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Decision Forks

November 9, 2021, 4:04 AM ET [285 Comments]
Theo Fox
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


Whether or not one wants to consider this click bait, Frank Seravelli from the Daily Faceoff is right in that the Blackhawks are at an organizational crossroad where this historical junction -- albeit for not-so-positive reasons -- warrants tough personnel decisions.

These decisions include but also go beyond Patrick Kane.

Below is an overview of prominent decisions to keep tabs on over the coming months and into the offseason.

Management & Coaches

Of course, the focus lately has been on management and the coaching staff with Kyle Davidson, Derek King, and Anders Sorensen receiving interim tags. Who will eventually be the permanent general manager and head coach as well as president of hockey operations for the Hawks?

At least for the head coach position, the Hawks will wait until the offseason to interview candidates so that the pool is maximized. But the general manager and president of hockey operations positions -- formerly filled by Stan Bowman -- could be confirmed in season.

Interim general manager Davidson has also affirmed that there will eventually be another assistant coach to help interim head coach King guide the team behind the bench along with current assistant coach Marc Crawford. The Hawks could look externally to find additional coaches.

If searching internally, player development coaches Brian Campbell, Erik Condra, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Yanic Perreault plus player development advisor Chris Kunitz are possibilities. Colin Fraser is an amateur scout for the team so could someone like him be a wildcard?

Roster Players

Beyond management and coaches, arguably the predominant personnel decision is what to do moving forward with the Wonder Twins aka Kane and Jonathan Toews. Their identical deals have one more season after 2021-22. Do they get the twin treatment again with dual renewals?

Not necessarily and -- more importantly -- probably not as far as evaluating their worth to the team in terms of both dollar value and on-ice value. If anything, Kane would get a longer-term deal with a greater salary compared to Toews -- and that's if both are retained.

What if either or both of them are open to waiving their no-movement clause? Again, Kane would comparatively garner a more significant and favorable return of assets than Toews. Yet, to optimize those returns, the Hawks would need to retain salary upwards of 50% ($5.25M AAV).

There are other roster players besides Kane and Toews who the Hawks need to decide on. Dylan Strome is one of them. He could be one of the primary beneficiaries with Jeremy Colliton booted. A boost in play could cement a starting job in the top 9 or amp his trade stock.

Then there's Dominik Kubalik. While not mired in Colliton's dog house like Strome was, Kubalik hasn't played up to full potential either so far this season yet playing under King could change that. Would this parlay into a lucrative bridge deal or a trade for a high draft pick?

Kirby Dach also is at a critical nexus in his young NHL career. Can he finally take off under a new coach or will he continue to flatline in his development? As mentioned in a previous blog, gaining confidence and refining his skills in the AHL could be the best medicine for Dach.

Prospects

Another key decision is which prospects to give cups of coffee whether as injury replacements on the big club or as sneak peaks at what they may have to offer at the NHL level. Mike Hardman, Reese Johnson, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin, and Isaak Phillips have already gotten look-sees.

All of them really should be marinating more fully in the AHL, though. Hardman and Johnson have shown flashes of impact with the Hawks but nothing sustainably substantial that moves the needle. Mitchell, Beaudin, and Phillips need to play big minutes on D and in all game situations.

Coming off of his first pro hat trick in North America, Lukas Reichel is enticing to see in a Blackhawks sweater this season. He has 6 goals and 8 points in 8 games thus far with the Hogs. But, patience is a virtue and it behooves the Hawks to let him play a whole season in the AHL.

It's fine if Reichel gets his cup of coffee near the end of the season as a reward but he shouldn't be viewed as a solution this season for the parent club. The more realistic scenario would be to snag a spot in training camp next fall. He'll be much stronger in all facets by then.

Others prospects in Rockford who should wait until 2022-23 to be in the mix for roster spots in Chicago are forwards Josiah Slavin, Evan Barratt, and Andrei Altybarmakian and defensemen Jakub Galvas and Alec Regula. Perhaps Chad Krys, too, but he remains buried on the depth chart.

If there's a player who could spend time with the Hawks, it's Alex Nylander. However, the goal with a prospect like Nylander who has struggled in the NHL prior to this season is to have staying power once recalled. Nylander may be better off rounding out his game in the AHL first.

Goalies

Lastly, Arvid Soderblom is the only goalie signed to an NHL contract beyond this season. Whether he plays out the string in Chicago or he requests a trade, Marc-Andre Fleury isn't returning to the Hawks. Kevin Lankinen is still the front runner to get a new contract.

However, will Lankinen be the bonafide starter in 2022-23 or relegated to backup? It depends which version shows up for the balance of this season, i.e. the version from the last outing with a 2-1 victory over the Predators or the version that has struggled for most other games.

Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban are good as gone unless either is content with being an NHL/AHL tweener to be the goaltending depth every team needs in case of extensive injuries. Cale Morris and Tom Aubrun are both on AHL contracts that expire this summer.

As has been the case this season, Soderblom is the #1 in Rockford with either Delia or Subban backing him up. Soderblom's options are fairly straightforward for next season: remain as the Rockford starter or impress enough this season to serve in the Chicago tandem with Lankinen.

But would the Hawks be confident in going to war with Lankinen and Soderblom as their 1-2 punch between the pipes? Or would they keep Soderblom in Rockford for another season and search for an experienced veteran to be the 2nd string behind Lankinen?

After a hot start to his sophomore year, Drew Commesso has cooled off since then. While he could go pro once the NCAA season is done, it may be in his best long-term interest to stay at Boston University another year then spend at least 2 years honing his craft in the AHL.

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Next Game vs Penguins

The Blackhawks have a rematch tonight versus the Penguins at home to avenge a 5-2 loss during the first week of the season. After this evening's game, the Hawks are idle for a few days before hosting the Coyotes then embark on a road trip to Seattle and Western Canada.

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Roster Updates


Had Brandon Hagel and MacKenzie Entwistle not gotten injured on Sunday versus the Predators, there would have been no need for a Rockford recall as Henrik Borgstrom and Adam Gaudette have been available to slot into the Blackhawks starting lineup.

But with Hagel and Entwistle out, having an extra player available is needed even if they don't suit up especially with the Hawks still carrying only 6 defensemen. With that said, it wouldn't be a surprise for Johnson to be scratched while Borgstrom and Gaudette slot in.

With Calvin de Haan sitting out yesterday for maintenance, he's expected to start on the blueline and likely anchoring the 3rd pair along with Erik Gustafsson. The lion's share of even strength minutes will go to the 1st and 2nd pairs as they do the heavy lifting.

Stillman - S Jones
McCabe - Murphy
de Haan - Gustafsson

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Milestone

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Isaak Phillips

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See you on the boards!

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