Off-Season Review: Chicago Blackhawks are giving their young star something to work with

August 26, 2024 Kerry Will other 0

Connor Bedard’s arrival is expected to accelerate the Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuilding process compared to typical timelines.

This article concludes Oilersnation’s summer series, “Off-Season Review,” which examines the current state of the 15 teams in the Western Conference. In this final piece, the focus is on the Chicago Blackhawks, who had a challenging season and ranked lowest in the Central Division.

A Synopsis of the Chicago Blackhawks 2023–24 Season.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ dynasty from the early 2010s has faded, leaving them as one of the weakest teams in the NHL today.

In the previous season, the Blackhawks recorded a disappointing 23-53-6 record, ranking second-to-last in the league, just ahead of the San Jose Sharks. Unlike the previous draft, the Blackhawks did not secure the top pick and instead selected second overall.

During the trade deadline, their only transaction involved sending Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft. Beauvillier had been acquired only months earlier from the Vancouver Canucks for a different fifth-round pick in the same draft.

The Blackhawks’ decision to terminate Corey Perry’s contract was one of their most significant moves during the previous campaign. The seasoned winger was eventually signed by the Edmonton Oilers; the reasons for this are still unknown.

The Blackhawks didn’t have a fantastic season, but Connor Bedard is one man who is helping the rebuild go well.

A Few Remarkable Stats.

Bedard has been hailed as the league’s next generation of talent, much like Connor McDavid did before him. Even though that title is given out far too frequently, Bedard seems to suit the bill. He finished his junior career with 71 goals and 143 points with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League.

Having the second-highest odds going into the draft, the Blackhawks managed to grab Bedard. Despite missing time due to a fractured jaw, he produced 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games during his rookie season in the National Hockey League. Bedard won the Calder Memorial Trophy, something neither of the two final generational superstars, McDavid and Sidney Crosby, would ever be able to accomplish.

Having said that, Bedard’s support was minimal throughout the previous season. With 18 goals and 54 points in 75 games, Phillipp Kurashev was their next top scorer. In 82 games, Jason Dickinson recorded a career-high 22 goals and 35 points, while veteran Nick Foligno scored 17 goals and 37 points.

Only two other players scored in double figures: Ryan Donato scored 12 and 30 points, and Tyler Johnson scored 17 and 31 points. Seth Jones, a defenseman, has eight goals and thirty points.

Those seven players were the only players with 30 or more points. However, forward Lukas Reichel (five goals, 16 points) looks promising, while rookie defenceman Kevin Korchinski scored five goals and 15 points in 76 games.
Petr Mrázek started the majority of the Blackhawks games, posting a solid .908 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average in 56 games, finishing the season with an 18-31-4 record and a fat extension.  Arvid Söderblom started the rest of the Blackhawks’ games, posting a 5-22-2 record in 32 games played, along with an .880 save percentage and a 3.89 goals-against average.

Off-Season Business Deals.

A few trades were made by the Blackhawks prior to the 2024 draft. They traded the 18th and 50th overall picks in the 2024 draft to the New York Islanders in exchange for the 20th, 54th, and 61st overall picks.

A few days later, in what amounted to a cap dump for the Pacific Coast franchise, they acquired Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty, and a 2027 second-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2027 fourth-round pick. When free agency opened on July 1, Lafferty, who played for the Blackhawks for two seasons (2021–22 and 2022–23), signed with the Buffalo Sabres.

During the 2024 draft, the Blackhawks and the Carolina Hurricanes also exchanged two deals. They received the 27th overall pick from the Hurricanes for the 34th and 50th overall picks on the first day of the draft. They received a third-round pick in the 2024 draft the next day in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025.

The Blackhawks selected Marek Vanacker with the 27th overall pick, defenseman Artyom Levshunov with the second overall pick, and Sacha Boisvert with the 18th overall pick in the first round.

The Blackhawks’ strategy for free agency is evident. The team wants to surround Bedard with seasoned veterans who have “been there, done that” and some toughness, especially in his early seasons.

Alec Martinez signed a one-year, $4 million contract, TJ Brodie signed a two-year, $3.75 million deal, Patrick Maroon signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal, Tyler Bertuzzi signed a four-year, $22 million deal ($5.5 million AAV). Martinez and Maroon have each won three cups in their professional careers, and Bertuzzi and Maroon frequently trade blows.

The Blackhawks also signed Craig Smith to a one-year, $1 million contract, Laurent Brossoit, their backup goaltender, to a two-year, $6.6 million ($3.3 million AAV), and Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year, $16.2 million ($5.4 million AAV) contract.

However, the Blackhawks’ season ended well before the middle of April, as seen by the decisions they made in the latter stages of the campaign and at the start of the postseason. In March and April, Landon Slaggert, Nick Lardis, and Frank Nazar inked entry-level contracts. In addition, the Blackhawks renewed contracts with defenseman Alex Vlasic for six years at $27.6 million ($4.6 million AAV) and with Lukas Reichel for two years at $2.4 million ($1.2 million AAV) respectively.

Additionally, they re-signed Brett Seney, Zach Sanford, Cole Guttman, Joey Anderson, Louis Crevier, and Isaak Phillips to contracts that didn’t pay $1 million a year as depth players. They completed their acquisition by signing entry-level contracts with Marek Vanacker, Artyom Levshunov, and Martin Misiak.

Still, there were a good number of exits. Notably, Sam Lafferty signed with the Buffalo Sabres, and Nikita Zaitsev rejoined the Kontinental Hockey League. Additionally, defenseman Taylor Raddysh inked a contract with the Washington Capitals.

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