3 way too early reasons to be optimistic about the Blackhawks in 2024-25

Chicago will once again enjoy strong veteran leadership

I keep saying that the Blackhawks would do well to sign older veterans to short-term deals in free agency this summer if they need to fill any gaps in the lineup, but those statements also shouldn’t take away from what this team already has. Even if Kyle Davidson doesn’t sign those who would thrive in leadership roles, he still made sure many of his current players will still be around who helped lead the young team last year. 

Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, and Petr Mrazek will be in the Windy City next season and the year following, and the trio will continue to guide what could be an even younger group in 2024-25.

Next season, that leadership will go a long way as the Blackhawks will organically climb another step on the rebuilding ladder, and that means greater expectations as they win more early. It’s easy for teams, especially young teams, to fall back toward the median if they are playing well early but don’t have the right leaders in the locker room, and Davidson made sure the Blackhawks had a few. 

Another name or two will put them in an ideal situation, but give Davidson credit for convincing some of these older players to stick around, as the team likely won’t compete for a playoff spot until at least 2025-26. But as you can see from the items listed above and in the previous slides, it doesn’t mean you can’t be optimistic about your favorite team. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)