Chicago Blackhawks: 3 keys to success for Malcolm Subban

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to need all the help they can get in net next season. Malcolm Subban is one option for the starting goalie in 2021.

If you could pick one player that really created an absolutely sensational amount of press around the Blackhawks for 2019-2020, who would it be? Rookie sensation Kirby Dach? Dubious trade acquisition Alex Nylander? Or, probably Robin Lehner? There’s no contest on that last one. However, by waving goodbye to Lehner, Bowman brought in one of Chicago’s contenders for starting goalie.

Part of the deal the sent the Chicago Blackhawks’ Lehner to Vegas included the Golden Knight’s backup, Malcolm Subban. The former 24th overall pick hasn’t made quite the impact the Bruins probably expected when they used a first-round pick on him. That’s ancient history and he can prove himself for Chicago because all that really matters is the current season.

Subban, along with Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen will be competing for the top two roster spots now that longtime goalie Corey Crawford is gone. Last year, Subban’s stats are essentially non-existent. There really just is not a large enough sample to draw any meaningful conclusions from.

While he does have the first-round draft pick pedigree, the luster around Subban has been tarnished a bit. He hasn’t even played 30 games in a single season at any point in his career. He’s on his third team. Additionally, his official stats at the NHL’s site give him a career S% of .899 leaves a bit to be desired though, especially for a guy who is competing for the starter’s spot in net.

Is Chicago making the right decision on this one? The case for Subban to take the net isn’t particularly strong, but it could very realistically happen. If he does get the nod, here are three keys to success for Subban to succeed in 2020-2021.