Chicago Blackhawks: On-ice leadership group is very solid

The Chicago Blackhawks don’t have the best leadership in the front office or behind the bench but their on-ice leadership has been outstanding for over a decade. They have their leadership ready to go for this upcoming season and it is a solid group. There are many players that could assume leadership roles but there are some that stick out above the rest.

Of course, we know that the captain is Jonathan Toews. He has been the captain for a very long time and has had some tremendous success. He, as captain, has won multiple individual awards in addition to three Stanley Cups. After all these years, it is clear that Toews is one of the best captains in the history of the National Hockey League.

Throughout Toews’ career, he has mostly had Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook as his alternate captains. Well, Seabrook is retired now and Keith was traded to the Edmonton Oilers during the offseason. Now, it is time for some other people to dawn that “A” on their sweaters every day.

Patrick Kane has had leadership qualities for a few years now. He wasn’t much of a leader early in his career but has been outstanding at it in recent years. He has had the “A” on his sweater for a while now but a lot of it was while either Keith or Seabrook was away. Now, Kane is permanently an alternate captain under Toews.

That second “A” belongs to Alex DeBrincat. He emerged as an outstanding leader in the clubhouse and his play helps assert him to the top of the lineup. DeBrincat is capable of being among the league’s top goal scorers during any given season. 2020-21 was huge for him in his quest to stay consistent. Look for him to have a big year while dawning an “A” on his sweater.

Of course, there will probably be times for different reasons that Connor Murphy wears an A as well. Having three forwards rocking captain letters is interesting so having a defenseman that can do it is nice as well. Guys like Seth Jones, Ryan Carpenter, Calvin de Haan, and Tyler Johnson are great candidates as well.

The Chicago Blackhawks lean heavily on their leadership group to help them win.

With the players listed as captains for this team, it is clear that they are in good hands. With Toews healthy and leading the way, things seem to be good. He and Kane have been leaders for this franchise for a long time regardless of their captain status. It is important for them to bring some of that to the table in 2021-22.