3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks setting their 23-man roster for opening night

General manager Kyle Davidson was not kidding that the younger players had to earn a roster spot.

Davidson signed a bunch of veterans in the offseason with the idea of raising the standards. He also wanted to make sure none of the highly touted prospects like Nazar or Slaggart were just handed a roster spot.

Considering Allan, Bedard, and Reichel are the only players on the roster 22 or younger, it proves Dadvison was not bluffing.

Korchinski is going to start the season with the IceHogs despite playing 76 games last year in the NHL during his rookie season.

The reason is the front office wants to make sure every prospect brought into the organization is given ample development time. Korchinski playing 76 games without any AHL experience was an anomaly since he was not eligible to play for Rockford. Now that he has reached the minimum age requirement, the team wants him to refine his game there.

Korchinski, Nazar, Slaggert, Del Mastro, and Dach would have needed to wow every time they stepped onto the ice to win a NHL job.

While the veteran-laden lineup looked awful last Friday, there is a method to this madness, as it allows the Hawks to avoid rushing unprepared players up just to give the illusion of hope. It does not mean those prospects will not be up at some point this season.

Injuries or poor performance means these prospects will likely be up later in the season. It is good to make sure these youngsters know nothing is handed to them in the NHL. Hopefully, that is a good lesson they learn, and they continue their development in Rockford.