Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2023-24 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team over the course of the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks.
2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks
This year will be a fascinating one in Chicago. The Original Six club is undergoing a major rebuild but has undergone some interesting changes. Losing two players who were pillars of the franchise shook the Blackhawks, as did a large number of poor performances. However, snapping up the first-overall pick was an excellent tonic.
2022-23 Season
Last season was a difficult one to endure for fans. With a losing record both home and away, the Hawks finished 26-49-7. It was the bottom of the Central Division. This resulted in Chicago being eliminated from playoff contention as early as mid-March.
The Blackhawks had already traded Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach in July and subsequently let go of Max Domi at the deadline. Domi led the Hawks in assists, points and penalty minutes at the time of his departure and his loss was felt.
Another significant loss was the departure of Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, which will have broken many hearts. Kane, drafted first-overall in 2007, scored a huge 1225 points. This includes 446 goals, in 1161 games and won three Stanley Cups. He also took home plenty of personal hardware during his time in Chicago. He represented his then-team at multiple All-Star Games. Needless to say, whilst Kane was struggling last season with an injury, his playmaking and leadership left a hole in the team’s fabric.
2023 Offseason
With that first-overall pick, general manager Kyle Davidson selected Connor Bedard. Despite having just turned 18 years old, the very first WHL player to be granted exceptional status is tipped to be the one to lead Chicago to the promised land once again.
However, Bedard cannot be expected to do it alone. Davidson has made some astute moves this offseason which help lay a foundation for the future. He took advantage of the Boston Bruins’ cap dilemma by taking on Taylor Hall’s contract. Although his performances have slightly declined somewhat, the talent is still there and as a former first-overall pick taken by a club with high expectations, he could even provide mentorship to the young Bedard.
Nick Foligno and Corey Perry both signed one-year deals, worth $4 million each. Neither was likely to get a payday that good elsewhere, but the Blackhawks will need strong voices, grit and league experience. Both provide that in abundance.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks did suffer another painful loss, with captain Jonathan Toews unable to play for Chicago again. Toews’ health has recently taken a downturn with both long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome taking their toll on the Manitoba-born forward. These medical issues resulted in Toews missing the full 2020-21 season and parts of the following seasons. The club subsequently confirmed they would not be re-signing him following the expiry of his contract and Toews’ own statement stated that whilst he was not retiring, he will be focussing on his health during the 2023-24 season.
Lineup Predictions
Forwards
Taylor Hall – Connor Bedard – Lukas Reichel
Andreas Athanasiou – Tyler Johnson – Taylor Raddysh
Philipp Kurashev – Jason Dickinson – Colin Blackwell
Nick Foligno – Ryan Donato – Corey Perry
Top Six
Chicago’s top six is one area that has seen great improvement. The arrival of Bedard means the Blackhawks will benefit from one of the most complete prospects since Auston Matthews made his NHL debut and his skill set is one that will influence those around him.
As with all rebuilding sides, there will be plenty of other young talents who are projected to shine next year. 21-year-olds Taylor Raddysh and Lukas Reichel both have had promising starts to their professional careers. If their statistics have anything to go by, Chicago fans are in for a treat.
The addition of Hall is a particularly astute one, as he brings skill and experience to a young side. It is also worth noting that although his point totals have declined, the former Hart Trophy winner has bounced around many bottom-feeding teams before he settled on a middle-six role in Boston. Being bumped back up to first-line responsibilities with electric young talent should see Hall be a major boost to Chicago’s attack.
Tyler Johnson, who won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Andreas Athanasiou round out the group. Both will provide a young team with leadership and experience from many years in the league.
Bottom Six
Davidson has also splashed out and made some interesting adjustments to the existing bottom-six forward group. These are in the form of former free agents, Ryan Donato and Corey Perry, plus veteran Nick Foligno, who was acquired in the Hall trade.
Donato is the more typically skilled of the three, with good hands and a sharp shot. However, Foligno and Perry’s attributes will also be crucial. Both have a crash-and-bang aspect to their game and will protect their teammates. Both are also vocal in the locker room and will be able to quickly establish the framework of a core leadership group. This is essential for a captainless rebuilding team.
Defencemen
Jarred Tinordi – Connor Murphy
Top Four
Chicago will once again start with Seth Jones leading the blueline. Brought in from the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2021, Jones has since put up a reasonable point total during his time with the Blackhawks. Admittedly his numbers did digress last season. However, the improved forward group will hugely benefit from his ability to play from deep and his passing capabilities. Expect an improved performance this year.
