Column: Younger Blackhawks Step Up As Duty Calls

Seth Jones is a lightning rod for Chicago Blackhawks fans. His contract represents the old guard–the one who traded two first-round picks and Adam Boqvist for eventually, an eight-year $9.5M AAV hit that right now takes up 11.4% of the team’s entire salary cap.

So yes, some Hawks fans can be excused for pointing at the returns and saying: Really? 11 points and no goals and this is what they’re paying for? 

Fair, but he’s also doing quite a bit that doesn’t make it onto the scoresheet.

For starters he’s a minutes eater, and while he’s not lighting up the scoresheet like most fans would like, he’s been a steady presence on the blue line.

Blocking shots, breaking up plays, keeping pucks in the zone. But when it was announced that Jones hadn’t traveled with the team and was out with an upper body injury, suddenly there was a big hole on the blue line.

Young Blackhawks Step Into the Void

Check all of them who were out there against the suddenly mighty Oilers on a seven-game win streak. Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier, Filip Roos, and Alex Vlasic. Up front? Take your pick. It’s also missing 19-year-old Kevin Korchinski.

The team was designed this season to introduce the youth into the lineup but have it insulated with veteran leadership to help move it along. Now, with many of those veterans unavailable, it’s the youth movement making headway as against the version of the Oilers team that people were expecting to see.

On a national stage no doubt.

Never mind that the Blackhawks were able to hang with the team that was supposed to blow them out from the onset. It was a reassuring look at a team who is going through another rebuild season but trying to be effective without sacrificing another shot at top pick in the lottery. They didn’t win, but they didn’t fold, either.

All the while making sure that the kids will be indeed be alright.