Blackhawks Bottom Line: Mackenzie Entwistle Staked His Claim But Will It Be Enough?

Over the course of the next month, Chicago Hockey Now will be profiling every Chicago Blackhawks player from the 2023-24 season. Today, will be forward Mackenzie Entwistle.

Mackenzie Entwistle
Forward
Games Played: 67
(Goals – Assists – Points): 5-6–11
Contract Status:  Pending RFA

The Short View

In 2023-24, Mackenzie Entwistle was a depth piece who played a lot of games for the Chicago Blackhawks. In those 67 games, he provided a touch of offense with his five goals and six assists and played some solid minutes on a bad team. He might not have scored as often as he’d like but he showed that he can make some plays from time to time.

At locker clean out, Entwistle stated his hope he’ll be back in Chicago for another season.

“Obviously want to come back here,” Entwistle said.  “I would love to play on the Blackhawks again as I’ve been here a couple years now and to see the change, to see the young guys coming in. I think if you’re a Blackhawks fan you should be excited because obviously you go down the list of these young kids coming in–they’re pretty good. It should be fun and for me personally I would love to be a part of that. I would love to help them grow together and love to be a Blackhawk again.”

The Long View

Entwistle has been around for a while but he will only be 25 in July. The former third-round pick still could develop a bit more as well which makes him a valuable player to resign.

He proved that he could serve a role on a team with the way he played in 2023-24. Of all the depth pieces that played for this team, he might be one of the guys that has a chance to return and make an impact again.

The Hawks are going to be a much-improved team (you’d think) in 2024-25 so that could help Entwistle as well. Having better players around him in the bottom six should make him even more productive.

The Bottom Line for Mackenzie Entwistle

Mackenzie Entwistle can make an impact if he is put in the right situation. It is time for the Blackhawks to get him signed up for next year and give him that chance.

He should be on a third line where other skilled players are looking to play some good defense and score a few goals. It isn’t going to be perfect all the time but he has the pedigree of a player that can positively impact the team. There’s also the physical piece where he’ll jump into defend a teammate with a big hit or dropping the gloves. Like Colin Blackwell, who plays a similar role for Chicago, he’ll play gritty or pretty–whatever the Blackhawks need.

It is also on Entwistle to prove that he belongs for the long haul. He had his good moments in 2023-24 but it needs to be consistent. If he has a good year, he will be able to carve out a long career filled with greatness.