Blackhawks have decisions to make with squad full of top talent – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks will enter the 2024-25 season a very different team than last season. They opted not to re-sign many players whose contracts were up at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, while adding eight new faces through trade and free agency, including five forwards, two defensemen and one goalkeeper. The resulting increase is a much improved team, on paper at least, as the organization tries to take the next step in rebuilding.
With the addition of five new players to the bowl, things are looking a little crowded up front. The management and coaching staff see this as a way to encourage healthy competition, and bring out the best in individual players and the team. No one’s place is guaranteed; they will have to earn it. With that said, let’s talk about how things could go in training camp, and who will go where on the roster.
The Blackhawks’ Top Six Keys
We’ll get to actual line combinations a little closer to training camp, but for now I’ve broken down forwards into four different possible categories: top-six and bottom-six depth players, wire forwards or top-six or bottom-six, and dark horses to make the team. We start with those who are likely to start the season in the top two lines.
Connor Bedard, Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Philipp Kurashev, Teuvo Teravainen
Bedard is clearly the cornerstone of the franchise and is slated as a top-line center (although he also played wing at times last season) for the future. He is the main reason the Blackhawks went out and got more talent, supporting and promoting Bedard. The 19-year-old was the best player for the Blackhawks in his first season. You could see his frustration at times as he tried to make things happen with less skilled players.
Gosh blessed that Bedard and Kurashev developed the chemistry they did as the season went on, or it would have been even harder to watch. Kurashev had a breakout campaign last year, and I would expect him to start this season playing alongside Bedard again. However, he will have to continue where he left off because now there is a lot of talent that he will have to compete with.
Enter Teravainen and Bertuzzi, both of whom played top-six roles with their former clubs, the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. The two veterans are shoo-ins to play on the top two lines.
Related – Meet the New (Old) Blackhawks: Teuvo Teravainen
Like Hall, who was heavily injured in the 2023-24 campaign. Like Teravainen and Bertuzzi this season, he was brought in last season to be Bedard’s runner. As a former No. 1 pick, it made sense for him to bring Bedard. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. But I’m sure that thought process remains now that he’s healthy.
Blackhawks’ Bottom-Six Depth Forward Players
Joey Anderson, Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, Craig Smith
Anderson developed good chemistry as a third-string tight end with Jason Dickenson and the departed Colin Blackwell last season. The 26-year-old has carved a niche for himself, as someone who is difficult to play with and can keep the puck out of his team’s net. He led the Blackhawks in scoring with a plus-5 rating last season, and his five goals and 17 points are nothing to scoff at. Mainly a grinder.
Donato was responsible for the top six players last season. But that was out of necessity, with so many injuries and a roster that was sorely lacking in talent. Donato does his part admirably, and actually builds decent chemistry with Bedard. But in a developed team he is more suitable as a forward player.
Newly acquired veterans Maroon and Smith bring great experience to the table, as well as bite to their game. But both should be considered serious players. While they may have started on the opening night lineup, I could see one of them rolling over if their performance wasn’t up to snuff.
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After all, it’s not the skin coming off the noses of the Blackhawks if these guys are healthy bruises. However, head coach Luke Richardson is known to favor his veterans. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Blackhawks Forward, Placement Undecided
Andreas Athanasiou, Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, Ilya Mikheyev, Lukas Reichel
There are a few players who fall somewhere in between; they may earn a spot in the top six, or end up as deep players. This is where things get interesting. Where will these players fit in? You may have noticed that I only listed five players as the keys to the six. So, who will be the sixth player?
Athanasiou has that incredible speed that he is known for, and has played well with both Kurashev and Reichel in the past. He is also honorable in office. However, he has been very inconsistent throughout his career. Can he put it all together and place it in one of the six? Otherwise, I could see him being relegated to the third, or fourth row.
