Let's All Be Reasonable With The Blackhawks In 2024-25
The NHL posted this clip last week and it snapped me into reality that hockey is coming. It is here. The NHL calendar begins on Oct 4. I can't wait. I think it is probably a combination of every other Chicago team being shambolic so far and hockey being my favorite sport, but I am ready for Bedard highlights, Maroon fights, the anthem, the bitter cold walking from The Barn on Ogden into the game, and everything else that goes with the Blackhawks season. With that, it felt appropriate to do a little preview mailblog for training camp. Thanks as always to everyone who submitted questions
Three for one from George. Smart. Efficient. Let's go one by one.
1) I think the top 6 is going to be pretty fluid, but they at least have some genuine options for those spots this year. I'd go
Bertuzzi-Bedard-Teravainen
Hall-Dickinson-Kurashev
There's some balance with those lines and I don't think either would be a disaster defensively the way Bedard's line was for much of last year.
2) I do not think the Blackhawks will be challenging for a playoff spot in 2024-25
3) I think a bunch of prospects will get games this year, but probably nobody makes the team out of training camp. I think Nazar will get 30 games over the course of the season. I think as injuries happen to the defense we will see Korchinski, Levshunov, Del Mastro, and maybe some others get opportunities. Of those three I actually think Del Mastro will get the most games. I don't think the Blackhawks will give Levshunov more than 9 games. I think leaving Korchinski in Rockford for 90% of the year makes sense as well. I think Kaiser and Phillips will be your 6th/7th dmen this year and play the most games of any "young" player not named Bedard or Vlasic who are full time NHL players.
Yes, yes it does. Patrick Kane being run out of Chicago and the way they did it is something I will never get over or forgive. I would put Foley and Edzo in the same camp. Getting rid of those three was a slap in the face by leadership to their fans.
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A lot of times the most value a prospect ever has is before they play in the NHL. The hope for what they can be is balanced by what they actually are. I think the two examples here couldn't be more different.
Reichel…I just think he's not that good. The tools are there, but there's never been any sort of consistency despite ample opportunity. I've never really loved him. I don't think the hockey sense is there. He doesn't compete hard enough for me. He also wasn't drafted by Davidson. This has to be Reichel best last chance. It's not obvious where he fits into the team right now with Bertuzzi, Turbo, Hall, AA, Mikheyev, Smith, and Maroon added to the forward group and that is only going to be tougher going forward as Nazar, Moore, etc start competing for games and minutes.
Korchinski is in the opposite position. He wasn't ready for the NHL last year, but there weren't other options for him by rule. KK in Rockford is where he belongs. He will play top pair minutes, play special teams, gain confidence, and hopefully be ready for full time top 4 minutes in 2025-26. There is a world where Korchinski is more of a 3rd pair and PP guy as a ceiling too. That wouldn't be the end of the world so long as Levshunov, Rinzel, Del Mastro, etc are able to take up those minutes.
I want guys who are hard to play against. If it were me…
Anderson-Foligno-Maroon.
Anderson provides the speed, forechecking, and competent defensive play. Foligno and Maroon provide the bite, the heaviness, the deterrent, and the leadership. Having said that…it's not a given that Anderson makes the team. Where does Craig Smith fit? What about AA? Ryan Donato? Reichel? Richardson has some puzzle pieces. Not sure they fit together. I do think that combo I laid out would be good for the team, but if you want to rotate Maroon out of the lineup on certain nights for Donato or more speed, that is fine with me. Just compete.
I asked around. Nobody believes it's true. The Wild are in a tight spot this year because they're carrying Parise and Suter for over $15M combined, those guys are basically off the books after this year. They'll have plenty of money to throw at Karill The Thrill. The Wild already have Faber, Boldy, and the majority of their core locked up into deals that look friendlier every day as the cap is projected to rise. Karill makes $9M now. He's a free agent summer of 2026. The Wild could easily pay him $15M at that point and it wouldn't hinder them too much.
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The Blackhawks will have a gazillion dollars to throw around then too. Bedard will have hopefully signed an 8 year extension by then. The Blackhawks have a ton of other young players. You hope some of them are good enough to get big extensions too, but it's hard to imagine any of them popping off to the point where they make more than the $4.6M AAV Vlasic just got. I do think the Blackhawks are going to need to add to the forward group significantly via trade/free agency if they have their eyes on the Cup in a few years. Maybe it does end up being Karill, but I'd say it's a VERY low chance at this point.
I just hope we are able to watch at all…
Look, I don't know anything about this stuff. I don't know what goes into TV deals. I don't know the financials of it. I am just a fan. Having said that…I watched the interview that the president of the new network and Jaime Faulkner gave to CGHO and I can't exactly say it inspired even 1% confidence. The Coyle guy had ZERO answers. At one point he said that 650K people have over the air TV. Dude…WHAT? I think I might technically have it, but I can promise you I have NEVER watched digital over the air tv. I don't know anyone who has either. Also, who cares how many total people have over the air? It's about how YOUR fans consume hockey. I don't know a single Blackhawks fan who watches over the air TV and neither does my dad. The preseason starts tonight…it's not on TV, only the website. The NHL season starts for real in 9 days. NINE! No answers, no deal, no nothing. A bad team and the games not available on tv? What year is this? Somewhere, Bill Wirtz is smiling down. Hopefully this all gets rectified in time. There was plenty of drama about Marquee getting on Xfinity and then they secured a deal mere hours before the first Cubs game to be broadcasted on Marquee. So we'll see. The broadcast has been a disaster under the new regime. They don't deserve the benefit of the doubt at this point.
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I think the only way Commesso gets an extended look is because of a significant injury. I'd guess that he's 4th on the depth chart right now.
I think that total is just about right. I think Vegas has it set at 71.5. I think they'll be at least 20 points better in the standings this year. That would put them at 72 points. Soderblom was horrible last year. Injuries took their toll and it was an NHL team by license only. The veteran additions, improved goaltending, and Bedard year 2 should be enough to get them to around 75 points which will still probably land them in 8th place in the Central.
I don't know. I can't imagine the brass were thrilled with the way the team competed last year. Obviously the talent wasn't there, but the effort wasn't there many times either. Having said that…I would be shocked if Richardson didn't get a full season this year. Something would have to go REALLY bad off the ice or something. Beyond this year…hard to say he's done enough to given the keys for the future. Tough to evaluate either way given the talent he's had to work with. This year should give better insight because its a genuine NHL roster.
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I am personally out on Reichel. I said above…I don't see how he fits into this group in the future. Too much competition from younger guys drafted by Davidson who will be cheaper, in theory, than Reichel. He just doesn't do it for me. Hope he proves me wrong, but I don't see it. I do think he will be here beyond the deadline simply because he probably has ZERO trade value. If he is traded I assume he's throw into a larger deal an ancillary piece.
I'd say the Blackhawks have an 80-90-% chance of picking in the top 5 again next year. 75 points would have them in the bottom 5 most years. I think San Jose, MTL, CBJ, and Chicago will all improve this year, but not a lot. Calgary could be dragged into the bottom 5. While it sucks to keep waiting…Davidson does need another top 5 pick. Bedard needs help. The Blackhawks need some size upfront. The top of the 2025 draft is supposedly going to be more forward heavy. McQueen, Martone, Spence…those are a few names who project to be taken in the top 10 who have some size and traits the Blackhawks need.
The season is here. Get ready. Hopefully the last season of "building".