Chicago Blackhawks training camp is just a few short days away, opening up on Friday. For many, the beginning of training camp is the last opportunity to make a lasting impression on Blackhawks coaches and the front office, to make their case to be on the NHL opening night roster.
Predicting the Rockford IceHogs’ opening roster
This season is a little different for Chicago, given that opening night for them will be in Prague, essentially splitting the team into a travelling roster and a domestic roster for the final week and a half of camp. With that in mind, the roster picture for the Rockford IceHogs will be made more clear than in previous year, so here’s my attempt to predict the opening night roster for the 2019–20 Rockford IceHogs.
* = Blackhawks roster player
** = Fuel roster player
IceHogs forwards
- MacKenzie Entwistle
- Alexandre Fortin
- Brandon Hagel
- Mikael Hakkarainen
- Matthew Highmore
- Reese Johnson
- Graham Knott
- Philipp Kurashev
- Dylan McLaughlin
- Jacob Nilsson
- Nathan Noel
- John Quenneville
- Aleksi Saarela
- Dylan Sikura
- Tyler Sikura
- Tim Soderlund
- Kris Versteeg
- Anton Wedin
Non-roster forwards
- Liam Coughlin **
- Dominik Kubalík *
- Nick Moutrey **
- Alexander Nylander *
- Mathew Thompson **
The depth of the forwards group that will be in Blackhawks training camp, outside of the players that are essential locks to play with the Blackhawks (i.e. top six forwards), is very intriguing. Arguments can be made that players like Dominik Kubalík, Alexander Nylander, John Quenneville and Dylan Sikura could all start the year either in Rockford or Chicago. Lineup versatility will be a major key to success for both NHL and AHL clubs this season.
The way I see it, Kubalík and Nylander will be given enough chances in camp and the preseason to show they can contribute at an NHL level. Outside of that, Rockford’s forwards group will be rife with young talented players like MacKenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev and they will benefit from being led by veterans like Matthew Highmore, Tyler Sikura and Kris Versteeg.
IceHogs defensemen
- Nicolas Beaudin
- Adam Boqvist
- Lucas Carlsson
- Carl Dahlstrom
- Philip Holm
- Dennis Gilbert
- Chad Krys
- Joni Tuulola
Non-roster defensemen
- Slater Koekkoek *
- Josh McArdle **
- Dmitry Osipov **
- Jack Ramsey **
- Jake Ryczek **
On the blue line, the only real question to be answered is if Adam Boqvist makes enough of a push in the preseason to make players like Carl Dahlstrom or Slater Koekkoek both start in the AHL. Both players are non-waivers exempt, so for Chicago to take the waiver wire risk, Boqvist would have to make it truly worth their time.
I see Chicago giving him the ice time and opportunities to do so, but that one, if not both, of Dahlstrom and Koekkoek start with the Blackhawks. If it is one or the other, my money is on Dahlstrom beginning the year with the IceHogs and leading a young group of defensemen.
IceHogs goalies
- Collin Delia
- Kevin Lankinen
Non-roster goalies
- Chase Marchand **
- Matt Tomkins **
Undoubtedly, goaltending is the easiest position to predict heading into training camp. With the offseason addition of Robin Lehner, the Blackhawks solidified their top two goaltending spots to begin the 2019–20 season. Collin Delia was thought to be the penciled in backup to Corey Crawford prior to the free agent signing of Lehner. Rockford will no doubt benefit from having Delia back in the fold and the emergence of Kevin Lankinen with his performance over the summer in the World Championships with Finland, Rockford’s one two punch in net could very well rival that of Chicago’s at the NHL level. Matt Tomkins would be my guess at this moment in time to get the corresponding call up to the AHL if either Delia or Lankinen gets a call from Chicago.
Training camp opens on Friday for the Blackhawks, with the annual Training Camp Festival taking place Sunday at the United Center. Following that, the Blackhawks open preseason game action on the road against the Washington Capitals.