6 Chicago Blackhawks players who have surprised the most at the quarter mark of the season

The Chicago Blackhawks front office had hoped to have raised the standards this season, yet the club is still at the top of Tankathon standings.

This rebuild is going to take a while, but the hope would be this year's club would not be so high in the standings for the best NHL Draft Lottery odds.

The Hawks are now a quarter of the way through the 2024-25 season, and it has been a season full of swings. One moment, the team is at a low point after enduring a long losing streak. The next moment, the teams beats the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Florida Panthers.

The only thing the Blackhawks cannot do is establish a winning streak, which is one reason the team is still one of the worst hockey teams in the NHL.

There have a been few pleasant surprise performances this season and one unwelcome one.

Arvid Soderblom has been great this season as the backup goaltender.

Soderblom's NHL career got a second life when Laurent Brossoit needed offseason knee injury. It has kept Brossoit out indefinitely.

Soderblom has shined in Brossoit's absence after Laurent was signed to replace Arvid, who was one of the worst goalies in the NHL last season.

Soderblom was dead last in 2023-24 in goals saved above expected. This year, he is 21st, one spot behind starting netminder Petr Mrazek. Once Brossoit comes back, the Blackhawks must make a major decision on what to do at backup goalie.

Right now, it is a pleasure to see Soderblom be a reliable netminder.

Lukas Reichel has been a playmaker skating on the fourth line with veterans Craig Smith and Pat Maroon.

Reichel was another major disappointment last season. This season, he has looked like the talented playmaker everyone hoped he would be during that lost 2023-24 season he had.

He looks good when he is on the fourth line with Smith and Maroon. Those three have had really good chemistry together.

Reichel has two goals and six assists on the season. Smith has five goals, and Maroon has a goal and five assists. Smith and Maroon were supposed to be just veteran bridge players, while young prospects like Landon Slaggert and Colton Dach worked on their game. So, getting this production is nice to see.

They have not always skated together since head coach Luke Richardson keeps shaking up the lines like he is trying to put together the perfect lineup every night. This a combination that, even if it means less ice time for a playmaker like Reichel, that should stay together until it cannot produce anything for like three or four straight games.

Ryan Donato's leading the team in scoring goals has been a pleasant surprise while Connor Bedard struggling to score goals has not.

Donato has cooled off in November with just two goals, but it was a nice surprise to see him score six goals in October. Hopefully, he can score some more goals to build up his trade value.

The problem is Bedard has not been producing many goals during his sophomore season. He is in the midst of a sophomore slump that has left him amid a 12-game drought without a goal.

That has left him discouraged. It has also left many wondering if Richardson is hurting Bedard with all these changes the head coach has made at the top line.