Chicago Blackhawks – The Year Of The Cat
2018, according to the Chinese, is “the year of the dog”. However, for the Chicago Blackhawks, the 2018-19 season should be different. It will be the year of the cat. The Alex DeBrincat, to be specific. Thanks to a loaded Calder Trophy class, his rookie season went largely unnoticed, as he finished 10th in the Calder Trophy race.
The dreaded sophomore slump has claimed many victims. DeBrincat should be able to avoid it completely.
It will be far more difficult for DeBrincat to go unnoticed after this season. Last season, he put up 52 points (29 goals and 23 assists). At the age of 20, DeBrincat led the Blackhawks in goals and finished tied for second in points. His 2.14 five-on-five points per hour were second on the team, trailing only Patrick Kane. While DeBrincat’s possession stats were not quite as good, they were still great considering it was his first NHL season.
DeBrincat should see even more playing time this season. Especially if he can prove his impressive stint on Jonathan Toews’s line was more than a blip on the radar. DeBrincat is an outstanding player in the offensive zone and showed he can handle his own on defense as well. That was always his biggest question mark as a project.
The dreaded sophomore slump has claimed many victims. DeBrincat should be able to avoid it completely.