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Colton Dach is now three years removed from being selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he’s inching closer to knocking on the NHL's door.
Dach believes he could’ve made the jump to the NHL last season had he stayed healthy. He was playing some of his best hockey in December and was arguably the Rockford IceHogs' top forward before being sidelined by a concussion.
"Last year I came in, I thought I had a really good camp," Dach said. "I proved to them I can play in the NHL. I came to camp with the mindset of making the team last year and it did sting a little bit getting that phone call. ... I wanted to do that first and foremost and obviously the injuries, they sucked, but they build adversity and come back this year ready to play."
"It's always frustrating, especially when you miss a long period of time over things you can't really control, but in the end, there's a path that's going to be for me and I just gotta take that one step at at time. And with those injuries, it allows me to work on little areas of my game that need to improve, so I took that time to try and improve my game."
This summer, Dach focused on improving one key area: using his feet more.
Chicago Blackhawks
"Keeping my feet moving, cross overs, trying to get more speed and more jump in my game," Dach said. "Work on the defensive side of the puck a little bit more, stick on puck type of things, and that's something Kirby's really good at, so it's nice to have him out there on the ice."
Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen believes Dach has the tools to be a power forward in the NHL but notes that Dach needs to solidify what type of player he’ll be at the next level.
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"His biggest thing is figuring out what he’s going to be in the NHL," Sorensen said when asked how Dach can take the next step. "In juniors and even sometimes last year, he may have gotten away with some stuff that may not translate to the NHL for him. I think he’s aware of it. It’s just a matter of doing it consistently on the ice — consistent being the key word. If he does that, he has the attributes to be a really effective player at that level as well."
What type of player is that?
"Being good on the end wall, back well, win a lot of pucks, get to the net," Sorensen said. "He plays his best when he plays with emotion, but not emotional. He needs to bring that emotion every day and find a way to get going every game and shift and period but don’t teeter over to where you get emotional and that leaks into his game."
One thing Dach doesn’t lack is confidence. He believes in his abilities.
"I know the player I can be, I know the player I can be in the NHL," Dach said. "I showed glimpses of it in the NHL last year and that's just the game I need to play 100 percent of the time to stay up here."
Dach isn’t fazed by the Blackhawks’ recent free-agent signings, even if they make his path to the NHL tougher.
"I grew up with Kirby and he was always an older guy and I always challenged myself to beat him every time we would do something, so I just kind of look at it that way," Dach said. "I'm going in here and trying to earn a spot and take a job and that's what I'm going to do."
