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5 storylines to follow for the Chicago Blackhawks this season

The Chicago Blackhawks kick off another season. The hope is Connor Bedard takes the next step in his climb toward being one of the top-five players in the NHL.

By Todd Welter |
/ David Banks-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Blackhawks are about to embark on another regular season.

The hope is this season the Hawks are not contending for the top spot in the Tankathon.com/NHL standings. While the talent was upgraded in the offseason, it probably is still not enough to get the Hawks back into the playoffs.

Hopefully, the Hawks can avoid the injury issues they had last season. Although, the team's depth is much better than what it was last season.

Five storylines should be followed this season...

Connor Bedard taking the next step in joining the NHL elite.

Bedard was amazing in his rookie season. It was a season that ended with him winning the Calder Trophy.

Imagine the numbers he would have put up had he not missed six weeks with a broken jaw. Now, this is year two of a career that should finish with a Hall of Fame induction and hopefully a bunch of Stanley Cup titles.

Bedard is considered a top 40 player, but if he wants to go from the 30s to the top 10, he must step up his game.

He is at least willing to tussle a bit more with players trying to make a name for themselves with a cheap hit or rattle him. Obviously the front office does not want him dropping gloves, but it is good for the young man to let the rest of the league know he will not be messed with.

As Bedard goes, so will the Chicago Blackhawks.

How will Bedard's new linemates support him?

Bedard and Philipp Kurashev formed a solid bond on the ice. The other linemate on the top line was a revolving door.

This season, head coach Luke Richardson is splitting up Kurashev and Bedard. Kurashev will center the second line with the returning Taylor Hall and the recently signed Tyler Bertuzzi.

Bedard will be skating with two other players added in the offseason, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teravainen. Teuvo skating on the top line was expected. Mikheyev's movement up to the first line was not.

He was projected to be in the bottom six, but the Hawks do need to get a player willing to go after the puck. The hope is that Mikheyev can also be a goal-creator with his 20 assists last season.

If neither proves to be suitable linemates, Hall and Bertuzzi can always be moved up. Maybe, Lukas Reichel can skate well enough to move up to the top six too.

However, can Reichel ever get on the ice?

He had a terrible preseason. He still made the opening night roster, but he will be a healthy scratch. Also, the team's one-time top prospect might also be on borrowed time.

The offensive talent has never been a problem. The issue is maintaining confidence and being able to do the little things necessary to be an effective player.

That is why he will be starting the season watching the game in the press box.

The Blackhawks veterans can potentially trade before the deadline, hopefully playing well enough to yield some assets.

The Hawks probably will not make the playoffs. This is another season where the Hawks will likely be sellers at the deadline.

The hope is Hall has a healthy and productive season and that he can be flipped before the deadline. It would be nice to get some draft picks back for Maroon, Smith, and Martinez so the path can be cleared for the team's talented prospects waiting in Rockford.

The Hawks avoid finishing dead last in the division with a veteran-filled roster.

General manager Kyle Davidson wanted to raise the standards of the team this season. While this roster still has some deficiencies that is not enough to get into the playoffs, having Connor Bedard for a second season should mean the team must stop contending for the top spot in the lottery.

Enough is enough when it comes to watching the team's chances to win the No. 1 overall pick.

Young players like Bedard, Alex Vlasic, and Kurashev must start to learn to win. That is what this season should be about.

Bedard and Vlasic are solid members of the core of the next competitive Hawks team. Kurashev might be at least a supporting cast member. It is time those three start tasting some winning in the NHL, and with a veteran-laden roster, this is the year to at least get more wins to stop sitting at the bottom of the Central Division.

Also, the hope is the Blackhawks can avoid finishing dead last with an older roster. A lot of exciting prospects are in Rockford when a portion of the fan base would love to see skating tonight in Utah.

Potential core members of the Hawks' next great team such as Frank Nazar, Colton Dach, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, and Landon Slaggert are being given time to develop their game in the AHL.

If the Hawks finish dead last with a veteran team, it means making exciting young players earn the NHL spot might not have been the best idea. Also, it would be fair game to finally question Hawks GM Kyle Davidson.

He wanted to raise the standards and make sure the young players were not given a spot in the NHL. If going older yields the same results as the past two seasons, then you might have to wonder if Davidson can build an NHL roster worthy of being competitive. Well, at least put together the supporting cast.

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