Blackhawks 2022 Player Grades Part 5: Alex DeBrincat

The 2021-2022 had very few bright spots, and Alex DeBrincat was certainly one of them. The former 2nd round pick made a habit of finding the back of the net this season, tying his career high in goals at 41. And in the assists and points category, he actually set new personal best with 37 assists and 78 total points on the year. Although he did hit a bit of a rough patch toward the middle of the season, he most definitely was on the up end of things throughout the majority of the season. And even during that rough patch, his assists numbers were still there, it was just the goal scoring numbers that took a dip. So even though he was struggling, he still found a way to make a positive impact when he was on the ice.

Season Grade: A-

Hard to give anything less than that grade when in three major statistical categories, you tie or set new personal bests. On top of that, the cat also received his first All-Star team selection of his career. So while the season was one to forget as a team, this is one that DeBrincat will absolutely have some memories from.

Now we have all heard the rumors swirling around DeBrincat's name the past few days. Simply put, after a season like DeBrincat just had, moving him would 100% be the wrong move. There isn't a return the Blackhawks can get for Alex DeBrincat that would put them in a significantly better position going forward. If anything, it could even set them back further. DeBrincat is coming into year 6 of his NHL career and is playing at the highest level we have ever seen him play. Why move him for a guy that you're going to have to draft and develop and basically start from square one. And for the people who claim "it's a rebuild" that is understandable. But you fail to realize that not everything that has ever had to be rebuilt needed all new parts. Sometimes you just have to replace some very crucial parts and keep around the parts you can still use. And Alex DeBrincat fits that mold of a part that can still be utilized, and probably for quite some time!

Check out some of The Cat's highlights below: