The Chicago Blackhawks had the option of selecting someone else to protect at forward for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft in place of Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich, or Matthew Highmore.
In the waning moments of Saturday’s pre-expansion draft roster freeze, Jim Benning exchanged a 2021 third-round pick for 26-year-old center Jason Dickinson.
Given that Dickinson is one of the top defensive pivots in hockey right now, the deal most likely fills the enormous hole at center on Blackhawks’s third line.
Here are seven interesting facts about the newest Blackhawks now.
1. Leader during Black Lives Matter movement
When the NHL halted play during the 2020 playoffs, Dickinson, along with Ryan Reaves, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Nazem Kadri, and Bo Horvat in the Edmonton bubble, stepped in the spotlight to address the media.
Dickinson was one of four players who also knelt during the playing of the national anthem.
Dickinson declared at the time, “I have individuals of color in my family. “One of my uncles is Black, and my dad is from the islands. My decision was simple, and it was for me.
2. Of Scottish and Caribbean Heritage
Josh, Jason’s younger brother, previously related the tale of how the Dickinson boys’ unusual hockey motivation came from his parents.
“My [mom and dad] didn’t get to play hockey growing up. Both my mother, who is from Scotland, and my father, who is from the Caribbean, were avid players. When they did arrive in Canada, they decided to throw them in and see if they enjoyed it if they couldn’t play. It turns out that my brother and I both enjoyed what they did.
3. Impressive junior career
Dickinson had a reasonably successful junior hockey career despite receiving criticism from his coach, former Canucks player Scott Walker, for being mistaken for the stick boy because of his baby face.
Dickinson had a solid 47 points in 65 games during his draft year, but it was his two-way skill that propelled him into the first round of the selection.
Dickinson played with noteworthy NHL players while a member of the Guelph Storm, including Tyler Bertuzzi, Robby Fabbri, and Brock McGinn. He also skated alongside Ryan Horvat, the older brother of Horvat, and former Canuck Andrey Pedan.
In 2014, Dickinson’s group came very close to capturing junior hockey’s ultimate prize.
With a perfect 3-0 record, the Guelph Storm outperformed all four teams in the Round Robin. A 7-2 thrashing of the London Knights, a squad that included Josh Anderson, Max Domi, Mitch Marner, and the current Canucks captain, Horvat, was one of their victories.
In the tournament’s final, the Storm, who had defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Round Robin, fell to them.
4. He’s not known for his offence, but…
Dickinson’s first taste of NHL action came at the conclusion of the 2015–16 season after he finished with 53 points in 73 games as a rookie in the AHL.
By scoring in his debut game against the Colorado Avalanche, he made a terrific first impression.
Dickinson has a history of scoring goals worthy of the highlight reel.
However, during the past three seasons, his scoring rates at even strength have declined. From 2018 to 2020, he produced scoring at a third line rate, but his 0.86 points-per-60 last season was almost a replacement-level rate.
Again, this player was chosen because of his defensive prowess, but you would prefer to see more development on the offensive side as well.
5. Ice time has increased over the past three seasons
Dickinson has already played three seasons as a regular for the NHL. His ice time has grown as seen below throughout the course of each year:
2018-19: 13:22
2019-20: 14:56
2020-21: 16:12
He’s also seen moderate improvement in his face-off percentage over the last three seasons, although this is still an area that could use some improvement:
2018-19: 42.9%
2019-20: 43.8%
2020-21: 46.3%