Blackhawks: Kirby Dach sets his eyes on the playoffs in 2021-22

There are a lot of questions revolving around the Blackhawks, but Kirby Dach’s ability to bounce back is not one of them. The Chicago Blackhawks young star Kirby Dach did not have the best season in 2020-21. He missed a lot of time with a wrist injury he sustained with team Canada right before the season began.

The fact that Kirby Dach battled back to be with the team was a testimony of his will alone. He managed to work all season long to get to the point where he could play with some discomfort for the Hawks again.

Why did Kirby Dach play through some discomfort during a retooling season? This season was never about making the playoffs it was about developing the young players, so why would you play the future of your franchise if he is still in pain?

Hockey players are tough, and they often play through some pretty big injuries at times, but does it make sense to push a young star to the point of playing through pain during his second season in the league? The Blackhawks are going to rely upon Dach a lot in the future, they do not need to push things too quickly.

The Blackhawks season is over, and Dach is looking ahead to the playoffs.

During the team’s exit interviews Kirby Dach had this to say about the season and where he hopes to be next season.

Dach isn’t setting the goal of putting up 50 points or being a better center in the face-off dot. No, Dach’s goal is to get into the playoffs next season. With next year probably going to be the most normal season of his career, the fact that Dach will have a training camp and a full 82 games to make the playoffs will be great to watch.

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The Blackhawks added so many young rookies to their team this past season. So many guys factored into the lineup for the first time in their careers. There is very little experience with being in the playoffs and winning a Stanley Cup in that locker room anymore.

Rather than go out and add former cup winners to the team, the Blackhawks do need to focus on getting this group back into the postseason. Arguably it takes an extra season to become a real contender. The Blackhawks’ path to success probably will have one season in the playoffs losing in the first round before becoming an actual contender again.

Of course, fans and the team need to be rooting to make the playoffs every season, but next year I think it is even more imperative. If the young players on this team can all take a little step forward next season, they will be in a better place to contend for the postseason. Then from there, it is just about figuring out who fits best where and how this team can start rolling four lines as they did in the old days.

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Kirby Dach’s message was a nice thing to see, and it probably summed up what all the rookies on the team are thinking. A lot of these players were not here for the Blackhawks’ last championship. There is a hunger to win not to add to the legacy that they already have, but to do something for the first time like how this team was in 2009 and 2010.