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Blackhawks NCAA Campus Report: Nov 30 – Dec 1

  
Blackhawks NCAA Campus Report: Nov 30 - Dec 1

It’s pretty incredible that 28 games into the 2018-19 season, the Chicago Blackhawks are 29th in the league and 6th in the central division in points.  More alarmingly, fans are already talking about the 2019 NHL Draft.  The debate of whether the Hawks have the right people in their front office to resurrect the roster back into a playoff team is questionable.  The need for high-end prospects and more importantly, the development of top players is a must going forward.

It’s a good sign that the Hawks have a couple players in college hockey that are doing well, as well as their prospects playing in the CHL.  But who are the next young players that can turn into regulars at the United Center?  Apparently it wasn’t Nick Schmaltz and maybe not Dylan Sikura.  And with systems changing under head coach Jeremy Colliton, it’s hard to say who will fit the new Blackhawks model.

As we approach March, careful eyes will be on the Blackhawks who in my opinion have a lot to sell.  The dilemma will be with Stan Bowman, a GM who may be too proud to sell off core pieces who still have value to save his own job.  When in reality, the Blackhawks need to get back to the basics and draft good players.  It’s hard to watch the slow decline of this core and listen their answerless post-game interviews.  It’s time to take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge who the Blackhawks are and where they’re going because fan support is waning.

Let’s take a look at something more positive, like the Hawks’ college hockey prospects.

Evan Barratt – Forward – Penn State University – 12G, 13A

Blackhawks NCAA Campus Report: Nov 30 - Dec 1

Photo courtesy of the Daily Collegian

Evan Barratt continued his hot streak going into last weekend.  He scored a goal and an assist in Friday and Saturday’s game.  Unfortunately the Nittany Lions tied 3-3 on Friday and lost to Wisconsin on Saturday 5-8.  Team USA will be announcing their preliminary roster invitations for the World Junior Tournament in the coming days and Barratt’s name will be on watch for Blackhawks fans.

Penn State hosts Notre Dame this weekend.

https://twitter.com/PatrickBurns_/status/1068694883454599173

Ian Mitchell – Defenseman – University of Denver – 2G, 9A

Blackhawks NCAA Campus Report: Nov 30 - Dec 1

Photo courtesy of Magness Mayhem

The Pioneers were off last weekend, but two weeks ago Denver beat and tied Providence in a solid series at home.  Mitchell was held to one point, but continues to show his leadership and poise on the powerplay.  He has shown a lot of growth since his freshman year and isn’t shy about the spotlight.  Mitchell tends to make plays when he has the puck and his Pioneers teammates trust him to carry the mail at the point.

Team Canada has also noticed his progress this season, selecting Mitchell to the preliminary World Juniors roster.

The Pioneers travel to North Dakota to play the Fighting Hawks this weekend.

Chad Krys – Defenseman – Boston University – 3G, 5A

At 4-7-2, the Boston Terriers aren’t the powerhouse of Hockey East this year and that’s unfortunate for Chad Krys.  The Blackhawks 2016 2nd round pick has lost a lot of hype since the Blackhawks drafted Henri Jokiharju, Adam Boqvist, and Nicholas Beaudin and the struggling Terriers aren’t helping his cause.  Krys still has eight points in 10 games this season and continues to be a veteran leader for Boston.  It will be interesting to see where Krys fits into the Hawks system if he chooses to sign after this year.

Boston hosts UMass-Lowell this weekend.

Other Notables

 

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