Kirby Dach is the next Jonathan Toews in Chicago
Yes, it’s a very bold claim to say that Kirby Dach can become the next Jonathan Toews because very few players have the skillset that Toews has. Furthermore, Kirby Dach has the tools to be as good, or even better than the current Blackhawks’ captain, Jonathan Toews.
Currently, the Blackhawks find themselves trailing 2–0 in the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, not to mention they’re facing a familiar face in a goaltender named Robin Lehner. Yesterday against Vegas, Kirby Dach tapped in a rebound for his first career playoff goal.
So far in the postseason, Dach has seen a much bigger role than he did in the regular season. Blackhawks’ head coach, Jeremy Colliton gave Dach the keys to the top six and he took advantage of it. Kirby Dach notched four assists in four games against the Edmonton Oilers and played with so much poise considering he’s still a teenager, at nineteen years of age.
Top Six Minutes
Kirby Dach is only nineteen years old and has been playing around twenty minutes per game in the postseason. In-game three against the Oilers, Dach led all forwards with an ice time of twenty-three minutes and twenty-one seconds. Think about that, Dach played more minutes than Toews and Kane, the faces of the Blackhawks franchise.
Alongside getting top-six minutes, Dach has been bumped up in powerplay time as well. Kirby Dach on the powerplay just makes sense, Dach isn’t afraid to go to the front of the net and battle for rebounds or try to screen the goalie. Dach is also good at using his 6’4 frame to his advantage because he’ll go for body checks, screen the goalie, and battle alongside the boards.
If Dach is gonna be playing top-six minutes, he’s gotta work on his faceoffs. Being good at the face-off dot in the NHL takes a lot of hard work and hockey IQ, but I know Dach can improve in that area of his game. If Dach can improve at faceoffs and add a little more weight, the comparison to someone like Jonathan Toews isn’t too far-fetched.
How can Dach be like Toews?
When you watch Kirby Dach play hockey, the potential he possesses just screams at you. Considering Dach is still a teenager he has great hockey smarts and knows how to backcheck and make smart plays. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dach could become a Selke type player because of his game that he brings to the arena every day.
Also like Jonathan Toews, Kirby Dach isn’t going to drop one-hundred point seasons like Patrick Kane, but Dach is capable of putting up sixty-five to seventy-five points per season once he reaches his prime. I think Dach can be better offensively than Toews because he can dazzle you with his hands and puck skills, alongside with some sandpaper to his game.
When Stan Bowman drafted Dach, he knew he was getting the full package of a player. Like all Hawks fans and media sources, everyone thought the Blackhawks would take local boy, Alex Turcotte, but that never happened. Kirby Dach was rising in stock before the draft, so Bowman took the guy he wanted and in hindsight, it was a fantastic draft pick.
The future for Kirby Dach
If I had to guess how many points Dach could have next season, I’d say in the ballpark of forty-five to fifty points. Since training camp, Dach has been training as Patrick Kane does and you can see the difference in his game compared to the regular season. Five points in six playoff games thus far are not bad at all for someone Dach’s age. I think within a year or two we will see Kirby Dach consistently in the top six and even on the first line.
Work ethic is more important than just talent. We know that Dach wants to get better every day, he looks better in every game he plays. Wally touched on his improvement here during training camp. If a player wants to be truly great like Jonathan Toews, they have to put the work in. The Blackhawks have young talent alongside Dach to get through this “retool” stage. If I can’t sell you on how good Dach will be, I bet a quote from Patrick Kane will
“He has all the potential in the world. I think he can be a top player in the league. … He can be as good as he wants, you know?”
This isn’t me just blowing smoke, I seriously think that Kirby Dach will be the best player from the 2019 draft class. The sky is the limit for him and he’s going to be a cornerstone for the Chicago Blackhawks franchise. We all know that Jonathan Toews’ #19 will be hanging on the rafters someday, maybe one day, Kirby Dach’s #77 will have a similar date with the United Center’s rafters.
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