When the Blackhawks sent Nick Schmaltz down to the American Hockey League on Dec. 4, the goal was to get him acclimated to playing more of the two-way style of hockey Joel Quenneville preaches, and to balance his passing instincts with his shooting ability.
He was there for a little over a month, and just that brief stint has reaped benefits for the Blackhawks' first-round pick in 2014.
After scoring only one goal and three assists in his first 26 games, Schmaltz has five goals and eight assists in the 18 games since he returned to the NHL on Jan.