Blackhawks: How the NHL pause helps younger players

The NHL pause will actually help the young players on the Chicago Blackhawks, specifically Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik, and Adam Boqvist.

The NHL pause has the potential to help the younger players will no playoff experience develop early on in the first series. My reasoning behind this jump in skill for the younger guys on the Chicago Blackhawks, specifically the first-year players is this, the long layoff was basically an offseason. This is year two for a lot of these guys.

Kirby Dach showed a lot of promise last year, as he outpointed Jack Hughes and tied Kakko Kaapo in points, the two guys ahead of him in the draft. Dominik Kubalik scored 30 goals, with 27 of them coming at even strength. Adam Boqvist showed great potential on defense, as he could be the next big thing in Chicago on defense in a year or two.

These guys had time to correct some mistakes they were making. If they played their cards right and studied, worked out, and trained well during the NHL pause, they’ll be improved on the ice. If they wasted their time off, they might even regress and not make an impact during the playoffs.

I personally believe this is a blessing for the Blackhawks. This can even help Alex DeBrincat, who struggled this season after signing a big-money contract.

For those who struggled this season, the NHL pause could have been the break they needed. If they played their cards right, there will be a lot of improvement for these younger players in this year’s playoffs.