Instead of spending the next 24-48 arguing about whether or not the Blackhawks should’ve allowed Kirby Dach to compete in the tournament that ended his 2021 NHL season before it started, let’s zoom out to examine the big picture of what this setback does to the team’s future.
Losing a season’s worth of games — albeit an abbreviated one — may not ultimately affect Dach’s development as a player. He turns 20 on Jan. 21 and, after impressing during his rookie season, there are plenty of reasons to believe that he can still live up to the billing of the No.