As the Chicago Blackhawks get to work this week to kickstart their 2024-25 season, there are some players battling for positions on the NHL roster. The influx of young players who have been drafted and signed by general manager Kyle Davidson will make the early days in camp a lot of fun to watch for Blackhawks fans. But the roster𒀰 will ultimately need to be thinned out before the real sea🦩son begins.
There are two specific areas that have my full attention as the Blackhawks’ practices progress and preseason games happen.
Blackhawks Battle: No. 2 Center
When the Blackhawks went out and signed a list of veteran forwards this summer, the one position that was noticeably not addressed was the second-line center spot. The question🔯 now becomes which forward will get that spot to open the season, and who will get the most run there during the regular season. The Blackhawks have a few intriguing options.
Frank Nazar signed and played in the Blackhawks’ final three games of the regular season. He also showed very well in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase before training camp, dealing with physical play and driving offense. His speed and skill makes him a potential game-changer. His size and relatively young hockey experience (only 44 collegiate games) make the AHL a very real possibility. He wants it. Can he win it? And can he stay in the NHL?
Jason Dickinson scored 22 goals last year, blowing past his previous career-high of nine. He’s one of the better defensive centers in the league; he refers to himself as a third-line center. His ability to play a strong, responsible game, win faceoffs and now add the scoring could elevate him into the top six more frequently. How the Blackhawks sort out the bottom two centers becomes interesting if Dickinson moves up to the two line.
Andreas Athanasiou appeared in only 28 games last year, which was disappointing. He made the move to center the previous season because the Blackhawks coaches like his speed and defensive ability; he scored 20 goals in his first season in Chicago. He isn’t great at the dot, however, and his health is a concern. How/where he ultimately fits on this roster will be interesting throughout camp and well into the regular season.
Blackhawks Battle: Young Defensemen
The blue line was a mess last year for the Blackhawks. As was the case all over the roster with the lone exception being poor Petr Mrázek in net.
Because of the struggles we watched from young defensemen who might not have been ready for the role/workload they were tasked with last year, the front office bolstered the defensive group with the additions of Alec Martinez and TJ Brodie. Add a (hopefully) healthy Connor Murphy to those two, Alex Vlasic and Seth Jones, and the Bl🐟ackhawks have five defensemen to build around.
But there’s a sixth spot that will skate each night and an opportunity for a seventh defenseman to rotate into the lineup. Which young skater wins that spot should get a lot of attention.
Kevin Korchinski was the youngest defenseman in the entire NHL last year. He was overwhelmed at times; he also spent a lot of time with waiver claim Jaycob Megna. That obviously wasn’t the Blackhawks’ plan — or ideal for his development. He also dealt with the tragic passing of his father in the middle of the season, which wouldn’t be easy for any player to handle, much less a 19-year-old.
Wyatt Kaiser had a good season in Rockford and has 41 games of NHL experience on his resume. He started last year on the NHL roster and, like Korchinski, did not look ready for prime time (certainly not as much as he did in nine games to end the previous season). When he came back up later in the year he looked much better, however. Now 22, he might be the most mature prospect in the battle.
Ethan Del Mastro came up late in the season and got his first taste of the NHL. He was the IceHogs’ representative in the AHL All-Star Game last year in his first season as a pro and plays a strong, physical game.
Nolan Allan might not be the first name you consider in this position battle, but it said a lot to me that he was the captain at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. He’s more a stay-home, shut-down type defenseman — and he’s played both sides. His versatility and style of play make him intriguing here.
Isaak Phillips is the only guy on this list who has NHL experience in each of the last three seasons. He’s still young (turns 23 on Sept. 28) and his development is still a work in progress, but he has good size, skates well and plays a physical game.
