Five Blackhawks rookies that are leading the charge for Chicago

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Kevin Lankinen #32, Chicago Blackhawks Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Blackhawks are having a successful season as of now, and it is in large part thanks to their rookies that they find themselves playing so well.

Stan Bowman called for a rebuild this past offseason. He tried to brace fans with the idea that things were going to get worse before they got better, but through 14 games this season, the Blackhawks have been exciting and ready to go.

There are a lot of pieces that can play a part in Chicago’s success. Head coach Jeremy Colliton finally seems to have this group under control and playing the way he wants to see. He is getting the effort and success out of the players. The leaders in Kane and Keith have not given up on this group and are continuing to lead by example.

Those two pieces were going to hopefully occur this season regardless of the team’s success, the x-factor involved was the young players. Bowman left the Blackhawks exposed this offseason when he traded Brandon Saad and did not bring back Corey Crawford.

His moves opened the door for new players to shine, and shine they definitely have. Let’s take a look at the five rookies that are leading the ‘Hawks to success.

Kevin Lankinen

Kevin Lankinen is making a name for himself in the net with the ‘Hawks. After starting this season as the bottom goalie out of the three netminders vying for Chicago’s net, Lankinen has jumped to the front of the list and has made a home for himself in the crease.

Lankinen has been a very impressive goalie thus far in Chicago. In nine career starts with the team he has a .933 save percentage and has a record of 5-1-3. Lankinen had not played a game in the NHL before this season.

This is one instance where Stan Bowman seems to have been right. While it hurt to see a fan favorite like Corey Crawford leave the city, it opened the door for someone new to come in and prove why they deserve the net.

It is worth noting that Lankinen is not the only goalie that has played alright as well. After a few rough games to being the season, Subban seems to be getting things under control and has played better in later starts. If Subban can pan out even as a backup goalie that would be great for this team’s success in the future.

Pius Suter

Five goals and three assists through the first 14 games of his career. Pius Suter is breaking into the NHL nicely. Suter has not stopped being a threat in the offensive zone since registering a hat trick against the Detroit Redwings.

Pius Suter is proving just how prolific of an offensive mind he can be for the Blackhawks. Similar to Dominik Kubalik last season, Suter is on a hot streak in the offensive zone, and whenever his stick touches the puck it seems to be ending up in the back of the net most of the time.

Chicago is short-handed down the middle this season with notable players being out long term, and Suter has raised to the occasion to take some faceoffs. The only other player that has really risen just as much is next on this list.

Philipp Kurashev

Without the great play of players like Philipp Kurashev this season would be a lot worse. Kurashev has broken into the NHL and is making it his own as he already has four goals and three assists this season.

Kurashev is a year removed from playing in Rockford and now finds himself on a line with Patrick Kane. While Kane does make things easier on the players around him, Kurashev’s success is in large part thanks to himself and his wicked shot – just check out what he did during the Dallas trip earlier this week.

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— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 8, 2021

Hopefully, his next shot will go a little closer towards the net. The amazing thing about these two Blackhawks rookies above is that they are competing against each other right now for the most goals by a rookie this season. Suter leads the rookies in goals with five but Kurashev is right behind him with four. Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators also has four as of now.

Ian Mitchell

Ian Mitchell seems to be making the transition to the NHL nicely. Through 14 games this season Mitchell is still waiting for his first goal, but he has registered an assist. The ‘Hawks have given Adam Boqvist or Duncan Keith the majority of the power-play time this season, but as the year progresses I would not mind watching Mitchell quarterback the ‘Hawks power play.

Mitchell is an offensively minded defenseman. This season is in large part for him to get comfortable in this new environment and adapt his game to the NHL. Colliton seems to be given him as many chances to succeed as possible, as he has the second-most starts in the offensive zone compared to the other defensemen on this team. The only defenseman with a higher percentage of faceoff starts in the offensive zone is Adam Boqvist with 56% compared to Mitchell with 50%.

Brandon Hagel

Hagel is another rookie finding his way in the NHL. While he has not scored a goal yet, he does have a few assists and 12 hits this season. Watching Hagel play reminds me of Andrew Shaw or Ryan Hartman back five or so years ago. I think a player like Hagel definitely makes the bottom six better and the ‘Hawks are lucky to have him out there right now.

With players like Lucas Wallmark out because of COVID and other players missing time along the way, having a player like Brandon Hagel around through the taxi squad is a huge benefit for the team.

It is only a matter of time before Hagel and Mitchell score their first goals. How long do you think before they net the first goals of their careers?

Jeremy Colliton, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

So where does the team go from here?

The Blackhawks can continue their rebuild and be successful this season. A rebuild does not need to be hand in hand with losing. While I would like to see the ‘Hawks push for the playoffs this season and win a Stanley Cup, I just do not think that is likely. However, they very well can be a competitive team in this league.

When it comes towards the trade deadline we will see where Stan Bowman’s head is at, but for now, I would imagine Chicago is not going to add any veterans at the deadline. They might not be as big of sellers as we once thought, but I do not think they are going to be buyers either.

These rookies listed above are showing signs of what they can be in the future. There is no reason to rush that future success into this season and in part fracture how good the team can be down the line.

This team is still without Jonathan Toews, Alexander Nylander, and Kirby Dach. Getting those three players back next season and another offseason to help the development of the five players above is only going to advance the play of this team. Sure, by then Kane Toews and Keith will be another year older, but by then maybe Colliton won’t have to lean so heavily on Kane and Keith when the game is on the line.

The Blackhawks are going to be a successful team again someday, and while that day might not be this season, it very well could be within the next two or three years.

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