Blackhawks Player Grades: MacKenzie Entwistle

On to the next one. After examining veteran Tyler Johnson, we'll now take a look at one of the younger forwards on the Chicago Blackhawks. MacKenzie Entwistle is next up in our 2023-24 player grades.

The 24-year-old largely played both center and wing for the Blackhawks this past season. He's set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but are Entwistle's days in Chicago numbered?

Story of the Season

MacKenzie Entwistle played 67 games for the Blackhawks in 2023-24 but failed to make a major impact on the score sheet. With 11 points (five goals, six assists) on the season, Entwistle found himself routinely on the fourth line .

The 24-year-old has a chance to continue developing as a bottom-six forward. His ability to play center and wing makes him a versatile player, especially with his size. However, Entwistle hasn't posted more than 12 points in a season, which he accomplished back in 2021-22.

Entwistle did play a career-high 67 games in 2023-24. That said, with a number of young Blackhawks forwards needing chances at the NHL level in the near future, Entwistle could be an odd man out.

Grades

Jonnie Nonnie's Grade: D+

Nice guy, tries hard, loves the game. However, that only goes so far in the NHL, where fleetness of foot and skilled stickhandling are requirements in most cases. Entwistle's lack of speed often left him out of sorts defensively while his rough hands fumbled several point-producing scenarios on offense. Credit to Macker for laying the lumber with 139 hits (fourth-most on the Blackhawks), but that measure of physicality doesn't make up for his deficiencies in the more important areas of the game.

Tony Marchese's Grade: D

I hate having to give Entwistle a D grade for his performance, but sometimes that's reality. The 24-year-old has been somewhat of a mainstay over the last three seasons in the Blackhawks lineup, and well, he quite simply hasn't developed much beyond what we saw in 2021-22. He has stayed fairly healthy and skates a tick over 10 minutes a night in about 60 games a year, but outside of that he hasn't delivered too much excitement or taken the next step offensively. There's still plenty of time in his career to take that step, but at this juncture in the Blackhawks rebuild, he may find himself on the outside looking in as an RFA this summer.

Ron Luce's Grade: C

I'm a big fan of Entwistle and I like the physicality he brings to the game. Although he's limited in multiple facets of the game, his effort and physicality kept him in the lineup under Luke Richardson. However, with time coming for younger players (yes, even younger than Entwistle) to get a chance, he might be the odd man out. Despite that, he still played his role as a fourth-line energy player fairly well on an underwhelming roster, so I'll give him a shiny C.

What's On Tap Next?

MacKenzie Entwistle's future with the Blackhawks remains in the balance as free agency approaches. Will he return to play fourth-line minutes or serve as organizational depth? Or, is now time to let him get a chance elsewhere? Nothing is certain, but his fate should come into focus in the coming weeks.

Tell us if you agree with our grades! What would you give MacKenzie Entwistle? Let us know at @FourFeathersPod on X and Instagram !

Related: Blackhawks Player Grades: Jarred Tinordi

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