Chicago Blackhawks: Alex DeBrincat snubbed from top list
The Chicago Blackhawks have a gem in their 2016 second-round pick but the NHL Network left him off their top-20 winger list.
The Chicago Blackhawks know they are deep on both wings, but they have a couple of guys who can make a significant impact. You already know about Patrick Kane, who is one of the best players in team history and the top winger on the team. Then there is Alex DeBrincat, who is much less decorated than Kane but he is still a very good player.
The NHL Network released their “Top-20 Wingers Right Now” list on Sunday night and it has some mixed reviews. They nailed the top three, in which Kane was listed as the second-best wing in the league. It is an extremely fair ranking but they left off Alex DeBrincat completely. He had a breakout season in 2018-19 and he is showing he is going to be a star in the league for a long time.
In his second season, he showed no sophomore slump as he had 41 goals and 35 assists for 76 points. He is clearly turning into a star in the league and he also showed that he can produce at 5 on 5 without Kane. He has great chemistry with Dylan Strome and there is a good chance that will be the combination again in 2019-20. Being a 40 goal scorer in the NHL is impressive for anyone, especially for a kid in his second season. Only 13 players reached the 40 goal plateau and DeBrincat was one of them. He was in a six-way tie for sixth in goals.
Another underrated fact about DeBrincat is that he has played 164 out of 164 games for Chicago since coming into the league. Being durable and never missing a game is very good for a player who contributes as much as him. As long as he is in the Blackhawks lineup, that is another weapon that is a threat to score every game.
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The list isn’t that important and DeBrincat has his whole career to try and crack it but he is without a doubt worthy of being in the conversation of one of the best wings in the NHL. The Blackhawks success this season depends on the second line with DeBrincat on it building on the great year it had last year. Scoring 40+ goals is impressive, so let’s see if he can do it again.