Blackhawks' biggest reasons for hope/concern during 2024-25 season

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The Chicago Blackhawks have nearly reached the midpoint of the 2024-25 NHL season, and the results have fallen short of management’s expectations. This is particularly disappointing given their efforts to surround former No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard with significantly more talent than he had during his rookie campaign last year.

The plan was to insulate Bedard during his sophomore season, alleviating some of the natural pressure that comes with being the face of the franchise. However, these efforts have not translated into success in the standings.

In a surprising move last month, the Blackhawks raised eyebrows by firing head coach Luke Richardson—a decision few saw coming. The team is now led by Anders Sorensen, who has made history as the first Swedish-born head coach in the NHL.

But right now, the Blackhawks find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference despite reloading with several new players during the offseason. While it sure seems as though a return to the playoffs is out of the question for the foreseeable future, what are the biggest reasons for both hope and concern with his year’s edition of the Blackhawks?

Blackhawks’ biggest reasons for hope during the 2024-25 season

The first and most obvious reason for hope with the Blackhawks comes from the talent of Bedard, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. While he’s going through the dreaded sophomore slump, it’s a situation that even some of the top players in the game have experienced.

He’s on pace for 70 points, not a bad season by any measure. And the good news is that he’s still not of legal age in the United States to buy or drink alcohol, meaning he’s got plenty of good hockey still ahead of him.

Another aspect of this year’s Blackhawks team that should give the fans hope is the new era of accountability being brought to the team. Following their recent loss to the Minnesota Wild, Sorenson chastised his players for not playing with the kind of compete-level necessary to win in the NHL, via Bolavip.

"I thought it was little bit same story," Sorenson said. "Little bit late again. The biggest thing I think is when the game is on the line, it's a 2-2 game, right? We got to be willing to go and play offensively at the same time. I thought we sat back a little bit too much there."

The sentiment seemed to be shared by veteran Jason Dickinson, who has assumed more of a leadership role with the team.
"We just kind of let it slip away a little bit," Dickinson said. "Going 2-2 into the third period is not a bad place to be on the road. We give up that one point shot there to make it 3-2 and they're able to sit back and kind of control the pace of the play through the neutral zone and not really let us get in the zone, get any scoring chances. So, it's kind of not something, not a position you want to be in."

Despite being a young team, the Blackhawks do have players who have the experience necessary to be able to hold younger players accountable, including 1st-year captain Nick Foligno and 3-time Stanley Cup winner Pat Maroon.

Finally, the Blackhawks boast the NHL’s fourth-best penalty-killing efficiency rate along with the 10th-best power-play ranking.

Blackhawks’ biggest reasons for concern during the 2024-25 season

Among the biggest concerns for the Blackhawks is the aforementioned sophomore slump of Connor Bedard, who at times during this season hasn’t appeared to be himself as he continues to adjust to the rigors of playing in the National Hockey League.

In fact, Bedard even went 12 straight games without scoring, something he would admit was weighing heavily on his mind.

"It's been a tough stretch, and you just feel like you don’t have it or whatever, and you lose a bit of confidence and it just kind of goes on," Bedard said. "Obviously, it’s been a little bit (of a stretch) for me. So, like I said, just kind of keep going in every game, trying to be the best me and hopefully things got to come."

"I mean, I could name 100 things. But I don’t know, man. It’s been frustrating, for sure," he continued when asked what he could improve. "I just don’t feel like I’m really doing anything. So just keep chipping away at it, I guess, and hopefully find my game again.

Additionally, Chicago’s goaltending hasn’t been solid; Petr Mrazek, when healthy, has amassed a record of 7-12 with a goals-against average just under 3.00, while Arvid Soderblom has gone 5-8.

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