A point of consternation amongst Blackhawks fans has been the development -- or lack thereof -- of Kirby Dach. As the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 draft, excitement and potential were high for him and many predicted that he would crack the NHL a few months later.
Since then, excitement and potential are still there but the luster has worn off a bit as Dach has been far from being an impact player and game breaker on a consistent basis. While it's way too early to label him a bust, it's not too late to reconsider his growth curve.
Emerging Ideas
One idea that has started to dominate is whether to move Dach from center to wing. A common argument for shifting him to wing is that he can improve his play by simplifying his game to be more north-south so he can go hard to the net, create space, and generate down low.
However, Dach was drafted as a center with the intention of him being the heir apparent to Jonathan Toews as the Hawks #1 pivot. Dach is reliable in all zones and can play both special teams just like Toews. Plus, Dach is more of a playmaker than he is a finisher.
Another emerging idea is whether Dach should get away from the top 6 and play on the 3rd line instead in order to face lower quality of competition. In this case, he gets his reps in at even strength while also being leaned on as a key cog on the power play and penalty kill.
If he does get bumped to the 3rd, perhaps he and Dylan Strome can form a line to help one another jump start their careers as both sure could use a jolt. Dach and Strome could alternate between wing and center plus have uber competitive puck hound Brandon Hagel as their linemate.
And a third idea that has become more prevalent is whether Dach should spend time in the AHL to refine his game in a pro environment that's a notch below the world's best. So far that game plan has been a boost for fellow former 1st rounder Alex Nylander who is rediscovering his mojo.
This wouldn't mean Dach has to spend the rest of the season in Rockford. A 2-3 game stint wouldn't cut it either. Say he gets sent down today, getting recalled at the start of calendar year 2022 or shortly after could do him a world of good to work on the finer things.
Unhealthy Pattern
Just like former Chicago 1st rounders Henri Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist, the bottom line is that Dach may have been the victim of getting plopped into the NHL too soon. Should he have stayed an extra year in juniors? Or should he have taken time to fully bake in the AHL?
During their first few seasons in the pros, Jokiharju, Boqvist, and Dach were still teenagers when they toiled in the NHL despite showing glimpses of what they could become. All of them demonstrated that they can thrive against their peers but not so much against NHLers.
Still Too Advanced
Even when prospects are starting in the minor leagues, that level can still be too advanced for some. For instance, take two Czech Republic prospects Michal Teply and Michael Krutil. Both are on the IceHogs roster but have struggled being either overpowered or unnoticeable.
Teply was a revelation in the prospect showcase against the Wild prospects back in September while Krutil was valuable for Team Czech Republic in international tournaments. But both of them have been rendered useless in the AHL. They should be in juniors right now.
Final Thoughts
There's no one-size-fits-all development plan for all prospects. Every prospect needs a customized plan. A critical component, though, is whether each prospect is playing at the appropriate level to optimize development so as to not stunt their growth and spoil their potential.
It will be a constantly debated topic of whether Dach should be in the NHL right now whether as a center or winger and in the top 6 or 3rd line. The same goes for other youngsters in the system. These are good questions to ask. The hope is management's decisions are astute.
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THN's Prospects Unlimited
The most recent edition of the Hockey News magazine titled "Prospects Unlimited" highlights the NHL's top 100 prospects now that the season is well underway. The Blackhawks have only a pair on the list as well as a #1 draft pick who was in the system a few months ago.
#22 Kirby Dach
"Dach has the ingredients of a play-driving No. 1 center with soft hands and the tall, rangy build to protect the puck at an elite level like Joe Thornton. Dach just needs better luck in 2021-22. He broke his wrist at the WJC shortly before last season started and only played 18 games for the Blackhawks in 2020-21."
#81 Lukas Reichel
"Now in his first North American season, Reichel comes over after a nice career in his native Germany and he will surely be counted on to be an impact player for the world junior team this year. Reichel's hockey IQ serves him well on the ice, and that has led to opportunities at center."
#55 Adam Boqvist
"Boqvist starts fresh after the Blackhawks sacrificed him to snag Seth Jones in a trade. Boqvist lands on a weak team in Columbus but receives a huge opportunity to establish himself as the alpha offensive D-man he was always projected to be. His numbers to date don't reflect his outstanding puckhandling and rushing ability."
Feature: Drew Commesso
One particular prospect is featured on each team page in this prospects edition of THN. 2020 2nd rounder Drew Commesso was the featured prospect on the Blackhawks page which included the following soundbytes by the NCAA sophomore goalie himself:
"I'm a very calm and efficient goalie. I don't really scramble. I'd rather just make the save in my chest and simplify the game. You won't find me sprawling or making too many highlight-reel saves, just because I like to pattern myself on making the easy save and being in position...That's something I also pride myself on, being really flexible and being an athletic kid."
Commesso stated he wants to work on his skating and rebound control this season at Boston University. The THN article shared that he wants to work on "things like better edgework and hanging on to shots or channeling pucks into corners" which "will keep him on his feet and in position even more often."
System Rankings
On each team page, THN also classifies each organization's system personnel with a ranking system that denotes Blue Chippers, B-List Prospects, and Sleepers. A few caveats to the Hawks rankings:
* Mike Hardman, MacKenzie Entwistle, and Wyatt Kalynuk were not listed since they were on the Hawks roster at time print.
* In the same vein, Brett Connolly and Malcolm Subban were listed in the system even though they're far from prospects given extensive time in the NHL.
* Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev, and Caleb Jones not only are on the Hawks roster but also have each played at least one equivalent of a full NHL season.
Blue Chippers:
* Lukas Reichel
B-List Prospects:
* Evan Barratt
* Colton Dach
* Michal Teply
* Nolan Allan
* Nicolas Beaudin
* Stanislav Demin
* Taige Harding
* Ian Mitchell
* Alec Regula
* Drew Commesso
Sleepers:
* Ethan Del Mastro
* Chad Krys
Personally, I would remove Demin and Harding from the B-List prospects and bump them off the list entirely. At least for me, neither of them would even make the Sleepers category.
THN's rankings for Chicago also have a few notable omissions as outlined below.
Blue Chippers:
* None
B-List Prospects:
* Alex Nylander
* Jakub Galvas
* Wyatt Kaiser
* Isaak Phillips
* Alex Vlasic
* Arvid Soderblom
Sleepers:
* Andrei Altybarmakian
* Landon Slaggert
* Josiah Slavin
* Victor Stjernborg
* Jake Wise
* Louis Crevier
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IceHogs Updates
It's not a big loss that Chris Wilkie was traded. While he was one of the pleasant surprises last season for the IceHogs as a fundamentally sound scoring winger who was reliable in all zones and situations, Wilkie was still expendable even if has is decent AHL depth.
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Marian Hossa
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Other Blackhawks Alumni
Besides Marian Hossa, other former Blackhawks who played in yesterday's exhibition game were Brent Seabrook and Wendel Clark for Scott Niedermayer's Canada Legends Team as well as Steve Thomas and Sergei Samsonov for Mike Modano's World Legends Team.
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See you on the boards!
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