Hawks newcomer Borgstrom looks forward to a second chance
Watch highlight reels of Blackhawks forward Henrik Borgstrom and it's easy to see why the Florida Panthers selected the Finn with the 23rd overall pick of the 2016 draft.
Blessed with speed, silky-smooth hands and a deadly accurate shot, the 24-year-old has the high-end playmaking skills that every GM covets.
What's difficult to understand for some is why things didn't work out for Borgstrom in Florida. After scoring 8 goals in 50 games in 2018-19, coach Joel Quenneville demoted his first-rounder to the AHL for most of the 2019-20 campaign.
Now, after a year playing in Finland's top league, Borgstrom hopes to make the most of his second lease on NHL life under coach Jeremy Colliton.
His first big chance to impress came during the Hawks' 4-3 preseason shootout loss to Detroit Wednesday at the United Center.
It was an uneven performance, to say the least - and we'll get to it in a minute.
The Hawks traded for Borgstrom's rights - along with defenseman Riley Stillman and veteran forward Brett Connolly - last April. They then inked him to a two-year deal, $2 million deal in May.
As last season ended, Borgstrom's name kept coming up when some talked about why fans should be optimistic about the future.
Colliton pumped the brakes a bit Monday, however, pointing out there are plenty of others who could snare the final 2-3 forward spots.
"We have to put the pieces together," Colliton said. "We have other young players who are also highly touted (and) fighting for a spot and responsibility and a role. ... I don't know if we've had that the last couple of camps, and that's good for everybody."
Borgstrom's main competition figures to come from Adam Gaudette, rookie Lukas Reichel, Alex Nylander, Mike Hardman and MacKenzie Entwistle. Others like Dylan Strome, Ryan Carpenter and Connolly are fighting for spots as well.
Gaudette, acquired from Vancouver at last season's trade deadline, definitely impressed during his 15½ minutes of ice time against Detroit. Not only did he fire 6 shots on goal, but Gaudette also sniped one off the post after deking a defender by sliding the puck to his forehand from behind his legs.
"Something I haven't done since college," Gaudette said.
As for Borgstrom, he's more than confident about his ability but admits he needs to start "making the right choices" with the puck. "That's something I struggled with in Florida. I'm ready to do those things."
Perhaps, but a backhanded, between-the-legs pass in his own zone was picked off Wednesday and gave Detroit more offensive zone time.
This risky type of play is exactly what put former Hawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson in Quenneville's doghouse years ago. Once Gustafsson understood when and where to pick his spots, he began to flourish.
The Hawks are hoping the same thing happens with Borgstrom.
"Puck management is a big part of it, especially the higher level you get to," Colliton said.
Borgstrom scored 3 goals and averaged just 10:19 of ice time in his final 28 games with Florida in 2018-19. It's difficult to get in a rhythm that way, especially when you're playing a defensive role on the fourth line.
If given more of a chance with the Hawks, it should make a big difference. That's, of course, if he earns that role.
Said Colliton: "He's a young player who's learning what he needs to do to play (in the NHL). He's definitely got the raw ability. He's got the size, he's got the skating, he's shown he can be a top player at different levels, but it's hard to play in this league.
"He's really got to seize the opportunity (and the) fresh start. ... There's urgency for him."
By the numbers
Henrik Borgstrom's stats
Season, team GP G A Pts.
2017-18, Florida 4 1 0 1
2018-19, Florida 50 8 10 18
2018-19, S'field 24 5 17 22
2019-20, Florida 4 0 0 0
2019-20, S'field 49 11 12 23
2020-21, Helsinki 30 11 10 21
Notes: Springfield is Florida's AHL affiliate; HIFK Helsinki is in Finland's top pro league