One of the big things that’s stood out about this year’s Blackhawks compared to a season ago is their potential forward depth. The days of Tanner Kero and Marcus Kruger filling minutes as the third center are a thing of the past.
The Blackhawks have primarily used a third line of Patrick Sharp, Artem Anisimov, and Alex DeBrincat to open this season. It’s one of the benefits of being able to fill out the top six with Ryan Hartman and Nick Schmaltz. Last year’s Blackhawks didn’t have the luxury.