Theo Fox: Jolly & Folly
A look at how ailments to Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander impact the Blackhawks plus holiday-inspired hopes and wishes for the franchise.

Dach’s injury did not look good at all!! NHL Network analysts did not sound too positive about it either. If the wrist is broken and he needs surgery, the kid’s season is over before it even started. Hate to see this, respect Dach for wanting to play, but damn think he is too valuable to the Hawks to risk an injury like this. Sucks, is all I can say!!

Dach’s injury did not look good at all!! NHL Network analysts did not sound too positive about it either. If the wrist is broken and he needs surgery, the kid’s season is over before it even started. Hate to see this, respect Dach for wanting to play, but damn think he is too valuable to the Hawks to risk an injury like this. Sucks, is all I can say!!
- ChicagoHope

Tough call on whether it was a good idea or not for Dach to be at the WJC in the first place. Definitely very debatable with arguments on each side.

For the injury, the thing that concerns me is that he didn't get hurt by some freak accident, cheap shot, or flagrant foul. IMO, the play looks rather routine with players colliding against one another in a way that seems to happen a few times per game without issue.

If you view the Blackhawks roster on the official website, many prospects were recently added. Wondering if this is the making of the training camp roster?

Teams can have unlimited goalies and 36 players at training camp. The listed roster has 3 goalies and 32 skaters.

Notably listed is Nylander. Notably not listed are Dach as well as Hagel, Suter, Kurashev, Teply, and Krys.

Dach and Teply are at the WJC so that is likely why they're not listed.

Hagel, Suter, and Kurashev just ended their loans in Europe and in Chicago or with family in North America so that could be why they're not listed yet either.

Not sure why Krys isn't listed. On his Instagram account, he has a post of him departing from home with Blackhawks bags packed up.

https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/roster/2019

On the WJC broadcast of the Czech game last night, the commentator said Tepley's game on the power play reminds him of Laine, with him firing bullets from the left side as a right handed shot.

From Bob Mackenzie

“No official word yet from @HockeyCanada but Kirby Dach is out of the WJC because of the injury suffered yesterday. So Team 🇨🇦 loses its captain. CHI doctors still assessing Dach’s injury but he will be missing NHL time as well.”

That sucks, kid is a beast

Tepley looked good on the power play, I did not see him enough at ES to judge him.

From Bob Mackenzie

“No official word yet from @HockeyCanada but Kirby Dach is out of the WJC because of the injury suffered yesterday. So Team 🇨🇦 loses its captain. CHI doctors still assessing Dach’s injury but he will be missing NHL time as well.”

That sucks, kid is a beast
- sensarmy_11

Besides the injury and missing Blackhawks playing time - I feel bad for him missing what would have been a great experience as captain of his national team in an important tournament.

Dach was the #1 player all Hawks fans were looking forward to watching. Our best young player/hope for the future. And now he’s gone.

I’m probably not gonna be paying as much attention as I normally would. Random realignment. Hawks in rebuild mode. And now there’s no Dach. I’m just not excited about the correct state of the team at all. Kinda feels like we’re just gonna be meh for quite some time.

It's very upsetting to me. I know it's no one's fault but what poop luck, you plan on going with a youth movement and before the season even starts 2 kids are out before it even begins.

One of the few youths i was looking forward to watching, he gone, sucks sucks sucks

It's very upsetting to me. I know it's no one's fault but what poop luck, you plan on going with a youth movement and before the season even starts 2 kids are out before it even begins.

One of the few youths i was looking forward to watching, he gone, sucks sucks sucks
- BetweenTheDots

True, I am looking at the positives (to me anyway)

1) Stan is not going out to sign the Fernando Pisani's of the world. We will get to see Suter, Hagel, Kurachev, Highmore get their chance, and evaluate what they have.

2) We can evaluate is Strome the strome of2 years ago or last year. Also, who is the true DeBrinket, a 40 or a 20 goal scorer.

3) Season is short, less time to wallow in our sorrows.

4). If the season truly is a dumpster fire, I think you will definitely see Keith, and whoever else can return a draft pick gone at the TDL, if not beofre.

Wow, apparently missed a lot yesterday. Hope Dach’s stay on the injury list is short lived and Nylavendar comes back from his surgery strong.

Wow, apparently missed a lot yesterday. Hope Dach’s stay on the injury list is short lived and Nylavendar comes back from his surgery strong.
- HawkintheD

It sounds like Dach will miss the Reston of the WJ tournament and likely some NHL times too. Obviously it sucks to lose another forward but I’ll be interested to see who gets the opportunity to step up. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kurashev get a turn on the 4th line to start the season.

