Colton Dach must show something this season, or the Blackhawks must move on

Colton Dach has the size and skill the Chicago Blackhawks desperately need on the ice. The problem is that he has had trouble staying on the ice.

This season might be Dach's last call to prove he can be a middle-of-the-lineup player that his talent suggests he can be. If he has another injury-plagued season, the Blackhawks can easily move on to some of the other young forwards in their system with similar size and skill.

A.J. Spellacy, Sacha Boisvert, and Mareck Vanacker could all easily pass him up if Dach does not show something on the ice this season.

First, he will have to beat out Spellacy for a roster spot in training camp. He will also have to prove he is worthy of being on the Opening Night roster over fellow young forwards like Lukas Reichel, Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert, Aidan Thompson, and Ryan Greene.

He will also have to impress new head coach Jeff Blashill to give him a sweater on a nightly basis and force veteran Sam Lafferty to sit in the press box as the healthy scratch.

If he can do that, he might be able to carve out a role in Blashill's scheme.

Potential to provide value in Bashill's system

There is not much to recap on how he was used under interim head coach Anders Sorenson last season. He suited up in only 25 games after being promoted in January.

He provided the roster with a young forward who had some size and played physically. That was something the team was sorely lacking during the first couple of months of last season. Before the 6'4 Dach was called up, veteran Pat Maroon was the only forward listed at 6'3 or taller on the roster, and he was wrapping up his career.

Dach provided a physical presence immediately, with 86 hits in 25 games. The injury bug bit him and it kept him out of the lineup for the team's final 13 games. That injury started to establish the potential that he might be injury-prone as he skated in just 48 games with injuries at Rockford during the 2023-24 season. He posted just seven points in those 25 games, but it was hard to get a gauge on what he could do offensively in such a short sample size. That is why he must stay healthy and show in training camp that he is capable of winning puck battles that Blashill wants to see out of his forwards.

Blashill's 2-1-2 system is predicated on turnovers being created in the neutral zone to create counterattacks. While Blashill prefers his defensemen to create the hits to jar the puck loose from the opposing team or have a quick stick to intercept a pass, having a forward with Dach's size can also help start a rush.

Blashill also wants his forwards to go and win those battles along the boards in the offensive zone to keep scoring chances going. Dach's size once again can help there.

The issue for Dach is that Blashill's offensive system also requires speed. Dach's skating has been rated below average (subscription required). Although the Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis feels Dach was looking quicker on the ice.

It would be nice to see Dach prove he is capable of skating in Blashill's system because he also has the ideal size to screen goalies on the power play or during times the call is made to run a traditional offensive cycle. I could see him racking up goals by parking right in front of the netminder and burying in rebounds.

For that to happen, he has to prove he can stay on the ice. Otherwise, Spellacy can easily jump ahead of Dach since he stands 6'3" and can do the same things Dach can do on the ice. Vanacker is only 6'1", but he has shown at the juniors that he can win puck battles and is rated as the better skater.

With those options available, you can see why Dach has to show something this season. Otherwise, he will get passed by.