Considering the brightness of the spotlight on the Blackhawks’ three rookie defensemen, it’s easy to forget they’re just the first wave of the Hawks’ defensive rebuild.
Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser represent a large and ultra-talented wave, yes, but one wave nonetheless. The Hawks boast several other notable prospect defensemen in the pipeline behind them, gradually progressing toward the NHL.
The second wave can now be found in Rockford, where AHL rookies Nolan Allan and Ethan Del Mastro have been a locked-in pairing for all 10 games so far this season and Isaak Phillips has been in and out of the lineup between NHL call-ups.
“We’re both in the same position right now...so we’re trying to figure out the same things,” Allan said Tuesday. “It helps because we can both work together on things we’re not very good at, [like] moving the pucks up quicker — we’re both trying to figure that out.
“Playing together, we can give each other a lot of feedback, and we’re not scared to yell at each other.”
Behind them, the Hawks have Sam Rinzel and Taige Harding playing college hockey — at Minnesota and Providence, respectively — and they’ll likely add more prospect defensemen with their plentiful draft picks over the next couple years.
But Allan and Del Mastro are next in line, and they’re also somewhat similar players. They’re both big bodies (6-2 for Allan, 6-4 for Del Mastro); they’re both 20; they’re both coming directly out of Canadian juniors.
Entering the season, they knew each other well from previous development camps, training camps and international tournaments, but they’ve become virtually inseparable the past few months. Roommates off the ice in addition to partners on it, they’ve even begun making grocery-store trips together — although Allan admits Del Mastro is the superior chef.
That friendship and familiarity has made a difference as they navigate the substantial transition to pro hockey. They’ve held their own so far, shouldering big minutes on a 5-5-0 IceHogs team.
“I wouldn’t say [we’re often] getting mad at each other, but it’s nice to be comfortable with the person and give feedback, like what I think he could’ve done on a play,” Del Mastro said. “If he’s going back and maybe I thought he could’ve moved it up quicker, [I’m] talking to him about it.”
The reason they both referenced moving the puck quickly is because that has been arguably the No. 1 directive and emphasis from the Hawks’ coaching and development staffs to their young defensemen.
“The speed of the game is so much faster,” Allan said. “We want to get things going quick. [When we’re] going back for pucks on breakouts and regroups and getting it up to the forwards, we’re trying to transition fast and catch the other team sleeping.”
Added Del Mastro: “Up in Chicago and down here [in Rockford], it’s kind of our identity to play fast. They want pucks moved up quick and into the forwards’ hands and everyone moving fast. They’ve been harping on us, and we’re trying to adapt and get used to it.”
During camp and the preseason, Hawks coach Luke Richardson was enamored by Allan’s tenacity and physicality. His prospect stock seems to have risen significantly this year, especially because he’s proving adept at playing the right side despite being — like all the Hawks’ prospect defensemen — left-handed.
For Del Mastro, meanwhile, the Hawks’ feedback has centered on him learning to read plays better and make faster decisions at the pro level. He’s finding out he can’t use his natural length and athleticism to escape dangerous situations as easily as he could in juniors.
“You have to rely on other things,” Del Mastro said. “[I’m] just adapting to realizing there are stronger players.”
