3 bold predictions that will define the Blackhawks' 2025-26 season

The Chicago Blackhawks will skate into the 2025-26 season with higher expectations as their young core grows and gains more experience. Franchise cornerstones who have shown flashes of greatness in a Blackhawks sweater will take another step in their development, and, now that there's more talent to go around in Chicago, look for them to take advantage and produce at a higher level than you might think they're capable.

How high? Three important players for this Blackhawks long-term core will hit more than just career milestones by the time the 2025-26 season ends. Let's look at three players and get bold about what kind of numbers they are capable of putting up this season.

Connor Bedard finally hits the point-per-game mark

With Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky projected to man the first line with Connor Bedard, you're looking at the best set of linemates the former No. 1 pick has had to open the season. Donato is coming off a career year that saw him snag 31 goals and 62 points, and Burakovsky has put up gaudy numbers in the past.

Meanwhile, Bedard, despite never reaching the point-per-game threshold in his first two seasons, made the most of the limited talent playing around him. Now that fans know Donato can routinely put up top-six numbers and that Bedard has two seasons of experience under him with a seasoned veteran in Burakovsky coming in, look for him to hit the 30-plus goal mark while hitting at least 52 assists.

You could call it a breakout year for Bedard, but once he gets going, the true leap will occur a year later in 2026-27.

Spencer Knight records 3 shutouts and a 0.600 quality starts percentage

Despite playing for one of the league's worst teams, Spencer Knight put up a good showing throughout his first 15 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, with an 0.893 save percentage, a 3.18 GAA, and a 0.533 quality starts percentage. Even more reassuring was that he skated into one of the league's worst situations after leaving one of the best situations in Florida, and he never flinched.

Now that he has a better Blackhawks team in front of him, Knight will benefit, recording his first of three career shutouts while in a Blackhawks uniform, and keeping the Hawks in games they otherwise wouldn't have fared as well in a season ago.

Knight will also reach the 0.905 mark in save percentage, and. keep his GAA at or below 3.00. For a Hawks team looking for long-term stability in the net, Knight will leave no doubt that he's the man for the job.

Artyom Levshunov reaches 100 blocks, 100 hits, and 40 points

Through 18 NHL games in 2024-25, Artyom Levshunov showed playmaking tendencies with six assists, while getting in front of 20 would-be shots on goal and landing 19 body checks. While he's still a work-in-progress, Levshunov is projected to enter the 2025-26 season in the top four, and, factoring in as a full-time NHLer this season, giving him more opportunities. 

He also has a full offseason under him, and that will help improve his play in all three zones, leading to an uptick in offensive production that will include 40 points and 35 assists. He'll also keep up his physical play, drilling opponents 100 times while blocking another 100 pucks.

With more experience and talent surrounding the Blackhawks this season, there is no question that three of the team's young cornerstones will enjoy their best campaigns to date. And maybe even go further and set hard-to-reach milestones. That will give Hawks fans more optimism as the season progresses, while the true breakout will come in 2026-27.