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Who gets the net in Chicago? |
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This blog was originally titled, "Corey Crawford – the secret weapon", however, Corey has been absence at training camp after a couple of days.
Patrick Kane can score, Jonathan Toews can lead, and Duncan Keith can play defence, but none of them physically keep the puck out the net (outside of the odd blocked shot) like Crawford.
Crawford was the "X-Factor" in Chicago if they were to beat the Edmonton Oilers in this play-in, 5-game series.
Now, without him, the Hawks' chances significantly drop.
There is still a possibility that Crawford status flips from unknown to "hey Crow's at practice and looking great" but I'm proceeding with caution with that hope.
Stan Bowman and Jeremey Colliton didn't sound like Crawford was going to be joining the team anytime soon. I mean, they can't say much outside of he's "unfit to play", but you could tell in their voices that #50 was unlikely to be an option come August 1st.
So, what does that mean? Can Robin Lehner step up in the playoffs and… er… wait, they don't have that guy anymore.
Ok, ok, I'm not going to dwell on that or anything negative, I'm actually going to flip this around and analyze the "silver lining" in all of this.
We all know the Hawks – along with the majority of teams – will be tight against the cap in the coming years. With that knowledge, I can tell you that the Hawks are going to have to go cheap for a backup – and possibly a starter – for next year.
We all know Crawford is a UFA. I am banking on him coming back on a 2-year deal around $3-$4M if he wants to stay in Chicago.
Then, I suspect you are going to see one of Delia, Subban, or Lankinen sitting on the bench as the backup for game #1 of the 2020-21 season (whenever that starts).
Therefore, what a great opportunity for one of these guys to step up and show the Hawks what they are capable of in this short – yet high-stakes – playoff tournament.
Here's how I rank the chances of probability to be the starter if Crawford ultimately can't play come August 1st:
1 - Collin Delia – I have Delia as my number one guy. I've said on multiple occasions that I think Coach Colliton will lean more towards the guy he knows.
While Delia only has 18 NHL games experience (with 0 playoff contest), he showed a ton of perseverance, and dedication to his craft with Colliton was the coach in Rockford.
Delia led the IceHogs to the conference finals in 2017-18 and had some outstanding performances along the way. He finished with an impressive 2.34 GAA and .924 SV% over 10 games that post-season.
Delia struggled a bit last season in Rockford, but a lot of that had to do with some personal things he was dealing with. When you isolate his play in the 2nd half of the season, he was one of the best goalies in the AHL.
2- Malcolm Subban – To me, the starting job is down to either Delia of Subban if Crawford can't go.
In Subban, the Hawks have a former first-rounder who has yet to make it as a consistent option in the NHL. The best part though, he's 26 (same age as Delia) and will be looking to prove his worth.
There was a reason Subban was drafted 24th overall; He's got a lot of skill.
None of the Blackhawks goalies have NHL playoff experience, but I like to look at whether they have played in big-time games throughout their careers.
I mentioned Delia's run with the IceHogs and Subban's edge might be that he's earned the net in more big moments to date.
Subban played a lot of AHL games (127 to be exact) and found himself in 11 postseason games over 3 years with the Providence Bruins. He posted a 2.21 GAA and .919 SV% during that time. Not too shabby.
Dating back to his time in the OHL, Subban was even more impressive with 26 playoff games, all with the Belleville Bulls recording an impressive 2.22 GAA and .929 SV% over a 3-year stretch. He took the Bulls to the conference finals in 2012-13.
Lastly, Subban has always represented Canada over the years in multiple tournaments.
Could he ultimately win over Colliton, take the starting net, and make a case to be the backup in Chicago next year? Very possible.
3 - Matt Tompkins – Matt Tomkins lands at #3 on my list and let's not hope the Hawks have to use him. He's still very green (even at 26 years old) as he's has bounced around from the AHL and ECHL over the last few years.
Tomkins has battled hard and earned himself his first NHL contract though. He is a depth play at best in this tournament but can continue to make a name for himself with the brass in Chicago.
4 - Kevin Lankinen – The 25-year-old could have found himself #1 on this list had he not had shoulder surgery in March that was slated to keep him out 4-5 months.
Heck, I would have bet big on him had he been healthy as he has some of the best recent experience in a tournament format.
Lankinen was uber-impressive in the 2019 World Championship helping Finland win the Gold with his insane 7-1, 2 shutouts, 1.52 GAA and .942 SV% stat line.
However, I believe he's still on the mend and will be a depth option as well.
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What do you think?
If Crawford can't play, who's you're #1 choice?
At the end of the day, I hope everything is good health-wise with Corey Crawford and his family. And hey, if he happens to return, you can expect that "Corey Crawford – the secret weapon" blog to be published shortly after.
Until then, best of luck to you Collin Delia and/or Malcolm Subban and/or Kevin Lankinen and/or Matt Tompkins.
Stay safe and see ya out there!
TC
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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