Chicago Blackhawks' DeBrincat has quite a skill set
Alex DeBrincat makes it look so easy.
The puck is on his stick … then off in an instant … and flies into the net with deadly accuracy and precision.
This scene has played out 22 times this season, more than any other Blackhawk not named Patrick Kane.
Of course, consistently beating oversized goalies who seem to take up two-thirds of the net is anything but easy. If it were, there would be far more than 48 players who have hit the 20-goal mark this season.
It's DeBrincat's sneaky-quick release combined with pinpoint accuracy that sets him apart.
Just how did he develop those traits? The answer - not surprisingly - boils down to hard work. But it was hard work while having fun at the same time.
DeBrincat, a die-hard Red Wings fan while growing up in a Detroit suburb, used to love going to a roller-hockey rink where his father owned a pro shop. He'd lace up the skates and sail up and down the rink snapping off shots into empty nets.
Hour after hour after hour.
"All day in the summer I would be working on stuff," DeBrincat said. "Coming down the wing, trying to get a quick shot. Even if there's not a goalie in there, you're still just working on your skills.
"You may look a little weird out there, but that's what helped me."
So that's where the quick release came from. But what about his ability to hit corners from seemingly any angle?
That can be traced to his dad's ingenious idea of hanging pop cans on a net in the driveway. Before running off to school, DeBrincat and his older brother would do "50-50s" - 50 forehands and 50 backhands, attempting to make the pucks clank off the cans.
All of this extra practice paid off as DeBrincat scored 167 goals in three OHL seasons, became a second-round draft pick of the Blackhawks in 2016 and is now one of the top rookies in the NHL.
It's too early to say for sure, but the Hawks may have another superstar on their hands. DeBrincat, who managed just 1 goal in the first 12 games, is just the eighth player in Hawks history to record a 20-goal season before he turned 21.
You may recognize the other names: Eddie Olczyk, Jeremy Roenick, Denis Savard, Jonathan Toews, Eric Daze, Bobby Hull and Kane.
Pretty amazing stuff for someone who didn't even have a roster spot locked up until the last week of training camp.
Now he's tied with Kane for the team lead in goals with 22.
Had someone told the 5-foot-7 DeBrincat in October that would be the case on Feb. 17, "I would have laughed at them."
Said Kane: "He's probably been counted out his whole life with his size … and he's come in and played a huge role for our team. Great addition.
"He's obviously got a great future here with the Blackhawks. He'll be a fun one for the fans to watch for a long time."
DeBrincat has been especially hot lately, scoring eight times in the last 11 games, including in Saturday's 7-1 victory over Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Before that, though, DeBrincat scored just twice in 19 contests.
"No matter who you are I feel like you're going to get in a slump sooner or later," he said. "It's the best league in the world, so it's hard to stay hot the whole year.
"I'm trying to be as consistent as possible."
Few are as consistent as Ovechkin, who has led the league in goals a whopping six times in the last 12 years and is No. 1 this season with 34.
So could DeBrincat one day reach Ovechkin-like status and be a perennial contender for the Rocket Richard and/or Art Ross trophies?
He certainly hopes so.
"Obviously you want to be the best you can," DeBrincat said. "So, yeah, I mean I'd love to lead the league in goals and points. That's something I want to do in the future."
As for the present, this is still a 20-year-old kid on his own for the first time. Like anyone, he's still getting used to things like doing his own laundry (whites and colors together!), making sure to be on time for practices and games, managing money and choosing where to eat out for dinner.
"I'm not a very good cook," DeBrincat said.
But that's OK. Because he's turning into an awfully good hockey player.
• Follow John on Twitter @johndietzdh
Young guns
<b>Top 5 rookie points scorers</b>Player, team G A Pts. TOI
1. M. Barzal, NYI 16 46 62 17:22
2. B. Boeser, Van. 27 22 49 17:27
3. C. Keller, Ari. 17 27 44 18:11
4. Y. Gourde, TBL 22 21 43 16:01
5. D. Heinen, Bos. 12 26 38 15:43
5. A. DeBrincat, Chi. 21 17 38 14:46
TOI - Average time on ice
(All stats through Friday)