THREE THINGS: Blackhawks at the break

The Blackhawks are the first to admit their record (18-24-9) and place in the standings is not where they would have hoped to be at this point, there have been a few positive developments this season. From youth making an impact to core pieces thriving, here are three things about the Blackhawks at the break that are worth noting and discussing.

Toews finished strong before All-Star and the bye week with four goals and two assists in his last two games. He has at least a point in 11 of his last 13 outings.
As for Kane, it's hard not to be impressed with the season he's had. He has certainly been the most dynamic and exciting weapon the Blackhawks have had all season long and has put the team on his back for many of their victories this season.

Kane is currently sitting sixth in the league in scoring with 71 points in 50 games, and is tied for fifth in goals with 29.
The Blackhawks lone representative at the 2019 All-Star Game finished his time before the break strong and is riding a nine-game point streak (7G, 14A).
Both Toews and Kane have been fun to watch and provide optimism moving forward.

2. DEBRINCAT'S RISE

The NHL Draft is a fascinating thing to look back on. In retrospect, where would Alex DeBrincat have been taken knowing what we know now? It certainly would not have been 39th - it would have been much higher.
DeBrincat is currently fourth in goals amongst his 2016 classmen with 53. But those have come in just 133 games. He's also fifth in his class in overall scoring with 96 total points. When your production is only trailing the likes of Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Matthew Tkachuk and Clayton Keller, you're in good company.

DeBrincat is a key piece to the organization's future and only keeps getting better. He's followed up his breakout 28-goal 2017-18 season with 25 this year in only 51 games. The question moving forward is, "just how high is his ceiling?"
It's hard to believe someone could overtake Kane for the team's lead in goals this season, but he's not too far behind with plenty of hockey left to play. DeBrincat scored seven goals in 10 games in the month of January.

3. DELIA SHINES IN NET

Goaltenders are among the toughest young players to project. They take time to develop and a fair amount are late-bloomers. It's not too uncommon to see undrafted netminders blossom with time and show promise.

Collin Delia has been somewhat of a revelation between the pipes for Chicago this season, stepping in for the injured Corey Crawford. He burst onto the scene with a string of impressive performances. In his first five starts of this season, Delia stopped 197 of 208 shots faced for a save percentage of .947. While his numbers have regressed, slightly, and he now has a season SV% of .923, that's still top 10 in the NHL among goalies with nine or more appearances.
It's always good to be cautious of small sample sizes, but Delia has the intelligence, the drive to improve his craft and the kind of calm demeanor you'd want in a number-one goalie.

It's almost been "the year of the rookie" with young netminders like Delia, New Jersey's Mackenzie Blackwood and Philadelphia's Carter Hart - among others - making a positive impression in their first real NHL action.
Delia has, at the very least, worked his way into a larger conversation about the future of Chicago's net. With more performances like he's produced thus far, he'll undoubtedly get more starts. His future appears bright.