The Blackhawks handed their defense to the kids Saturday.
Before sending a more veteran-heavy lineup Sunday to Milwaukee, the Hawks dressed five defensemen aged 22 or younger against the Red Wings.
Alec Regula (age 22), Isaak Phillips (21), Nolan Allan (19), Ethan Del Mastro (19) and Nicolas Beaudin (22) all dressed, making Jack Johnson (35) — in his unofficial Hawks debut — the lone veteran in the rotation.
It was a smart decision. Not only is the preseason intended to give prospects NHL experience, but the Hawks also need to determine soon which young defensemen will travel with them to Colorado for opening night Oct. 12.
Defensive roster battle
Seth Jones is guaranteed, obviously, to make the team. So are fellow veterans Connor Murphy –if the back injury currently holding him out of training is as minor as the Hawk have implied — and Johnson.
Caleb Jones and Riley Stillman are virtual locks, too, but the Hawks would certainly like to see both of them take steps forward. Stillman, historically a defense-first depth option, worked this summer to expand his offensive skills.
“[I spent] a lot of time on the ice, working with my skills coach to make plays coming out of my own end, tape-to-tape,” Stillman said. “[I’m] just trying to be clean that way and continue to expand my game.”
With Jake McCabe out several more weeks recovering from back surgery, that leaves two vacant roster spots on the back end. The players who ultimately earn those spots will likely both play regularly, too, as the Hawks would prefer someone like Johnson to be healthy-scratched than a prospect.
Regula, Phillips and Alex Vlasic are the three leading candidates fighting for those two spots. Ian Mitchell and Jakub Galvas would also be in the conversation if not currently sidelined by injuries (wrist and oblique, respectively).
Beaudin, meanwhile, is the only prospect defenseman no longer waiver-exempt, but he hasn’t shown much to indicate he’s ready for the NHL (and his time in the organization might be running short). Swedish free-agent signing Filip Roos will likely begin his North American adjustment in Rockford. Allan, Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski are not AHL-eligible and thus are expected to return to their Canadian junior teams.
Of the aforementioned three leading candidates, Phillips and Regula have significantly more pro hockey experience than Vlasic, but Vlasic has perhaps the highest upside –and impressed with the Hawks late last season. There are arguments to be made for each of them.
Coach Luke Richardson said Saturday the Hawks’ roster for their preseason finale Oct. 8 at the Blues will be similar to –if not the same as — their opening-night lineup, so Phillips, Regula and Vlasic’s battle has seemingly entered its final week.
Forwards less uncertain
Given the imbalance of the Hawks’ prospect pool, as well as the waiver situation, the opening-night forward lineup is much easier to predict.
Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Johnson, Colin Blackwell, Sam Lafferty, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, Philipp Kurashev, Jujhar Khaira, MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson are the 13 forwards most likely to make the team.
The only realistic question regards top prospect Lukas Reichel. The Hawks seem inclined to keep Reichel in Rockford as long as possible, but he has looked very good in camp — potentially good enough to force his way onto the roster. If he does stay, the Hawks could either initially keep 14 forwards or try to slip Entwistle or Reese Johnson through waivers.
After Reichel, Josiah Slavin, Mike Hardman (when he returns from his groin injury) and Dylan Sikura would be next in line.