Chicago Blackhawks Midseason Player Report Cards

Forwards (Part 2)

Ryan Donato: C
Like most of the team, Donato has struggled to find the scoresheet consistently, and coach Luke Richardson likely wants to see more from one of the team’s off-season acquisitions. That being said, Donato competes night in and night out and has shown flashes of playing with Bedard. It would be interesting to see how a Kurashev–Bedard–Donato line fares once Bedard returns to the lineup.

Colin Blackwell: A-
One of Donato’s teammates at Harvard, Blackwell has been a much-needed shot in the arm to the team since returning mid-way through the season. Every game he seems to create multiple chances with his speed, and he leads by example with his tenacity on every shift. Blackwell’s grade would be slightly higher if he could finish more of the Grade A chances he creates for himself.

Rem Pitlick: C
Acquired from Pittsburgh when the Hawks were decimated with injuries in January, Pitlick has seen opportunities on the power play and in overtime since his arrival. He has yet to find the scoresheet but displays some underrated skill at times. Pitlick needs to put up some points if he wants another NHL contract after this season.

Lukas Reichel: D-
Reichel’s struggles this year have been well-documented. Expected to be the Hawks second-line center of the future behind Bedard, Reichel has been invisible most nights. He hasn’t shown that same pop and elite skill he did at the end of last season when he had 15 points in 23 games. Richardson and the front office have tried everything short of sending him back to Rockford to get him going. He is only 21 and should have a long, productive career ahead of him, but the results this season have been unsettling, to say the least.

Mackenzie Entwistle: C-
Entwistle has brought his same physical, grinding game this year as in years past and should have a couple more points given some of the scoring chances he has created. Still, when he’s on the ice, he’s not much of a difference-maker. It’s fair to wonder if he should spend a couple of games in the press box to give someone like Rockford’s Colton Dach an NHL look when Dach returns from his injury.