Stan Bowman Sure Making It Seem Like Kirby Dach Is Going To Stick With The Team After Training Camp
When Kirby Dach was put in concussion protocol after getting mugged in the Traverse City Prospects Tournament I assumed that was all she wrote for his chances of making the NHL. It’s nearly impossible for 18 year-olds to make an NHL team. As good as Dach is, he still has some work to do on his game such as his skating and just you know…competing against physically mature professional athletes. He’s almost always been the biggest, strongest, most skilled, player on the ice for his entire life. That is going to change here real soon. When you miss the majority of training camp, almost all of preseason, and you’re a teenager then you’re probably not going to make the team. The Hawks especially have a reputation for bringing prospects along slowly. Letting them develop at the AHL level for years before giving them the call. I assumed that Dach would be no different, but it sounds like that was wrong
“How can we (decide)? We don’t have enough information. He could go back, but that decision hasn’t been made because it’s an incomplete right now. How can we say that he can’t play? We may get to that point where it’s better for him to be there. We’re going to do what’s best for him. If he’s going to help our team win this year, whether it’s in three weeks or a month, then he can be here. If we decide the best thing for Kirby is to go back to Saskatoon, that’s where he’ll be. We’ve got time to figure that out.”–Stan Bowman
HEY NOW!
If you believe Stan Bowman, who admittedly doesn’t always seem to be forthcoming, then Kirby could be sticking with the team for a while to make the determination if he’s ready. The CBA allows for teams to play their prospects in 9 NHL games without officially starting their NHL contract. 10 games and you burn a year off the deal. 9 games and they can go back to Junior having just gotten a little taste of the good life and some experience. The Blackhawks are in an unusual spot to start the year since their first game is Europe. When you go to Europe the NHL allows you to expand your roster to 25 players(from the normal 23 limit). The thinking is that teams will carry an extra emergency goalie since it wouldn’t be easy call someone up if both your goalies come down with IBS after some bad sauerkraut. The Blackhawks might use the expanded roster to keep Dach and Boqvist up.
The reason the Blackhawks are going to be patient is that they know they need a boost on their third line center spot. It’s the one glaring weakness in a top 9 that has come together very well since Nylander and Kubalik look like players.
Nylander-Toews-Kane
Debrincat-Strome-Shaw
Saad-(Dach/Wedin/Kampf/Who the fuck knows)-Kubalik
Smith-Carpenter-Caggiula
Kampf is the most replaceable guy ever. He’s the epitome of meh. He could play with a two super highly skilled wings and finish with 35 points because he’s just not that good. He’s like Marcus Kruger. Very smart, reliable, skates decently well, responsible, no descernable offensive gifts to speak of. He can play in the NHL…but it would be better if he didn’t or was on the 4th line. I know that, the Hawks know that, you know that. If they can upgrade the 3C with a guy who has the offensive ceiling of Dach then whoa baby that is a top 9 that is deep, balanced, and dangerous. It’s a worthwhile experiment to figure out of Dach can play. This team is close. A capable Kirby Dach could be the difference between finishing in the top 3 of the Central Division or potentially missing the playoffs all together. I couldn’t be more gassed up about the idea of Dach sticking. It’s the missing piece up front. The beauty of breaking in Dach at the NHL level is that this team is capable of insulating him. When you have Toews, Strome, Kampf, Carpenter, Smith, and Shaw on the team that means that Dach won’t have to take a single important d-zone faceoff. He won’t NEED to provide offensive juice every night. He just has to show up, play hard, learn the ropes, and play his game. A game that is big, skilled, and smart. Let him set up Kubalik and Saad and let’s fucking go. The team is dangerous. Let’s Kirby spin.