Chicago Blackhawks Grades: Nicolas Beaudin 2021 Report Card

Nicolas Beaudin had a season to remember in 2021 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks 2018 first-round draft pick scored his first goal this past season and played in 19 NHL games. During his first real stint with the Blackhawks, Nicolas Beaudin was someone to keep your eye on, and at times was one of the best defensemen on the ice for the Blackhawks.

At this time, it is all about deciding which six defensemen the Hawks are going to run with next season, whether or not Beaudin is one of the top six is still up in the air. Chicago has a number of defensemen ahead of Beaudin in the organization and maybe he will be better off with another season in the AHL.

Nicolas Beaudin Stats Breakdown:

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Games Played: 19

Goals – 2

Assists – 4

Points – 6

Corsi – 42.3

Offensive Zone Starts: 63.2

Defensive Zone Starts: 36.8

Season Grade: B

Bigger Picture:

Beaudin is going to be an NHL defenseman one day, but that day doesn’t have to be in 2021. Maybe the Hawks and Beaudin would be better off if he spent another season in the AHL while they use that open spot for someone else to play. Chicago has a lot of mediocre defensemen and that is the issue, they are all just bottom pairing guys.

Beaudin scored his first NHL goal this season, in the same game as fellow rookie defenseman Ian Mitchell. Here are both of their goals from the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in February.

Next Season:

This was a promising year for Beaudin. During the 19 games he played in at times he was one of the best young defensemen out there. After Adam Boqvist was put in the COVID protocol early in the season, Beaudin was the one to take his spot on the top power play for a bit and see the ice more often, and his play kept him on the ice. Beaudin wouldn’t have been playing 19 games this season if he did not earn them, and going into next season I think just having that bit of experience will help him in his development.

It will be interesting to see what the blue line will look like next season. While there probably won’t be a lot of personnel changes, deciding who starts and who is scratched will be very interesting.