Our review will cover the 12 forwards who (basically) played the most games this season and are still Blackhawk properties at this writing.
Could Tommy Wingels be back? Very possibly. Will Dylan Skura start the season in Rockford or Chicago? I would bet Rockford, but who knows. And I wouldn’t count out Matthew Highmore or the addition of a center not currently in the organization either.
But that’s about next year.
This is about the season just past.
Jonathan Toews, C, 29
74GP 20G, 32A, 52pts. -1, FO% 58.0
Grade D+
No player has been more mystifying over the last 2 years than the Hawk captain. Once in the conversation around “the best player in the game,” after June of 2015—when Toews was still taking over huge playoff games—his game seemed to fall of a cliff.
Many theories were offered: too many hard miles, a pseudo-vegan diet and ONNIT supplements, weight loss, slacking, a 2016 back injury (which I first reported on hockeybuzz.com), or losing Brandon Saad and then Marian Hossa on his wings.
I will go with the last two—Toews took a while to get back to 100% from a back injury sustained—but not reported by the team—in the 2016 Worlds, and the losses of the two wings that helped Toews complete the best line in hockey in 2015.
Another factor: I was told by a team hockey ops source that Toews can get worn down by not having a competent backup in the faceoff dot—forcing him to take too many draws in too many situations, particularly the penalty kill. Some proof of that, when David Kampf matriculated to Chicago this season, Toews’ game seemed to get a little lift. In 2015, Toews had Antoine vermette and Marcus Kruger to take a lot of the key faceoff load.
Toews turns 30 in two weeks and he is known as an extremely hard worker in the offseason. I am not ready to write Toews off, but clearly, he needs to be better to justify a $10.5 million a year annual salary, and if the Hawks are to return to any kind of contention next year.
Patrick Kane, RW, 29
82GP 27G, 49A, 76pts -20
Grade: B-
Steady as she goes for one of the league’s premier offensive players. Kane’s numbers fell off a bit in no small part due to the loss of Artemi Panarin on his left wing. But otherwise, he was a consistent producer and has become a much more mature, dedicated presence on the ice. In contrast to early in his career, Kane was often one of only a few Hawks truly competing as this miserable season wound down.
If there was one black mark on Kane’s game, it was his role and responsibility for a pathetic power play. First, let me clearly caveat that he is just one of 5 skaters on his unit, and that the coaching staff and even the GM have dirty thumbprints all over this mess. But it’s also sort of a chicken or the egg question.
A big problem with the Hawk power play has been a lack of purposeful player and puck movement, and it never seems to be worse, as a unit, than when Kane is endlessly handling the puck on the right half board—players on both teams seem to stop and just watch—and most Hawk players, not to mention shooting and passing lanes, get covered.
Is this the scheme—and is the problem therefore coaching? Or is it Kane ignoring the scheme, where it almost seems like he’s waiting for Panarin to magically materialize on the opposite circle to take a one-timer? Kane is not “the” problem on the power play, at all, but he is the key playmaker and a huge scoring option. So for Kane and the Hawks to rekindle their power play, this must be addressed before October.
Brandon Saad, LW, 25
82GP, 18G, 17A, 35pts -10
Grade D
Pity poor Brandon Saad.
With every highlight reel goal and multi-assist game racked up by Panarin in Columbus this year, the corresponding expectations of—and disappointment in— Saad have grown in Hawk fandom.
The truth is, it’s not fair, because the real issue, like the Kane/coaching staff issue on the power play, is far more complicated.
First, Saad and Panarin are different players, and anyone expecting that to be different this year was fooling themselves. Saad’s game is a more steady, unspectacular, 2-way game that combines power and speed. Panarin is an offensive dynamo, something that became even more apparent when he became “the guy” in Columbus this past season.
But expectations were high on Saad, because he was the left wing on what was arguably the best line in hockey three seasons ago—the missing piece that was supposed to perfectly complement Toews. But Saad’s return preceded the “departure” of the other wing on that great line, future hall of famer Marian Hossa. Hossa was “replaced” first by Richard Panik, tfollowed by a revolving door clown car of would be replacements, including Anthony Duclair, Alex DeBrincat, and even Tommy Wingels.
The truth is, you don’t just replace a Hossa. And none of the above candidates could play the power, puck possession style that Hossa did, perfectly complementing Toews and Saad.
Nick Schmaltz, C/W, 22
78GP 21/31 52pts. +1 FO% 40.1
Grade B-
Schmaltz’ improved skating and aggressiveness with the puck were the highlights of his sophomore season. But while his 52 points, and especially 21 goals for a hitherto frustratingly “pass first” player, would point to Schmaltz coming into his own as the Hawks’ second line center, he remains, at best, a work in progress.
Why?
40.1% on faceoffs is simply not acceptable for a regular center in the NHL. Further, while Schmaltz gives great (and productive) effort backchecking, he is pretty much ineffectual in physical battles versus the larger centers and defensemen in the Western Conference. Schmaltz took a fairly obvious early season concussion, and his effort—on a few occasions—after his return to the lineup suggested he would avoid a hit rather than make a critical play. That has to change.
