NHL Edge stats for the end of the season have been released and the results probably won't surprise you that the Chicago Blackhawks just didn't have enough speed and it showed.
Pat Maroon (Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)
The Blackhawks had the slowest forward in every regard, one of the slowest d-men, and a number of other slow forwards, all while having just two standouts that separated themselves from the rest of the team.
Pat Maroon was far and away the slowest forward to play in the NHL this season. He had the slowest top sustained speed of just 20 MPH, the fewest 18+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes with just 6.6, and the fewest 20+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes as well with 0.1.
While Maroon is alone at the bottom in all three categories, Nick Foligno, Teuvo Teravainen, and Tyler Bertuzzi were all too slow as well. Unfortunately, two of these players were just brought in and they are all veterans, so there will be no changing how fast they are.
For top sustained speed by forwards, Teravainen was the 15th slowest (21.2 MPH), Foligno was right behind him at 16th (21.3 MPH), and Bertuzzi was 22nd slowest (21.4 MPH). A name you wouldn't expect to see here would be Connor Bedard, but his top sustained speed was 23rd worst (21.4 MPH).
Foligno, Teravainen, and Bertuzzi all finished in the bottom eight in fewest 18+ and 20+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes this season as well.
In the three speed categories, Connor Murphy was the weak link on the back-end for Chicago. He had the 10th slowest top sustained speed (20.8 MPH), was last in fewest 18+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes (3.2), and had the third fewest 20+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes (0.2). Alec Martinez showed up as the 15 worst in the 18+ MPH bursts category (6.8). There's a reason why both Maroon and Martinez called it careers, their foot speed just couldn't keep up anymore and they have their Stanley Cups.
On the bright side, Lukas Reichel and Frank Nazar bring speed to the Blackhawks' lineup.
Reichel had the 10th most 20+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes (14.2). Nazar had the 16th most 22+ MPH bursts per 60 minutes (1.1). The Blackhawks are going to get faster, but maybe they look to add a little more speed in the offseason with top talent like Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers who proved to be fast players again this season.
