Chicago Blackhawks: 3 keys to success for Malcolm Subban

Key 1: Take advantage of the opportunity

This is basically it. Malcolm Subban has been handed a chance to prove he can be a number starter, and against fairly weak competition. On his previous teams, he was backing up Tukka Rask and Marc-Andre Fleury, both of whom are still playing at the top of their respective games. Maybe slightly less Fleury, but he’s still a great goalie. Taking the net from either of these two wasn’t particularly likely.

Granted, Vegas probably wanted Subban to make things interesting and hoped that he’d be able to stay on as the starter for the Golden Knights. That didn’t happen. Missed opportunity? Hard to say, but Subban is in Chicago now and has been given a chance in the Windy City to be “the guy”.

Now that Bowman decided not to bring back Crawford, this is the chance any aspiring goalie would be after. If he’s ever going to have a chance to “the guy” in the net, this is it. If he blows this, then his chances at being a starting goalie could very well be over.

By contrast, if he’s up to the task, then he’s ready to take full advantage of the opportunity he’s been handed and will claim the starting spot as his own. This is something that he’ll need to have in the back of his mind all year.

Even if things don’t work out for him in Chicago, if Subban shows he’s a capable goaltender, he’ll have a place to play for years to come. Even if his role ends up being as a dedicated back-up, this year will be perhaps the best chance he’s ever had to showcase what’s he fully capable of. For Subban, 2020-2021 is where he proves that he has a future in the NHL.