Chicago Blackhawks: The Summer Camp roster feels good
Forwards
Chicago has some star power at the forward position just like Edmonton. There are also some young kids who need to develop more but they should get there eventually. If some of the younger forwards can contribute at a high level here, they should be able to win a couple of games and perhaps the series against the Oilers.
- Drake Caggiula
- Ryan Carpenter
- Kirby Dach
- Alex DeBrincat
- Mackenzie Entwistle
- Brandon Hagel
- Matthew Highmore
- Reese Johnson
- David Kampf
- Patrick Kane
- Dominik Kubalik
- Phillip Kurashev
- Alex Nylander
- John Quenneville
- Brandon Saad
- Dylan Sikura
- Dylan Strome
- Jonathan Toews
That list has some exceptional players on it. There are also a whole bunch of guys who have never played in anything like a Stanley Cup Playoff game. The two names that stick out the most are Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Each of these guys has their name on the Cup three times and a playoff MVP each to go with it. They are going to be the leaders of the forward unit which is how it should be. The team will go as far as they take them.
Brandon Saad was acquired back for Artemi Panarin with the logic of him being better in the playoffs. That is not a true statement, but now is his time to potentially try and salvage the trade even a little bit. He is a big body that can get to the dirty areas and score some goals. It would be awesome to see him have an impactful series for the Hawks.
Two other names that make you wonder are Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. They each were awesome in 2018-19 but took minor steps back in 2019-20. We know they can be better by a lot so seeing them get back on track against the Oilers could be one of the biggest keys. It is going to be interesting to see how they can impact the depth on the roster. If guys like them along with someone like Kirby Dach or David Kampf can have impactful series’, this could be a lot of fun to watch.