Jeremy Colliton chuckled about the Blackhawks’ sloppy defensive effort Saturday against the Bruins — or, more accurately, the Bruins’ AHL team, plus a scattered few NHL players.
If it was the regular season, he would’ve been furious: despite winning the game 3-2 in overtime, the Hawks’ defense conceded a whopping 29 scoring chances and 15 high-danger chances, forcing Robin Lehner to frequently bail them out. But it didn’t count, and it peeled back the curtain yet another inch for Colliton to see what he must fix, so the young coach could smile about it all.
Besides, every turnover, every mistake — just like every good pass and every smart play — helps provide more clarity as to what the opening day roster should be.
“We’ve done some work,” said Colliton, reflecting on the first nine days of training camp prior to Sunday’s day off. “We’ve had some battling and [done] some system things...and I’ve been quite happy with the progression. We’re getting better as it goes on here. Also, to me, it’s becoming more clear what our lineup’s going to look like.”
The Hawks will have just 60 more minutes of live competition — Wednesday against the Capitals — before determining who to bring to Europe. Saturday’s game at Boston will be essentially manned by the IceHogs.
That decision won’t be as intense as it could be, as the NHL will allow the Hawks to bring a few more players on the overseas trip than usual (most teams must finish the preseason with only 23 on the active roster), but with the long-awaited depth the Hawks have compiled on both offense and defense, it still won’t be easy.
Entering the final week of camp, here’s how the lineup may sort out.
Forwards
Alex Nylander—Jonathan Toews—Patrick Kane
The Hawks think Nylander can excel when he’s surrounded by skill, despite his three years of lean results in Buffalo. That’s the same logic that didn’t work out well with Dylan Sikura, but Nylander certainly has more raw talent than him.
Alex DeBrincat—Dylan Strome—Andrew Shaw
Colliton loves how Shaw, Chicago’s beloved grit champion, can terrorize opponents on the forecheck and win the puck in the offensive zone, giving elite playmakers DeBrincat and Strome lots of finishing opportunities.
Brandon Saad—David Kampf—Dominik Kubalik
Having Kubalik, whose one-timer against Detroit remains the highlight of the Hawks’ preseason, and Saad on the third line will provide valuable depth. Colliton likes Kampf at center here, despite his concerning offensive shortcomings, but Anton Wedin and Kirby Dach can’t be counted out.
Drake Caggiula—Ryan Carpenter—Zack Smith
Colliton raved about this trio’s play against the Bruins. “They were able to start on our half of the rink and end in theirs,” he said. Not to be forgotten, Brendan Perlini will fight for opportunities to shuffle in.
Defensemen
Duncan Keith—Erik Gustafsson
The Hawks’ first pairing from most of last season’s latter half looks likely to stay intact for at least the start of this year, although both — especially Gustafsson — have looked rusty in their own end so far.
Olli Maatta—Brent Seabrook
This pairing sounds like a disaster in waiting, considering neither can skate faster than a zamboni. But so far, they’ve more than compensated in defensive stoutness. If Maatta-Seabrook works effectively in the regular season too, the Hawks’ front office will be thrilled.
Calvin de Haan—Connor Murphy
De Haan has yet to make his preseason debut, but he’s trending towards recovering from shoulder surgery and a groin strain in time for opening day. Murphy is basically a lock for an NHL job, but Slater Koekkoek, Carl Dahlstrom, Philip Holm (despite being waived Sunday) and Adam Boqvist remain in the conversation.
