DeBrincat was passed over in the 2014 Ontario Hockey League draft and signed as a free agent with Erie of the OHL on April 28, 2014. Kris Knoblauch, then the coach in Erie, now coach of the Edmonton Oilers, said DeBrincat was about 5-foot-6, 140 pounds at the time.
Though he had 104 points (51 goals, 53 assists) in 68 games in 2014-15 and 101 points (51 goals, 50 assists) in 60 games in 2015-16, DeBrincat wasn’t selected by the Blackhawks until the No. 39 pick in the 2016 draft. He had 127 points (65 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games in 2016-17 and was named the Canadian Hockey League player of the year.
It’s true that he played with Connor McDavid in 2014-15 and Dylan Strome from 2014-17, but it’s not like he wasn’t an elite player in his own right.
“I think he got overlooked and got passed up in the draft, or pushed back, because he got so much attention, or people thought he was benefitting, from playing with some pretty good centermen, whether that was McDavid or Strome,” Knoblauch said.
“But I know with us, his points per game was actually higher when he was away from those guys, when he was actually a centerman on a line with Kyle Maksimovich and Taylor Raddysh. Those three hit it off really well. I guess not enough scouts saw him play center in that role. But yeah, he was a really good player.
“I don’t think he got enough credit for that. I think he would have been easily a first-round draft pick. I think a lot of teams underestimated him.”
DeBrincat had 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 games with the Blackhawks from 2017-22, including 41-goal seasons in 2018-19 and 2021-22. He had 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games with the Senators last season and has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 49 games with the Red Wings this season.
It’s true that he has played with Kane in Chicago and Detroit, but again, it’s not like he hasn’t been an elite player in his own right. He had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games this season before Kane debuted with the Red Wings on Dec. 7.
He has a high hockey IQ and a great shot, and has the will to go with the skill.
“Oh, he’s feisty,” Knoblauch said. “He’s got a lot of compete in him. I’ve seen him in the OHL have some fights, sticking up for teammates. Probably one of the biggest things that probably doesn’t get noticed is how strong he is on the puck, being able to strip players, whether that’s with his quickness or just with a strong stick.”
Kane said DeBrincat doesn’t just want to win.
“He wants to be the reason that the team wins,” Kane said. “He’s a big-time player, and I think that’s the thing I’ve really enjoyed about getting to know him over the start of his career and into his prime now. He’s just very competitive. He wants to do well every night.”
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