Top 3 storylines for the Blackhawks one month into the season

It’s been well-established that things aren’t looking great for the Chicago Blackhawks, and it’s been the main storyline of the season so far. Well, there have been a few horrific narratives surrounding the Hawks if you want the full truth, but it hasn’t all been doom and gloom in Illinois. 

For one, it’s beyond clear the Hawks made an impeccable acquisition in Jason Dickinson, who has been with the team since 2022, so that’s some good news amidst what’s been a rough campaign. But it’s not the only storyline worth noting regarding what is clearly a Blackhawks team that is still growing, so let’s talk about them.

Give it up for the goaltending

Am I, like the leagues of fans and writers talking about the Blackhawks, going to be forced to write the ultimate open apology letter to Arvid Soderblom come April? We don’t know what his future holds, but not a single fan in the Windy City nor hockey analysts around the globe would have anticipated Soderblom making the absolute most of his chances.

And while Petr Mrazek is leading the league with eight losses so far, it’s a rather thankless job to serve as the No. 1 goaltender for one of the NHL’s worst teams at the moment. Still, a 0.906 save percentage and a 2.79 GAA, plus a 0.615 quality starts percentage, are all indicators that he hasn’t been the problem.

Overall, the Hawks have a lot of shortcomings, but as of mid-November, bad goaltending isn’t one of them.

Who’s going to be the next Ryan Donato?

If you’ve taken a chance on Ryan Donato in your fantasy hockey league, he’s been rewarding so far. Or at least rewarding as a ‘role player,’ but that’s been more than the case so far in the Windy City. 

Donato is the only one who seems to remember the ultimate object of hockey: the team with the most goals prevails, with eight this season and a 20.5 shooting percentage. So now, who’s going to step up and become Ryan Donato No. 2?

Tyler Bertuzzi? Connor Bedard? Teuvo Teravainen? What about Nick Foligno? These are all capable names, but none seem too keen on taking the honor, and the Hawks need another savior.

Hats off to Lukas Reichel

If there’s one player on the Hawks who I was kind of ticky-tacky over a few months back, it was Lukas Reichel. Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised me if one of the better prospects in Rockford would have eventually replaced him.

But right now, Reichel has been more than holding his own, with six points and a goal in 13 games. Yeah, he can stand to score a few more goals, but his through percentage is first on the team at 63.3 percent. You may argue and claim that he only has 30 shots attempted in all situations, but it’s a step in the right direction when he’s taking chances. 

He also has a 0 plus-minus rating, and one reason is that he’s been effective when the Hawks don’t have the puck. So far at even strength, his on-ice save percentage is a sound 91.8.