Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic’s banter with Alec Martinez has consistently been a source of levity in an otherwise gloomy, depressing season.
Sitting two stalls apart in the Fifth Third Arena locker room, Vlasic and Martinez have developed plenty of comedic bits that they will gladly perform whenever the Hawks’ social-media staff scours the room for viral content — although jokes about their similar-but-different first names might be the only thing appropriate enough to publish.
For Vlasic, “messing with” Martinez is a way to express his silly side. That’s a big part of his personality; it always has been. And it’s also especially important to maintain that sense of humor amid frustrating times.
“At times, [like Tuesday] night, I wasn’t in the best mood — I don’t know if anybody was,” Vlasic said Wednesday. “There’s been certain points throughout the year where maybe I haven’t done the best job trying to keep a positive attitude.
“It’s been a challenge this year to keep that neutral mindset of not getting too high, not getting too low. That’s been the hardest part, having to figure out a way to stay positive and stay in that happy attitude. But for me, that kind of comes naturally. A lot of the guys on our team are like that, as well. It makes it way more fun.”
As a 23-year-old with an increasingly heavy weight on his shoulders, Vlasic has also appreciated being able to tap into 37-year-old Martinez’s wisdom. Martinez has become a role model for Vlasic — allowing Vlasic, in turn, to become a role model for rookie defensemen like Artyom Levshunov.
Since the Seth Jones trade, after all, Vlasic has essentially become the Hawks’ No. 1 defenseman. That’s a lot of responsibility, both on and off the ice, to place on a guy who entered Thursday with just 165 games of NHL experience — only 46 of which have been wins.
Vlasic got a taste of being the de facto No. 1 when Jones missed five weeks due to injury in November and December, but he “didn’t necessarily think of myself as the go-to guy” during that time.
Now, that has changed. After the Hawks’ blowout losses Sunday and Tuesday, he admitted it “kills me to not really be able to help as much as I’d like to.”
“There’s got to be somebody that steps up, and I want that to be me,” he added Wednesday.
Entering Thursday, Vlasic had tallied five points in nine games since Jones left March 1 (part of a moderate scoring surge of 10 points in 15 games dating back to Feb. 7). The Hawks have been outscored 14-9 with a 45.2% scoring-chance ratio in his five-on-five shifts during this span — subpar statistics nonetheless in line with every other Hawk.
His average ice time has actually decreased during this span — from just under 24 minutes per game to just under 23 — but that’s largely because interim coach Anders Sorensen has sought to maximize Levshunov’s first dose of NHL experience. Long-tenured veteran Connor Murphy has also been relied upon lately.
Vlasic believes his leadership skills have grown this season because “they’ve had to.” He has also become one of the marketing faces of the team, making weekly podcast appearances and starring in season-ticket advertisements.
Even when he’s feeling discouraged or fatigued — be it because of hockey or life — he’s learning how to outwardly project confidence and optimism anyway.
“There’s games where I’m not feeling my best [or] not playing too great, and I still try to be vocal and get the other guys going and make sure I’m not bringing anybody else down with me,” Vlasic said. “There’s times I’ve snapped [after] some of the games this year, and I’m learning to control that. But it’s been a fun challenge to navigate those emotions and the highs and lows.”