By: Chris Nosek

Last season was the second year of the “Connor Bedard era.” Many were expecting a big step forward for the team. To help the youngsters take that step, the organization brought in some NHL veterans who possessed leadership, skill, and physicality. Three of the keys players they brought in, Taylor Hall, Alec Martinez, and Pat Maroon. All three of them had injury-plagued seasons and missed long stretches of the season. Maybe having navigated through the adversity last season, the young players will find other ways to grow.

Biggest Departure: Pat Maroon, retired

On July 1, 2024 Pat Maroon signed a one-year contract to play with the Blackhawks. The organization brought him in as a player who could bring leadership and stability to the locker room. The three-time Stanley Cup champion provided exactly that. He and Nick Foligno were able to establish the locker room and work ethic of the team. Foligno was the one who earned the Captain’s “C,” but Maroon was every bit as qualified for it. Foligno, is still on the roster, and will carry the “C” for at least another season. However, the loss of Maroon for such a young team will be felt significantly.

Biggest Acquisition: Andre Burakovsky, acquired via trade from Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken were facing a pretty tough cap crunch this off season. Kyle Davidson took advantage of the situation by acquiring Andre Burakovsky from them in exchange for Joe Veleno. Prior to two down seasons in Seattle, Burakovsky showed he could still be a 45-point producer. He even posted 61 points in his final season with Colorado. In Chicago, key players play a style of game more similar to those he played with in Colorado. Because of this, he might be able to find that scoring touch again. He will also be making the final push towards his new, and possible final, NHL contract. These motivating factors, plus the talent around him, put Burakovsky in a position to have a solid season.

Best Contract: Alex Vlasic, re-signed as RFA on April 25, 2024

Many will point to Connor Bedard has having a better contract because he is still on his Entry Level Contract. Vlasic carries a cap hit of $4.6 million while Bedard’s is only $950,000. Normally, the two time team leading scorer with the lower cap hit would have the better value. However, the situation of the organization must be taken into account. Vlasic is turning into a top pairing defenseman. Meanwhile, the future of Bedard in the lineup is still being sorted out. There are real concerns about Bedard’s ability to remain a top center in the NHL given his lack of size. He is only 5’10” and 185 pounds. The concern shows overwhelmingly in the fact that he’s only won 38% of his faceoffs at the NHL level.

Worst Contract: Laurent Brossoit, signed as free agent on July 1, 2024

Laurent Brossoit was signed to bring veteran presence to the crease as Arvid Soderblom was following his development path. Instead, what the Blackhawks got was major injuries and a goaltender who hasn’t played a single game for them… yet. Injuries aside, the contract was questionable. Broissoit has never started more than 24 games in a single season. It was a long-shot that he’d have been their full-time starter even if he remained healthy.

Instead, they have had to play without Broissoit. This meant that Arvid Soderblom wasn’t going to get the development in Rockford that he needed. This meant, when Mrazek was dealt to Detroit, Soderblom was the starting goaltender. Kyle Davidson was able to pivot nicely due to Seth Jones wanting out of the city. He was able to use Jones to acquire Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers. Now, Davidson will have to decide which of the three goaltenders to risk losing on waivers. Once Brossoit is healthy again, one of the three will require waivers to be sent to Rockford.

Notes:

Last season was not the year anyone in the organization was looking to have. It ended with more questions for the team in the long-run. This season, the team will be forced to take a step back to get some of those answers. Questions like; can Connor Bedard be a full-time, top-line, center in the NHL? Can Ryan Donato regularly reach the 20 goal mark? How will the locker room be affected by the loss of Pat Maroon? Ultimately, Blackhawks fans are in for a long season. However, this season will help determine whether they are closer to the Senators or the Sabres in their rebuild process.