Chicago Blackhawks Midseason Player Report Cards

We’ve reached the NHL All-Star Break and the Chicago Blackhawks once again find themselves in the league’s basement. This was not unexpected, of course.

General Manager Kyle Davidson has been upfront with fans and the media that the Hawks need to replenish their roster with young, elite talent before they can contend for Stanley Cups again. That takes time.

What was unexpected was the barrage of injuries the squad has endured, highlighted by Connor Bedard’s broken jaw, and the team’s offensive impotence.

As the players decompress and recover from a difficult 50 games, let’s hand out some report cards evaluating their performances this season...

Forwards (Part 1)

Nick Foligno: A
Foligno has done everything Davidson could have asked from him when he traded for his rights and signed him this offseason. His unrelenting competitiveness every night has endeared him to teammates and fans alike, with many clamoring for him to be named captain after he inked a two-year extension in January. He’s chipped in some offense where possible and has taken it upon himself to show the team’s young core how to be professionals.

Jason Dickinson: A
Like Foligno, Dickinson recently earned himself a two-year extension and was named a member of the Hawks’ leadership group this season. He has already bested his career high in goals (15) and is well on his way to surpassing his career high in points. Dickinson has displayed strong two-way play year-round, taking on opponents’ top offensive units and playing on the Hawks’ first penalty kill unit.

Philipp Kurashev: B+
I think Kurashev has put together a really solid year thus far. His offensive numbers may not pop off the page (24 points in 43 games), but he has brought speed and creativity to the Hawks’ first line consistently. He seems to have meshed well on Bedard’s wing and looks to be a fixture in the team’s lineup for years to come.

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.

Forwards (Part 3)

Reese Johnson: C-
Another heart-and-soul player like Entwistle, Johnson has played the role asked of him this season. He’s been fine, but ideally, once players like Dach, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore eventually graduate to the NHL, Johnson will no longer be in the Hawks’ lineup on a nightly basis.

Joey Anderson: B
After failing to make the Hawks’ initial roster out of training camp, Anderson tore up the AHL and earned himself a promotion. One of the few players with a positive plus/minus on the team, Anderson has performed well on Dickinson’s wing. He often wins puck battles, races against larger players, and sets up teammates for good chances.

Zach Sanford: C-
Sanford was claimed off waivers during the Hawks’ miserable stretch of injuries. He’s tallied 3 assists in 11 games but hasn’t been overly inspiring with his play. You can see why he was deemed expendable by Arizona, but, to be fair, the Hawks didn’t expect much of him anyways.

Boris Katchouk: C
Katchouk was placed on and cleared waivers in early December. He was then recalled at the end of the month. He has played better since rejoining the team and has even tallied a couple of goals in a bigger role since Bedard’s absence.

Taylor Raddysh: D-
After finishing last campaign tied with Andreas Athanasiou for the team lead in goals, Raddysh was expected to shoulder a good chunk of the offensive load this season. He has failed to meet expectations, tallying just 5 goals in 45 games and looking ineffective most nights. The Hawks are hoping the time off during the All-Star break will allow him to reset and start to look like the player he was last season.

Goalies

Petr Mrázek: A+
Mrázek has arguably been the Hawks’ best player this season and was appropriately awarded a two-year extension in January. He has kept the Hawks in many games where they were clearly outplayed and will be the team’s starter until one of Arvid Söderblom or Drew Commesso takes the reins. Mrázek has been an important feel-good story for the Hawks this year, going from a salary dump from Toronto to regaining his form as a legit starting goalie.

Arvid Söderblom: D
Söderblom has struggled this season, winning just two of his 20 starts, posting a 4.07 GAA and .874 SV%. Yes, he hasn’t been given much help by the team in front of him, but I wonder if at some point Davidson will call up Commesso and give Söderblom a conditioning stint with Rockford.

Injured Reserve

Taylor Hall: Incomplete
Hall appeared in just ten games this season before going down with a season-ending knee injury. He looked solid next to Bedard and would have been able to take some of the offensive burden off the 18-year-old’s shoulders. Next year will be massive for Hall, and Davidson will have to decide whether to extend him or ship him to a contender at the trade deadline for assets.

Tyler Johnson: C
Before his injury, Johnson’s offensive production was not on par with years past. I wrote earlier that I could see him being dealt at the deadline thanks to his playoff experience and versatility, however, his injury status complicates a potential deal.

Nikita Zaitsev: C+
I thought Zaitsev really stepped up on the offensive side of the puck as the Hawks dealt with a rash of injuries, chipping in a pair of power play points during Jones’ absence. Zaitsev likely will not be back with the Hawks next season.

Connor Murphy: B-
Consistently one of the league leaders in blocked shots, Murphy continued his physical defensive play this season. With Foligno taking the vocal leadership role this season, Murphy has quietly led the way on the back end along with Jones.

Andreas Athanasiou: Incomplete
Athanasiou hasn’t played since November and had just four assists in 11 games. The Hawks have desperately missed his game-breaking speed and crafty puck skills. When he comes back, he should get a look on Bedard’s wing.

Anthony Beauvillier: C-
I have honestly been disappointed by Beauvillier’s game since he joined the team in late November. He has all the speed and skill to be a reliable top-nine producer (and has shown so in the past) yet he hasn’t put it all together this season. It remains to be seen whether the Hawks re-sign him.

Connor Bedard: A+
The rookie phenom was must-see TV for hockey fans before his injury, leading all rookies with 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games. He was the Hawks’ only true offensive threat on a nightly basis and he is sorely missed as evidenced by the team’s dearth of offense since he went down. I believe I speak for everyone when I say I can’t wait for him to return.