It pays to have experience.
This applies to most teams in the NHL. For the Chicago Blackhawks, it certainly seems to be how GM Kyle Davidson ran his business this past summer.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Alec Martinez, TJ Brodie, Ilya Mikheyev and Pat Maroon bring experience to the Blackhawks.
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But sometimes teams have to let go of those experienced players to turn the franchise around. This happened in the summer of 2021 when the Blackhawks traded veteran defenseman Duncan Keith.
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Keith had an incredible career. He was a true workhorse, as his career average of time on ice per game was 24:41. In his rookie season, he already played 23 minutes per night.
In his final season in the league, he played for the Edmonton Oilers alongside superstar Connor McDavid. It seems Keith was able to pass on some advice before announcing his retirement.
Speaking to the media after training yesterday, McDavid revealed how other experienced players have influenced him.
“I think about Duncan Keith (and) learning from him,” McDavid said. “He’s played in every big game there is to play. The way he carries himself, the way he handles himself every day.”
“Learned a lot from someone like him.”
If the Amazon Series has taught hockey fans anything, McDavid lives, breathes and bleeds hockey. A player who thinks a lot about the game is undoubtedly also trying to learn as much as possible from the more experienced players in the league.
For the sake of current Blackhawks fans, let’s hope Connor Bedard can talk about Bertuzzi, Maroon, Martinez, Brodie or Mikheyev in the same light.
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