It's now official that Kirby Dach will be out for 4-5 months after having surgery yesterday on his wrist that he injured during a final tune-up game at the WJC.
That timeline is similar to Alex Nylander who is diagnosed to be out for 4-6 months after recently having surgery to repair a meniscus tear on his left knee.
With these extensive rehabs, Dach and Nylander are virtually out for the regular season and possibly part or all of the playoffs if the Blackhawks qualify.
A silver lining is that both of them got surgeries now rather than later. If one reaggravates the injury, then you lose him twice rather than just the one time.
It's similar to pitchers who get Tommy John surgery early in their careers. It sucks to not see them play right away but the surgery could prolong their shelf life.
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It's ironic that prior to Dach and Nylander's surgeries, the biggest question for the new season was who will be the new starting and backup goalies.
The goalie competition is still an intriguing storyline but personnel status changes fast not with just free agent signings but also pre-season injuries.
Now, the biggest question for the Hawks with training camp starting next Monday is who will replace Dach and Nylander as both were locks as top 9 starters.
This question can be answered a few ways: who will replace them positionally, who replaces their offense, and who replaces their special teams contributions.
As a test of depth, others will need to be relied upon to make up for Dach and Nylander's absence not only at even strength but also the power play and penalty kill.
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Lineup options were explored in the previous blog so here is a refresher on one set of proposed lines that omit Dach and Nylander:
Shaw - Toews - Kubalik
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Janmark - Wallmark - Soderberg
Carpenter - Kampf - Highmore
Suter
In this version, Dylan Strome lines up as 2C with Jonathan Toews, Lucas Wallmark, and David Kampf rounding out the centers. Carl Soderberg is another option.
If Dach was healthy, Dach would have been 2C and Strome forced to 3C even though he doesn't have the requisite defensive acumen to anchor a line in the bottom 6.
Re-signing Strome should be top priority now so he can continue furthering his growth as a top 6 center. This would then be his shot to solidify his tenure.
Otherwise, Soderberg would be 2C for the season. However, he's never been a top 6 center in his career. Spot duty in that slot may be fine but not full time.
How do Strome and Soderberg compare?
Strome has greater offensive upside between a 0.67-0.75 PPG pace versus Soderberg at 0.50 PPG. They are about even at taking draws around 47% give or take.
Soderberg has made a living out of lining up against the other team's best by way of his solid defense, compete level, and snarl. Strome is lacking in all three.
A forward like Soderberg who can deliver shut-down play while also contributing offensively as a secondary scorer is quite the attractive commodity.
Is that enough for 2C, though?
If Dach was healthy, there would be no hesitation to have him as 2C and Soderberg in the bottom 6. However, Strome may provide more offense than Dach now and later.
So does that make Strome the slam-dunk choice for 2C with Dach out of commission?
Given how general manager Stan Bowman has praised Soderberg, it doesn't seem to be the case. Strome could be the odd one out when the lineup card is drawn up.
But shouldn't it behoove the Hawks to retain Strome and continue grooming him as a top 6 center?
The team has already lost one of its two only top 6 centers in the franchise -- whether the big club or in the system -- so why lose the other one so readily.
This isn't an issue of Strome permanently taking away Dach's spot in the top 6. The Hawks need both to hit potential since Toews will age and naturally regress.
So what harm is there to extend Strome's trial period with a one-year bridge deal to have more opportunity to see whether he can grow to meet expectations?
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As for Nylander's lineup spot, there are more options to consider due to being a winger. Determining his replacement depends on what line he would have been on.
If Nylander would have been on the 1st or 2nd lines, Andrew Shaw, Alex DeBrincat, or Pius Suter makes sense. Brandon Hagel is another rookie option.
Although they have different styles, Shaw and DeBrincat have top 6 track records. Suter played at an elite level in Europe so there's possible translation.
As for Hagel, he's a dark horse to make the active roster but a spot could open up for him to earn depending on which players will compose the taxi squad.
If Nylander would have been a 3rd liner, a fellow Swede in Soderberg, Wallmark, or Mattias Janmark makes sense as his sub. They can each play wing.
In fact, this trio of Wallmark centering Janmark and Soderberg may form a killer 3rd line assuming Strome is kept in the fold and slotted in the top 6.
Shaw and Suter could be viable options, too, as 3rd line wingers.
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In terms of who replaces the offense that Dach and Nylander would have generated, there may be an easy solution for Nylander but not so much for Dach.
For Nylander, if his projected output was 0.33 PPG on the low end and 0.50 PPG on the high end, then either Janmark, Suter, or Soderberg could match him.
As for Dach, one can't say Strome makes up the slack for what is lost from Dach's absence. Strome isn't new and was also expected to co-exist with Dach.
Who then makes up for Dach's missing output?
While he wasn't expected to break out to a PPG as a sophomore, Dach was poised to at least reach the 0.50 PPG mark and perhaps up to the 0.67 PPG range.
Wallmark would have to turn in the banner season of all banner seasons to do that. Compensation by committee may be one path, i.e. everyone chipping in.
Another path that is a long shot to restore Dach's lost output is for a rookie to step up and shine. That may be tough as there aren't any top 6 prospects.
Middle 6 and bottom 6 respectively, Philipp Kurashev and MacKenzie Entwistle are prospect pivots in line with Hagel to crack the Hawks roster out of camp.
Regardless, Kurashev and Entwistle are expected to be Hogs starters instead unless they are assigned to the taxi squad given their two-way contracts.
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Lastly, the Hawks have the triumvirate of Swedish free agent signees on board to make up for Dach and Nylander's contributions on special teams.
Dach was likely going to star on the 1st power play unit but Soderberg could fill in quite admirably, especially if the role is as the net front presence.
For Nylander's PP2 spot, enter Wallmark. He exceled on the power play on the Hurricanes farm team and may prove his worth for the Hawks if given the chance.
Nylander doesn't kill penalties but Dach was being penciled in as a key cog. This is where Soderberg, Wallmark, or Janmark can fill the void in Dach's place.
Additionally, if more options are needed, Suter could be a power play weapon on either unit with his tenacious board play and nose for the net.
And if he makes the team, Hagel could be a reliable penalty killer. He's a committed defender, ruthless forechecker, speed demon, and puck magnet.
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See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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