CHICAGO, IL -- So, we've reached the end of the season, and I've done mid-season report cards, and I've graded the rookies on their first seasons with the Hawks.
How'd the other guys fare by the end of the season, though?
It's a shorter list, but I figured I'd just grade out the rest of the Hawks players for the last half of the season.
You know the deal:
1) Have played 15+ games with the Blackhawks this season
2) Are currently under the salary cap
3) Have not been traded away
Let's hop right in!
Forwards:
Patrick Kane (81 GP, 44-66--110 PTS): Previous grade: A+; Final grade: A+, MVP)
I'm sticking with Kane's A+ and MVP status on the season, because he's the exact reason the Hawks even had a fighting chance to get into the playoffs through the last half of the season. He had a career year, smashing his career high of 106 points and carrying this team as far as he could. His time on ice (TOI) was one of the highest on the team each and every game, and his presence was certainly felt. He went on a 20-game point streak that harbored and equally impressive (and franchise record-setting) 17-game point streak in late January/early Februrary, just as this team was hitting its stride. I'm confident in saying that had the Blackhawks somehow made the playoffs, he'd be the MVP of the league over Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. Sure, Kane slowed down a lot after his insane point streak, but I think the last few games kept him in the A+ status.
Alex DeBrincat (82 GP, 41-35--76 PTS): Previous grade: A; Final grade: A+
If Kane wasn't on this team, DeBrincat would be the run-away MVP. He had an outstanding sophomore season, and I would venture to say that next season could be even more impressive. He's definitely a piece the Hawks will want to hang onto, and I think his chemistry with Dylan Strome was a catalyst for his incredibly productive season. I've loved him on the first power play unit especially, and watching him fire wristers at the net from the point has been ridiculously fun to watch. The Hawks had two 40-goal scorers on their team this season, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that DeBrincat could repeat this remarkable season next year.
Jonathan Toews (82 GP, 35-46--81 PTS): Previous grade: A; Final grade: A
What a turnaround season for Toews. He had what I'd consider a pretty lousy season last year, but wow, he definitely looked like his old self this season. He hit a career high in goals, assists and points this season, and he played all 82 games (the first time he's done so since the 2008-09 season). He dominated the ice every time he stepped onto it, and had the Blackhawks had a better record and maybe made it to the playoffs, I really do think he could've been a Selke Trophy nominee for the second time in his career. His two-way game is back in a big way, and I'm excited to see what he brings next season, because he seems hungrier than most to bring a lot of winning back to the Windy City.
Marcus Kruger (74 GP, 4-8--12 PTS): Previous grade: C; Final grade: D
I can't say I'm usually a fan of bringing back players that you traded away, and unfortunately, Kruger is an example of exactly why I don't like it. He was stellar in the Cup runs in 2013 and 2015, and instrumental in both of those runs. But, he's not the same player, and honestly, he seems like more of a hazard on the ice than a safety net. He took a lot of penalties this season (15 total for 30 penalty minutes), and they never seemed to happen when the Hawks could really afford to be taking one. I just wasn't impressed with him in the slightest this season, and it'll be interesting to see what happens with him in the off-season.
John Hayden (54 GP, 3-2--5 PTS): Previous grade: C-; Final grade: C-
I've got to say that Hayden confuses the hell out of me. I love that he can grind and get in the dirty corners where a lot of guys won't go. He'll check guys, fight guys and be a general pest on the ice. But, more often than not (and likely a reason he was oftentimes a healthy scratch), he looked disinterested and kind of passive on the ice, and that didn't rub me the right way. I know he can play--he's proven he can--but, he needs to decide if he's going to commit to playing hard or not because he can't be some in-between. I'd love to see him have a good year next season, because I definitely know he's got it in him.
David Kampf (63 GP, 4-15--19 PTS): Previous grade: C; Final grade: B-
I think I may have been a little too hard on Kampf to begin with this season. He's kind of becoming what Kruger was in those Cup years, and I think he's a great bottom-six guy who will grind for the puck, but can also play against top lines in the league. He's never going to be a huge goal-scorer, but if he can put the puck in the net in important moments, he'll be just fine in a bottom-six role. I genuinely think he's got a lot of room to grow, and he might have solidified himself in the Hawks future.
Brandon Saad (80 GP, 23-24--47 PTS): Previous grade: C+; Final grade: B-
I know this version of Saad is not what the Hawks wanted from that trade with Artemi Panarin and Columbus, but I think he looked better this season than last. He's still got away to go before he's back to his normal self (if he'll ever get back there--I think he will, honestly), and I think he's a formidable third-line-guy who can float up to play with Toews when necessary. He still hovered around his career high in points (53, most recently in the 2016-17 season), so I'm pretty positive he can top it next season and start producing like normal again.
