Should Blackhawks try Dach on wing?

Let's kick off a Five Things column on the Blackhawks with a query: Does it make sense to experiment with Kirby Dach as a winger for a while?

It's a question I posed to interim coach Derek King last week and he said the staff would consider it when Jonathan Toews comes out of COVID protocol.

Jeremy Colliton made the same move with Dylan Strome two years ago and although Strome never seemed to get back in Colliton's good graces he did grow from the experience.

Dach didn't seem overly thrilled about a possible move.

"I don't know," he said after practice Wednesday. "I've always been a center, always seen myself as a center. My skating and my defensive ability allows me to be so good at this position. Being a winger is something I've done in the past and I'm not against it, but it's not for me to decide.

"But I feel pretty comfortable in my role and what I'm playing."

Dach has a good point when it comes to his defense and skating ability, and he has picked things up offensively in the last seven games with a goal and 5 assists.

The issue is in the faceoff dot, where Dach is winning just 33.2% of his draws. It's difficult to pinpoint why he's struggling so badly. It could be anticipation and timing. It could be lingering effects from his wrist injury. It could be getting to know how each linesmen or referee drops the puck. Or it could be something else.

One has to think he'll figure it out eventually. Until he does, though, perhaps his confidence would grow with a temporary position change.

"It's an option for us, you know?" King said. "It could be a couple of guys. They (the previous coaching staff) played around with it here before with Stromer ... and we'll see."

Steady as she goes:

Not enough credit goes to interim GM Kyle Davidson for taking the long approach with the Hawks' top prospects. Forward Lukas Reichel and defensemen like Jakub Galvas, Alec Regula, Ian Mitchell and Wyatt Kalynuk could be playing in the NHL right now. (Regula did make his season debut Friday).

But why rush them? The AHL is a wonderful training ground, a fact Davidson - and coach Derek King - both understand. Allow young players to develop where they can play big roles (including penalty kill and power play) and gain confidence.

We'll never know, but it's possible Kirby Dach would be further along if Stan Bowman didn't throw the No. 3 overall pick into the fire so soon.

It will be interesting to see if Reichel and some of the blue liners become immediate contributors next season, thanks in large part to Davidson's patient approach.

Kubalik clunker:

It's been a rough season for Dominik Kubalik, one of only two Hawks to play in all 51 games (Alex DeBrincat is the other). Blessed with a howitzer of a shot, Kubalik lit up the league with 30 goals in 68 games as a two years ago.

He remained a steady force last season, scoring 17 times in 56 games, but he's struggled to gain any traction in Year 3 and has 11 just points at even strength (7 goals).

Kubalik's issues stem from a variety of factors, but the biggest might be an inability to gel with a linemate the way he did with Jonathan Toews as a rookie. Kubalik has seen plenty of time with Toews, but the 2021-22 version of Toews is much different from the 2019-20 version.

Kubalik would no doubt benefit by going to the net more often and firing shots at every opportunity. The coaching staff could help out by putting Kubalik on the top power-play unit and in a consistent top-six role. When you have a player with Kubalik's one-timer you use it as much as possible.

Kubalik has 1 goal and 1 assist in the last 12 games and just 7 shots on goal in the last seven. He's also averaging under 13.5 minutes of ice time in the last 11 games.

Tearing it up:

The two biggest reasons Alex DeBrincat is able to catch goalies and defensemen off guard so often stem from an extremely quick release and an ability to put the puck exactly where he wants it.

A perfect example came midway through the third period against Winnipeg on Monday when DeBrincat's wicked shot - from 40-plus feet out, by the way - whistled past Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.

What made the goal so remarkable was that DeBrincat had no support in the offensive zone, he was being tracked by a pair of Jets defenders, and Hellebuyck had a clear view of the play in front of him.

"It's just a bullet," said Hawks defenseman Seth Jones. "It's hard to get a stick on his stick when he can push it and pull it in certain areas, where you can't get stick on puck."

DeBrincat's 29 goals lead the Hawks by a wide margin (Brandon Hagel is next with 14) and he's on pace to finish with 47. It's also possible the fourth-year forward could lead the league by season's end. He currently sits fifth, but was just 6 behind Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and 4 behind the Rangers' Chris Kreider and Toronto's Auston Matthews through Friday.

Historic evening:

I'll leave you with this: The Blackhawks' loss to Dallas at the United Center on Friday was the first time they lost in the shootout after being shut out in regulation.

Also, Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves and was credited with his fourth shutout of the season and the 71st of his career. Not surprisingly, it was the first time Fleury took a loss when posting a shutout.