Three Takeaways from Blackhawks’ 2019 Training Camp Festival
Every year in Mid-September, the world gets a short glimpse of the Chicago Blackhawks before things really get rolling. This year the biggest storylines involved a lot of new faces, from draft picks to free agents.
Unfortunately, one of them, if not the biggest storyline was sitting in the press box with a suit on. Kirby Dach was held out of the scrimmage because of concussion protocol after taking a nasty hit from behind in the 7th place game of the Traverse City prospect tournament on Tuesday. Even though fans didn’t get to see Dach, there were still a lot of new faces to watch, some questions remain, but some have been answered. Most of the veterans played two periods, and some younger players only got the third period, but in the end, this event was just a warm-up for the preseason games to come.
New Penalty Shot in the NHL?
Alright, this one is a little bit silly but is intriguing none the less. Many have publicly criticized the much-lamented shootout in the NHL, and penalty shots can make for a snooze fest as well. Instead of having penalties on Sunday, the Blackhawks decided to recreate the penalty shot for Training Camp Festival this year as seen below.
While the player taking the shot treats it like a normal penalty shot, the other nine players on the ice get a delayed start from the far blue line to chase the puck carrier. Not only does this put some pressure on the shooter not to take forever, but if the shooter misses the shot it becomes a live puck that continues the play.
I don’t know who came up with this idea, but I LOVE IT!
Kris Versteeg Still Has Some NHL Games Left in Him
When Versteeg signed in the KHL last season, it was pretty much assumed that he would be wrapping up his professional career there. After some health issues and an up and down season in Calgary, Kris Versteeg was probably thinking the same thing. Versteeg signed an AHL deal with the Rockford Ice Hogs to play the role of mentor for many young players coming through the Chicago pipeline.
After two days of training camp and Training Camp Festival, one thing is clear, Kris Versteeg can still play. He has looked quick, he has looked skilled, he has looked energized, and he is a GREAT locker room guy. Versteeg will likely start in Rockford, but I think there is a roster spot with his name on it moving forward, he can be the 13th forward that Jeremy Colliton can sit once in a while with a new real negative effect, and there really is no downside to having him on the roster. Versteeg scored the lone goal for team white on Sunday on a nifty shootout move and was noticeable throughout the game.
Crawford Is Ready to Go
This is another takeaway from the first few days of camp, Corey Crawford has tracked the puck extremely well, he has looked focused and rested coming into a contract season. Crawford looked extremely good sliding from post to post and was confident coming out to the top of his crease to challenge shooters throughout the weekend.
One thing is obvious is that the 34-year-old goaltender is as ready, if not more ready than ever to start the season. With the head injuries over the past two seasons, his body has had time to rest and recover from the rigors of deep playoff runs and 50+ starts season after season. Regardless of how things turn out, the Hawks will have a chance to win every night because of their goalie duo, Crawford has shown no signs of anything but being a #1 goaltender so far.
The Other Notes
The Good
- Tim Soderlund looked really good in the prospect tournament last weekend, he had a goal and an assist in the final game against the Wild to jump-start his season. Soderlund was consistently one of the fastest guys on the ice in Traverse City, and that translated to training camp this week. He showed speed and creativity, as well as the ability to backcheck and play a 200-foot game. He probably won’t get too long of a look before being sent to Rockford this season, but he has definitely raised his stock after missing development camp.
- Anton Wedin was all but penciled into the Rockford lineup to start the season, but Stan Bowman, as well as the Blackhawk fan base, might want to take a longer look before making that decision. Wedin had a nice goal against an unsuspecting Robin Lehner in the first period, and was a bright spot throughout the game, using quickness and vision to start the rush and make plays up and down the ice.
- Dylan Strome was dangerous all night, all though that impact didn’t translate to the score sheet at the end of the day, it was good to see him looking like a legitimate second-line center coming off of a season that many thought he couldn’t replicate. The jury is still out on the young forward, but after a trip to the world championships with Canada, and a solid start to training camp, fans can definitely rest a little bit easier at night.
- Olli Maatta was the most questionable acquisition this offseason for many, giving up Dominik Kahun did not sit well with many fans. Maatta is young, but has six years and two Stanley Cups worth of NHL experience on his resume, but became much maligned in Pittsburgh. The biggest criticism on Maatta is his speed, and although he wasn’t a world-beater on Sunday, the 24-year-old did not look out of place no matter who he was playing with or against. Maatta was paired with Brent Seabrook from the get-go, which could be a paring to start the season. The other criticism of Maatta is his offensive game, he showed some skill driving to the net and scoring a nice chip shot at the beginning of overtime, and made several really good passes throughout the game, encouraging signs for one of Chicago’s newest blue liners.
The Bad
- Kirby Dach being out for training camp is obviously bad news for him and Blackhawks fans alike. Both sides are hoping Dach can push for a roster spot, which is hard to do when you are not on the ice. Hopefully, he will be able to suit up for a couple of preseason games so that Hawks’ brass can make a more informed decision on whether to keep him in the NHL or send him back to Saskatoon for one more season
- Although it was only 20 minutes of action, probably less than ten shots, Robin Lehner looked a little bit uncomfortable in his first appearance in front of the Blackhawks faithful, letting in two questionable goals in his and Crawfords shortened start to the season. There is not Lehner will bounce back and be fantastic for the Blackhawks, but the shaky first appearance should be noted.
- Dylan Sikura looked quite pedestrian yet again, after all of the hype coming out of Northeastern, it appears that Sikura could be destined to be an NHL/AHL tweener for most of his professional career. The young forward has the tools to be a top-6 forward in the NHL, but the ability to consistently put them together in long enough spurts to keep himself in the NHL could be his ultimate downfall.
- This could fall under the good or the bad category, but it will go here for now. Chicago has a real log jam right now, management has always spoken to how they love the tough decisions, but the inability for many of the bubble players to significantly differentiate themselves could be concerning. Right now it looks like Chicago has seven forward spots and six defensive spots locked down. That makes a maximum of eight rosters spots remaining, by looking at who they have under contract there are as many as 13 forwards and 5 defensemen that could legitimately occupy the remaining spots. The team loves the flexibility and depth, but they very well could be in a position where they don’t have roster spots for everyone that they would like to give a shot.
The Indifferent
- Most players were pretty much status quo during Training Camp Festival, Adam Boqvist showed a lot of skating ability and skill with the puck, he was good, but nothing that we did not expect. Alex Nylander made some flashy offensive moves, scoring on a nifty penalty shot and making several great passes and moves with the puck, the decision making, and defensive zone play are still a major work in progress. MacKenzie Entwistle had a solid performance as well, but nothing to write home about.
- Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw have always had an interesting relationship, and that picked up right where it left off on Sunday. Net front battles, cross-checks, and whacks to the back of the legs were in midseason form. After the game Shaw referred to Toews as his little brother, it didn’t take long for Shawzy to make his presence felt once again. Shaw might set the record for most interviews in a single season this year, I think he had three yesterday. Chicago loves having this guy back!
Training Camp Festival isn’t really about the results (team red was too stacked not to win from the start), it is more about the excitement around the upcoming season. Being the fanatic I am, I waited in a lawn chair at 6 a.m. to be one of the first people in the building, and it is always worth it.
The buzz continues to grow around the 2019-20 Blackhawks, this team could make some noise. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds, and there will most definitely be some changes along the way, but if training camp has been an indication of things to come it appears that both Chicago and Rockford are both set up pretty well going into the season!
All media belongs to their original authors Feature Image: NHL.com
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