Reichel is quite the enigma, as Brooke revealed in her latest episode. He had a disappointing season last year, and now the competition is tough. The 22-year-old is not a free agent this season, so I believe the Blackhawks will give him every opportunity to succeed right out of the gate. Reichel is a finesse player best suited for the top lane, but he will have to earn that right. Perhaps he will team up with one of the talented players, and use that to his advantage.
Dickinson admits he’s closed, he defends the trade. But again, out of necessity he was tasked with being the top scorer last season. He’s soared, blowing his previous career out of the water with 22 goals and 35 points. He also had the highest shooting percentage on the team (17.5%), and led the team in faceoffs (615).
Many pegged Dickinson as a second-line center to start the season, but he may be playing to his strengths farther down the lineup. As noted above, can Athanasiou take the role of a second-line center? Or is it possible that someone could fill this role (more on this in a minute)?
Foligno is another player who really should be a depth player, especially at this point in his career. However, he played with Bedard last season with amazing success. Will coach Richardson want to revisit their familiarity, and their mentor/teacher relationship? Despite these points, there are just so many other options now. I don’t see Foligno as a member of the top six with this talented program.
Related – Blackhawks Bytes: Foligno, Richardson, Reichel, Roenick & More
Finally, we have a new guy, Mikheyev. Similar to Athanasiou, Mikheyev is known for his speed. This was no big deal last season, but the Russian striker was coming off an ACL injury. Still, he played a lot on the top lines with the Canucks, often alongside Elias Pettersson. Simply put, if Mikheyev plays at his best, he can easily break into the top lane. But he can be outplayed by other talented players.
Dark Horse Frontrunners to Make the Team
Colton Dach, Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert
I would say that Nazar is the most likely of the three to make the team. Many experts noted that the Blackhawks did not address the role of a second-line center in their offseason, and Nazar has been called the center of the future behind Bedard. He was selected by the Blackhawks 13th Overall in the 2022 Draft, and he certainly impressed in his three-game NHL debut last season. He even pulled off a near-impossible goal in his first NHL season and his first shot on goal.
FRANK NAZAR SCORES HIS FIRST NHL GOAL IN HIS FIRST NHL GAME ‼️👏 pic.twitter.com/KWieewZeR4
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 14, 2024
Let’s not underestimate the contributions of Slaggert, who registered a goal and four points in 16 NHL games at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. All of this was after completing a successful college hockey career at the University of Notre Dame. Slaggert has proven that he can be a solid depth player for the future, or maybe even now, if he has a strong training camp.
The longest shot on this list is Dach, who spent all of last season with the Rockford IceHogs. Unfortunately, dealing with multiple injury problems did not help his cause. But when healthy, the 21-year-old has been one of Rockford’s most promising players. He was also one of the last players to be cut from last year’s camp. Could he be ready to make a big run this time around?
Final Thoughts on the Blackhawks Forward
Although things may seem tight at first, the Blackhawks will enter the season in a very good place. Excluding dark horse candidates, there are currently 14 frontrunners in the mix. Teams are usually ranked in the top 14 at the start of the season.
But only the top 12 players qualify each night, so there will be plenty of competition during the playoffs. As they say in the hockey world, this is a good problem to have. Some may argue that the Blackhawks picked up too many veterans and position players, and this will set the odds back. However, if veterans like Maroon, Smith or someone like Donato have to stay because someone deserves to play, I believe that the Blackhawks will struggle with that.
Otherwise, injuries will happen, and that will be an opportunity for the young player to step up and gain valuable experience with the big team. In addition, we could certainly see a few new recruits surprise the coaching staff and earn a spot outside of camp.
It’s also important to remember that the Blackhawks want to be patient with their prospects. A year or two of seasoning with the IceHogs isn’t a bad thing. In fact, there are plenty of young talents slated to play in Rockford. They could be an exciting team to watch this season.
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While we can have a good idea of which players will start the season up front with the Blackhawks, nothing is guaranteed. More talent and more competition will make for plenty of news during training camp and the preseason.
Stay tuned for more on the Blackhawks’ 2024-25 defense, coming soon!
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