It was the veterans who allowed the Vegas Golden Knights to jump out to a 5-1 first period lead last night. It was the Chicago Blackhawks’ youth that nearly pulled off a massive comeback.
The early deficit was just too much to overcome as the Hawks lost 7-5, but the attempt to come from behind proved that it is time the Blackhawks stop giving their veterans ice time they no longer deserve.
Let the younger guys play!
Petr Mrazek has been awful in goal this month. He has allowed 17 goals in February with a 5.11 goals-against average.
Those are numbers Arvid Soderblom put up last season. It is like the two have switched roles from last season.
Soderblom has been the goalie who has been rock-solid this season while Mrazek has been a sieve in goal. Arvid has played well enough this season to work himself back into the long-term No. 1 goalie conversation.
That is impressive considering he has gone from likely starting the season in an AHL exile to making the most of this opportunity to stick in the NHL after Laurent Brossoit’s offseason knee surgery has kept Laurent off the ice all season.
This goes behind limiting Mrazek’s starts.
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has got to start living with the inconsistent play of Lukas Reichel since he is still 22. Enough of this vicious cycle of him playing well, then losing focus, getting benched, and getting scratched.
Either commit to see if he can still be a key piece of the team’s offense going forward and live with his flaws or trade him.
Give him a run on the top line too, since he can be one of the team’s best offensive zone entry players instead of putting the returning Andreas Athanasiou.
Blackhawks lines in practice in Anaheim:
Athanasiou-Bedard-Bertuzzi
Slaggert-Nazar-Dach
Teravainen-Donato-Mikheyev
Maroon-Reichel-SmithDel Mastro-Jones
Vlasic-Martinez
Kaiser/Murphy/Brodie rotating— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 28, 2025
Andreas is not going to be on the team next year, Reichel likely will.
It is nice to see Del Mastro at the top pair in practice, but TJ Brodie should not be rotating with Wyatt Kaiser and Connor Murphy. In fact, Brodie should be the permanent healthy scratch the rest of the season.
Let’s give Wyatt Kaiser a long run at the end of the season to prove he can be a part of the future defensive group. Heck, it does not make sense to send Nolan Allan down to Rockford and yet Brodie still has a roster spot.
It doesn’t make sense why the Blackhawks are dressing T.J. Brodie as often as they are.
From a development standpoint — as well as from a current play standpoint — Del Mastro and Allan should be riding the waves instead.
Story: https://t.co/j68qHMvS4J
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 28, 2025
While it is cute for Sorensen to try to hold the young guys accountable by using the bench and demotions as a teaching tool, this is no longer the point in the season to break that out of the figurative tool belt.
This has to be the final assessment portion of the schedule to see what young players can help going forward and who cannot.
If the front office’s mind is made up on a guy like Reichel, then it bears repeating, trade him.
While it is kind for the front office to want to do right by veterans such as Alec Martinez, Pat Maroon, and Craig Smith by not trading them if they do not want to be moved, they do not have a full no-movement clause. Just deal them because all they keep doing is keep giving Sorensen an excuse to not play the young guys.
