts a premium on work ethic and competitiveness over line composition.
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One way to hash out the active roster and list of Rockford-bound prospects is to set the taxi squad first which summarily decreases the personnel to select from.
As suggested above, one iteration of the taxi squad could be:
Pirri
Quenneville
Smith
Lindholm
Seeler
Lankinen
Although Smith has a more extensive NHL resume than Pirri, neither have anything to gain from being in Rockford besides lending a veteran presence.
John Quenneville, Anton Lindholm, and Nick Seeler could always grow more in the minors. However, none of them are fixtures for the Hawks future.
For these five, there is no harm in having them practice with the varsity team but not play games until an emergency situation arises if the active roster gets decimated.
If that is the life of the taxi squad, then all viable prospects are better off playing consistently in the AHL no matter what format the league happens to roll out.
Lastly, there's Kevin Lankinen who is on the taxi squad by default given the rule that each NHL team needs three goalies on the expanded roster. It's either him, Malcolm Subban, or Collin Delia.
It's a risk to have a goalie prospect practice only but also may not make sense for the third string tender to take up one of the three reserve spots on the active roster.
Factors to consider other iterations of the taxi squad will play out as training camp approaches and runs its course.
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See you on the boards!
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