The Chicago Blackhawks have made their decision official, announcing that 2019 first round draft pick Kirby Dach will remain with the team beyond his nine-game tryout window.
Head coach Jeremy Colliton made the announcement on Wednesday after the team’s workout in Los Angeles.
“He’s been a bright spot for us,” Colliton told the team’s website. “He immediately showed he was comfortable in this league.”
The Blackhawks had nine games to decide whether Dach would stay with the NHL squad or return to his junior squad, the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. If Dach remains on the roster beyond his ninth NHL game, the first year of his entry level contract will officially kick in and will allow him to become a restricted free agent after the 2021-22 season.
Dach, selected with the third overall pick in June’s NHL Draft, has a goal and an assist in six games so far with the Blackhawks this season. He was sidelined during the preseason after suffering a concussion during a prospect tournament, but has since joined the NHL roster and shown flashes of the skill the team saw in him when they announced his selection.
Dach and the Blackhawks will be back on the ice Saturday when they take on the Kings at the Staples Center. The game will be the second contest of a four-game road trip that will also take the team to Anaheim and San Jose.
