Blackhawks breakdown: Dylan Olsen

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CSNChicago.com Blackhawks Insider Tracey Myers and PGL host Chris Boden will evaluate the 2011-12 performance of each player on the Hawks roster. One breakdown will occur every weekday in numerical order.

When the Blackhawks defensive corps was ravaged by injuries when the calendar turned to 2012, they gave 21-year-old Dylan Olsen his first shot at NHL hockey when he made his debut on Jan. 5 in Philadelphia. He would go on to average just over 13 minutes of ice time in 28 games. Olsen is still in search of his first goal, and finished with one assist and a minus-5 rating. He was credited with 43 hits and 23 blocked shots. Olsen only played in one playoff game -- the Game 3 overtime loss -- and logged less than five minutes of ice time.

Boden's take: Olsenat 6-foot-2, 214 poundsmight have the size the Hawks so sorely need to add to Brent Seabrook on the blue line, but does he have the experience? The answer is no, but if Stan Bowman does indeed want to shop around for another big body for the back and cant find one, Olsen would seem to be Plan B. If that's the case, theyd need him to gradually develop and blossom over the course of next season, when the former 28th overall pick of the 2009 draft turns 22. Joel Quenneville liked what he offered when he was given a chance during his stint late in the regular season, but wasnt quite confident enough to use him in any more than one playoff game. Olsens game has definitely grown over the past year, the question is whether its enough to make a consistent impression.

Myers' take: The Blackhawks had a lot of defensemen depth ahead of Olsen last season, so he didnt get a chance until the second half. That, and he was dealing with a lower-body injury at the start of camp, which also put him behind. When he did get the call-up, Olsen was decent in his 28 games with the Blackhawks, having the on-and-off outings befitting of a rookie. Still, it was no surprise when Olsen sat for all but one playoff game. He was still too young and too green to be thrown into the postseason.
2012-13 Expectations
Boden: Olsen made huge strides last offseason and hung around through camp before being sent to Rockford just as the regular season began. Is he capable of taking a comparable step this summer? Those strides were physical, now it's a matter of finding a positive consistency in his game to push Montador and Hjalmarsson. The guy has got a booming slapshot which he doesn't use enough. If there's an area of his game that he could be focusing on, that might be it. The Hawks could certainly use a big, reliable shot on the power play, but he has to get in that mindset and comfort zone first. There's bang-for-their-buck potential there with Olsen, as he has two years and 1.75 million remaining on his original deal before being eligible for restricted free agency.

Myers: Considering the money the Blackhawks have already thrown toward defensemen, including Johnny Oduyas new contract, you would have to wonder how many internal guys will get a shot at the lineup next season. That should include Olsen, who has decent size on a defense that doesnt have much of it. Olsen went through a grueling offseason training program last summer and it would benefit him to do the same entering this training camp. If he can come in healthy, he could find a spot here out of camp.

How do you feel about this evaluation? As always, be sure to chime in with your thoughts by commenting below and check out highlights of Olsen above.

Up next: Dave Bolland

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