For the Chicago Blackhawks the playoffs might be a pipe dream, but throwing in the towel isn’t an option. The coaching staff is trying to determine how to best salvage the remainder of the season for the betterment of the future. Last Wednesday head coach Derek King admitted to the media he may have been shuffling the lines too much. In other words, he lost patience too soon instead of giving the players a chance to work through things. There’s a fine line between letting players find their groove and changing things because they don’t appear to be working. Especially when said team has lost eight of their last 10 games.
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So for today I’d like us to step into our coaching shoes for a minute. I challenged our THW panel of Brooke LoFurno, Greg Boysen and Gail Kauchak to discuss one thing we would keep the same, and one thing we would change with the Blackhawks moving forward. Here are our thoughts.
What’s Working for the Blackhawks
Brooke: The Top Defensive Pairing
One thing I would keep the same is the Calvin de Haan and Seth Jones defensive pairing. I know that the defense partners usually switch throughout the course of a game, but coach King paired de Haan and Jones as the top-pairing unit against Edmonton and St. Louis.
There’s something I really like about that duo. De Haan brings more of defensive punch, while Jones carries the offensive ability to drive plays. It seems like a good yin and yang pairing. Sure, it’s not perfect, but I think they both complement each other well.
Greg: Strome Stays Put
The one thing from this past week I want to keep is exactly where Dylan Strome is in the lineup. He is centering the top line and jumping over the boards with the top power-play unit. We have talked about Strome quite a bit this season. Most of us have been preaching that all Strome needs is some confidence and to be put in a position to succeed. Even Patrick Kane agrees.
Patrick Kane: "With Strome, it's pretty obvious, if you give him a chance in a top-six role and on the power play, he's gonna produce. It's just the fact. … I feel like keeping a guy that's that young is probably a better solution. He can be part of the future here."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 12, 2022
Strome is getting both of that and produced two goals and an assist centering Kane and playing on that top power-play unit. He has also developed into the Blackhawks’ best center at the faceoff dot. It has been quite the turnaround over the past few weeks.
Gail: Keep Sitting Gustafsson
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson has sat out for the last two games, and I’m perfectly fine with that. Let’s face it; Gustafsson is not a part of the future for this team. He was mainly brought on as a stopgap due to injuries at the beginning of the season. I don’t see the Blackhawks re-signing him.
The organization has a pretty deep pool of up-and-coming defensive prospects. Jakub Galvas replaced Gustafsson the last two games and did quite well for himself. He picked up right where he left off from his impressive three-game stint in mid-January. Wyatt Kalynuk has suited up for five contests this season. Last season he partook in 21 games and recorded four goals and nine points. Ian Mitchell has played in eight games, and Nicolas Beaudin in two games. Both got a taste of the NHL last season with 39 and 19 contests, respectively.
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I could see the organization wanting these players to get more responsibility and big minutes with the Rockford IceHogs, especially if they are going to make a deep playoff run. But I like the idea of sprinkling them in here and there to give them a taste of the NHL. Sure, keep Gustafsson around for some insurance, but I don’t have a problem with him being the odd man out more often than not.
What Isn’t Working for the Blackhawks
Brooke: Kubalik on the Top Line
One thing I would change is Dominik Kubalik on the first line. Because Kubalik has struggled so much this year, it’s been hard to find a lineup spot that will “jump start” his offense, but I don’t like him on the first line with Kane and Strome.
I think he would be better off on the second or third line right now because I don’t see him meshing well on that line. The chemistry seems off and I don’t see that line heading for long-term success.
Greg: Overworking Fleury
The one thing I’d like to see King and the Blackhawks move away from is starting Marc-Andre Fleury every single game. I know the injury to Kevin Lankinen has a lot to do with this, but if Fleury is your best chance to get back in the first round of the draft, then you must start being more careful.
The veteran’s play has taken a dip over the past few weeks. We are beginning to see some of the frustration we saw back in October come out of him of late. This team isn’t making a miracle charge to the postseason. Fleury is your best trade chip, so diminishing his value by wearing him down or getting him injured is just senseless at this point.
Gail: Dach at Center
Let’s face it; this center thing just isn’t working out for Kirby Dach. He has a 33.8% success rate in the faceoff circle this season. 33.8%! That’s not good. Now, I’ve said it before and I will say it again. There are some great things about Dach’s game. He physical and strong on the puck. He’s has a ton of skill and a high hockey IQ. He creates chances for himself and his linemates.
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He hasn’t lived up to expectations yet, but he’s also only 21 years old. He was also probably thrown into the NHL too soon. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with being a center. Perhaps Dach could be more effective on the wing. This would take some of the pressure off him, and allow him to develop and thrive at the things he’s good at.
Maybe Dach could play of the wing with Jonathan Toews centering, or even Tyler Johnson when he returns from his neck injury (slated for the beginning of March). It’s something I’d like to see the Blackhawks experiment with.
This is just a preview of our discussion for our next Blackhawks Banter show, which drops every Tuesday. Be sure to join us while we debate this and much more! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, find us on your preferred podcast platform, and connect with Blackhawks Banter on Twitter, so you catch every new episode.