After five days of scrimmages and drills, the Chicago Blackhawks open the preseason schedule with a home game against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
“It’s a good first step,” forward Taylor Hall said. “Playing the scrimmages here is one thing, and then the next is exhibition games. And then I feel like the start of the season, the first five or 10 games, is different than the next 10 to 40 games there. The speed really picks up as you’re going into Christmas and all that.
Still, “(I) can’t wait to play a hockey game. I can’t wait to eat a pregame meal and take a long nap and enjoy the day, just go through all the things that come with playing an NHL hockey game.”
While the players long for routine, coaches will be focused on evaluation and instruction.
“Today was just more, get some system in, get some special teams in for the team playing tomorrow so there’s some organization in the game. and just getting prepared for that because it goes pretty quick — six games,” coach Luke Richardson said Tuesday.
“There are a lot of new guys, so (we’re) trying to have some conversations with guys to make sure they understand where they are on the ice, our systems, and they’re comfortable with it.”
Here are five things to watch during the preseason opener.
1. How will Taylor Hall look back in action?
Hall, 32, said he has “no issues” with his right knee after an ACL tear in November required surgery and knocked him out for the rest of the season.
“Physically, I feel good. My knee is as good as it’s going to be,” Hall said.
Now, tell that to his head.
“It’s a mental hurdle that you get over by playing games and just getting through scrimmages,” he said. “Just going back to the summer, getting some contact, getting scrimmages and then getting into exhibition games. This is all part of the process.”
That’s why he’s looking forward to Wednesday’s game.
“I just want to get up to game speed, and I want to feel some bumps,” Hall said. “A bump maybe when you’re not expecting it, or you’re a little off balance, those types of things.
“I know everything’s going to be fine, but I just want to experience those and just really get ready for Game 1 (of the regular season), just be ready to fly in Game 1, when the games really matter.”
2. The power play takes on a different look.
Here are the projected units the Hawks could roll out against the Wings on Wednesday.
Power play 1
- Connor Bedard-Seth Jones (QB)-Taylor Hall
- Tyler Bertuzzi at net front
- Teuvo Teräväinen at bumper
Power play 2
- Frank Nazar-Kevin Korchinski (QB)-Nick Lardis
- Samuel Savoie at net front
- Craig Smith at bumper
“We have a couple of young guys out there today. We want to see how it works,” Richardson said. “So if it works, it’s great.”
Missing is Philipp Kurashev, who was in the B group and not a part of Tuesday’s man-advantage drills. Last season, he typically played opposite Bedard in the first unit.
Hall said, “Because we’re still split up (by groups), and it’s hard to tell what the units are going to be (in the regular season). But there’s definitely a lot more options. I really feel like we’re going to have a better second unit this year.”
Obviously, these lineups aren’t set in stone, it’s just the experimental phase, and they’ll likely be jumbled during the game.
Even within each unit, Richardson wants each skater to move to different positions during a power play to force penalty killers to face different looks.
“They’re creative, we want them to switch,” he said. “If it gets stagnant and we have full control and the other team’s just holding, they’re sitting on somebody, we’re going to get them to move to different positions.”
3. How will the top prospects hold up?
Typical of camp, some prospects stood out, some tread water and others looked like they were trying to keep up.
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, once again, has been a camp darling and may be making a case for the roster. He’s not buying into any hype.
“Not bad,” Kaiser said of his performance. “There’s still a few things to clean up. … I’ve been pretty happy with just some of the things, like my gaps. Defensive zone has been a pretty solid show here so far.”
Whether he merits a spot, “the GMs and organization will try to go in the direction that they think is best for the team,” he said.
Richardson was similarly reserved.
He said Kaiser is strong and can skate, but “sometimes he skates too fast, he catches up and jams into the forwards. … He just has to get used to how his own speed can manage the game for himself.”
“In the exhibition games is when you see the compete levels rise up a little bit more.”
