3 major setbacks the Blackhawks suffered this season that won’t be issues in 2024-25

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This time last year, everyone in the NHL universe thought highly of Connor Bedard, who was finishing up his storied career with the Regina Pats. Simultaneously, nobody thought highly of the Chicago Blackhawks, an organization that moved one of its best players in franchise history in March 2023, signifying the beginning of a massive rebuild.

Luckily for the Blackhawks and their fans, they got the first selection in the 2023 draft lottery, and not long after, Bedard became part of the organization. That said, no 18-year-old player was going to turn around what had become a downtrodden franchise in a year, especially with a barren roster of youngsters and so-so players.

The results were predictable: Just 51 points in their first 80 contests and a team that, in that same frame, saw itself score just 174 goals or 2.17 per game. It was a rough year for Chicago, and a myriad of issues faced this hockey team from when the puck first dropped in October in what was an Icon vs. Future Icon matchup between Sidney Crosby and Bedard.

Blackhawks won’t win often in 2024-25, but they will move one step forward

This season, the Hawks weren’t just a bad hockey team; they were one of the worst in franchise history alongside the Sharks. But unlike San Jose, they have a player who could easily, within five years from today, become the face of the league, or at least among the NHL’s younger players.

That may not come next season since it will take more than one year to transform one of the most historical franchises in NHL history back into a winner. But with a year of this rebuild heading into the rearview come the end of the week - shortly before the end, to be exact - expect a few issues to alleviate when the 2024-25 regular season begins roughly six months from today.

Connor Bedard and company will know what to expect

While Connor Bedard has been sensational all season long, he’s still produced just 60 points in 66 contests and scored 22 goals. Don’t get me wrong: These are outstanding numbers, but when you compare his rookie season to what he will end up with years down the road, we’ll look back at his 2023-24 season and note just how much of a struggle it was for him.

Remember, he never transformed the Blackhawks into a high-scoring team, and he didn’t reach anywhere near the mark Sidney Crosby did back in 2005-06 when the then-rookie logged 102 points and 39 goals.

Keep in mind that the 2005-06 Penguins also weren’t that good, finishing the year with just 58 points. But they were a better scoring team that year, as issues on defense sank the Penguins. A jaw injury also hampered Bedard’s overall development, though he still came back strong and acclimated well in his rookie season.

You can say the same for the other youngsters on the team this year who will return in 2024-25. With that, they will know what to expect, and there won’t be as many surprises, so look for Bedard to at least threaten a triple-digit points total if he stays healthy while everyone else improves with him.

Sheer inexperience won’t haunt the Blackhawks to the same extent

Taylor Hall was one player the Blackhawks were counting on to help alleviate some growing pains, but he lasted for just 10 games because of a knee injury. Hall has another year left on his deal, and if he’s still with the team (hey, anything can happen) and fully healthy, expect Hall to return and curtail some of the inexperience that this team will still possess, albeit to a lesser degree.

But Hall won’t be the only one, as not only do the Blackhawks have some seasoned veterans returning, they also have enough money to add a few more who will provide a veteran presence, something I stressed the importance of in more detail in a previous article.

This point also ties in with the last slide, thanks to Connor Bedard and company also growing another year older. Not that the Blackhawks, especially their youngest players, won’t be immune to inexperience, as nobody in professional hockey can learn everything in the span of one season. But we will see a respectable difference in the on-ice product from 2023-24 to 2024-25.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say this issue will still be there, but nowhere near to the same extent. And as the 2024-25 season progresses, the Blackhawks sheer inexperience will further alleviate, and you can expect a better team in April 2025 than what will take the ice in October 2024.

The Blackhawks will have a chance to win when the backup goaltender plays

Yeah, we have discussed a few replacements for Arvid Soderblom before. And while it’s a mystery to whether general manager Kyle Davidson will sign one of the players I previously listed, you can expect him to make what has become a much-needed upgrade.

No, Soderblom hasn’t played as poorly lately, having allowed just two goals on 23 shots against the St. Louis Blues and one in what was a shocking 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Soderblom has yet to record a shutout, but even as bad as this season has been for him, he couldn’t have played much better.

At the same time, you can’t help but know that it’s too late, as between March 21st and April 12th, he did allow four or more goals on three different occasions. His GAA is still an unacceptable 3.88, even for a bad hockey team, and his save percentage is a meager 0.880, with 21 goals allowed above expected at even strength.

It’s more than safe to say the backup slash 1B goaltender that Soderblom is has been a major setback this season. But that won’t be the case when Davidson finds someone else to supplement Petr Mrazek. No, it won’t be a franchise savior, but you won’t need to roll your eyes when you see that Mrazek isn’t starting, and you’ll also know the Hawks will have a much better chance to win.

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Blackhawks won’t win often in 2024-25, but they will move one step forward

Connor Bedard and company will know what to expect

Sheer inexperience won’t haunt the Blackhawks to the same extent

The Blackhawks will have a chance to win when the backup goaltender plays

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