Rozner: Blackhawks a mystery in net with playoffs on tap

When word first trickled out regarding potential playoff opponents, Blackhawks fans had every right to be excited.

After all, playoff hockey is a good thing.

Sure, from a talent standpoint the Hawks can't compete with Edmonton, but the Hawks' veteran core knows how to win and the mere sniff of postseason action for the first time in three years might be enough to get them jumping.

On top of that, the Oilers had plenty of confusion in goal this season - are we still calling it this season? - and the combination of 38-year-old Mike Smith and 32-year-old Mikko Koskinen was hardly inspiring as teams hit the pause.

At the same time, Corey Crawford is a two-time Stanley Cup winner who should have won the Conn Smythe twice. He has the ability to catch fire and win games by himself, and Crawford was playing some good hockey after Robin Lehner was traded.

So there was that thinking, the hot goalie plus the track meet expected in this series offered the Hawks a chance to steal the best-of-five.

But in a week, the Hawks travel to the bubble in Edmonton and Crawford is only now expected to show up in camp.

Yikes.

His whereabouts have been a mystery with the team resuming camp and Crawford being the only veteran to have not participated in voluntary workouts that began a month ago.

So now what?

The Hawks have been looking at Malcom Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen thus far, and one would suspect Subban will get first crack at the net. That's not to say Crawford is an impossibility, but real games are two weeks away and that's not much time for him to prepare.

There's also the question of what shape Crawford will be in since the NHL has mandated no release of injury information or whether players have tested positive for COVID-19, labeling him merely "unfit to participate."

On Friday, however, head coach Jeremy Colliton did not slam the door on Crawford, saying, "We certainly haven't ruled him out going forward."

Whether that means for the first round - or subsequent play should the Hawks advance - remains to be seen, but Crawford has offered many surprises over the last few years, so guessing is perhaps unwise.

If Crawford is unable to go it significantly diminishes the Hawks' chances against the high-flying Oilers, and you can expect some high-scoring games either way.

If nothing else, it gives the Hawks a chance to take a look at the other three netminders, with Crawford a free agent and the team up against the cap.

Subban, acquired in the Lehner deal, is only 26 with 66 games of NHL experience, though he's never played in the postseason, while Collin Delia, also 26, has 18 games. His last NHL start was Feb. 22, 2019.

"It could end up being the opportunity of a lifetime," Subban said last week. "For me, it's just taking it day by day and continuing to work hard and make sure I'm ready if I get an opportunity."

The 24-year-old Lankinen was signed by the Hawks in 2018 and was the Rockford representative at the 2020 AHL All-Star Game before shoulder surgery ended his minor league season. A year ago, Lankinen posted a .942 save percentage while backstopping Finland to gold at the World Championship.

"The work ethic from all three of those guys has been good and that makes us feel good about the preparation they're doing," Colliton said. "We have a situation now where we've talked about it being open competition for a spot, whether that's the starting position or the backup.

"We've rotated those three guys through the first group and the plan is to continue to do that so everyone gets a shot to show themselves and for us to get a (clear) picture. To handicap it a few ice times in, we're not going to do that, but I think the competition between them is going to be very interesting to watch."

Not exactly where you want to be two weeks before the postseason begins, but with Corey Crawford you never quite know.

Maybe he's got another big surprise in store.