Chicago Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Ethan Del Mastro

Del Mastro is a defensive defenseman that plays with a physical edge. He was deployed on the third defensive pairing this season, mostly on his natural left-hand side. He did line up on his off-side for eight games when deployed with Korchinski. That flexibility to play on both sides could certainly be a positive moving forward.

The problem is Del Mastro just might not have shown enough in his end-of-season stint. Said head coach Jeff Blashill on Mar. 7,

He’s just got to keep growing. He’s got to be a guy, as I told him when he went down, that doesn’t give up many minuses, is hard and big and strong. Which he is, and moves the puck well. And if you do that, you play a long time in the league. Any guys that can break the puck out and defend really well play a lot, and are really important. So hopefully he can continue to build into that.

A minus-11 plus/minus rating wasn’t exactly stellar, and Del Mastro also had a team-low 17.65 goals-for percentage. To be fair, the entire D-core really struggled down the stretch, so Del Mastro wasn’t the only one. But on the left side, Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser and Korchinski are all ahead of him on the depth chart. It’s also highly likely the Blackhawks acquire a veteran, puck-moving defenseman in the offseason to bolster the young group. That would only further complicate matters for Del Mastro.

Above: Del Mastro provided the primary assist on a goal by Ryan Greene in their last game against the San Jose Sharks. It was the blueliner’s only point of the season with the Blackhawks.

This depth defenseman might just find himself the odd man out, as a restricted free agent and someone that would need to clear waivers next season to be sent down to the AHL. We shall see if the Blackhawks want to keep Del Mastro in the fold, or whether they cut ties with him.    

Quotable Quote

To Coach Blashill’s credit, he never calls out his players in front of the press. Sure, he may give constructive criticism, but he’s almost always positive in his approach. Here’s a quote from Mar. 31 about what Del Mastro offers when he’s at his best:

You know what he is? He is a gamer. He doesn’t play afraid to make a mistake. So I like that piece of it, for sure. I think the guys you want on your team are gamers. They’re guys that are going to go out and play to win, and if you make a mistake, you make a mistake. And that’s kind of how he plays.

Del Mastro’s Final Grade: C-

Del Mastro didn’t get much of an opportunity this season. When he did play, he wasn’t able to make much of a case for himself. The young blueliner certainly has the potential to be a solid bottom-pairing defenseman, but there are others ahead of him on the depth chart in Chicago. The writing could be on the wall that his time is done with the Blackhawks. If not, he’ll have an uphill climb to prove himself in training camp.