Forwards Nick Lardis and AJ Spellacy have also impressed, but the Hawks want to see them in an exhibition game to give them feedback to take with them to their respective OHL teams, the Brantford Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires.
Hall said Lardis is skilled.
“He’s got a nice release on his shot, and the puck seems to stick to his stick,” Hall said. “When he accepts a pass, or whatever it is, there’s always a good play that follows.”
Richardson said of Spellacy, “He’s good at center, he’s big enough and strong enough, physical enough that he could play on the wing, too. We’re looking for him to use his skating ability in the middle and hopefully his junior team gives him that, just a little more work.”
Camp is over already for winger Martin Misiak, who was sent to his junior team, the OHL Erie Otters, as were forwards Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves) and Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs), and defenseman Ty Henry (Otters). Pharand and Vanacker have been rehabbing from injuries.
Misiak played in last year’s preseason opener against the St. Louis Blues, but the Hawks opted for a different approach.
The Otters start their season Friday, and the Hawks don’t want him to miss any games, Richardson said.
“We just thought it more beneficial for him to go play meaningful games where he’s going to have a really big part of his team’s success this year back in the OHL, rather than playing in an exhibition game where you might have half a roster and it’s hard to really get an evaluation until you get to the end of training camp, which he probably wouldn’t be here by then anyway,” he said.
4. Will new veterans give Connor Bedard a boost?
Naturally, all eyes will be on the reigning rookie of the year, particularly because Connor Bedard will be playing with a mix of players throughout the game.
The Hawks spent all last season searching for the right combination to maximize his offensive powers, but they were constrained by injuries and the talent and experience of the available options.
Newcomers Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen could bring different elements that could set up Bedard for better scoring chances.
Richardson said Bedard and Teräväinen could work “just really quick give-and-go scenarios.”
“I’d like to see Teräväinen use his experience as a young guy in this league and then growing and learning in Carolina, with the pace they play at, and try to bring that with Connor and see how that works here,” Richardson said. “Teräväinen and (Sebastian) Aho were pretty deadly with give-and-gos on five-on-five or on the power play.”
Hall called Bertuzzi, “a straight-line player. He goes to the front of the net. He’s got a really good stick and he’s got some sneaky dangles as well. He holds onto the puck well and makes plays at the proper time.”
Hall’s shoulder and knee injuries robbed him of time to build rapport with Bedard, but if they’re linemates again, he can rectify that.
“Connor, he’s a wizard with the puck,” he said. “He can make plays in a phone booth. His shot is only getting better and better. I just can’t wait to play games with Connor again.”
5. The Hawks’ blue lines get shuffled (for now).
The defensive pairings will look very different from what was customary last season.
Last season Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic were a lock, but they each have different partners.
Here’s how it played out in practice.
- Alec Martinez-Seth Jones
- Alex Vlasic-T.J. Brodie
- Kevin Korchinski-Connor Murphy
Vlasic said, “They’re trying to switch those up and see how those play out. I love playing with (Brodie) so far in the scrimmages, he makes it easy on me out there.”
The Hawks can always revert to old pairings, but “just bringing in two veteran guys (Martinez and Brodie) to play with a veteran guy (Jones) and a younger guy (Vlasic), just balance things out a little bit.
Richardson liked Brodie’s work in Calgary and Toronto, and he can help relieve Jones from last season’s mentor role of Vlasic, since Jones also has offensive and power play responsibilities.
“Just maybe settle it down with another veteran guy and play his game,” Richardson said.
And then, “Martinez knowing his job, just (helps) Seth play a great, solid game and then be explosive that once or twice a period when it’s a green light flashing.”
Vlasic said Martinez has been rubbing off on him.
“I love (Martinez). He was one of the first guys that I met … of the older guys,” he said. “I’m probably the closest with him, I would say, among the new guys that have come in.
“I just love to feed off him and learn from him. He’s so experienced and so well thought of in this league, and for so long. So it’s a blessing to be able to to be able to look up to him and play with him and kind of pick his brains.”
