Season Preview – 30. Chicago Blackhawks

In the wake of an exciting season that saw rookie phenom Connor Bedard take the league by storm, the Chicago Blakhawks are on the right path out of a tough rebuild. GM Kyle Davidson has done an impressive job surrounding a young team with respected veteran leaders and players who can catalyze the developments of their key prospects. This year we will see the Blackhawks play better as an overall team, though they are excepted to have a busy trade deadline as sellers, leading them to stay true to their direction as a rebuilder and finish in the bottom of the league standings.

Season Expectations

This is an exciting time to be a Blackhawks fan. GM Davidson has added a multitude of prospects that will make impacts once they reach the lineup. Most recently, we saw Artyom Levshunov selected second overall in this past years draft, a well deserved consolation prize for an inadequate season. GM Davidson was not done there, he added proven players in the offseason and brought in Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, Alec Martinez, T.J. Brodie, Laurent Brossoit and some other depth pieces.

While these may seem like the type of moves that alert the league they are trying to become competitive, they are not. These moves that will help continue to establish a foundational structure for the younger generation poised to take over in a few seasons. The Blackhawks will once again be sellers come the trade deadline in hopes to land one more elite piece in the draft before they take a bigger step out of the leagues basement.

Projected Lines

With so many new faces entering the Blackhawks lineup this season, and hopefully a fully healthy Taylor Hall, the team has every opportunity to maximize the chemistry between all lines. Head coach Luke Richardson is heading into his third full season behind the bench, and some may say he is on the hot seat regardless of the teams transition. With that being the case, you can bet Richardson will utilize his matchups to the best of his abilities and continuing to accelerate the development of Bedard.

To clarify, these line projections are meant to only predict the start of the season. With so many potential moves on the horizon, its almost certain that there will be an injection of youth and fresh faces by the end of the season. Expect the season to start as such:

Taylor Hall – Connor Bedard – Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen – Andreas Athanasiou – Philipp Kurashev
Lukas Reichel – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Foligno – Ryan Donato – Craig Smith

Alex Vlasic – Seth Jones
Kevin Korchinski – Connor Murphy
Alec Martinez – T.J. Brodie

Petr Mrazek
Laurent Brossoit

Scratches: Pat Maroon, Joey Anderson

Line 1
With Hall expected to return fully healthy to the start of the season, his speed and playmaking ability should be paired with Bedards elite finishing capabilities. Now that Bertuzzi is in the fold too, expect his tenacity and forecheck to compliment the style that the Hall and Bedard tandem will bring.

Line 2
Teravainen is returning to the Blackhawks and will bring veteran leadership along with an astute playmaking ability. Kurashev can learn from this to continue to build his game into a formidable top-6 forward option. Athanasiou’s speed and finishing ability could compliment these playmaking wingers and provide secondary scoring for the Blackhawks.

Line 3
This line has a mix of defensive ability and speed. Reichel has shown flashes of brilliance yet has not been able to take the strides many fans have been wanting. By matching Reichel, Dickinson and Mikheyev on the same line, there can be a focus on defensive first mentality, and building zone possession through the rush.

Line 4
We will most likely see limited five-on-five ice for this line, but they will more than likely fill out the penalty kill units. Foligno has all the makings of the next Blackhawks captain before Bedard fills that role. So this line can be relied on for leadership and veteran presence. They will no doubt play hard.

Pair 1
Vlasic really came into his own form this past season. Proving himself to be reliable on both ends of the ice explains the Blackhawks investment into signing him to a six-year extension this offseason. Pairing him with Jones looks to be the continuing trend towards a stable top pair for the team this season.

Pair 2
The ability to join the rush is a major strength Korchinski brings to the NHL. His offensive minded approach can be complimented by the stay-at-home player Murphy is. They will make mistakes as Korchinski still adapts to the league, but they should find consistency sooner than later.

Pair 3
A pure veteran pairing that will help stabilize the defensive woes the Blackhawks struggled with last season. There is a reality where Martinez is only with the team for a short period of time before a possible trade. Brodie can be a reliable partner for when Isaak Phillips or Ethan Del Mastro gets called up later in the year.

Goalies
Bringing in Brossoit on a two-year deal was savvy work by GM Davidson. Both Brossoit and Mrazek will compete with each other in a tandem role, providing some sort of consistency the Blackhawks need to keep the puck out of their net.

Scratches
Pat Maroon and Joey Anderson will find some ice as the season goes on. Just don’t expect them to receive full time roles unless there are major injuries throughout the year.

Keys To Success

There are a few conditions that will need to be met for the Blackhawks to have a successful season. The main one is ensuring Bedard has the right environment to keep growing his game in all facets. Pairing him with the right line mates, insulating his matchups to be favourable against opponents, and continuing to give him creative freedom within the confines of the coaching system. Furthermore, GM Davidson will need to play his hands right on the trade market and make some important decisions about veterans on the team. If the right moves are made, then we can see the likes of Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Colton Dach, Isaak Phillips, Ethan Del Mastro and possibly Artyom Levshunov all get called up throughout the season.

Potential Downfall

With high expectations for younger players taking a leap in their development this year, it is safe to say that the worst thing that can happen is if these players have stunted growth. The coaching staff and management must have realistic projections for their prospects in order to instill confidence and structure towards their growth. GM Davidson will also have to play the trade market properly, timing moves in favour of sellers. If he pulls the trigger too early, he can falter an potential returns that will bolster the Blackhawks prospect pool.

Future Outlook

To say the future is bright for the Blackhawks is a clear understatement. Having the crown jewel of Bedard vaults the franchise into a clear adversary for returning to competitiveness sooner than later. We have seen most recently what Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews can do for a struggling franchise, and there is a belief around the league that Bedard will provide the same impact for years to come. Having Levshunov, Nazar, Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert and Sam Rinzel in the system helps accelerates the rebuild. The pain during this restoration of the franchise is almost over, and the Blackhawks will soften the blow of one more lackluster seasons once they draft another elite talent in 2025.

Final Thoughts

This season is set to end with another low standing finish, but Blackhawk and NHL fans alike will have the thrill of watching Bedard continue to grow. If GM Davidson can leverage his assets properly and prospects already in the system develop steadily, the Blackhawks will come out of this season with their heads held high. The return to a dynasty is on the horizon with the foundations put in place, it will only be a matter of time before the Blackhawks return to continuous playoff competitiveness.