Five players I am excited to watch the Blackhawks play in 2021

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be playing a lot of different teams this season within their Central Division. Some matchups will feature some of the best players in the NHL.

Watching the Chicago Blackhawks take on some of the best and most talented up and coming players is one thing I am most excited about for the 2020-21 season. Chicago does have some stars in Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith but seeing how Chicago matches up against the next generation of stars will be fun.

The NHL is fun to watch for many reasons, one reason being the star power some teams have. I could have easily done 10 players I am excited to watch this coming season, and I am sure we will talk about a lot of different players throughout the season.

It is no surprise where Chicago will most likely fall on the standings this coming season, but that still doesn’t mean there is nothing to play for. The Blackhawks have many competitive players who will want to be their very best every game, and I am sure they will want to beat out a lot of the players on this list when going up against them during the regular season.

1. Victor Hedman

Victor Hedman is a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and a Stanley Cup Champion. At the age of 30, after 11 years in the NHL, it is nice to see a player like Hedman get that recognition during the playoffs. Personally, I am excited to see what Hedman can do with the Lightning during the coming season. While the Lightning have always been one of the great teams in the NHL, now they find themselves defending their title, which is not easy when everyone is trying to take your team down night in and night out.

2. Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair is no longer apart of the Ottawa Senators. Now, he finds himself on the Florida Panthers and in the Central Division. Duclair put up 40 points last season on a rather horrible Ottawa Senators team. Now he enters the Panthers in his seventh year in the NHL. Having already been with five teams thus far in his career, I hope we can finally watch Duclair find a home. Duclair will be playing with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, plus with Joel Quenneville behind the bench, this team might actually surprise some fans.

3. Sebastian Aho

It scares me to think that Sebastian Aho is only 22 years old. The Carolina Hurricanes added a great player to their lineup when they drafted Aho in the second round of the 2015 NHL draft. Aho has played in the NHL for four seasons now, and each year he has grown into a more electric goal scorer. After putting up 38 goals last season, there is no telling what he will do this season in the new Central Division.

4. Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos is a Stanley Cup Champion, even if he did not get to play that much throughout the playoffs. This coming season I am excited to see what Stamkos can do if he truly is healthy. While a lot of Tampa Bay’s roster must be feeling pretty confident right now after winning the Cup, Stamkos might be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

5. Anton Khudobin

Seeing how Anton Khudobin can fair as an NHL starter after an unbelievable playoff run will be rather fun this coming season. Khudobin’s great goaltending was a huge part of the Dallas Stars making it to the Stanley Cup Final last season. While a lot of people count the Stars out as just having a flukey good playoff run, I think they could have another great tear through the regular season.