Chicago Blackhawks: 2021 Training Camp roster is very scary

The 2021 Chicago Blackhawks Training Camp roster is very scary.

The seven teams that weren’t invited to the return to play playoff bubble are already well into training camp as they were given a head start by the NHL. For the 24 teams that did qualify, they are just now starting to begin. That means that the Chicago Blackhawks are starting to ramp up ahead of their season which starts on January 13th against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have released their Training Camp roster and it is pretty scary looking.

The reason it is scary looking is that it is a team that is top-heavy, injured, and has no current direction. They have sent out a note that says that they are going to start to look at rebuilding their roster but nothing they have done yet suggests that will be the case. Stan Bowman has also contradicted himself on many occasions saying that they believe they are good enough to win. Well, they are clearly not good enough to win and you can’t say (yet) that their future is bright.

We will be able to say their future is bright after a couple of tough seasons that earn them high draft picks. For now, we will just enjoy Patrick Kane who headlines this roster. He is still one of the 20 best players on the planet that will bring fans out of their seats on a nightly basis. There are other players to be excited about watching like Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and Dominik Kubalik amongst a few others but Kane is the top dog still.

There are some injuries/absences that are concerning. Without some of these guys, the Hawks’ chances of competing for a playoff spot decrease even more. Evan Barratt and Brent Seabrook were not on the ice today because they are “unfit to participate”. Jonathan Toews is dealing with a medical issue that will keep him out for a while. In addition to that, Alexander Nylander and Kirby Dach will miss the season with knee and wrist injuries respectfully. Pius Suter is on the roster but didn’t participate in the first practice.

The biggest issue on this roster is the goaltending. The defense isn’t great either but there are still guys like Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy, and Nikita Zadorov who should be competent along with some young kids like Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist who are trying to make an impact. As far as the goaltending, without Corey Crawford, it is not looking good. Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban are probably going to split the net this season and that shouldn’t make anyone feel confident.

One sight for sore eyes is the fact that Dylan Strome is on the roster. He signed his contract extension on Sunday after a long time dealing with uncertainty. His name was in trade rumors because of it but they ended up getting him done. It is a good thing too because without Dach and Toews, losing your top three centers would have been devastating.

With a roster dealing with all of these different circumstances, it is hard to look at the positives. However, this can be a year where they figure some things out. They will have a more clear idea of who should stay in the long term after this year. There are forwards and defenseman that needs development in the AHL and NHL so hopefully they can get that. If they see things like that happen in 2021 and land a high draft pick, this year won’t be all that bad.