Five Blackhawks rookies that are leading the charge for Chicago

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.