3 key contributors from the 2016-17 Blackhawks are gone—none of them named Panarin—and the impact is perhaps more dramatic than might be immediately evident.
In an interview at the 2017 NHL Draft held in Chicago, Hawk GM Stan Bowman was quick to caution that the new players acquired in a flurry of moves this summer would not “replace” those who had been recently dealt, not least of which being winger Artemi Panarin.
Although I had heard and reported leading up to the landmark trade with Columbus that the Hawks were actually shopping Panarin around, many found it hard to believe—until it happened.
But while the attention (and anguish) of the fanbase was focused on that particular trade, there were three other moves of the summer and the early season (I guess, in the case of Marian Hossa going on LTIR) that seem to be having a larger, more negative effect on the team thus far.
Certainly the trade of Niklas Hjalmarsson to Arizona did not go unnoticed, either. But that move may be having a more pronounced effect on the club than swapping out Panarin for Brandon Saad.
It’s not just about goal and point totals
Too often, fans assess a player’s value based solely on his points, or perhaps a grudging look at his +/- or Corsi. The truth is, hockey, winning hockey, is more complicated and subtle than that.
So the gist of this article is just that: the Hawks desperately miss three former players who contributed both obviously and subtly to their success since 2011 and before: Hjalmarsson, Hossa, and Marcus Kruger.
“Dat bum Krooooo-ger?” some may exclaim, immediately after projecting milk out of their noses from their morning bowl of Froot Loops.
Yes, dat bum.
It’s not hard to convince anyone of the value of Hossa and Hjalmarsson (not just scoring, but backchecking, blocking shots, playing consistently smart positional hockey, and therefore helping execute clean breakouts and initiate push up the ice).
But Kruger contributed a great deal when he was on the ice in terms of transitioning the team from the defensive zone (where his shifts almost always started) to the offensive zone (where a surprisingly high amount of his shifts ended).
Think about that. Especially vis a vis this Hawk team, which can never seem to get out of its own end—allowing opponents to continue an onslaught of shots on Corey Crawford and Anton Forsberg.
The other numbers don’t lie
Once known as the model for puck possession teams in the NHL, this Hawk team, more often than not at the end of 60 minutes, finds itself underwater in shots.
But one could argue this Hawk team—the miserable power play aside—has a lot of offensive firepower upfront: Kane, Toews, Saad, Panik, Schmaltz, and now the rapidly emerging Alex DeBrincat.
The issue begins, and too often stays, in the Hawks’ end, where the team really struggles to clear pucks and initiate transition up the ice. And its not just because the Hawks have 4-5 defenders on the roster with less than 3 years’ NHL experience (another legitimate issue), it also ladders back to wings and centers not being properly positioned and/or aware.
These are the subtleties where players like Hossa, Hjalmarsson and Kruger consistently excelled.
Another key statistic which points to a weakness down the middle: faceoffs. Being used albeit more situationally in the dot this year in Carolina, Kruger is winning nearly 53% of his draws. Again, although Kruger’s faceoff numbers fell off after a 2016 wrist injury, the ability to win key defensive zone draws now falls more squarely on Toews because the other options aren’t very good. Although Artem Anisimov is at an unusually high 49% this year, Nick Schmaltz is below 40%, which is likely why Tanner Kero (46%) is back in the lineup of late, and Schmaltz has been moved out to wing.
Structure, consistency, nuts and bolts—the backbone of effective hockey
It’s not glamorous. it doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet—but it has an effect on the scoreboard.
And the Hawks are left with few choices—get better in these critical areas with the players they have (and I would argue that can only be achieved through going to consistent lines and pairings and drilling incessantly—fundamental coaching), or add 1-2 players either from Rockford (unlikely—these are areas where Vince Hinostroza, for example, really struggled last year when with the Hawks), or through trade.
All for now.
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