Dietz: Is the bright picture painted by the Hawks reality?
End-of-season news conferences can be interesting affairs.
In the case of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who finished on a 2-8-1 tailspin that knocked them out of the playoffs, head coach Rick Bowness delivered headline-popping quotes by saying his players “don’t care” and that he’ll be “changing this freaking culture.”
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Blackhawks painted a dazzlingly bright picture despite losing 13 of their last 17 games.
All is good. Trust us!
“This last homestead wasn’t great,” GM Kyle Davidson admitted Thursday. “And I understand that recency bias certainly factors into something like this where, ‘We finished so poorly.’ That’s what people may remember, but the season as a whole certainly saw a lot of positive momentum to the point where we saw a 10-point increase in our point total while missing our top two center men for around a month-plus.”
Yes, but those two center men — Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar — were on the ice for the dreadful 17-game finish. As were D-men Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Sam Rinzel and Louis Crevier, forwards Anton Frondell, Nick Lardis, Ilya Mikheyev, Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato, Ryan Greene and goaltender Spencer Knight. Of the regulars, only D-man Artyom Levshunov missed significant time (nine games) down the stretch.
Other than a few tweaks, that’s most of next year’s roster. So Davidson better be right about “the collective group” taking a “big step forward.” If that doesn’t happen, then look out below.
With the offseason officially upon the Hawks here are some things to keep an eye on in the coming months:
• A source said Bedard’s next contract is all but “locked in.” The length and terms are not clear yet, however.
Multiple agents think Bedard and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini may sign four- or five-year extensions to maximize their value as the salary cap skyrockets. Another source, however, believes Bedard wants to stay in Chicago and will sign for seven or eight years.
But does Bedard have faith in Davidson to build a championship roster? He has to be sick of losing. Does he really believe the future is that bright, especially after how the Hawks imploded down the stretch? Does he really want to commit for nearly a decade?
We’ll find out soon enough …
• There’s a lot of talk about Bedard becoming team captain next year. My two cents: I’d wait. Bedard is still only 20 years old and it doesn’t feel like he’s ready to take on the role.
Just my gut feeling.
• The Hawks could go into next season with every D-man being 24 years old or younger. It feels like a recipe for disaster. Not that the Hawks would ever admit that.
“I don’t know if the birth certificate matters,” said coach Jeff Blashill. “What matters is what their growth looks like, and I can’t answer that as we sit here today. … Things clicked with Buffalo’s young D core this year. I think we have guys capable of it clicking and them doing a very good job. I just don’t know exactly when (that will be) to be as consistent as you have to be in the D corps.”
The “birth certificate” line was cute, but let’s be honest: D-men need a lot of time to mature. Also, most of Buffalo’s “young D core” entered this season with AT LEAST 215 games of NHL experience.
Not so with the Hawks where Kaiser (175), Crevier (134), Kevin Korchinski (105), Levshunov (86) and Rinzel (63) have all yet to hit 200.
• One of Davidson’s flaws appears to be the inability to let guys mature in the minors. One Hawks insider said to me: “Name one guy that’s over marinated in Rockford.”
Troy Murray said players should be moved up only after they dominate at each level. So dominate in college or juniors? Great, you’re in the minors. Now dominate there for a year or two. Then we’ll call you up.
• Depth will likely be a big problem next year. If the Hawks suffer significant injuries it might mean calling up guys from Rockford who aren’t ready. The solution is to sign a few over-the-hill veterans. Tell them they’re starting in Rockford, but they will be the injury call-ups — not the young guys still trying to find their way.
• Mark your calendars for May 5 because that’s the date of the NHL Draft Lottery. The Hawks odds: 13.5% to pick first; 14.1% to pick second; 30.7% chance to pick third; 41.7% chance to pick fourth.
If the Hawks select third or fourth — and two forwards go off the board at 1-2 — don’t be surprised if Davidson trades down because the next 3-4 top guys are D-men.
• Let’s end on a semi-positive note.
When Duncan Keith was interviewed a couple weeks ago he talked about how this D corps reminded him of the one that was just getting their feet wet before the Cup Era began. Keith made a great point about guys pushing each other for more ice time as well as roles on the power play and/or penalty kill.
Internal competition is a great driving force and maybe — just maybe — that leads enough to the growth Blashill and Davidson are envisioning.
Camaraderie helps too. As does a consistent roster.
“I’m just really excited about what the future’s going to bring for this group,” Davidson said. “They’re so tightly knit. … You hear about some of these plans in the offseason, they’re going to be around each other a lot. That’s really exciting … because they’re going to push each other to get better because they want to win and they want to take steps.
“They’re a motivated group.”
Those are some wonderful words painting a picture of fabulous future. Now it’s up to the players to bring the razzle-dazzle so that Davidson’s picture doesn’t fade to black.