Blackhawks’ Youth Movement Key for Remainder of Season

It’s game day and a new day here at Chicago Hockey Now! I’ll be taking the reins of the ship for the remainder of this season. There is a good chance that if you’re reading this, you know who I am. If not, let me introduce myself. I’ve been writing and podcasting about the Chicago Blackhawks since 2010. I’ve run sites like Blackhawk Up and Second City Hockey in the past. I covered the Blackhawks and the American Hockey League for The Hockey Writers. Most recently, I had an incredible run with CHGO Sports. I am a former season ticket holder turned fully credentialed reporter. I love and appreciate the history of this franchise and am ready to put in the work to give you the best Blackhawks coverage possible.

Now that we have that out of the way, you might wonder why you should still watch this Blackhawks team. That’s a good question. As general manager Kyle Davidson told us last April, this season was supposed to be better.

“We want to take the next step here and progress,” Davidson said. “We don’t want to finish where we finished this year moving forward. That’s not what we’re looking to do anymore. It’s something we’re going to be conscious of moving forward. Hopefully, we can see a little more success and some positive steps in the standings and on the ice here moving forward.”

Unfortunately, it’s not better. One could argue that this season is worse than the 2023-24 season when the Blackhawks finished with 52 points. On paper, this team should have a much bigger number in the points column, but the games are played on ice, not on paper.

This season has seen one disaster after another, and it’s caused a disconnect with the fanbase. The ball was dropped on the launch of the new Chicago Sports Network, leaving many fans unable to watch the game without changing providers or buying an antenna or another subscription service.

A team that is supposed to be better doesn’t fire their head coach in early December. While the Blackhawks have played a more watchable style of hockey under interim head coach Anders Sorensen, the bad habits that cost Luke Richardson his job are still holding them down. The product on the ice is bad, with a mixture of blown leads and blowouts where it looks like the team just doesn’t care. And when they have been on national broadcasts so the whole city can see them, they embarrass themselves like they did in the 6-2 loss at the Winter Classic.

So why pay attention to the Blackhawks for the final 38 games of the season? Believe it or not, there are plenty of good things to look for. While the here and now is miserable, when you pull back and look at the big picture, this franchise is still on track to get back to relevancy. There are a lot of talented young players in this organization, with some already in Chicago and others working their way to the NHL.

The biggest reason to watch every night is Connor Bedard. If you follow anyone on social media who is calling the second-year star a bust, go ahead and hit that unfollow button. He is the best player on the ice, and his new chemistry with Tyler Bertuzzi is fun to watch. There are also top prospects, such as Frank Nazar and Colton Dach, who have been given the chance to play in the NHL and be major contributors. The progress of young defensemen like Alex Vlasic, Nolan Allan, Wyatt Kaiser, and Louis Crevier is very important for the franchise’s future.

This team will look very different after the NHL’s trade deadline on March 7. Contenders will be interested in players like Taylor Hall, Ryan Donato, Alec Martinez, Craig Smith, and Pat Maroon. Some dark horse trade candidates include Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Petr Mrazek. Davidson should be listening to any offers on players not named Bedard, Nazar, or Vlasic. It will be an intriguing deadline as the Blackhawks’ young general manager navigates a disappointing season and tries to fix the broken roster.

As each veteran heads off to greener pastures, a roster spot opens up for a young player looking to cement his place in the Blackhawks’ future. Landon Slaggert and Kevin Korchinski could get a lot of ice time to finish out the NHL season. Let’s not forget a talented crop of college and junior players who might be turning pro in the spring. Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzell, Ryan Green, Dominic James, Aiden Thompson, and Nick Lardis may all find their way into the organization by the end of the season. Some might get a brief run in Chicago, while others get their first taste of professional hockey in the AHL.

This season was never going to end in a playoff run. But it wasn’t supposed to end with the best odds to get the number one overall pick, either. Remember that most of these guys here today are just placeholders when watching the Blackhawks play out the rest of this season. Most of the players who will be difference-makers when this team is back in the postseason aren’t even here yet. Be frustrated and upset that it’s not better like you were told it would be. But don’t let that frustration take away any excitement for the future.