The Blackhawks' struggles this year have led to fans looking more towards the future. Another name that could play a part in that future appears to be on his way to the NHL.
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Dylan Sikura, a rising prospect who just finished his senior season at Northeastern, could be joining the Blackhawks as early at Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Sikura was a sixth-round pick in 2014, but has improved his stock in college. In 35 games this season he had 22 goals and 32 assists for the Huskies and is one of 10 players up for the Hobey Baker Award to the best player in NCAA men's hockey. The Huskies made it to the 16-team NCAA tournament, but lost in the first round to Michigan 3-2 on Saturday.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In a Periscope during the second intermission of Saturday's 3-1 Blackhawks win against the Islanders, NBC Sports Chicago's Blackhawks analyst Brian Campbell talked about Sikura's potential impact on the team in the final games of the season (skip to the 4:00 mark to hear about Sikura). Campbell thinks Sikura will be thrown into the deep end because the Blackhawks are eliminated and will try to evaluate him before the season is over.
"I guarantee he's playing with one of the top two lines," Campbell said. "Give him a shot, see what he's got because you got to find out in the last maybe five games of the season what you have going into next season."
If Sikura debuts against the Jets, he could play in five games before the Blackhawks' season ends.