Some continue to argue that faceoffs are “an overrated stat,” and perhaps in an aggregate sense, they can be. However, on special teams and late in close games, they are critical. One of the favorite “interwebs” rationale for why the Hawks, as a team, are so non-physical is: “they’re a possession team.” The problem is, to generate shots for and limit shots against—you have to actually possess the puck.
This was offset by Toews’ stellar 58% and some surprisingly nice situational FO numbers from Czech import David Kampf. But the Hawks need more from Schmaltz in the important, physical aspects of playing center. Faceoffs are hard work for centers, and Toews needs more support from the 2-4 centers.
Artem Anisimov, C, 29
72GP 20/11 31pts, -17, FO% 45.7
Grade C-
Can the Hawks “afford” a third line center, who is also slow afoot and notoriously weak on faceoffs—at $4.5 million a season?
All that said, there are always positives to Anisimov’s game. He’s big and willing to park in front of opposing goalies, tough to play against and can play in a variety of situations , and score goals.
Alex DeBrincat, W, 20
82 GP, 28/24 52pts., +6
Grade A-
Although he had a rough first 15 games or so, there is little to dislike about DeBrincat’s first pro season. He tied Schmaltz and Toews for second on the team in scoring, and his overall three-zone play improved over the course of the year—although he still makes some mistakes with the puck. DeBrincat got ragdolled by bogger, more physically mature opponents quite a bit early on in the year, but seemed to adjust and never showed any tentativeness. He’s little, but feisty and willing. And he is going to score a lot of goals in the NHL. How many? Hard to say, because his totals this year were inflated by playing against a lot of second and third pairing defensemen and a handful of empty net and garbage time goals. But he has such a quick, deceptive release to his shot, as well as a great feel for using opposing defenders as screens—and that part of his game will improve yet as he further adjusts to the NHL. Debrincat is also a pretty nifty playmaker, although he does need to adjust better to the NHL in that aspect—some of his passes are of the “too cute” variety and lead to opportunities the other way.
Vince Hinostroza, W, 24
50GP 7/18 25pts., +5
Grade B-
While ripping it up in Rockford early in the season, Hinostroza became the darling of Meathead Nation. After all, if a guy can score in bunches in the AHL, he can in the NHL. Right?
Ehhh, wrong.
And that’s the thing with Hinostroza. He’s not and likely never will be a 60+ point player in the NHL. But he can be highly effective as a disruptive, energy style player, with just enough offense to play somewhere from 4-12 in your forward corps and make a difference.
Hinostroza, like DeBrincat is small, but utterly fearless. He goes after pucks against anyone and wins a lot of them. His speed can create all kinds of havoc for opponents, especially when he uses it to get behind opposing blueliners. The Hawks need abundantly more of what Hinostroza brings in attitude and effort.
John Hayden, W, 23
47 GP 4/9 13 pts., -4
Grade C+
While he had an unspectacular stat line, Big John Stud tantalized this year with a toughness and enough ability to leave most Hawk fans feeling he factors into the future of the team as a lower line player. A devastating TKO of Sabres’ tough guy Marcus Foligno early in the season sent a message heard round the league. While Hayden will not be an enforcer in the traditional sense, he can take care of business if need be.
David Kampf, C, 23
46GP 4/7 11 pts., -9, FO% 53.0
Grade B-
Kampf was solid but unspectacular—which is all the Hawks expected of him. If he can gain some added functional strength this offseason, he could have a meaningful role with the Hawks next season and thereafter.
Anthony Duclair, W, 22
23GP, 2/6 8 pts, Even
Grade C
Before taking a season ending injury, Duclair showed flashes of speed and athleticism—the same flashes he has shown in two previous organizations. He is likely in the mix for the Hawks next year, and may well be a factor. Buthe will need to elevate his game and add consistency.
Tomas Jurco, W, 25
29GP 6/4 10 pts, +1
Grade C+
The “jewel” of Stan Bowman’s “6 week pursuit” at the 2017 trade deadline, Jurco was actually fairly decent in the bottom 6 this year. He, like so many guys who produce bigger offensive numbers at the lower levels, needs to adjust the style of his game to more of a grinding, pesky style. He actually did that fairly well this season. Like Kampf, if Jurco were to add some functional strength, he could be a useful player for the Hawks next year.
Andrea Martinsen, W, 27
9GP 1/0 1pt., -1
Grade C+
Martinsen is sort of like Andrew Shaw, but turbocharged with about a ton of added mass. Big, surpisingly mobile, and a wrecking ball on skates, Martinsen plays with murderous intentions—and opponents need to have their heads on a swivel whenever he’s on the ice—which matters. He also will take the puck hard to the net, even if he lacks the nifty hands to deke the goalie once he gets there. Like Shaw, also, he needs to pick his spots a bit better. But Martinsen has likely earned a spot next year in Chicago.
Taken as a whole, this group is solid and fairly deep on the wings. It’s down the middle where the team may be forced to swap out either Anisimov or even Schmaltz (as part of a larger package) to upgrade the center position overall. We all want the narrative of Hawk first round picks to be success—and defiance of doubt. But the reality is, even if the “with Crow, it’s a playoff team” narrative were true, this team would have been destroyed in the first round of the playoffs, in large part because of weakness at center. And you have to give to get.
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