TAMPA, Fla. — The Blackhawks‘ falling out with former forward prospect Dominic James will come full circle Thursday.
James will make his NHL debut with the Lightning, the team with which he eventually signed in September, and against the Hawks, the team who drafted him in the sixth round in 2022 and whose contract offer he declined in the spring.
Asked Thursday morning why he spurned the Hawks, James called it a “personal decision.”
“You look into the future and [decide] whether you feel confident in yourself,” he added. “Betting on myself was something I was comfortable doing.”
Reading between the lines, the Hawks’ unwillingness to burn the first year of James’ entry-level contract to let him jump into the NHL right away in March — when his senior year at Minnesota-Duluth ended — was likely a factor. They were willing to do that for forward prospects Oliver Moore (Minnesota) and Ryan Greene (Boston University).
The overall size and strength of the Hawks’ prospect pool was another likely factor. The Lightning, on the other hand, have one of the league’s weakest pools, creating less competition for depth NHL spots.
“That’s got a lot to do with it,” James said. “Looking at my future and looking at the opportunity to jump right into the NHL… or to see a path for myself was huge. [Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois] made me feel confident in that.”
Hawks GM Kyle Davidson said in April that he offered James a “pretty damn good opportunity” but harbored no “ill will” toward him.
The fact James got called up so early this season (after tallying five points in four AHL games) probably validates his decision in his mind. He said he’s excited but not overwhelmed, since he “always thought this would happen.”
And what are his thoughts about debuting against the Hawks specifically?
“It’s like playing any older team that you’ve been around,” he said. “No friends, right?”
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