Photo courtesy of the SB Nation College Hockey
As the Blackhawks continue to add more youth to their roster, defenseman Chad Krys will be an important prospect to watch
The Blackhawks have been pretty happy recently with their 2016 2nd round draft selection Alex DeBrincat. As a rookie, DeBrincat is tied with Patrick Kane for the team lead in goals with 22. DeBrincat had great numbers in juniors, but nobody saw the undersized forward having this much of an impact in his rookie season.
But DeBrincat wasn’t the only selection the Blackhawks made in the 2016 Draft. Selected 45 overall, defenseman Chad Krys has been having himself a fine sophomore season at Boston University. Krys has already surpassed the 11 points he scored last year and has 22 on the year so far with six goals and 16 assists.
Krys will be an important prospect to watch this summer and beyond considering how active prospects have been this year. In the past, several players at the AHL level never got a chance at the pro level but that seems to be changing. There have been a lot of transactions between the Indy Fuel, Rockford Ice Hogs, and the Chicago Blackhawks to keep prospects moving and more importantly developing. Krys will be completing his second year with Boston University and could sign pro this summer.
The-Rink got a chance to talk to Matt Dresens who covers the team with The BU Hockey Blog. Dresens spoke on Krys’ sophomore season, his character, and his overall development.
Interview with Matt Dresens of The BU Hockey Blog
Chad Krys is having a solid sophomore season so far with 22 points in 28 games. How would you assess his second season with the Terriers?
He looks far more confident than he did a year a go. He knows when to assert himself on the rush, but also has the poise and wherewithal to get back when he needs to. On the power play, a lot of the set up goes through him at the point. Again, he just seems to be much more confident in his game this year.
What makes Krys a special player and what kind of development have you seen from him in 2018?
His ability to generate offense off the rush and push the pace. Quinn has talked alone about “playing with a pace” this year, and he has been at the forefront of that all year. The two-goal game against Providence early in the season said all you need to know in regards to his skill set. He scored on a give an go with Patrick Harper. Moments later, Krys once again intercepted a pass and this time did all the work himself, streaking through the bottom of the slot, left to right, before pushing a backhand past Hawkey’s reach at the 8:55 mark.
Chad Krys’ goal vs. Providence college for @TerrierHockey pic.twitter.com/nHGQdxKR2Q
— BU Athletics (@BUAthletics) November 6, 2017
Krys recently missed a few games from an injury. How serious was it and how much was he missed by BU?
It was an upper-body injury suffered at ASU. It kept him out a few games, but BU didn’t lose a game when we was out. They have a ton of talent on the back end, but I think where his absence was most felt was on the power play.
@TerrierHockey Chad Krys is out tonight after suffering an upper body injury in last night’s game! We are all wishing him a speedy recovery! pic.twitter.com/3mcosqEgqQ
— Ice Time Hockey SW (@icetimesw) January 28, 2018
Do you think Krys could sign pro next season?
Could I see it happening? Yes. Will he? I don’t think so. I think the model for college kids, especially on defense, is to stay for three years. I just look at guys BU has had in recent years and they usually stay for three. Kevin Shattenkirk is the best example. Could he have gone after his sophomore year? Absolutely, but I think that extra year really helped this development. In addition, the Blackhawks don’t look like they are going to make the playoffs, so I don’t really see the rush from their standpoint. Yes, Charlie McAvoy made the jump and performed better than anyone expected with Boston in the playoffs, but the Bruins had an immediate need for a guy like Charlie. I just don’t see it with Chad. I really do think he comes back next year, and will probably wear the ‘A’ on his sweater.
What kind of reputation has Krys earned for himself with his team, the University, and the fans?
From all accounts, he’s a great kid. I’m not in the locker room every day though, so I really can’t say anymore. From a fans perspective, he’s a fun player to watch night in and night out.
You can read Matt’s blog at here and can follow him on Twitter at @TheBUHockeyBlog