As puck drop for the 2024-25 season nears, it’s time for a Chicago Blackhawks season preview. With strong free agent signings and Connor Bedard expected to take a huge step forward, the Blackhawks have a lot to look forward to.
Chicago Blackhawks Key Additions this Season
The Chicago Blackhawks made a splash during free agency by landing highly sought after players. Teuvo Teravainen makes a return to Chicago, signing a 3-year, $5.4 million AAV contract. Teravainen was originally drafted by the Blackhawks in 2012. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016 and remained with them for eight seasons. Teravainen provided excellent scoring depth on a loaded Carolina roster, and last season he put up 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 76 games played. He instantly gives a boost to Chicago’s offense and could slot into the first line with Connor Bedard.
The second big pick-up for the Chicago Blackhawks came with Tyler Bertuzzi, who signed a 4-year, $5.5 million AAV deal this summer. Bertuzzi could round out the top line with Bedard and Teravainen. Bertuzzi spent seven of nine seasons with Detroit before he was traded to Boston in the 2022-23 season. He then signed for one-year with Toronto for the 2023-24 season, where he put up 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 80 games. Bertuzzi brings a blend of skill and physicality to the Blackhawks, and he’s not afraid to crash the net and engage in high-intensity battles along the boards.
The Blackhawks added key depth pieces for their offense as well, signing veteran Pat Maroon to a 1-year deal at $1.3 million. He brings size and physicality playing in a fourth line role, and he’s a three-time Stanley Cup champion (St. Louis, 2019; Tampa Bay, 2020 & 2021). Ilya Mikheyev comes to Chicago this season after being acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. Mikheyev put up 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 78 games with Vancouver last season and he could slot into the third line with the Blackhawks.
Chicago made improvements to their goaltending as well, signing Laurent Brossoit to a 2-year, $6.6 million deal. Brossoit provided excellent goaltending in a back-up role last season for the Jets, posting a 2.00 GAA and .927 save percentage with a 15-5-0 record.
Chicago will also welcome veteran defenseman Alec Martinez, who signed a 1-year, $4 million deal. Martinez is another three-time Stanley Cup champion (Los Angeles, 2012 & 2014; Vegas, 2023). The 37-year-old will bring an incredible veteran presence for the younger players on this Chicago Blackhawks team along with solid defensive play on the third pairing.
Rising Stars for the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago has no shortage of young talent. Bedard will be discussed in more depth, but there are other young players who will be key pieces of the franchise moving forward as well.
Kevin Korchinski, the 7th Overall pick in 2022, comes into the new season with the expectation of taking a big leap forward in his development. He played 76 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season and struggled to produce much, only putting up 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists). Seven of his points came on the power play. With this in mind, the possibility of Korchinski spending some time in the AHL is strong. However, if he remains with the Blackhawks for most of the season, he will likely see power play time while playing a second pairing role.
24-year-old Philipp Kurashev was a fourth-round pick in 2018 for the Blackhawks. Last season, Kurashev seemed to find his stride and had a breakout year, putting up 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 75 games. With just one-year left on his contract, Kurashev is expected to have a similar if not better season as he tries to earn his keep with the Blackhawks.
Frank Nazar may also crack the lineup or at least spend more time in the NHL this season. The 13th Overall pick in 2022 went back to the University of Michigan for the 2023-24 season, putting up 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 41 games. He was able to play three games with the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of last season, scoring his first NHL goal against the Hurricanes on April 14. Nazar may begin his professional career in the AHL, but it’s possible he could see more NHL playing time throughout the season.
Lastly, the 2nd Overall pick in this year’s draft, Artyom Levshunov, has the potential to see major time with the Chicago Blackhawks this season. The highly touted defenseman out of Michigan State put up 35 points (9 goals, 26 assists) in 38 games last season for the Spartans. Known for his exceptional skating and passing ability, Levshunov would provide much needed offense creation from the blueline if he’s able to crack the roster this season.
Connor Bedard’s Next Steps for the Chicago Blackhawks
The generational talent certainly lived up to the expectations set for him. Bedard put up 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) while playing in just 68 games as his rookie year was limited by a broken jaw injury. Despite that, he still won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie each year. The expectations for Bedard seem to be even greater for his sophomore season as the hope is that he can get a full (or nearly full) season under him.
The offensive expectations seem like they will hit this season. With the additions of Bertuzzi and Teravainen, Bedard now has stronger offensive support for him on the top line and on the first powerplay unit. These are players who will be better at finishing plays in front of the net and have better offensive vision, a combination that provides Bedard an excellent avenue to rack up the goals and assists this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Bedard hit the point-per-game pace this season or even surpass it – he’s just that good.
The area of Bedard’s game, however, that will need to see more development is his defense. He finished with an abysmal -44 rating last season. But it is important to consider that the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have much depth on either offense or defense, leaving Bedard stuck in many undesirable on-ice situations. That being said, with a stronger roster for the upcoming season, Bedard’s plus/minus rating should improve.
The future feels bright for this Chicago Blackhawks team, and they have the chance to exceed expectations for them this season. While it would be a stretch to say that they’re now a playoff team, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Blackhawks make an improvement in the Western Conference standings.
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