Chicago Blackhawks 2024-2025 Season Predictions

Prediction Two: Connor Bedard will finish the Regular Season with 41 goals, and 53 assists for 94 points.

This is where it gets fun! Why just say something bland like, "Bedard will finish above a point per game," or "Bedard will have 90 points."

Rather, It is so much more enjoyable to try to predict the exact point total, goal total, and assist total. Look, I'm not even sure that I feel confident in this one. It would be a massive jump for Bedard to go from 61 points as a rookie to 94 as a Sophomore. However, there is evidence to suggest that he can.

The likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, and Patrick Kane were all highly productive NHL players as soon as their second NHL seasons. If we believe that Bedard is in their class, then he should have a monster second year.

I do not doubt that his talent will permit him to hit these totals. The question will be whether he has consistent line-mates to build a connection with, and if the overall team performance is good enough to put Bedard in positions to excel.

It seems that Bedard will be playing with Hall and Bertuzzi to start the season, so that takes care of one of my qualifications. If the team is competent as I believe that they can be, Bedard really has no reason not to dominate as we all anticipate.

Now to be very clear, if Bedard doesn't hit these numbers it does NOT mean that he is a bust, or he failed or he isn't progressing. Remember, numbers don't tell you everything. It is entirely possible that Bedard finishes closer to a point per game pace (82 points) or even a bit below that.

As long as he is progressing, and the team is supporting him as he develops, we have absolutely nothing to worry about. Remember that Jack Hughes, now universally considered to be a superstar, wasn't a point per game player until year three. It happens, so I won't panic if I'm wrong here. However, since I think Bedard is better than Hughes, I have a higher expectation for him.

Prediction Three: This season's "Fan Favorite" Hawk will be Alec Martinez

This fanbase loves leaders. Look at the ascension of Nick Foligno into the role of team captain as a recent example. Foligno came here last season in a mentorship role, and he excelled at it. He is clearly one of the most popular current Blackhawks and it's easy to understand why.

I believe that Martinez could be this season's version of Foligno. Something that we know about Martinez is that he is one of the NHL's greatest shot blockers.

That is a gritty, painful, and non-sexy aspect of the game of hockey which makes a huge impact on the game. Not only in terms of the impact on the ice but also in terms of the effect on the shot-blocker's teammates.

Martinez will be the Hawk's oldest defenseman this season, and when the young guys watch the "old man" block a brutal 98 MPH slapshot from less than ten feet away... I know that it will instill in them a toughness and a work ethic that Kyle Davidson is desperate to bring to the Hawks.

I believe that Martinez will finish this season as a fan favorite Blackhawk. Even if he is a player the Hawks deal at the deadline, I can see him being a guy that Hawks fans mention for years as one of their all time favorites. Queue your resident crazy Blackhawks fan uncle saying, "Martinez would have blocked that one! C'mon Kid! Get on the ice!"

Prediction Four: Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski Will Both Spend a Large Portion of the Season in Rockford

I know that this is a prediction many fans don't want to hear and I can understand why. Whenever we get a "new toy" we want to play with it. I think many fans are desperate to see the "young core guys" take a huge step and immediately grow into the roles that they will eventually occupy. However, the context here is crucial.

Brent Seabrook was drafted in 2003. He wasn't a full time NHL player until 2005-2006 and even then he wasn't the best version of himself until probably the 2007-2008 season when he started to really dominate games.

Duncan Keith was drafted in 2002, and he played two full seasons in Rockford before coming to the Hawks in 2005-2006, where he struggled for two more full seasons before realizing his potential in 2007-2008.

Development takes time, and it isn't linear. It would be foolish to give up on a player with the talent of Kevin Korchinski because he spends a season in the AHL. Honestly, the more I look at that decision, the more I feel that it is the right move.

He and Nazar would be playing on an elite Rockford team, packed with veterans like Brett Seney, David Gust, and Zach Sanford, as well as young studs like Colton Dach, Landon Slaggert, and Artyum Levshunov.

It is a perfect place to grow and develop. Lastly, no one is going to care where Nazar and Korchinski played in the 2024-2025 season if, in the 2029-2030 season, they are key pieces of a Hawks team that makes a deep playoff run.

Prediction Five: Lukas Reichel Will Score 20 Goals

This one is heart over head. I want things to go well for Reichel and I still believe that he has the talent and the ability to be a very good NHL player.

He will start this season, in all likelihood, among the Hawks' top six and he will possibly even play alongside Philip Kurashev and Teuvo Teravainen. Those are two excellent playmakers, and in that line, Reichel would be the best "scoring" option.

This certainly feels like Reichel's last chance to prove himself with the Blackhawks, and they are going to give him every opportunity to do it. I believe in him, and I'm going out on a limb saying that he will score at least 20 goals this season. I think he will finally cement himself as a very solid middle six forward for the Blackhawks.

We will have to wait and see how these predictions play out, but I'm excited to be right! Or wrong... who cares! Hockey is almost back, as the regular season is right around the corner!