Three reasons the Blackhawks had to send down Nicolas Beaudin to AHL

The Chicago Blackhawks sent Nicolas Beaudin to Rockford last week, and while the move did frustrate some ‘Hawks fans, it does make sense for the team in the long run.

Beaudin played in 11 games so far this season with the Blackhawks. During that time, he scored two goals and three assists and helped the team win. His 40 percent shooting percentage is the best on the team, and his time on the first power play was an interesting turn of events for the ‘Hawks.

Beaudin did surprise a lot of people with his play in the NHL, but with other high-end rookies on the blue line in Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist, someone had to take on less ice time or join the Icehogs; Beaudin was the best pick.

While I do hope we see Beaudin in the NHL again this season, I also understand why the ‘Hawks sent him to Rockford after playing some pretty good hockey in the NHL. Let’s go over three reasons the ‘Hawks had to send him down.

1. Seventh Man Out

The Blackhawks ran with seven defensemen this season a fair amount of times. They would utilize different d-pairings and keep everyone involved, but that just makes the defense crowded.

Beaudin was the seventh man out on the ‘Hawks defense. While I would like to see him still in the NHL, not if that means he wouldn’t play every night or get in different situations.

Beaudin’s exit corresponded with Adam Boqvist and Connor Murphy coming back from injuries. Should anyone else go down for a stretch of time again this season I would imagine that Beaudin is the next guy up for the ‘Hawks yet again.