How Hawks' Kubalik became breakout rookie of the year candidate

Like most hockey players, Dominik Kubalik prefers to live in the moment.

The only thing on his mind is the next practice or the next game.

Still, the Blackhawks' forward isn't blind to the fact that he's in the midst of a truly spectacular campaign. One in which he has racked up 29 goals - 23 of which have come in the last 37 games - and that he's likely the leading rookie-of-the-year candidate.

"When I'm back in Czech maybe two months after the season," a reflective Kubalik says after Monday's practice, "I'll be lying in my apartment and maybe having a beer. And then I'm going to realize that the season was pretty good. Right now I don't really think about it."

When Kubalik was struggling at times during the first third of the season, he would sometimes solicit advice from his older brother, Tomas, who is playing in the Czech League. Tomas, 29, was a fifth-round pick of Columbus in 2008 and is still playing pro hockey despite undergoing surgeries on both shoulders and both knees.

Those talks - along with a promotion to the Hawks' top line - paid some serious dividends. Suddenly the passes to his linemates seemed easier and Kubalik wasn't thinking about "should I stop here" or "should I one-time" this when a scoring opportunity arose.

He was just playing hockey and unloading his "bomb" of a shot - as Patrick Kane put it - more regularly and with more accuracy.

"For me the most important thing is to talk about it with someone who went through it," Kubalik said. "For example, if I'm going to say something to my mom or my dad, they're not hockey players, you know? So they cannot help me.

"When I'm talking to my brother, he knows that feeling. If I have a stretch (of) three, four games where I don't feel good he's like, 'OK, so let's try something else.'"

Now when Dominik and Tomas talk - which they do almost daily - the tables have completely turned.

"He's asking me how to score right now," said a laughing Kubalik. "I was like, 'C'mon! Just be at the net. Something good is going to happen for sure.'"

Kubalik, who was acquired from the Kings for a fifth-round pick in January 2019, racked up 25 goals in just 50 games for Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss-A League in 2018-19.

He came to the Hawks thinking a 12-goal, 10-assist season wouldn't be too shabby.

Kubalik hit those numbers after a 3-assist effort in Vancouver on Jan. 2 and by scoring against the Red Wings three days later.

And everything he's touched since has basically turned to goals.

His 13th and 14th came in the next two games.

Then Kubalik scored twice against Anaheim on January 11. Then two more against Ottawa on January 14.

Another two against Toronto on January 18.

Here it was - just mid-January - and Kubalik already had scored 20 times.

"I had 15 and was like, 'OK, let's try to reach 20.' " Kubalik said. "Then I was like, 'OK. Still hungry, so let's (get) to 25.'

"Then I (hit) 25 pretty quick and was like, 'OK, we've got 27.

"Twenty-eight! Twenty-nine! (Expletive!) What's going on here?"

What's going on is that the Hawks have unearthed another sensational overseas talent, one that figures to command a hefty raise from the $925,000 he's making this season.

Keep in mind that 25 of Kubalik's 29 goals have come at even strength. Only over the last 10 games has coach Jeremy Colliton finally put his fantastically talented winger on the top power play unit.

Kubalik's average time on ice for the season is also just 14 minutes, 11 seconds (it is 16:42 over the last 15 games). Only one player with 26 or more goals is averaging less than 17:55, with most getting 19 minutes or more.

Kubalik, who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights if he's not extended before July 1, didn't want to talk much about his contract situation, preferring to leave it in the hands of his agent.

"He's been unreal," said Kane, who scored his 29th goal during the Hawks' 6-2 victory over Anaheim on Tuesday. "He's got chances to score every night, or he's scoring every night. So it's pretty impressive what he's doing, especially for a first-year player."

By the numbers

Most goals by a Blackhawks rookie

Player Season G

1. Steve Larmer 1982-83 43

2. Darryl Sutter 1980-81 40

3. Artemi Panarin 2015-16 30

3. Eric Daze 1995-96 30

5. Dominik Kubalik 2019-20 29

6. Alex. DeBrincat 2017-18 28

7. Denis Savard 1980-81 28

(Through Monday's games)