How Ethan Del Mastro is working to show he can be an NHL regular with the Blackhawks

At the Chicago Blackhawks training camp, the defense has been a talking point because they have eight NHL-caliber defensemen, but two will be left out of the starting six.

One of the defensemen looking to fight their way into a significant role is Ethan Del Mastro. With the shortned preseason, he will only get so many opportunities to audtion (likely only two games).

But he did well in their first preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.

And it was needed as he competes for a spot.

How Del Mastro has looked in the preseason

Del Mastro played only 19 NHL games last season, as he has mainly been developing with the Rockford IceHogs over the past three seasons. However, the Blackhawks gave him a two-year contract extension on Sept. 16, and he's looking to prove himself.

Towards the end of last season, I spoke with him, and he mentioned he was starting to feel more comfortable after getting more NHL reps.

I chatted with him again before the Blackhawks departed for Minnesota on Sept. 19, and I asked if he still feels that same level of comfort going into training camp. "Yeah, for sure. I mean, when you look at all the guys that are in the room, they're all kind of guys that you've been playing with for the last little bit here, and young guys that are around a similar age. And all the new guys that have came in are super nice and good guys. So, it's kind of been easy to have them gel. But we're a super tight-knit team, and kind of able to talk and communicate pretty easily. So, yeah, it's been pretty easy to kind of be comfortable with all of them."

Looking ahead to a future role, head coach Jeff Blashill mentioned he sees Del Mastro as more of a penalty kill guy than a power play guy at the NHL level.

I asked Del Mastro if he sees that same role for himself. "Yeah, for sure. I think that's something I've kind of been working on the last couple years and trying to continue to add to my game... not that it hasn't already been there, but to continue to grow it. But yeah, for sure, I think that's something I can continue to do and kind of be a little bit more of a force in, just because, you know, obviously the size and the length, and I think my ability to kind of read on defensive plays and kind of sniff out offense and stuff like that. But, yeah, I think it's something I'm gonna continue to do and try to do for the rest of my career."

Against the Wild, he and Korchinski were the top pair and played heavy minutes, as Blashill said they would. They did very well, and Del Mastro played 23:55 minutes, including 3:58 minutes on the penalty kill. He was also a plus-2 in the team's 3-2 overtime loss.

He isn't one who is likely going to be heavily offensive-minded, but the 6'4", 210-pound defenseman can play a part in just being sound.

When asked what he was working on this summer, "I think I just worked on a lot of skating. I think that's one thing we wanted to work on, is just kind of certain pivots at the blue line, you know, opening up, being able to close off plays that are kind of entering in our zone. So, I think a lot of just skating, and then just being able to kind of pivot and have a little bit more mobility to be able to close on plays like that."

Del Mastro wants to show he can be an everyday player

The roster competition is taking shape, as the main six look to be Alex Vlasic, Bowen Byram, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, Ian Cole, and Sam Rinzel. It leaves Korchinski and Del Mastro as seven and eight. General manager Kyle Davidson said there wouldn't be an issue with them carrying eight defensemen, but obviously, all defensemen want to be in the core six.

Blashill said about Korchinski and Del Mastro, referencing Ian Cole's long career of securing a spot, "...That's over 15 years of saying, 'whatever team I'm on, I'm anchoring a spot.' That's how it is, man. Someone's got to go beat them out. You got to go beat them out. You got to go earn it, and I think both those guys... Delly would be in the same boat. Every time you step on the ice, you have a chance to kind of say to me whether you should be above somebody or not, and we'll just keep judging."

And that was Del Mastro's mindset heading into the preseason games: "I think, like, any preseason game, getting ready for the season, and it's still camp. You still want to show well. So, I think it's just go out there and do what you can, show the best you can, and leave a good taste in management and (the) coach's mouth that they can think that you're an everyday NHL'er, and hopefully, they can see that when you're playing."

The competition is tough. But he had a good start in the first preseason game, and if he looks strong in another, he could show the Blackhawks that he deserves a longer look.

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