Chicago Blackhawks: Bottom-six centers could look good

The Chicago Blackhawks could have something cooking with their center core. The bottom six could really round out the depth at the position.

The Chicago Blackhawks have some organizational depth at the center position. That is by far the most important forward position so this is great news for Blackhawks fans and those who want to see them succeed. This is true because of some additions made in the bottom six.  Some of these guys can really make an impact on this team going forward.

You already know that Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome are going to man the top two lines respectively, and probably do a very good job in doing so. They will both have responsibilities at five on five and on special teams. What would truly make the Blackhawks strong down the middle, is the performance of their bottom-six centers.

There are some guys who can play both center and wing, but we will hope that the Blackhawks can stay healthy and use their wingers to play wing. This is about the natural centers that the team have. There are three guys that should have the highest chance of grabbing the role of third and fourth line centers.

If all three of these players make the team out of camp, they are all likely capable of playing on the wing if need be. It is much easier for a center to jump on the wing than it is the other way around. All of these guys are good players and mean something valuable to the Blackhawks team.

The first one is Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks drafted Dach with the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. It was a questionable pick, depending on what you see as the Blackhawks biggest needs but it was Dach and he is there now. He might not make the team out of camp, and if he doesn’t he will be shipped off to junior. Either way, the Blackhawks will do what they think is the best for his development. If he did make the team, he would likely be inserted into the third-line center role.

The next guy on the list is David Kampf. The Blackhawks just recently gave him a contract so they more than likely have the desire to keep him in the NHL for all 82 games, barring injury. He would also look really nice on the third line center role. If Dach makes the team, Kampf can play some wing but in the event that Dach goes back to juniors, Kampf would be my third-line center this year.

Last is Ryan Carpenter. He came to the Blackhawks via free agency after spending the last few years with the Vegas Golden Knights. He is the ideal fourth-line center. He is a little mean, can defend, win draws, and chip in a little offense every now and then. He can also play some wing but he would be my guy as the fourth-line center on this team. He is a lock to be on the team, it just is a question of where.

So no matter what they decide, they will have a good group of guys that they can shuffle around each and every night. Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith might even get some looks at the center, but they might be best suited on the wing. Jeremy Colliton will not hesitate to put the lines in a blender if he needs to late in games, so as long as there is depth at the position the team should feel good about itself. Look for the Blackhawks to have yet another big year offensively if these guys can contribute just a little bit.