Blackhawks: In Season Review – Kirby Dach

It is hard to imagine that this was Kirby Dach’s rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks because he certainly did not look like a rookie.

Kirby Dach put up a remarkable 8 goals and 15 assists throughout his first 64 games in the NHL. While he at times looked a little dazed and nervous with the puck, he found a way to turn things around.

While he definitely was not the best rookie this season, he showed that he has the potential to get better in the coming years. Dach managed to show his great speed and puck skills throughout the 2019-20 season. He kept finding ways to move past defenders and get to open ice, making him a threat on the rush.

One thing that was great to watch this season was when Kirby Dach managed to notch his first NHL goal. In October against the Vegas Golden Knights at home, Dach managed to pick up a puck-moving towards the net and bash it into the Knights net. It was not the flashiest NHL goal to kick start Dach’s career, but it did show some great hockey IQ that Dach managed to find his way in front of the net.

The one big area I believe that Dach needs to work on moving into next season is faceoffs. He was only 33.8 percent at the faceoff dot this season, and that is drastically low for someone who is supposed to be a top 6 center in the next few seasons.

If it was not for his low face off rating I believe I would give Dach a B+ rating for his 2019-20 season. However, because he was not really that reliable in the face-off dot I have to give Dach a C+ for his season. The great thing about Dach though is he has the potential to be even better next season.

Hopefully, this young center is given an opportunity to play with some of the best wingers the Blackhawks have, players like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat should get a few shifts with Dach next year, and who knows maybe that will help him beat his highest point total of 23 in a season!