The Chicago Blackhawks may be building something real, but the path forward could get crowded in a hurry.
That was the crux of the conversation on this week’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, where Steven Ellis joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to dig into a simple but tricky question: do the Blackhawks actually have too many good prospects?
Chicago’s youth movement has plenty to like. The team came out flying last season before Connor Bedard’s injury in December knocked the momentum off course.
Even with that setback, there’s still clear optimism around the roster. But Ellis pointed to the same issue that can slow a promising team down: not enough proven experience, and not enough room for every talented young player to get the ice time they want.
Up front, the numbers are especially tight. Ellis laid out a center group that includes Bedard, Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar, and said that kind of depth makes it hard to sort out roles and minutes. Oliver Moore is part of that logjam too, and Ellis made it clear he doesn’t see him as a fourth-liner.
“I think he’s now a third-line guy.”
Frondell, meanwhile, could end up shifting away from center once Bedard is back from injury. Ellis said that move would help balance things out, especially because Frondell wasn’t playing center for most of last season in Sweden. He also noted that Frondell may not be the most naturally gifted offensive player, but he has other ways to make an impact, and his shot stands out.
“So, I feel like he’ll be a good mix with Bedard at some point.”
The crowding isn’t limited to the forwards. Ellis also highlighted the Blackhawks’ stash of defensemen, especially on the right side, as another part of the pipeline that makes decisions more complicated.
That’s why he believes Chicago should have been moving some prospects at the last two trade deadlines. In his view, the rebuild is still going, but the organization also needs to think about players who can help sooner rather than later.
He thinks this could be the year that starts to happen.
Ellis tied that idea to the Blackhawks’ next step as a team, saying they’re likely headed for progress and may be aiming to become at least somewhat competitive. He also brought up Patrick Kane, saying Chicago doesn’t sign a player like that without believing there’s a push coming.
“I think Kane still wants another shot at being competitive,” Ellis said, adding that the Blackhawks could be closer to the kind of team San Jose was last year - not a playoff team, but one that was in the conversation for a while before coming up short.
The talent is there in Chicago. The harder part now may be making sure all of it fits.
In Other News...
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The Blackhawks already have several young defenders with upside, and Korchinski still carries the weight of being the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. What makes his situation worth watching now is less about whether he belongs in the organization and more about where he fits when the roster decisions get tighter, especially with his role still unsettled and the team trying to sort out how its blue line will take shape over the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]
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Blackhawks Are Asking Bowen Byram To Prove Something Fast
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The move also gives Byram a different kind of opportunity than he had in Buffalo, where the path to being the No. 1 defenseman was blocked. Chicago is asking him to prove he can handle that responsibility fast, and the early answer will matter because the Blackhawks are leaning on him to help set the tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]