Training camp for the NHL is opening soon and the Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of decisions to make. For the team and fans, there are some questions to consider ahead of preseason games to determine how the next month plays out.
Which Prospects Make the 23 Man Roster?
The Blackhawks are rich in prospects, but not all of them are ready or should be in a full time NHL role just yet. Chicago cleared out some players, but also added in some like Andre Burakovsky and Sam Lafferty. The latter might be in and out of the lineup, opening up space for some younger players.
Frank Nazar isn't a prospect anymore and he is definitely on the team, but beyond that, there are decisions to make at forward and defense. Chicago has to consider Colton Dach, Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert, Ryan Greene, Aidan Thompson, Kevin Korchinski, Nolan Allan, Ethan Del Mastro, and Louis Crevier. And while Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov should be on the team, Rinzel at least believes he has to earn his spot.
There are too many forwards and defenseman for everyone to make the opening night roster, even if everyone should play some games by the end of the season. Crevier is the only one who is eligible for waivers, but is also lower on the depth chart and is probably a seventh d-man at best in Chicago. Dach and Allan might have the most clear path to making the team, but I believe there will be three forward spots and two defense spots up for grabs in training camp for these players and potentially a veteran or two to battle over.
I would like to see as many prospects in the mix and on the team as possible. Many more are coming and the Blackhawks don't need to take up roster spots with many veterans. What they have is already too much at forward.
Who Performs Best Alongside Connor Bedard?
There are potentially six forwards that will play beside Connor Bedard this season, some a lot more than others. But there could be some different combinations tried out in training camp. Anton Frondell coming in next season will change what happens with Bedard and Nazar, but for now, I think the Blackhawks will want Nazar to center the second line. The only other realistic option to do so is Ryan Donato, and he is better suited for the wing.
With how good of a season Donato had, starting him alongside Bedard isn't a bad idea. He can always be moved later if things go stale. Burakovsky has offensive skill and will get a look on the top line, and then last season's top-6 wingers in Tuevo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi will be in the mix as well. Teravainen is the better option here since he can pass the puck well. The last option is Ilya Mikheyev. He has speed and scored 20 goals last season. His two-way ability makes him better suited for the third line though.
Bedard needs better than the options the Blackhawks currently have, but that isn't going to come just yet. They're waiting on Frondell, Nick Lardis, Moore, Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker, and more to develop and step up.
Does Laurent Brossoit Have a Chance to Make the Blackhawks?
Laurent Brossoit's injury ahead of last season opened the door for Arvid Soderblom to get a chance to bounce back and stay in the NHL. He did both things and proved to be a capable NHL goalie last season, even on a bad Blackhawks team. He is eligible for waivers once again and won't be sent down in training camp without another team grabbing him. This puts the Blackhawks in a bit of a tough spot for Brossoit.
Chicago wants to treat Spencer Knight as the starter, and if Soderblom is capable of backing up and playing 30-35 games, then there is no space for Brossoit to even sit on the roster and get his turn every once in a while. The Blackhawks would be better off trading him, which hasn't happened yet.
Even if Brossoit has a great training camp, it won't change the fact that he won't beat out a younger Soderblom. There's little chance Brossoit stays on the NHL roster and he will hit waivers. Whether a team picks him up or not remains to be seen.
How Do the Lines Shape Up?
Unless there are surprises, the lines, or at least the top and bottom-6, will be relatively easy to predict. The top-6 will consist of a mix of Bedard, Nazar, Donato, Teraivanen, Burakovsky, and Bertuzzi while the bottom-6 will have Mikheyev, Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, Lukas Reichel, Lafferty, Slaggert, Moore, and Dach.
Veterans like Foligno and Lafferty should be on the fourth line in a checking role while I would like to see Reichel finally get a better opportunity than just the fourth line. It's hard to imagine that happening after thinking that for a few years now. But Dach/Moore would do better in the third line and there would be a spot open for them.
We discussed Bedard's potential linemates above, so whichever three aren't skating on the top line will play on the second.
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