I was all for Dach playing World Juniors. It was unfortunate he got hurt. But he could have just as easily hurt it during a scrimmage in training camp.

There could be some positive effects of Nylander's surgery and Dach's injury.
1) Opens a door for Strome to prove himself as the 2nd line center maybe with Kane and ADB.
2) Additional playing time for other young players
3) Can sign Nylander as an RFA at a lower cap hit.
4) Nylander can probably do some upper body strengthening.
5) Nylander and Dach may learn a lot watching games and reviewing tape with video coaches.
6) Dach can continue to strengthen his core, lower body, and work on stamina.
7) If the team is a little worse without Dach (and Nylander) it improves draft posiiton.
8) Maybe elevates a younger player to the 2nd or 3rd line and gives more playing time to Z Smith. If he plays well we may be able to dump him for a C level prospect, 7th round pick, or an AHL player that will never see the NHL.

Offensively, the players need to hustle to pucks, win battles, work hard to get open, connect on passes, drive hard to the net with and without the puck, and have a shoot-first mentality.

Defensively, the players need to shrink the ice by hounding the opponent, manage gaps, close off passing lanes, block shots, contest every puck, play the body, and support teammates.

From the same article that called Nylander a top 9 forward.

Doh, what’s with all the silver linings, don’t you know it’s supposed to be doom and gloom around here. When one door closes another one opens, let’s see who steps up. I’d like to see Hagel and Kurashev get an opportunity, but they are more bottom six, we just don’t have any top six prospects other than the ones that just got hurt, and maybe Reichel and Tepley, but they are a couple of years away.

Well this season is already turning into a dumpster fire. I thought they would finish second to last in their new division , looks like good news for Detroit. Having a hard time getting into the upcoming coming season as it is , this won't help

Question: Can a player be traded that is on LTIR? Does the player have to agree to be traded?

Doh, what’s with all the silver linings, don’t you know it’s supposed to be doom and gloom around here. When one door closes another one opens, let’s see who steps up. I’d like to see Hagel and Kurashev get an opportunity, but they are more bottom six, we just don’t have any top six prospects other than the ones that just got hurt, and maybe Reichel and Tepley, but they are a couple of years away.
- Angotti

I am sorry Lou. My Christmas spirit must have been greater than the gloom of the Blackhawks Ghost of Christmas Present and Blackhawks Ghosts of Christmases Yet to Come.

"A Merry Christmas to us all; God Bless us, every one!" (Author: Charles Richardens)

Funny Hockeybuzz will not allow you to type the name of the author of the Christmas Carol. ) Charles D I C K E N S. It automatically spell corrects as Richardens.

On the WJC broadcast of the Czech game last night, the commentator said Tepley's game on the power play reminds him of Laine, with him firing bullets from the left side as a right handed shot.
- LAHawk

Laine Lite is a moniker and comparable that I've heard before for Teply.

Question: Can a player be traded that is on LTIR? Does the player have to agree to be traded?
- HenryHockey

I'm pretty sure that players on LTIR can't be traded, bought out, etc (someone please feel free to fact check this). I believe this is why Smith is still on the team otherwise he may have been gone by now.

A basic fracture generally results in a 4 to 6 week or 6 to 8 week absence but if surgery is required it could be considerably longer than that. But no decision on that has been made yet.

Per Bobby Mac...

Completely sucks for the kid and Hawks...

Cirelli re-signs with the Lightning at 3 years, $4.8M AAV.

From Bob Mackenzie

“No official word yet from @HockeyCanada but Kirby Dach is out of the WJC because of the injury suffered yesterday. So Team 🇨🇦 loses its captain. CHI doctors still assessing Dach’s injury but he will be missing NHL time as well.”

That sucks, kid is a beast
- sensarmy_11

Reports are that Dach has a fracture. Timetable still unclear but generally as Bob McKenzie described (as posted above by sensarmy).

The timetable increases significantly if surgery is required. Otherwise anywhere from 4-8 weeks depending on severity and rehab.

From the Athletic.....
"Nylander was sixth among Blackhawks forwards with 1.96 points per 60 in 5-on-5 minutes. He was also third among the forwards for being on the ice for the fewest high-danger chances against per 60. The analytics point to a player with some potential."

Also almost no PP time and playing up and down lines from top line to the 4th line with different (and sometime awful wingers).

Like Strome I would not seeing more of Nylander (of course Strome this year and Nylander next).