We’re not too far away from the 2019 NHL trade deadline and our beloved Chicago Blackhawks still don’t know who they are. One minute they’re piling up powerplay goals and the next they’re giving up eight goals. It’s true the team is in a transition, but the organization needs to decide if they are serious about derailing what could be a short rebuild for the sake of their own pride.
Today we saw the LA Kings deal defenseman Jake Muzzin to Toronto and get a nice return including a 2019 1st round pick. The Kings are in a similar situation where they have a core of aging vets locked into long term deals, yet they are at the bottom on their division. But the Kings are making the best of it by selling off valuable assets for future picks.
.@SportChek Player Alert: The @MapleLeafs have acquired defenceman Jake Muzzin from Los Angeles in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom, the rights to Sean Durzi and Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/3DYt3w0dc1
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 29, 2019
But in the minds of John McDonough and Stan Bowman, they still believe winning can be achieved. Even with both executives deeming the last few seasons as unacceptable, the turmoil continues to trend south.
So what’s the answer? Time will surely tell, but for now the Blackhawks need to do what most good teams do. That is building through the draft. The Hawks have several high-end prospects that will make their way to the NHL soon, but star-power doesn’t get you everything in today’s NHL. You need depth scoring and surprise surprise; toughness. NHL teams did a great job of transforming the game into a mostly skill game, but teams with predators like Tom Wilson are proving to have an edge over less-physical teams.
I wanted to point out a couple of players that are in the Blackhawks NCAA prospect system that could add some edge to the bottom six that would be low cost and high reward. Let’s take a look.
Jack Ramsey – Forward – University of Minnesota
I’ve always thought that to make it in the NHL, you need to do at least one thing right. The higher paid guys do several things right, but you can survive with a singular talent. You can win face-offs, block shots, hit, or simply just be smart and responsible with the puck. The point is that guys can make a career by knowing their role and doing their job.
Jack Ramsey isn’t a points guy, although he’s looked pretty good offensively against other Blackhawks prospects in camp. Ramsey has great size and speed, and most importantly he knows his role. He’s not going to dazzle you with stick-handling but he’s going to live in the corners and create space for other players. He can hunt the puck and force costly turnovers.
The Blackhawks bottom six is full of a bunch of “guys” right now who don’t really know what they want to do well. Ramsey would bring a physical edge and a lot of heart to the Hawks.
Fredrik Olofsson – Forward – University of Nebraska-Omaha
I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Freddy and watching him play a handful of times and it’s been a treat watching his game mature. Olofsson is in his senior year playing for the Mavericks and is one of the most experienced Blackhawks prospects in the system. His transition from wing to center has really taken form this season. Olofsson is having a career season with eight goals and 17 assists in 24 games.
One thing that I’ve noticed is Olofsson’s will that has changed. He’s always been a player that can score. His can pick corners well, his passing anticipation is strong, and his skating has always been good. But this season, it’s noticeable that he’s out-willing other players for the puck. He’s always been responsible in his own end, but now Omaha runs their top lines through him.
Another vast improvement has been his face-offs. Olofsson can win a draw cleanly, but he’s even better at tying a guy up and winning the puck back. These little moves and tricks that he’s picked up give him the advantage over younger players and make him invaluable to the Mavericks.
It will be interesting to see if the Hawks work out a deal with Olofsson after his NCAA season is over. The Hawks are desperate for center depth so it’s possible he gets a look.
Evan Barratt – Forward – Penn State
I’m not sure how this all happened so fast for Evan Barratt, but it did and all at the same time. From his lacrosse-style goal, to making the world junior USA team, back to helping lead his Penn State hockey club, Evan Barratt grew up pretty fast. With 15 goals and 20 assists, there will be some serious pressure for Barratt to come out of college just after his sophomore season. But what better time than now?
The Blackhawks are starving for a heart-and-soul player like Barratt to come through the system. He plays with a lot of edge, running around pissing people off like Andrew Shaw used to do at the United Center. Yet, Barratt can really score. He players in a very fast system at Penn State so he may be a fit for a top-nine role with the Hawks. It just depends how much seasoning the Hawks brass thinks Barratt needs. If he does sign at the end of this year, it will be a big boost to their forward depth.
Can the Hawks turn things around?
We’ve been asking ourselves this question all year. Can the Blackhawks find some combination where they can compete with the top teams in the league? Corey Crawford’s health is the biggest issue and we all have to assume at this point that he can’t play at a high level right now. We also have to face the reality that our defense got old overnight. And with every year that passes, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane prove the law of diminishing returns.
We all want this movie to never end, but it just needs to be rewritten. That process starts with getting young guys ice time. Collin Delia looks to be something in goal. There are tons of defenseman in the system. Now, it’s time for some young forwards to get a look.