Over the last few seasons, the Blackhawks have been struggling to draft and develop players in their own system, especially defensemen. This makes Lucas Carlsson a much-needed success story for Chicago.
First of all, he makes the team better. From watching his play, he seems to make simple, effective choices of how to move the puck out of the defensive zone. Chicago has lacked this, and at times have really been trapped in their own d-zone. Even though he has only played a handful of games in the NHL, his impact has been meaningful.