The Chicago Blackhawks endured a frustrating weekend with a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday (Nov. 18) and a 4-2 defeat at home to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday (Nov. 19).
Here are three thoughts on the Blackhawks in those two games, with some quick tidbits on the week ahead for the young Chicago squad.
Seth Jones is in a Position to Fail
It’s no secret that the salaries of professional athletes who play in leagues with salary caps get extra scrutiny. The higher the salary, the more the adage “What have you done for me, lately?” comes into effect. Unfortunately, that goes tenfold for players who: a) play on teams that aren’t very good, and b) make substantially more than their colleagues.
Enter Seth Jones, the right-handed defenseman that former general manager Stan Bowman signed to an eight-year, $76 million extension — a cap hit of $9.5 million — less than a week after acquiring him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now a leader on a rebuilding Blackhawks’ roster and having just turned 29, Jones is averaging nearly 26 minutes per night, playing on the top pair, on the first power-play unit, and some time on the penalty kill.
But Jones is also on pace for his worst offensive campaign since 2015-16, the year he was traded midway through the season from the Predators to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Ryan Johansen. In 16 games this season (as of Nov. 20), Jones has zero goals and seven assists, with only one of those assists coming on the power play.
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Beyond the offense, Jones is being asked to play a volume of ice time that should be saved for elite defenders like Cale Makar, Adam Fox and Miro Heiskanen. Because of the lack of depth on this Blackhawks roster, Jones is going against the league’s best lines on a nightly basis. He currently holds a 46.6 percent even-strength Corsi and a 45.5 even-strength Fenwick, both numbers the lowest of his career.
Because of the lack of production and the visual of him being on the ice for goals against the Blackhawks, fans are starting to rip him on social media and in the comment section of any team-related story. As someone who lived in Toronto during Dion Phaneuf’s tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it reminds me of how the former captain and his seven-year, $49 million contract became a lightning rod for discourse and vitriol.
Blackhawks fans should recognize that Jones is indeed a good player and would skate in the top-four of nearly any team’s blue line. But as long as the team doesn’t put other NHL-calibre defenseman with him, he’ll be set up for failure. Maybe it’s time for head coach Luke Richardson to cut back on some of those minutes.
Blackhawks Looked Uninspired vs. Predators
My THW colleagues and I have discussed and written ad nauseam on the Blackhawks and the string of flat efforts they’ve put forward in the last few weeks. At certain points, the skill and creativity this lineup possesses is on full display, giving Chicago fans a glimpse of what the future may hold. At other times, it’s like they forgot to play hockey.
This was apparent in their Nov. 18 loss to the Predators. Nashville is by no means a good team, holding a 5-10-0 record going into Saturday’s game. But the Predators looked confident defensively, stifling most of the offensive chances and opportunities the Blackhawks had, neutralizing a young lineup trying to break out of a slump.
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The Blackhawks did look considerably better against the Sabres on Nov. 19, but they will have to reach a higher level of consistency if they want to get out of the Western Conference basement.
Reichel-Bedard-Kurashev: So Far, So Good
A bright spot to take away from the loss to the Sabres was how the new top line of Lukas Reichel, Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev looked, a trio many fans dreamed of in the comment section. Once the line settled in, they were able to generate scoring chances, capped off by a Kurashev goal off a Bedard shot that led to a rebound.
It may not be the prettiest, but this is the type of offense teams need to create when they’re in the midst of a losing streak and need some sort of production. Beyond the goal, the line as a whole did a great job of getting pucks to the net, with a 16-10 ratio in shot attempts, 10-5 in scoring chances, and a 68.7 percent expected-goals ratio (xG ratio), according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Richardson hasn’t been afraid to juggle lines this season, but if this trio is able to reach that level of consistency I mentioned earlier, then another adage comes into play: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Some Quick Thoughts on the Week Ahead
- Don’t look now, but Kurashev is on a goal-scoring streak! Two games, to be exact, but hey, I’m technically correct, which is the best kind of correct. His two goals over the weekend were desperately needed, as he only scored twice in the eight games prior. Now on a line with Bedard and Reichel, let’s see if that stat line swells up.
- The Blackhawks allowed a power-play goal for the eighth straight game on Sunday, and are 18-for-27 on the penalty kill in that stretch. Richardson and his coaching staff will have to see what works on Nov. 22 against the Blue Jackets before they face off against the Maple Leafs and their sixth-ranked 28.6 percent success rate with the man advantage on Nov. 24.
- When it comes to their own power play, they’re sitting at 12 percent, which ranks 27th in the entire NHL, only scoring six goals all season. Successful power plays require skill and movement: the Blackhawks have plenty of the former but need more of the latter. Jones looks stationary at the point and isn’t getting shots to the net on the first unit. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up.
As mentioned earlier, the Blackhawks face the Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs this week, capped off with a division-rivalry matinee at home against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 26. Their next matchup against a Blue Jackets squad that’s lost nine straight games, including 13 of their last 14, should be an opportunity to exercise some of the demons they’ve faced.