Chicago Blackhawks: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

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A breakdown of the Chicago Blackhawks players who are currently hot and the players who are not.

The best time of the year is finally here, hockey season. Put on your favorite player’s sweater and grab a seat in front of the nearest tv. The new season is still young, but some interesting trends are developing.

While hockey is probably the most team-oriented sport in existence, every team has its star players who need to perform if their respective teams are to have any shot at the postseason. The Chicago Blackhawks are no exception to this blanket statement.

We are officially four games into the 2019-20 NHL season and some Blackhawks have shot out of the starting gate while others tripped and fell a few times. As a unit so far, the Chicago Blackhawks are currently underachieving on offense and have actually been one of the better teams defensively.

I know what you’re thinking right now, and there’s no possible way this can be true, but it is. Let’s take a closer look at the team as a whole, and then, the individual players.

Chicago Blackhawks Team Stats

The Chicago Blackhawks currently own a 1-2-1 record which is far from ideal, but there are some positives if you look a little closer. The team has been struggling to score goals which is the exact opposite of last season. So far, the Blackhawks have only scored 12 goals (T-28th) through 4 games.

On the other hand, the Blackhawks have only allowed 13 goals (T-6th). Crazy, right? While the goals allowed are surprisingly at a respectable number, Corey Crawford is responsible for a whopping 10 of those. However, Crawford did turn in a vintage performance on Monday against the Oilers while only allowing 1 power-play goal.

The Blackhawks’ special teams have been hit or miss to start the 2019-20 season. The power-play unit is currently in the middle of the pack with a 22.2 PP% (T-15th). The penalty kill isn’t killing much of anything, besides the team’s momentum in games. The Blackhawks have a 61.5 PK% (28th) which is embarrassing, but they did score an impressive shorthanded goal against the Jets.

https://twitter.com/Certified_TonyG/status/1183162910568259585

This is a great spot to transition into the individual players’ portion of this article, so let’s get to it. First, we will focus on the currently hot players.

Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad has started the 2019-20 season off strong and much better than he did last season. To start the 2018-19 season, Saad was playing on the 4th line and getting healthy scratched. That is not the case anymore, although Jeremy Colliton is still underutilizing Saad.

Saad has been playing third-line minutes, but he has been having a first-line impact. He has been noticeable all over the ice and on the penalty kill. In 4 games, Saad has racked up 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) with a -1 ± rating. He is currently on pace for 61 points which would be a new career-high.

Colliton should consider giving Saad top-6 minutes while he’s hot and find a spot for him on the power play. I’d like to see this top line: Brandon Saad-Jonathan Toews–Dominik Kubalik.

The Blackhawks’ current 3rd line of Brandon Saad–David Kampf–Dominik Kubalik has arguably been the most effective thus far. Saad is doing some damage with Kampf as his center. Imagine what he and Kubalik could do with Toews as their center.

Dominik Kubalik

Like his linemate, Saad, Dominik Kubalik has had a solid start to the 2019-20 season and his rookie campaign. While playing third-line minutes, he has had a first-line impact as well.

When you watch Kubalik play, you always see him getting involved in the play. You will get plenty of shots on goal (12), smart reads (1 assist), and timely hits (14) when Dominik Kubalik takes the ice. He is currently on pace for 41 points and a great rookie season.

If you didn’t know Kubalik was a rookie, you would think he has been in the league for a while. He plays a strong possession game as well and currently owns a 52.7 CF% and a 63.6 oZS%.

For those who aren’t into advanced statistics, this means the Chicago Blackhawks control the puck more with Kubalik on the ice and they spend more time on the attack in the offensive zone which is great.

Dylan Strome

Dylan Strome has really solidified the 2nd line center position which is a great relief. The Chicago Blackhawks probably haven’t had a steady 2nd line center since Artem Anisimov during the Artemi Panarin-Artem Anisimov-Patrick Kane days.

Strome has gotten off to a solid start this season with 3 points (1G, 2A) and a 4 ± rating in 4 games. He is currently on pace for 61 points. The only area where Strome has struggled is with faceoffs (36.4%).

Strome is currently playing on an expiring contract so he holds his destiny in his hands. So far, it looks like he is heading straight to the bank and I can’t blame him. This will definitely be a storyline to watch as the season unfolds.

