Opportunities for the Hogs with the Chicago Blackhawks

One interesting twist for the return to play is the potential for expanded rosters for the Chicago Blackhawks.

There has been talking of expanding rosters to 28 players, and Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton will likely appreciate that.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it will allow Colliton to tweak the line-up more so than usual. Fringe players can be swapped as the need arises. For example, Edmonton has a lot of speed, and while it may not seem like a big switch, swapping Matthew Highmore for someone super speedy like Alex Fortin might be the kind of thing that gets done.

It’s not reaching to think that a player like Fortin may be slotted in the line-up and told to use his speed to disrupt and defend, rather than to try and score off breakaways.

Same for players like Nick Seeler and Denis Gilbert. If a more physical presence is needed, some players will be called on.

The hiccup to this is that there aren’t a lot of players in Rockford that are ready for the NHL.

Aside from Dylan Sikura, and those players already mentioned, who might be worth dressing? 31-year-old T.J. Brennan? Maybe. Mackenzie Entwhistle? Maybe, but the postseason likely isn’t the time to give the 20-year-old more NHL experience.

The cupboard isn’t exactly bare, but it’s not very well-stocked either. Colliton’s options are limited, even if they might give him a wider palette to paint with, so to speak.

This might be a fun experiment that the league might want to consider for future seasons.

Just like the league will want to gauge how people respond to having hockey played at a different time of the year, maybe its worthwhile to try different roster sizes.

This the best possible opportunity to try something different.