Last week, we began highlighting each projected line of the Blackhawks by exploring their respective best-case scenarios, putting a ceiling on what they could achieve. A top line of Taylor Hall, Connor Bedard, and Taylor Raddysh could be unstoppable this year, and a second line featuring Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel, and Andreas Athanasiou could also prove lethal.
As the Blackhawks begin training camp, their starting lineup for this season is far from set in stone, but the top few lines should be pretty close to what we’ll see next month. On the back end of the depth chart, however, things get a bit muddier. For now, it seems that a third line of Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Tyler Johnson could make the most sense. Assuming that’s the line that takes the ice in the regular season, what’s the best-case scenario for the group?
Ryan Donato
Donato may have flown under the radar a bit after signing this summer, but the 27-year-old has enough scoring prowess to be a major contributor shooting the puck for the Blackhawks this year. Once the 56th overall pick in 2014 by the Bruins, Donato logged 27 points in 71 games for the Kraken last season before leaving the club as a free agent. He’s not the greatest skater, which could stand out on a lightning-fast Blackhawks team, but has a nice touch with his shot as well as good size. Donato won’t set any records, but he surely won’t be a liability, either.
Donato could pair well with the other members of his line by being freed up to shoot the puck at will. He has the best shot on his line, and the others should be able to generate chances with their defensive awareness and possession. If he’s able to get tons of pucks on net this year, Donato should be able to convert on a ton of them and could have a pretty nice season in the scoring column.
Jason Dickinson
Dickinson is one of the most defensive-minded forwards on the roster this year and has the frame for it at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. He’s a great possession forward who shuts down lots of scoring chances, including killing penalties. Dickinson won’t flash a ton of offensive talent this year but could generate lots of chances and find himself with a favorable plus-minus thanks to his defensive work.
Dickinson fits well on Chicago’s third line as the “distributor” of sorts. If he continues the strong work he’s been doing defensively, he’ll typically find himself with the puck on his stick in the defensive zone, looking to make the perfect outlet pass. His teammates who are more offensive-minded will be able to break out ahead of opposing defenses, which could generate some major scoring chances.
Tyler Johnson
Johnson stands six inches shorter than Dickinson but makes up for his lack of size with great speed, solid scoring ability, and a knack for reading plays as they develop. Once an undrafted signee, Johnson has made a nice career for himself with 11 NHL seasons under his belt including two with the Blackhawks. He frequently found himself among the top lines last season, but with the sudden abundance of talent on the offensive end, he’ll be asked to take a backseat on a lower line. The 33-year-old isn’t to be forgotten offensively, as he logged 32 points in 56 games last year.
Johnson is a great fit on this third line as a sort of middle-man between the defensive game of Dickinson and the shooting of Donato. He could carve out a new role on this line as a set-up guy who can grab lots of loose pucks thanks to his speed, vision, and effort. Ideally, he’ll assist Donato on plenty of goals while sprinkling in a few himself and not proving to be a defensive liability.
Though the third line for the Blackhawks is far from set in stone, this group could be a stabilizer for a team that will likely feel hectic at times. With the combined veteran presence of Donato, Dickinson, and Johnson, Chicago’s third line could be stout defensively while surprising some people in the scoring column.
