BLOG: What to Watch for Over the Final Stretch of Camp

We are one week away from when the real fun begins. But over the next seven days at Blackhawks training camp, there is a lot still left to decide about the opening night rosters.
The battles for roster spots we've heard about since the opening days aren't just heating up, they're at a boiling point. There are so many strong performances, so many players capable of making an NHL roster, yet so few spots up for grabs.
Here's what to watch for as camp enters its final week:

Final Stretch

I almost titled this "the final sprint" instead of final stretch, but I quickly changed course because what I want everyone to realize is yes, we are ALMOST to opening night, but there are still two games of preseason left and another week of practices.
This is really anything but a sprint. It's basically a marathon in professional sports time. Seven days is an eternity. For some players, it's because seven days feels like forever until a real game. For others, seven days means that's seven more days of having to be as close to flawless as you can every single day to actually make the team.
There are a handful of players who are still competing to not only earn a spot on the opening day roster, not to mention the opening night lineup. For these guys the importance of this final week is truly make or break and it will probably feel like one of the longest weeks of their lives.

What to Expect

The Blackhawks have split into two groups for the final week of camp, with 45 players still around. It's basically five lines of forwards and eight defensemen in Group A (comprised NHL players) who are competing for starting night spots. Group B is filled primarily with young players who are mostly destined to either start the season in Rockford or head back to their junior clubs.
There could be a handful of players from Group B who see one more preseason game on Thursday night in Minnesota before more cuts and assignments. But come Saturday's final preseason test, I would expect to see 99% of the opening night lineup (not just the roster).
At this point in camp, we will see the highest level of play and the highest intensity that we have seen. The speed and physicality has picked up in both games and practices, and you can visibility see the rust is starting to shake off for veteran players who have been working to find their legs. For the young players -- the Borgstroms, the Entwistles -- it's now about showing the coaching staff and management that when the dial turns up to regular-season levels, they belong and can be impact players wherever they may fall in the Hawks' lineup.

Making a Case to Stay

1. MacKenzie Entwistle is a guy who I have been talking about since the opening days of camp. He has gotten better and better throughout camp and he has shown the coaching staff that his well-rounded game in all three zones is ready to take on the NHL in a full-time manner. He played well last season during his five games, particularly his four straight to end the year, but the confidence and speed he has shown really falls in line with the relentless, in-your-face style Jeremy Colliton wants his forwards to play with. On Monday night in Detroit, Entwistle was noticeable every time he touched the ice, creating turnovers on the forecheck and finding the back of the net a couple times.
   2. Henrik Borgstrom is one of the most interesting players in camp this year, because there aren't many guys who have the skillset he possesses. When you are 6'4" and have the ability to stickhandle your way out of a phone booth, well that deserves some serious attention. Hence why Stan Bowman acquired him at the trade deadline last season. What has impressed me most about him, though, has been the evolution of his game throughout camp. He's not going to be on the first line (at least to start), so he had to adjust his game and become a more aware player on the defensive side of the puck if he wanted to make the Blackhawks. After seeing him play that role the last two preseason games, he has shown me that he is ready to take the next step as a player and combine his lethal offensive ability with a 200-foot game.
   3. I will be honest with you all, Caleb Jones was somewhat unknown to me coming into camp other than the fact that he was Seth Jones' brother. I'm sure I'm not alone. I knew he was a promising young player and a strong skater who played some good hockey in Edmonton. To date, I think his preseason has been phenomenal. He's played three of the four games so far and every single time he's on the ice he is making plays -- with the puck, without the puck and adding offensive production along the way. Caleb came to Chicago and his play has earned himself a spot in the top six of the D corps. I think of all the position battles unfolding since the beginning of camp, Caleb made it the clearest that this is an easy decision for the coaches and that he deserves to be playing from the get-go.