The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off a dreadful 2023-2024 NHL season full of controversy and all around bad play. The Blackhawks season was forgettable to say the least, with the team once again finishing in the bottom three of the league’s standings. The 2024-2025 season will be a pivotal one in the Blackhawks rebuild. General Manager Kyle Davidson has emphasized improvement as the team aims to climb out of the bottom of the league standings. Many players on the Chicago Blackhawks had rough seasons last year but let’s cover the three players who need to improve the most in 2024-2025.
The Chicago Blackhawks Players who need to Improve in 2024-2025
Lukas Reichel
The former 17th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft has had a slow beginning to his NHL career thus far. Following a strong 23-game stint in the NHL in the 2022-2023 season, fans had high hopes for Reichel in 2023. However, Reichel failed to met expectations set by both the fans and the organization. Reichel recorded only 16 points in 65 games with the Blackhawks last season.
The organization clearly had faith in Reichel, as he was slotted in the team’s top 6 forward group to begin the season. However Reichel’s inconsistent play and lack of production saw him moved to the AHL midseason. Reichel then moved to the Blackhawks bottom six to end the season. The positive for Reichel is that he is only 22 years old, so he still has time to figure himself out.
Things are not all bad however, as Reichel has managed to perform very well in the AHL. He recorded 8 points in 10 games with the Rockford IceHogs this season and recorded four points in four playoff games with Rockford. Reichel also inked a two-year contract extension with the Hawks this offseason, proving that the organization has faith in him. Reichel’s 2024-2025 season will be a big factor in determining his future with the team.
Seth Jones
Seth Jones is a very interesting player to cover. In his three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Seth Jones has seemingly been getting worse every season. He recorded 31 points in 67 games this season. Those are good numbers for a player who is making half of what Seth Jones makes. Jones is making $9.5 million annually. For the contract he signed, Jones numbers simply are not gonna cut it.
This does not mean that Jones is a 7th defenceman on a bottom feeding team. Jones is still a top-4 defenceman in Chicago and likely would be on any other team in the league. The problem is that Jones is tied for the fifth-highest AAV among all defenceman in the league. Given his decent but inconsistent offence and lacklustre defence, he clearly needs a big season in 2024-2025.
Kevin Korchinski
Despite being in a top-4 role last season, Kevin Korchinski needs a big season in many ways. The Blackhawks faced a tough decision with Korchinski last season; either keep him in the NHL or send him back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. The Hawks opted for the former. This caused Korchinski to be completely overmatched in his rookie year. He showed clear signs of simply not being ready for NHL play. His defensive struggles especially stood out throughout the season.
Korchinski is still only 20-years old so his early struggles are not too alarming. However, he needs a strong beginning to his 2024-2025 campaign, assuming he makes the team out of camp. The Blackhawks have an improved defensive core, with the signings of T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez and the drafting of Artyom Levshunov. The Blackhawks also have prospects Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allen fighting for positions in the NHL.
Korchinski is now eligible to spend time in the AHL, which might be the route the Hawks go next season with him. Either way, Korchinski will need to prove he can be an NHL regular and put his rough rookie year behind him.
The Blackhawks are hoping to be much improved this season. These Chicago Blackhawks players need to prove their worth to a team aiming to return to contention. In the case of players like Korchinski and Reichel, they need to prove they can be stable parts of the future core. While a player like Jones needs to prove he can still be an elite defenceman.
Main Photo: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
