The Chicago Blackhawks are reborn in a sense. With the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Connor Bedard and new leadership with Chairman Danny Wirtz, tools are in place for the Blackhawks to truly “rebuild,” and in a matter of few years, once again be competitive and in the Stanley Cup race.
While all eyes in the game across North America are on Bedard, some hoping to witness greatness and others hoping to see him fail, through six games in the preseason, it seems as though the Blackhawks have another “chosen” one, that being in the form of 21-year-old rookie defenseman Wyatt Kaiser.
“Wyatt Kaiser?” you ask. Yes, Wyatt Kaiser. “Is he that good?” you probe in follow up. Well, we do not really know yet, but clearly, according to the Hawks organization and Chicago commentators Chris Vosters and Darren Pang, along with Chicago Sun-Times columnist Ben Pope and others in the local media, he is the real deal. So much so that if you have been following the Blackhawks during the preseason, your attention is intentionally being drawn to Kaiser during the play and on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) and other social media outlets.
I was so impressed by this play by Wyatt Kaiser in OT last night.
Used his body angle and strength to absolutely manhandle Jonas Brodin one, two, three times behind the net, then jumpstarted a counterattack with his speed and vision: pic.twitter.com/RRPHEIMUpR
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 6, 2023
In fairness to Kaiser, he is a solid prospect. The Hawks’ third-round (81st overall) pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft played three solid, yet not overwhelmingly special, seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, then signed an entry-level deal with the Hawks last March and appeared in nine games before the end of the season. In those nine games, Kaiser did fine by tallying three assists, and could still have a nice future with the club. In five preseason games, he has been decent but not as special as advertised, logging an average of 19:35 minutes in ice time, with a -2 rating and zero points.
Kaiser’s strength is in his skating and puck movement, seemingly a necessary ingredient to succeed in today’s NHL. He is a great skater, that is clear. From the offensive zone blue line down, he is terrific, and from that vantage point can navigate and manage the game. His gap control is a work in progress in the neutral zone, and when he has space and is not pressured, he is as good as any defensive prospect in the system at moving a puck.
I don’t know if most of you saw it, but Wyatt Kaiser really impressed me vs the Wild last game, especially in OT.
He held his own when being forechecked and created a chance after fending him off.
This kid is going to be a 2-way force this season #Blackhawks
— AJB (@Arjun_AJB15) October 7, 2023
That said, there is still so much work to be had with this young man as an actual defenseman, and it is somewhat unsettling that fans are only learning of his skillsets and not his “current” weaknesses. His speed is such that his recovery time is beneficial, often masking mistakes whether in the neutral zone or in his own end of the ice. His physical strength at his age will continue to provide difficulty for his in-zone play below the tops of the circles. What you have been seeing in preseason games that commentators have yet to highlight is Kaiser is often out of position in his own end and results in the team being pinned in its own zone for seconds at a time.
Wyatt Kaiser whiffs on a puck retrieval behind the Blackhawks net and it leads to the Wild scoring the game-tying goal.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 6, 2023
Absolutely none of this is uncommon for a 21-year-old rookie defenseman, particularly one who is playing on a team not set up for short-term success. There is nothing necessarily to be worried about with Kaiser’s play, but one would be wise to limit their expectations of how this is going to go for him in his first 10–15 regular season games. The truth of the matter is, Kaiser is likely to be in the minus and on the ice for a lot of goals against early this season. That you can expect will happen.
The Hawks have a lot of young, talented defensemen in their prospect pool: Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Alex Vlasic and others. Vlasic and Kaiser are the likely two to get ample time with the big club this year, while Korchinski may play up to nine games in Chicago before burning the first year of his entry-level contract and being sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL to continue his development. Perhaps this is why fans are being sold on Kaiser’s attributes, urging followers to get used to acknowledging only the bright spots of his play.
Lots of drooling over Wyatt Kaiser after that second period and yes, he has good anticipation in the O-zone…but he will be on the ice for a lot of goals against this season. Below the tops of the circles in his own end, there is a lot of learning to be had. @TheRinkChi
— Andy Campbell (@AndyCampbell16) September 29, 2023
But take caution folks, be prepared to be patient and watch him learn on the job. Realistically, Kaiser could be a top-four (not top pairing) defenseman in the NHL if all goes well for him. That said, it was not too long ago that fans were fed only positives about another three-year college talent named Ian Mitchell. Mitchell, now 24 years old, was dealt along with Alec Regula to the Boston Bruins for veterans Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno over the summer. Mitchell then signed a one-year deal with the Bruins at $775,000 and is currently fighting for an NHL roster spot, hoping to make the Boston club as their seventh defenseman. There are a lot of questions on whether or not Mitchell has an actual future in the league.
Wyatt Kaiser is a good player and prospect. He is. But, fans should not get carried away. There are some speed bumps ahead for him, and even a stint or two in Rockford is not out of the question. So do not shine too much of a spotlight on him; be patient with his development, and if—and when—he struggles early, there is no need to turn on him, either. Some prospects will make it with the Hawks and some will not. That is the reality, and in no way is Kaiser above or below that.