Which Chicago Blackhawks Players Have Over-Performed and Under-Performed to Start the Season?

Out of everyone on the Blackhawks roster, the two who have exceeded expectations the most are Ryan Donato and Connor Murphy.

When Ryan Donato was initially signed by the Blackhawks, it was immediately that he was the type of player Luke Richardson wanted on his roster. His tenacity and reliability made him someone who could play up and down the lineup if needed.

So far this season, Donato has been one of the most consistent members of the Blackhawks. A goal scored against his former team in San Jose puts Donato at 6 goals through 9 games. That puts him at twice the amount of goals as anyone else on the team.

On an expiring contract, Donato has been playing some of the best hockey of his career and will look for a payday come the offseason.

Primarily, Donato has been in the bottom six in a forechecking role which is where he succeeds. His recent play has rewarded him with more opportunities as he has been the biggest surprise on the Blackhawks this season.

Connor Murphy is another player who has quietly had a great start for the Blackhawks this season.

The 31-year-old defenseman has tallied six assists in 11 games this year, already nearing last season's total of eight points in 46 games.

As a true shutdown defender, Murphy plays a physical game and will block any shot that comes at him. However, this season, he's been a solid two-way presence with his point production, along with plus 3 in the plus-minus category.

Murphy has yielded good results being paired alongside Alex Vlasic, who looks as though he has taken another step forward. They both were put together to be the shutdown pair for Luke Richardson, but have turned into the most reliable pairing at both ends of the ice.

While it is likely that the point production will go down throughout the season, Murphy will always be one of the more relied on players in the Blackhawks lineup as a true defensive defenseman.

When looking at the Blackhawks' top-six, it is clear that Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Bertuzzi have yet to meet expectations.

Both of these players were expected to be major parts of the Blackhawks offense this season, and both have not been able to find their games so far.

Kurashev, who found himself scratched against the Vancouver Canucks, has only tallied two goals this season and is a minus 8 in 11 games.

After tallying 54 points last season alongside Connor Bedard, Kurashev has not been able to get his offense going again. He has mainly played the second-line center spot which has not brought positive results for his line.

In recent games, Kurashev has been back on a line with Bedard to try and spark the chemistry those two had last season. The 25-year-old is a skilled forward capable of producing in the NHL, and maybe some time on the top line can help bring out his scoring upside.

Tyler Bertuzzi was also expected to be a major presence in the Blackhawks' top-six. His pedigree as a true power-forward filled a niche on the Blackhawks' roster that was not truly present before.

After 11 games into his Blackhawks career, Bertuzzi has three goals and is a -5.

So far, it seems that Bertuzzi hasn't quite gelled with anyone in particular on the roster. His most frequent linemates have been Taylor Hall and Philipp Kurashev, and that line has not been able to score at the rate they were expected to.

On the powerplay, Bertuzzi has had some bad luck hitting the posts. But, he has struggled mightily to produce at five-on-five.

Bertuzzi has always been a streaky player since coming into the NHL, so times like this were expected to happen. It just feels as though there's another gear for him to reach.