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Last Season in Review The Chicago Blackhawks are three years deep into their full-scale rebuild, and patience remains the name of the game. General ma
[See the full post at: 25-26 Chicago Blackhawks Season Preview]Nice breakdown, i would also like to add, i felt that Sorensen opened things up when he became the head coach that’s why the rise of GA. Personally i felt Jones was only going through the motions with this team.
The encouraging thing for me last year was we had actual puck possession in the offensive zone for long stretches but not able to score goals by wearing teams out.
I think that’ll come next, i just think of all the misses by Nazar on his breakaway attempts and laugh when he said that was definitely something he’s going to be working on this summer. If he scored on half of them he’d of had 6 or 7 more goals last season.
I’m definitely a fan of more speed, so my guess is Burak will fit right in, when you look at all be it young team i believe we’ll be even harder to play against because of the increased team speed.
As noted, Vlasic admitted he hit the wall late in the season. It’s likely that Rinzel, Levshunov and the other young D will experience the same mental and physical wear downs as the season progresses. I thought KFC would have brought in a veteran D to alleviate the load on the kids, but it looks like he wants them to sink or swim. The same could be said for forwards Nazar, Moore and Green. Playing 70 to 80 games in the NHL or AHL is different than playing 30 in college.
With that said, I agree with you Frenchy. There may be some improvement in the standings points wise, but this year will have its ups and downs. Getting the young guys experience and used to the grind will be the main focus.
P.S. For general discussion on the Hawks all season, visit this thread here on HockeyHotStove. Stop by to add your thoughts.
Thanks for your comment! You’re right — once Sorensen came in and Jones moved on, the system changed. The goals against actually increased because the defensemen were given more freedom, and the Blackhawks paid the price on the back end. But the trade-off was more puck possession and more offensive opportunities, which is a step forward for the rebuild.
At 5-on-5, puck possession still needs to improve next season. If Nazar buried more of his chances, he could’ve easily added 5+ goals, and that’ll be key for his development.
I also agree about speed — a quick transition game with sharp quick-ups makes a team harder to play against. The Devils are a great example of that style. I’m curious to see how Bashill puts his system in place and balances offense with defense this season.
Thanks for your comment! I agree — the long grind is going to test the young guys, especially with a compressed schedule and more back-to-backs. Adding a veteran on defense would have made sense, but at least this way the prospects will get real experience that pays off later.
There will be ups and downs, but points aside, the big win this season is seeing how players like Levshunov, Rinzel, Nazar, and Moore adapt to the pace and physical wear of a full year. That’s what will shape the Hawks’ future.
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