The Blackhawks have much better options to play on the power play than what was used in the first game of the season.
The Blackhawks have much better options to play on the power play than what was used in the first game of the season.
The Chicago Blackhawks featured a truly bad second power-play unit in the first game of the season. On paper it looks like one of the worst units to be put together in the modern day NHL and needs to be overhauled immediately if the team wants success.
While it's not a knock on the players on the second unit, it's more to do with the roles they play on the team and who is left off. Whether it's because certain players are being left off the power play because they play on the penalty kill or other coaching decisions, changes would really make the Blackhawks be able to throw out a formidable second unit if the first fails to convert.
The second power-play unit has Pat Maroon, Ryan Donato, Philipp Kurashev, Craig Smith, and Alec Martinez. You may already be able to see the problem. For starters, the entire fourth line that was dressed in the first game was on this unit. While one fourth line player might get on a power play, all three are far too many, especially when there are more offensively-proven forwards readily available.
While Smith was once offensive, he has produced 20 goals and 36 points in the last 139 (two seasons). Those two seasons have seen him record just one assist on the power play as well.
Maroon could be a net front presence, but his offensive production has been even worse. He has scored nine goals and 30 points in the last 131 games over the past two seasons and has just two power-play assists.
Donato, being the most effective of the three, has scored 26 goals and recorded 57 points in the last 149 games (two seasons). Five points came on the power play.
So if none of the members of the fourth line should be on the power play, who should take their place? Lukas Reichel, Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, Ilya Mikheyev, and Andreas Athanasiou are who should be getting a look.
Before playing the majority of last season in the NHL for the Blackhawks, Reichel put up back-to-back 20-goal, 50-point seasons in the AHL. He also has second line potential and has more skill than any member of the fourth line. He showed late last season why he is deserving of a good opportunity this season, but was instead a healthy scratch. He even got a good look on the second line in training camp.
Dickinson plays on the penalty kill and the third line, but played higher in the lineup last season and tied Connor Bedard for the team lead in goals with 22 as well. Not having someone like that on one of the units because he would play in all situations is not a good decision.
Foligno finished fourth on Chicago with 17 goals and third with 37 points. The veteran also produced eight goals and 16 points on the power play. Foligno tied for the team lead in power-play goals and was third in points on the man advantage. All this led to having the entire fourth line play ahead of him this season.
In terms of Kurashev, he most definitely should be on one of the two power plays and there's no problem there. He finished third on the Blackhawks in goals (18) and second in points (56) last season while playing in 75 games. I expect him to even get time on the top unit this season, whether it be due to an injury or if the team is in need of a shakeup.
Mikheyev isn't typically a power-play guy as he's very effective on the penalty kill, but seeing as he was on the top line and can put up 10+ goals and 30+ points in a season, he's worth a look instead of who the Blackhawks have now. As for Athanasiou, before his injury-riddled season in 2023-24, he put up 20 goals and 40 points the season prior, seven of the points coming from the power play. He was also a healthy scratch in the first game.
Now the spot on defense is another issue. Martinez has and always will be a defensive defenseman in the NHL, but what's odd here is that he also kills penalties. If Martinez, Seth Jones, and Teuvo Teravainen can play both special teams, why can't Dickinson, Foligno, or Mikheyev?
A ton of trust is being put in a 37-year-old Martinez coming off three consecutive seasons averaging under 20 minutes per game. Not only is he on the top pairing and played over 24 minutes, he is on the power play and penalty kill. Since Kevin Korchinski is in the minors, there are two better options among the team's defensemen for the second unit. Either veteran TJ Brodie or Wyatt Kaiser.
Brodie has played on the power play in his career, even if not recently. Martinez is in the same boat except he hasn't spent as much time on the ice with the man advantage. Brodie also recorded 26 points last season.
While Kaiser hasn't been an elite point producer at any level, he can still put up points, scoring four goals and 18 points in 37 games for Rockford as a rookie last season.
There are too many questionable decisions with the second power-play unit of the Blackhawks and it has to be altered as soon as possible. With a couple practice days between the first and second game of the season, it should be enough time to trial some different combinations.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features and more.
Recent Blackhawks News
REPORT: Blackhawks Pursued Best Available Free Agent
Connor Bedard Attempts Michigan in First Game vs Utah