3 big things we learned about GM Kyle Davidson's End of Season press conference
Last week, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson spoke with the media for his end of season press conference and we were able to get some insight on more of what the rebuild is going to look like for the organization, as well as addressing members on the current roster and in Rockford.
One of the major questions surrounding the rebuild was the recent addition of Jeff Greenberg, being named Associate General Manager. Greenberg joins the Blackhawks after spending 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Davidson mentioned that the addition was extremely organic and after having multiple discussions with Greenberg about the different processes and systems in baseball, he said «there were things that really appealed to me and the things I saw great, great value in.» When asked about the crossover between baseball and hockey, Davidson said that there were mainly proprietary systems he was looking to implement. He discussed how, in baseball, they have much more efficient ways of gathering information on player development and how to directly apply it. He said that Greenberg «brings a fresh sense of improvement and positive action to our decision making process in the front office, which is refreshing news to hear from a fan perspective.
Furthermore, while Derek King was confirmed as a candidate in the head coach pool, Davidson is still keeping his options open in that respect. He said there is no confirmed timeline for the rebuild but he mentioned earl-middle July as a loose target for selecting a head coach.
Moving over to the Rockford Icehogs, Davidson was asked if he was happy with their development model right now and Davidson�s response was refreshing and hopeful. He said that he wants to continue working on complete transparency with the players in the AHL and wants to create intentional development plans to get them up to the Blackhawks. With the Icehogs being in the playoffs right now, Davidson commented on how important it is for those young players to be put in those situations to see how they handle playing in high-pressure moments. On the backside of that, he said that they will be looking at free agency players in the off-season and he is also not ruling out the trade market.
On the topic of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Davidson mentioned how their exit interviews encompassed multiple topics. They discussed their overall reflection of how the season went and where they felt their personal games left off. It's also important to note that Davidson confirmed he was looking for healthy transparency with the pair about how the front office plans to go about the rebuild that Davidson has been promising. The Chicago Blackhawks GM said that they are actively looking for Toews and Kane's input and he confirmed that there will always be a place in the Blackhawks organization for the both of them; however, they want to be a part of it that is up to them.
Overall, the exit interview of Kyle Davidson was optimistic and on the front of where they stand with prospects and their sister AHL team, we should expect to see some movements. When discussing the pipeline from AHL to NHL, Davidson said the quality is there but the quantity isn't and that's where they're looking to add in the off-season. With the prospects, «it's not a race to get to the NHL, it's about commitment and getting them ready to succeed at the top level.»
To listen to the full interview, check out the link below!
https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/news/blog-gm-kyle-davidsons-end-of-season-press-conference/c-333714328
| POLL | ||
Do you think Kyle Davidson is the right fit for the Blackhawks general manager position? | ||
| Yes, I think he is. | 47 | 17 % |
| I�m uncertain, time will tell! | 135 | 48.7 % |
| No, I don�t think he is. | 95 | 34.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