Alex DeBrincat recently received a 3 year, $19.2 mil contract extension, so I expect Strome to come in a little under that. Somewhere close to 3 years, $15 mil would be my guess.

Andrew Shaw

Andrew Shaw’s return to the Chicago Blackhawks has been a positive one for both players and fans. Shaw has given the locker room a huge morale boost and the team’s play on the ice has taken on his gritty, physical style of play.

He currently has 2 points (2G) with a 4 ± rating in 4 games and currently on pace for 41 points. Shaw also has 11 hits to go along with those 2 goals.

https://twitter.com/Certified_TonyG/status/1183928031271886848

Another bonus that Andrew Shaw brings to the table is his ability to rotate in on draws. This has proven beneficially with Dylan Strome’s struggles at the faceoff dot. Shaw currently owns a 46.2 FOW%.

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane has picked up where he left off last season and currently leads the Chicago Blackhawks in points (5). Kane has been an efficient scorer so far, as he scored twice on just 8 shots (25%). His playmaking has been as good as ever with 3 assists in 4 games.

The Blackhawks will be counting on Kane to have this type of production all season as they try to make their first playoff appearance since 2017. He is currently on pace for 102 points.

Kane has seen time on both the 1st line and 2nd line to start the 2019-20 season, and of course, extensive time on the power play (2:49). There’s not much else to say about Patrick Kane that hasn’t been said already. Elite players do elite things and Kane is on his way to having another great season with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Corey Crawford

Chicago Blackhawks’ goalie, Corey Crawford, hasn’t exactly gotten off to the start he was hoping for. The Blackhawks have allowed 13 goals and Crawford is responsible for 10 of them. To go with 10 goals against, he also has a 1-2-0 record with a 3.40 GAA and a .900 Sv%.

It’s not all on Crawford though, as the defense continues to work out the kinks. It is still early in the season, but these are not the typical elite numbers we’ve grown to expect from him.

Corey Crawford is coming off of a bounce-back performance against the Edmonton Oilers where he only allowed one goal, so I’m not counting him out yet. Crawford is currently 35 years old and playing on an expiring contract. His future with the Chicago Blackhawks is in the air and this will be a storyline worth monitoring throughout the 2019-20 season.

Brendan Perlini

Brendan Perlini has had a slow start to the 2019-20 season and that’s mainly because he has only played in one game. Jeremy Colliton has been scratching Perlini regularly to start the season. You would think a 23-year-old former first-round pick with the potential to score 20+ goals would be seeing more ice time, but that is not the case here.

This is such a confusing situation. Is Perlini not good enough? Does he not fit Colliton’s schemes? Is it a work ethic and focus issue?

These are all valid questions that many Chicago Blackhawks’ fans have when it comes to Brendan Perlini. He did have a brilliant stretch last March when he netted a hat trick against his former team, the Arizona Coyotes, and earned 2nd Star of the Week honors.

How will Brendan Perlini follow up his 2nd Star of the Week showing tonight on @NBCSChicago?

?⭐️⭐️: https://t.co/4uMpO5VkBp pic.twitter.com/ftKozFDEIl
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 18, 2019

Maybe this issue gets solved with more ice time and a steady role. Even when Brendan Perlini was playing regularly last season, he was finding himself bouncing between lines.

This most likely harmed his psyche, as he was kind of set up to fail by Colliton. I would like to see what happens when he’s given the opportunity to succeed on a line where he can showcase his offensive abilities.

Final Thoughts

I’d like to extend an honorable mention to Alexander Nylander. Although he was scratched in one game, he didn’t let it get him down. In 3 games played, Nylander has 2 points (2G) with a -1 ± rating.

While I’m not the biggest fan, I do see him taking advantage of the ice time he has been given. On Monday against the Oilers, Alexander Nylander made a great, heads up defensive play where he forced a Connor McDavid turnover and found twine.

https://twitter.com/Certified_TonyG/status/1183936048809811969

The potential is there with Nylander, he just has to find the consistency to be an everyday player who can eat up a lot of ice time. Even with a 1-2-1 record, the Chicago Blackhawks are still in a great position to have a strong season.

Kirby Dach will be lacing up his skates with the Blackhawks soon and there are other promising prospects in the system like Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin, Philipp Kurashev, Evan Barratt, and more who will be pushing for ice time in the NHL in the very near future.

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