WASHINGTON — Trying to get Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno to talk about himself is like trying to get a hyper dog to sit still.
He will do it briefly, but he always drifts back to his usual habit: talking about the team.
“I feel good,” Foligno said Friday. “I feel like I’ve impacted the game the way I want to impact it. … But right now, I’m trying to find a way forward for our group, and that’s all that really matters to me.”
Production-wise, the 37-year-old forward is on roughly the same pace as last season. He tallied 37 points (17 goals and 20 assists) in 74 games a year ago, and he entered Friday with 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 71 games this season.
His on-ice role has changed substantially, though. His ice time per game has decreased from 17:46 last season to 16:04, and since Jan. 20, it’s below 15 minutes per game.
He has dropped onto the fourth line with Pat Maroon and Joe Veleno lately while the Hawks prioritize maximizing their young players’ NHL experience higher up the lineup. Foligno isn’t receiving power-play time anymore, and he has been much less involved in offensive-zone entries and forechecking, per All Three Zones data.
“When [I’m] now in a more defensive role, I don’t really judge where my goals or assists are,” he said. “It’s just, how am I playing? Am I contributing? Am I helping the team push forward? I feel what I’m doing out there is helping, so it’s all you can do.
“[But] I’m always looking to help more when you don’t win. I’m never going to be OK with the season that we’re having and think that I’m doing everything [right]. I’m always looking to try to improve. I’m looking forward to going into the summer and trying to get in even better shape so I can come back next year and really help push this forward.”
Interim coach Anders Sorensen has utilized Foligno as an extension of the coaching staff, telling him to pass along messages to youngsters like Oliver Moore, who sat in the locker next to Foligno’s on Friday in Washington. Sorensen commended Foligno for being a “true pro” and not resenting the kids jumping over him.
Reichel’s mistake
Lukas Reichel’s slightly oblivious personality has endeared him to Hawks teammates and fans, but it bit him Friday: he was scratched against the Capitals after missing a team meeting.
“[It’s a] learning lesson, right?” Sorensen said. “You’ve got to be a pro.”
Even without context, it wasn’t surprising to see Reichel excluded from line rushes during morning skate, because he hasn’t done much in recent games. He has 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists) in 66 games this season.
Another prospect
Within the Hawks’ overflowing pipeline of defensive prospects, 2021 third-round pick Taige Harding had received little attention during the past few years.
But that’s changing now that Harding — after four years at Providence College — has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Hawks that kicks in next season. In the meantime, he has joined Rockford on an ATO for the remainder of this season, and he’ll likely remain in Rockford next season.
One of only three Scotland natives ever drafted into the NHL, Harding is a massive 6-7, 235 pounds. His offensive skills are limited, and his AHL success will likely be determined by how competent his passing and puck-moving proves to be. But his defensive skills — in addition to his size and range — are solid.