Again within the fall, Ethan Del Mastro gave the impression to be lagging behind different younger defensemen within the Blackhawks’ system.
Del Mastro’s subpar efficiency at Hawks coaching camp disrupted his momentum after a powerful first professional season in 2023-24, throughout which he was Rockford’s lone consultant on the AHL All-Star Sport.
Again in Rockford to start 2024-25, Del Mastro was displaced from the primary pairing and power-play models by Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski, forcing him to settle right into a lesser position. On the similar time, his shut pal and former defensive accomplice, Nolan Allan, was establishing himself as an NHL common forward of schedule.
“I might like to get all the way down to a Hawks sport and watch [Nolan] in individual, nevertheless it’s been enjoyable to look at and see him reside out his dream,” Del Mastro mentioned Nov. 19 in Rockford.
4 months later, issues have tilted dramatically again in Del Mastro’s favor, rewarding him for his endurance. He’ll make his nineteenth NHL look of the season Saturday towards the Blues, having spent nearly all of the time since his preliminary call-up Jan. 23 to the Hawks’ roster.
He has averaged practically 18 minutes of ice time per sport, together with greater than 20 minutes in March — totally on the second pairing with veteran Connor Murphy. They’ve develop into Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen’s most trusted shutdown duo.
“I’m feeling extra assured and comfy each sport,” Del Mastro mentioned Friday. “Enjoying with Murphy has been actually useful. We’re each larger guys, and we wish to defend arduous. In order that’s helpful, having a man that’s been right here, performed that and may educate me.”
Stated Sorensen: “They get fast stops, they usually don’t spend over-extended time in [the defensive zone] normally. [Being] large our bodies that may get stops is the most important factor. And offensively, they’ve performed some good issues, as nicely.”
Allan, in the meantime, misplaced his common position within the Hawks’ lineup in late January — his analytics had develop into among the worst within the league — and was despatched to Rockford in late February.
Since Del Mastro’s call-up, he has the second-best five-on-five scoring-chance ratio amongst Hawks defensemen at 46.6%, behind solely T.J. Brodie (who has been constantly scratched for weeks).
That ratio remains to be within the purple, and any constructive micro traits throughout the Hawks proper now are dampened by the very fact the crew has been so unhealthy general.
However blame for his or her ongoing six-game dropping streak ought to objectively fall extra on the ahead corps, who haven’t scored a lot, have generated even fewer scoring possibilities and now have struggled mightily with neutral-zone turnovers, transition sorting and defensive protection. The Hawks’ defensive corps, regardless of their youth and inexperience, have been all proper most nights.
Del Mastro’s 6-4, 210-pound body is an asset he makes use of intelligently. He doesn’t dish out large hits merely to rile up crowds; he as an alternative makes tactical hits to separate opposing forwards from the puck alongside the boards.
Hawks coaches have talked to him in regards to the significance of sustaining good positioning and staying on the within of the defensive zone till choosing the right moments to be aggressive.
He retains his head up and strikes the puck pretty nicely for a man of his mould, too. His scored his first NHL purpose Feb. 27 in Las Vegas with a ripped shot.
“His capacity with the puck, his imaginative and prescient and his skating capacity, it’s positively higher than my youthful self,” Murphy mentioned. “However his willingness to work and develop his defensive sport, [and him] desirous to be on the market in large moments towards good gamers, are issues I relate to.”
Del Mastro’s substantial growth this season has re-established him as a possible long-term piece of the Hawks’ post-rebuild defensive depth chart, though the hierarchy will probably proceed shifting because the youth motion progresses.
