Chicago Blackhawks fans got their first look at a predominantly younger lineup toward the end of the 2024-25 season and the rest of the league took notice. Despite having a bunch of draft picks in each of the last three years, Chicago had one of the oldest lineups in the league on opening night this past season. That quickly changed with the handful of entry-level deals that were inked during the campaign, and a noticeable shift in the could be seen because of this.
The Blackhawks collected a point in their final four games this past season, which included an overtime game-winning goal from Frank Nazar last Tuesday against the Senators in the final game of the year. Connor Bedard had a bit of a down year compared to his expectations back in October, but he found a way to fight through a couple of scoring droughts.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ depth has caught the eye of an insider
Frank Seravalli is quite high on Chicago moving forward, but he brought up the organization’s depth in one of his more recent columns. The Blackhawks’ front office has been praised for their work in the early rounds of each draft, but Seravalli notices the entire picture now more than ever.
“They’ve got a legitimate embarrassment of riches on the back end, they’ve got their future goalie in Spencer Knight, and they have all the bottom-six forwards they need to compete already in their system,” Seravalli writes.
Despite a bunch of top-end talent making it up to the NHL level this depth, there is still a plethora of forward prospects either in Rockford or at the amateur level. Oliver Moore making his debut at the end of March was the first major domino to fall in the forward department.
The 2023 first-round draft choice might not profile as a bottom-six forward down the road, but he can allow for other premier prospects to slide into the bottom-six if he performs well in camp to make the team this fall. There is no doubt that making the opening night roster for the upcoming season will be more difficult compared to previous years. This will only increase the chances of getting Chicago out of the league’s basement after they have finished 31st in each of the last two seasons.
Ryan Greene is a prime example of the Chicago Blackhawks’ depth
Ryan Greene is an under-the-radar signing that the Blackhawks front office got in at the buzzer with two games remaining in the season. The Boston University product was a second-round pick of the franchise in 2022 and embodies everything there is about being a true bottom-six guy for the Blackhawks moving forward. He can score while playing with a physical edge that not many prospects have in the organization.
Even though Greene didn’t collect his first career point in the two games that he played in, he skated well and held his own. His leadership qualities will help his case to stick around Chicago long term, but he will need more than that to stand out in camp at the end of the fall. There is a decent chance that Greene begins the year in Rockford, but he certainly is a candidate to be a bottom-six forward from the jump on opening night.
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