We’re now only a month from the start of the NHL regular season, and excitement about the Blackhawks is already ramping up. The team spent a bunch of money this summer to turn its roster upside down. After being forced to put players into certain roles just to field a roster at times last season, Chicago now has the luxury of putting together a real, competitive lineup when they open the regular season at Utah. But how will the new-look Blackhawks fit together?
We’ve already discussed the nearly endless possibilities for the top two lines over the past few days. Each of those trios is designed to score – a lot. But with this third line, things might look a bit different. This group featuring the most responsible veterans on the team is a perfect third line and could be the key to the biggest season of one young forward’s career.
There’s no question about it – Lukas Reichel is entering a true make-or-break season. During a brutal campaign last season, the 22-year-old only found 16 points in 65 games. He was constantly moved up and down the lineup and even up to the press box at times, clearly lacking confidence in his game. He’ll have to get that swagger back this season if he wants to remain with the Blackhawks, let alone a franchise cornerstone.
If Reichel is to regain his confidence this season, there aren’t many lines in the entire league better equipped to help him do that than this third line. I have him taking the ice next month alongside the two best all-around players on the team in Dickinson and Foligno. Chicago has made it clear it will do anything it takes to turn Reichel’s young career around, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they gave him the best opportunity to do that, allowing him to focus on his offensive game a bit more with Dickinson and Foligno backing him up.
Dickinson is the bedrock of this lineup, and perhaps the forward most locked into his spot besides Connor Bedard. The 29-year-old is a perfect fit as the team’s third-line center, as he exhibited last year with 22 goals and 35 points. Dickinson is perhaps even better on the defensive end, where he functions as an elite shutdown forward. We talked about him as a potential Selke Trophy candidate for much of last year, and for good reason.
Dickinson’s best-case scenario on this line is to simply repeat what he did last year. He doesn’t have to be the Blackhawks’ top scorer or set any records. If Dickinson can keep shutting down the scoring stars of opposing teams and somehow maintain a positive plus-minus, he’ll continue to be one of Chicago’s biggest assets. He’ll have some more help on the defensive end with Foligno on this potential line, and he’ll hopefully be able to mentor Reichel and free him up at the same time.
Foligno was the best offseason acquisition for the Blackhawks last season. The 36-year-old came in and was immediately the team’s de facto captain, commanding the locker room in its time of biggest need. On the ice, he was as versatile and solid as Chicago could have asked for. They moved him up and down the lineup all year, and he still put up 37 points despite spending much of his time covering on the defensive end.
Assuming Foligno gets put into a bit more solidified role this fall, he should be able to excel on this third line. There isn’t quite as much pressure on him to help out with the scoring, so he can share defensive responsibilities with Dickinson and really turn this line into a shutdown unit. Not many offenses will be able to score on a line that has Dickinson and Foligno working together on it.