Another player who will have a big impact on the Hawks’ top four is Connor Murphy. A key part of Chicago’s leadership group, Murphy is an excellent defensive asset. Considering the quality of the goaltending that the Blackhawks have, he will once again have a crucial role.
Bottom Pair
The 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks bottom pair is intriguing. It is here that Chicago’s defence becomes interesting. Wyatt Kaiser, a talented young prospect, will likely earn a full-time spot after an outstanding year in the NCAA. A smooth skater with plenty of tenacity and drive, Kaiser is able to start plays from all over the ice and protect the puck in those tough areas. Paired with his scoring talents, the Minnesotan will be extremely fun to watch next season.
Veteran Nikita Zaitsev will likely make up the second half of the pairing, but last season was difficult for the Russian. A number of poor performances saw him demoted by the Ottawa Senators to the AHL before his February trade to Chicago.
The Key Prospect
The main one to keep an eye on is Kevin Korchinski. Although he did not make the predicted starting line-up in this preview, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could be departing the WHL. Arguably the Hawks’ top prospect after Bedard, he would be an interesting addition to a team with little to lose this season outside of introducing the future to the league.
Goalies
Petr Marek
This season could see an interesting battle for the crease in the Windy City.
For the 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks, there is competition for the net. Coming into training camp, Petr Mrazek will be the most senior goaltender and as such, the assumed starter. However, his performances were painful to watch last season. For all goalies who played a minimum of 20 games, Mrazek finished 47th in save percentage, with his goals-against-average a shocking 90th in the league. The Czech also won just ten games with not a single shutout.
Therefore, he is not short of players wanting to steal his spot and Arvid Söderblom could be the one to do it. An undrafted free agent out of the Swedish Hockey League, Söderblom made his debut in January 2022 and made 15 appearances last season.
He too had a few issues, but the 24-year-old had a better GAA than Mrazek. He also performed well in the AHL with the Rockford Ice Hogs. With Chicago’s top goaltending prospects still honing their craft, it could be time for Söderblom to take over more duties between the pipes.
Players to Watch
Connor Bedard
This preview has already outlined the importance Bedard will have on this team. However, the starring role he will play cannot be understated.
The Vancouver-born forward has spent the past few years steamrolling his opponents in junior hockey and is now ready for the NHL. His sublime shooting and puck-handling skills make him a formidable foe when combined with excellent skating, pace and strength, he truly deserves to be flagged as a potential generational talent.
Of course, with the former Regina Pats captain having never played against men, he will have to get used to playing against much bigger and stronger opponents. His height will not help with this, but Bedard is clearly a hard worker and has already developed a frame to ensure he will not be bounced around easily.
Finally, we must talk about his outstanding hockey IQ, which is possibly his best attribute. This level of smarts puts him ahead of his opponents and makes those around him just that little bit better. Chicago expects and it is highly likely he will deliver.
Lukas Reichel
Drafted in the first round of the 2020 Draft, Reichel’s career has had a steady climb and this year could be his breakout.
Since making his North American debut in the 2020-21, the young forward has split his time with the big team and the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. His stats with Rockford were outstanding and his point totals with the Blackhawks have improved vastly with each season, indicating he is ready for full-time NHL action.
Furthermore, the potential is there for Reichel to take on a role on the first line alongside Bedard and Hall. The German is strong, as well as hard-working, with excellent playmaking skills. Should he be working alongside Hall and Bedard this season, the possibility for him to break out as an excellent two-way forward is extremely likely.
Prediction for the 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks
The 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks are destined to be at the bottom. Drafting Bedard and the acquiring of Hall has boosted the top six tremendously. The bottom-six group has also improved, so expect to see more attacking prowess from Chicago. However, the goaltending projects to remain difficult to watch and the defence could do with some work.
Therefore, the main message to Blackhawks fans is to not expect Bedard to instantly propel the team into the playoffs this season. Even Sidney Crosby, who personally had an excellent rookie year, could not manage that. Instead, this will be a season full of growing pains, with the team looking to work out the teething problems of their young players.
It will not all be doom and gloom though. Of course, Bedard will be delightful to watch. However, plenty of other prospects will have their time in the spotlight and Chicago can showcase their foundations being laid for potential domination down the line.
Main Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
