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Let's Reschedule

November 23, 2021, 3:06 AM ET [146 Comments]
Theo Fox
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT

As Blackhawks fans remember, this past offseason was not only a busy one but one filled with quite a bit of shock and awe:

* Trade for Seth Jones, 2021 1st round pick, and 2022 6th round pick in exchange for Adam Boqvist, 2021 1st round pick, 2022 1st round pick (lottery protected), and 2021 2nd round pick.

* Trade for Marc-Andre Fleury in exchange for Mikael Hakkarainen.

* Trade for Tyler Jonhson and 2023 2nd round pick in exchange for Brent Seabrook.

* Trade for Caleb Jones and 2022 3rd round pick in exchange for Duncan Keith and Tim Soderlund.

* Free agent signings of Jujhar Khaira and Jake McCabe.

* Erik Gustafsson was also signed as a free agent but technically during the preseason, not the offseason.

As a result of these transactions, the ramp up to 2021-22 arguably saw a recalibration of the youth movement to begin next season or perhaps even further down the road. Assuming full health of the projected roster, the starting lineup was expected to be something like this:

DeBrincat - T Johnson - Kane
Hagel - Toews - Kubalik
Kurashev - Dach - Borgstrom
Khaira - Carpenter - Gaudette
Strome

de Haan - S Jones
McCabe - Murphy
Stillman - C Jones
Gustafsson

Fleury
Lankinen

Dylan Strome and Calvin de Haan were rumored to be on the trade market while Gustafsson was an emergency pickup after both Caleb Jones and Wyatt Kalynuk went down with injuries during the preseason. Brett Connolly is also still in the system as a veteran under contract.

There wasn't supposed to be room for youngsters with less than a full NHL season under their belt. The likes of MacKenzie Entwistle, Mike Hardman, Ian Mitchell, and Nicolas Beaudin were ideally supposed to marinate longer in the AHL. Today, some of them are while some aren't.

Then there's Alex Nylander who's perceived as a 20-something veteran across several NHL seasons but in effect has amassed the equivalent of one full season. Regardless, many have already written him off as a failed former 1st rounder who won't amount to much in the big leagues.

And of course there's 2020 top pick and first-year phenom Lukas Reichel who many wish to see in a Blackhawks uniform as soon as possible rather than wasting time playing a level below with the IceHogs. So far he's a standout and one of the best players for either team in his AHL games.

Time to Recalibrate?

The injury bug keeps decimating the Hawks roster and COVID has reared its ugly head many times sending players and coaches alike in droves to protocol and is bound to happen again this season. So is it high time to accelerate the timeline of matriculating youth to the roster?

With Riley Stillman knocked out of commission after a freak injury to his left leg during Sunday's game against the Canucks, the logical choice was to recall Kalynuk as the "next one up" to be an injury fill-in like Mitchell, Beaudin, and Isaak Phillips before him.

Even though he's the best skater in the system who uses it to his advantage to maintain tight gaps and transition the puck up ice, Kalynuk does need to continue refining his defensive reads. Neither he nor Mitchell or Beaudin has been the Hogs best blueliner thus far.

That honor goes to Jakub Galvas who has been a steadying influence on the back line by competing down low, relieving pressure, and making quick exits with composure. Yet, this is his first year playing on the smaller ice surface of North America so there's still a learning curve.

Kalynuk, Mitchell, Beaudin, and Galvas really should spend most of this season as the Hogs top 4 defenders by logging huge minutes in all situations. They are supplemented by other D prospects like Phillips, Alec Regula, and Chad Krys who have varying levels of potential.

If any of them gets a chance to play with the Hawks for a spell, then that's fine as it inoculates them to the rigors of the NHL while also granting the coaching staff observation time to see where their strengths lie and where they need to keep improving back on the farm.

Even though they've been okay for the Hawks when healthy, additional AHL marination may not be the worst thing in the world for Entwistle and Hardman. Same with Reese Johnson. Josiah Slavin, Evan Barratt, and Andrei Altybarmakian will be better for it in the long run, too.

Nylander: Boom or Bust?

Nylander has actually thrived in his Rockford demotion. He could've pouted thinking he was too good for the AHL. Alas, he hasn't done that and has instead embraced the opportunity to mature his game by integrating hustle and compete while honing his top-shelf skills.

If he didn't have the baggage that came with him from the Sabres organization and have a mediocre first season with the Blackhawks before sitting out the next one, Nylander's AHL resurgence would have more fans excited to see what a former 8th overall may be able to deliver.

A perspective to consider is what if management told Nylander to get his career development back on track alongside the system's top prospect in Reichel, grow together, and graduate to the Hawks 2022-23 roster. Both have been linemates for a majority of the Hogs games so far.

Nylander is on a one-year contract so he would need a renewal to remain in the organization. A cup of coffee later this season could be in the cards to see if his AHL continuing education credits translate to results in the NHL. If so, the Hawks could have a bonafide top 6 talent to add.

And if that's the case, re-sign him to a new deal then either deploy him as a scoring winger on the big club's top lines or trade him while his value is on the uptick. Nylander becoming relevant again can be a boon for the Hawks in one form or another.

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Next Game @ Flames

With the final game of the western road trip, the Blackhawks are in Calgary tonight to face the red-hot Flames at 8:00pm CDT. After a few days off for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the Hawks are back home with a Friday matinee versus the Blues and a Sunday tilt with the Sharks.

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See you on the boards!

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