Ahead of facing his former team, Jason Dickinson encouraged the young Blackhawks players to aspire for more.
When the Chicago Blackhawks traded Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the trade deadline, they knew they were letting a wonderful leader go. It was for the best on both sides, but he was great for the young players that Chicago has in the lineup.
With his departure, young players have had to step into leadership roles. It has been going well in that regard, but it will be a while before any of them are bona fide captains in the NHL.
On Thursday night, the Blackhawks paid a visit to Alberta to take on the Edmonton Oilers for the first time since the trade. Jason Dickinson, along with Connor Murphy, had their first opportunity to play against their former club since being moved.
Ahead of the game, Dickinson was asked about young Blackhawks stepping up to replace his role on the team, which is that of a strong defensive center who can chip in a little bit of offense here and there.
"I don't think I want anybody to want to be me, or anybody to want to be Murphy," Dickinson said. "They've got some great players over there that are themselves and have the ability to do what I do and then some. There are guys over there like Frank [Nazar], who can play a 200-foot game and chip in far more offensively than I can. Ryan Greene has shown flashes of being a really good skating, checking forward, that will also give you a lot more offense. I don't think I would want anybody to aspire to be me. As much as I love what I do, there's some guys that have a lot more in their game than me. They should realize that and aspire to be better than what I am."
For being a veteran who was shipped to another team and owes nothing to anybody involved with the Blackhawks anymore, he gave some incredible advice there. This is knowledge that the young players on the team will likely hear and learn from.
Dickinson gave his all to being the best leader and mentor in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, and they will be better long-term for having had him in the dressing room. Quotes like this are proof. Now, he is getting his well-deserved opportunity to participate in a playoff run with an elite team.
In 14 games played with Edmonton, Dickinson has one goal and two assists (including one against the Blackhawks on Thursday). With offensive producers in place like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dickinson isn't needed in that regard. Shutting down some of the opposition's best players is his job, and he does it well.
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