5 New Years Musings Including Connor Bedard Winning the Calder

As the Chicago Blackhawks closed 2023 with a loss to the Dallas Stars, the calendar turns over to 2024 and we’ll see if things improve or stay close to what the first 36 games have brought so far. Connor Bedard has been what everyone expected so far–what could the rest of the season bring?

Here are five Blackhawks musings heading into 2024 and what the new year could bring looking at everyone from Bedard to Kyle Davidson’s gameplan next offseason.

#1: Connor Bedard will win the Calder

There’s a lot of steam in the Brock Faber should win the Calder talk lately on socials. It’s understood, but misguided. From an objective point of view, both Bedard and Faber should be in the conversation. But Bedard still stands above the rest.

Faber, while logging big boy minutes, is playing on a team with more talent than Bedard, hands down. This isn’t to lessen his impact on the Wild but if the roles were reversed, the argument wouldn’t hold as much weight. Bedard is generational in every fashion and his 33 points in 36 games on a team that has been ravaged by injury and lost two players acquired to help bolster his efforts in the NHL.

Faber is a hell of a player. But Connor Bedard isn’t only better, he’s succeeding in a scenario that wasn’t designed to see an 18-year-old rookie be just three points shy of a point-per-game pace. But if you take Bedard off the Blackhawks roster, five wins would be optimistic. His numbers–plus where he’s achieving it–is why he’ll inevitably win the Calder.

#2: Re-Signing Jason Dickinson Could Be a Good Investment

There’s of course the thought that it could be a career year and he should be traded while his value is at its highest. For a rebuilding team, that certainly holds value. But if indeed the Blackhawks get another top three pick in the lottery or for fun, let’s just say they win it again, Dickinson suddenly becomes another sub-30 year old player who benefits handsomely from an improved roster.

Injury has besieged this team and Dickinson has been one of several players to step up. He’s also been a consistent voice in not accepting anything less than the best–which is a much needed message. For sure this team needs to have high odds to possibly grab Mack Celebrini but they also need to have those veteran voices there as the journey goes on.

NBC Sports flashed a stat during Sunday’s game that Dickinson has the second highest scoring percentage in team history right now. That’s unlikely to hold at 23.5% but knowing he had nine goals on just 7.5% last season, Dickinson will still find the back of the net. Between that and his voice in the room, maybe extending him for a couple seasons wouldn’t be a bad thing for a team that will be out of rebuild mode and going into the next step toward contention.

#3: Lukas Reichel Can Be Good, But Might Not Be Great

This year anyway. I think this year has to be stricken from the records in terms of what Reichel projects to be for the Blackhawks. But I also think starting at center limited his playmaking ability and set him back in terms of comfort and eventually, confidence. Playing at the beginning of a season versus the end of one is also a completely different vibe. The expectations might need to be brought down a bit and seeing Reichel rebound to get at least 10 goals this season would be a first big step. It doesn’t sound like he’ll go to Rockford and it also doesn’t seem like he’ll be back at center any time soon.

Confidence certainly seems like an issue and maybe a stronger second half with adjusted expectations could help his trajectory more.

#4: This team would be lost without Petr Mrazek

His numbers don’t reveal it but Mrazek has been the team’s MVP through the 2023 portion of the season. It’s not to take away from Bedard, but Mrazek has kept the Blackhawks from being blown out in more games than be counted. Of Chicago’s 11 wins, Mrazek has nine of them, and in those nine wins, only one had less than 30 shots on goal. Only two had less than 35 shots on goal.

It’s easy to argue that without Mrazek, this team would maybe, at best, have six wins. More interesting will be to see what the Blackhawks decide to do at the trade deadline knowing that a lot of teams are looking for help between the pipes.

#5: Kyle Davidson Will Make Moves to Accelerate Out of the Rebuild State

I’m all for the build the foundation best you can argument, but this really should be the final year of a full out tank. Losing takes its toll on everyone–fans, front office, coaching staff, but most of all players. There’s a lot good soldiers out there, but losing, for a lack of a better word, sucks. It’s contagious and even fighting through it as the Blackhawks have, it’s spreads misery.

Also, the fans have been patient because of Bedard. Another season of the blowout or blown leads script will start riling up even the most loyal fan. Furthermore, burning Bedard’s second year of an entry-level deal just to try to get a higher draft pick doesn’t seem to make much sense.

If Chicago is gifted with another lottery win, then it’s a lot easier of a sell to really amp things up a bit. Going back to the Pittsburgh comparison, the Penguins made the playoffs the season following a tough first season with Sidney Crosby. The young talent they had was a bit ahead–but–the Blackhawks prospect pool is plentiful and I’ll go on record now believing that Frank Nazar makes Chicago’s opening night roster next year.

For the sake of argument, should Chicago win the lottery again, that would be Nazar, Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, and presumably Celebini on the roster. That doesn’t include the likes of Alex Vlasic, who has been excellent for the Blackhawks or even Philiipp Kurashev who would also benefit with less pressure and more talent spread around.

Next year could–and should–be the launch out of the rebuild and into the next step that surprises with a playoff appearance–or gets as close as can be.