Artem Anisimov (78 GP, 15-22-37 PTS): Previous grade: D; Final grade: C
The tricky thing with Anisimov (and it's been mentioned multiple times since Panarin left two season ago) is that he doesn't really have a solid place in the Hawks lineup. He's kind of an awkward fit everywhere, since the Hawks have a bit of a logjam regarding centers, and to my knowledge, Anisimov can't swing to the wing like some centers can. Anisimov is also carrying a huge contract with a couple of years left, so I think it may be best at this point to try and trade him. I like him with Kane, but that would really involve flipping Kane to the third line and creating the second line with Debrincat and Strome, which doesn't seem right. There's just not a spot for him and the Hawks will need to decide his fate over the summer.
Defense
Erik Gustafsson (79 GP, 17-43--60 PTS): Previous grade: B+; Final grade: A-
Gustafsson is a bit wonky because his offensive upside is insane--he scored more goals than a couple of forwards and even gathered more points than a good chunk of the forwards on this team. However, he's still a bit of a defensive liability, with his risky stickhandling and skating. I think it's something that can be worked on, and I really do think the Hawks should try and keep him instead of flipping him for a different D-man or top-six forward. There just aren't a lot of defensemen that can score the way he does, and he's revived the powerplay in tandem with Kane, DeBrincat and Strome. He's got a long ways to go, but he's young and I think he can improve.
Connor Murphy (52 GP, 5-8--13 PTS): Previous grade: B; Final grade: B
It's a little hard to grade Murphy since he was out for most of the season--he didn't return to the lineup until December, and it took him a couple games to get back into his usual groove. I think he was one of the stronger defensemen this season for the Hawks, and he fits nicely as a shut-down guy for teams with a lot of star power up-front, like Toronto or Tampa Bay. I didn't mind him with Carl Dahlstrom, who was his partner for most of the season, and I thought the pair made a good shut-down team. Dahlstrom has a bit more room to grow, but I think Murphy's a great asset and some size that the Hawks definitely need on the back end.
Duncan Keith (82 GP, 6-34--40 PTS): Previous grade: B-; Final grade: B
Keith is another tricky one to read this season. I thought the first half of his season looked slightly better than last year, but he still hadn't really amped it up. The second half, though? I thought he started to look a little more like vintage Keith. He's never going to look like the Keith we saw in all three Cup runs again, but he's proving that at 36, he's not slowing down yet. He managed six goals this season, which looks great compared to last year's two--but, it'll be interesting to see how he does next season because the Hawks are due for a logjam on defense as well, with a handful of promising prospects coming into the system over the next year or two.
Brent Seabrook (78 GP, 5-23--28 PTS): Previous grade: C-; Final grade: C-
Seabrook, like most of the team, is kind of hard to gauge. He's definitely the heart and soul of this team, so seeing him leave either by retiring or via a trade wouldn't feel quite right. However, he can be a defensive liability and probably needs to be sheltered on a line with another defenseman--I just don't know who that'd be with the guys the Hawks have on the team or in the system. He's just probably not fast enough for the league now, and his contract, like Anisimov, is starting to look less than desirable.
Gustav Forsling (43 GP, 3-6--9 PTS): Previous grade: D-; Final grade: C
I think my earlier grade was a little too harsh. He'd just come back from a tough wrist injury, and I don't think it was healed up properly. I do still think his hands move too fast for his feet, but it's gotten better over the season. I'm not sure I'd put him in the top two pairings still, and he's got a lot of room for improvement. He needs to stay out of the box as well--he saw 30 minutes in the box this season, meaning he had fifteen penalties through less than 45 games. For those of you keeping score, that's not a great track record. I think he'll improve, but he'll need to do it quick to keep a spot in the lineup.
Goalies
Corey Crawford (39 GP, 14-18-5, .908 SV%): Previous grade: B; Final grade: B+
Crawford, per usual, really stepped it up for the Hawks when they needed it. His record and save percentage may not show that, but damn, did he carry this team. He (along with Kane) nearly willed them to the playoffs, and kept them from an earlier elimination. If he can stay healthy next season and our defense can learn to play in front of him better, I think it's possible that we see a resurgence of his excellent play, and it might just be enough to will the Hawks to the playoffs again. Again, his numbers don't look great, but he was fantastic for the Hawks down the stretch, playing nearly every game since he returned from injury at the end of February.
Overall, the Hawks scored about a 2.75 GPA, which is an increase from the 2.42 GPA they had at the mid-season mark. It's not perfect, but with a couple of tweaks and retooling this summer, they should be just fine next year and hopefully on the road to another playoff season.
Are you in?
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