Chicago Blackhawks: Top line left wing spot is open

The Chicago Blackhawks should be using their dynamic duo on the top line once again this season, but who will join them on the left wing?

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a good spot with their forwards. They are going to be able to score some goals in 2019-20. They will be nothing short of an entertaining team for fans of speed and skill. That is led by their franchise defining duo of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They were allowed to play together at even strength for most of last season due to the emergence of their second line featuring the duo of Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat.

So if Kane is on the right with Toews in the middle, who will play left wing? It might be a revolving door of guys who can fill in that spot but there are a few solid options. They are likely looking for a guy who can win 50/50 battles more often than not and make sure the puck ends up in Kane’s hands in crunch time. They will also likely need to have the ability to get to the front of the net for tips and rebounds. It will certainly be fun to see who gets the opportunity to do this and if they will stick long term.

Brandon Saad is the easy answer of course. He is the most proven player out of anybody that will get the opportunity. You can expect at least 20 goals from Saad and he is a good NHL forward. Having Brandon Saad in the mix is a good plan B, but it would be nice to see him down in the lineup to create as much depth as possible.

Dominik Kubalik is a player that signed over from the Czech Republic to play in the National Hockey League for the first time. The 23-year-old winger is a player that you don’t know what to expect from him. You might be able to get the best out of him by playing him there with Toews and Kane. If he struggles there, you simply move him down. This is the ideal idea for the top line because it means you made a really smart signing of a rookie who can contribute in key areas.

People like the idea of Drake Cagguila, Andrew Shaw or Dylan Sikura playing there but it may not work with any of those three. Cagguila might not even make the team depending on how some of the other players they’ve acquired do. Andrew Shaw is best suited to mix things up and contribute from the middle six forward group and Sikura still hasn’t found his offensive game just yet. Anything is possible but I just don’t see it from any of these three.

Whoever it is that earns this spot should see their offensive production above its normal pace because Toews and Kane simply make you better. They are going to collect points so it is up to the other players to help them in the dirty areas and get to the front of the net. It will be fun to see how Jeremy Colliton handles this move.