Blackhawks: Comparing Alex DeBrincat’s first few years to Patrick Kane’s

Alex DeBrincat is the future goal scorer of the Chicago Blackhawks, but how does he compare to Patrick Kane?

Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat are both wingers for the Chicago Blackhawks. While Kane was a number one pick, DeBrincat was a second-round steal, but DeBrincat has proven he deserved to go much earlier.

Alex DeBrincat has become a prolific goal scorer fo the Blackhawks, and there is no doubt in my mind that he and his linemate Dylan Strome deserve another chance together next season. While he might not have had the best year last season, he is going to turn rebound this coming year. Alex DeBrincat is never going to be as good of a playmaker as Patrick Kane, but he can be as good of a goal scorer.

Patrick Kane had 76 goals throughout his first three seasons, which included a Calder Trophy during his rookie year. DeBrincat, on the other hand, has scored 87 goals, and he played in eight fewer games. Kane had more assists and capped his third season with a Stanley Cup, but DeBrincat does have a bright future.

DeBrincat scored 11 more goals throughout his first few seasons, and he did that while playing less time on the ice. Kane was averaging almost 19 minutes of ice time per game throughout his first three years; DeBrincat, on the other hand, is only averaging 16:37. DeBrincat was doing more with less, and as his opportunities continue to add over the next few years, so should his results.

Both of these players are players you want to pass the puck to in order to score a goal late in the game. While Kane might do a better job at creating space down the rush, DeBricant does find a way always to find open ice for a pass in the offensive zone. Just take a look at his career stats so far.

DeBrincat has a lot of ways he can improve. He might not ever be as good as Patrick Kane when it comes to making a play, but he can improve on his overall puck control. Another exciting thing about these two players is how they found a way to stay so healthy during their first few seasons.

Patrick Kane only missed two games throughout his first three years, and DeBrincat has not missed any so far. If it were not for the shortened year due to COVID-19, he would have played in all 82 games for the third time. That is a pretty amazing fact when you consider that DeBrincat was passed on so many teams in the draft because of his size.

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Alex DeBrincat is going to be asked to lead the Blackhawks someday. He is going to be the Blackhawks top winger unless Dominik Kubalik has something to say about it. Either way, one day, we are going to have a Blackhawks team without Patrick Kane, and DeBrincat is showing signs that he can be the Blackhawks’ next top goal scorer.

When analyzing the way Alex DeBrincat scores goals, they look very similar to Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Both players find a way to score goals from the wing and often set up on the power play, ready for a quick cross-ice pass for a goal.

Patrick Kane is the best Blackhawk ever, I am not trying to contest that, but moving forward, DeBrincat should be at the center of the Blackhawks future. DeBrincat has something Kane did not have during his first few years, Kane, as a linemate.

Moving forward, think of how great DeBrincat can be if he has Patrick Kane on his opposite side there to help set him up for great goals. We have seen this in the past, and we are going to need it more moving forward!