3 Chicago Blackhawks storylines to follow for next season

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What is an NHL storyline? I feel that for the sake of this article, it will be useful to clarify that right off the bat. An NHL storyline is an interesting trend, story, or theme that can be observed across the course of the regular season.

For example, some storylines last year included: Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov trying to be just the third and fourth players ever to reach 100 assists in a season, and Which terrible team would win the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes?

There will be a plethora of storylines for the 2024-2025 Chicago Blackhawks. Here are three that I think are the most interesting...

Connor Bedard's Sophomore Season

This one may be obvious, but next season everyone will be watching closely to see how the now 19-year-old (happy birthday kid!) phenom will follow up on his impressive rookie campaign. Will he have the dreaded sophomore slump? Or, will he defy all expectations and break 100 points in the year?

Either way, people will be watching and discussing Bedard, as he is officially one of the new faces of the NHL.

An underrated aspect to watch in Bedard's second season will be how he takes advantage of a much improved Blackhawks roster. It is entirely plausible that next season could open with Bedard on a line with Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi.

That would be a MASSIVE upgrade from any line he rolled with at any point last season. So, the question will be can he capitalize on this influx of new talent? I will be curious to see early in the year if Bedard defers to his teammates and tries to feed them the puck, or if he attempts to assert himself out of the gate by taking more shots.

I intend to do a "points prediction" at some point this summer, so I won't give my prediction here for Bedard's end-of-season point total.

However, I will say that I am probably on the more conservative side of that game. Yes, the roster is greatly improved, but even a greatly improved Blackhawks team may still really struggle to be much better than, say 27th in the league standings.

So, in terms of watching Bedard, I will be curious to see if he is developing into the player we all expect. In other words, even if the team isn't yet near the playoffs, is Bedard consistently the best player on either team? Is he taking over games? How many multi-point games does he have? These things will indicate to me whether Bedard is truly taking the next step in 2024-2025.

Which of the New Guys Steals the Fans' Hearts?

Chicago sports fans are truly great people. Despite a silly article which was published earlier this year ranking the Hawks fans as the "coldest" in the league, my experience with Hawks fans has been nothing close to that. We are largely loyal, happy, and optimistic. We enjoy watching our favorite team and falling in love with the players on it.

In recent seasons we have seen guys like Brandon Hagel, Sam Lafferty, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Alex Stalock all become beloved in Chicago in a very short period. I believe that this team will be no different. So which player will it be? I think there are a few strong candidates.

First, the obvious one: Our returning hero, winner of a cup in Chicago, and all-around good guy, Teuvo Teravainen.

I'm thrilled to have Teuvo back on the Hawks and I am truly excited to see how he helps our team to improve next season. He is exactly the kind of player that this team has needed. He is defensively responsible, highly skilled, and has a talent for creating offensive opportunities for himself and others. I think Teuvo will get over with his skill and his history with the team.

Another name that I think Hawks fans will quickly come to love is Tyler Bertuzzi.

This reminds me a lot of the Hawks signing Max Domi a few seasons back. Domi has always been one of my favorite non-Hawks players in the league. When he was signed before the 2022-2023 season, I was ecstatic. However, many Hawks fans were unsure about Domi, as he had a bit of a reputation as a hothead before coming to Chicago.

However, I recall a game early in the season against Detroit when Domi potted a beautiful OT winner, and the Chicago fans officially embraced Domi as "one of our guys."

I think the same thing will happen with Bertuzzi. Sometime early in the season I can see Bertuzzi scoring a big goal, laying a devastating hit or maybe sticking up for his new linemate Connor Bedard by dropping the gloves. Whatever it is, I can see this guy quickly and definitively endearing himself to the Chicago faithful.

One final guy worth mentioning is Alec Martinez.

While the story has been told to death at this point, we all are aware that Martinez once slayed the Hawks' playoff run in 2014. However, he is the type of defenseman that any fanbase would adore, and Chicago fans will be no different. He blocks shots, he defends the rush well, he is responsible with the puck, and as a bonus, he seems to be a world-class guy too. I think that Hawks fans will quickly become attached to the veteran blue-liner.

Who Will Be This Year's Breakout Performer?

Last season, many people expected Philip Kurashev to play a significant role on a not-so-talented Blackhawks team. However, I don't think anyone could have predicted just how large of an impact he would end up having on the team.

Kurashev's previous season high in points was 25 points. This past season he more than doubled that number with a 54-point campaign. He was truly a bright spot in a mostly bleak season.

So, who will be this season's Kurashev? I don't know if I can provide a definitive answer to that question. (Sorry for the cliffhanger) But I do have a few candidates to watch.

I think we could see a really big jump from Kevin Korchinski in year two. For one, he will now have the benefit of experience. He went through the grind of an NHL season last year, and while his play left much to be desired, he now knows exactly what he is preparing for as he trains all summer. I expect him to continue putting on size and muscle and to polish up the little details that Richardson was looking for him to improve upon.

Furthermore, Korchinski may actually be in a more sheltered role in his second season in Chicago. I could see the Hawks rolling out the following defensive pairs.

Alex Vlasic	Seth Jones
Alec Martinez	Connor Murphy
Kevin Korchinski	TJ Brodie

These pairings would allow the first two lines to play the big minutes against the other teams top lines, while Korchinski could develop his game in fewer minutes alongside a reliable NHL veteran like TJ Brodie.

Another potential breakout candidate to watch is Lukas Reichel.... (don't laugh).

I know many fans are down on Reichel and I can't blame them for feeling that way, but hear me out. Reichel is still so young, and he still possesses all the tools that the Hawks saw when they drafted him. Furthermore, look at other 2020 NHL draft picks around the league.

Many of them are just now finding their game in the NHL. Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield both began to look like number one and two picks this past season after struggling for years, and I believe that Reichel could finally show up next season in a similar way.

So what do you think will be the biggest storyline to watch for next season? Will you be following Bedard's every move and tracking his stats each game? Or maybe you'll be watching the new guys and trying to find your new favorite player. Whatever your reason for watching, enjoy! Remember that this is all just a game and that it is supposed to be fun! We are blessed to have a hockey team in Chicago to root for and to have storylines to follow.

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There will be a plethora of storylines for the 2024-2025 Chicago Blackhawks. Here are three that I think are the most interesting...

Connor Bedard's Sophomore Season

Which of the New Guys Steals the Fans' Hearts?

Who Will Be This Year's Breakout Performer?

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