2025-26 NHL team preview: Chicago Blackhawks

LAST SEASON

The Chicago Blackhawks kicked their rebuild into high gear three years ago, moving on from most of the team’s core that still remained from their Stanley Cup runs in the 2010s. Years of drafting high have given them one of the best pipelines in the NHL, with Connor Bedard being the grand prize of all.

So another ugly year on the ice in 2024-25 was to be expected, and GM Kyle Davidson didn’t veer away from his long-term vision. Chicago, predictably, finished 31st in the standings, nine points ahead of the San Jose Sharks. Chicago had a dismal -70 goal differential while winning just 10 of their 41 home games. There simply weren’t many reasons to be excited about the Blackhawks – but fans knew that going in. They’re still a few years away from being true contenders, and it’s all about integrating the young core and getting them to thrive, so that when Davidson has everything in place, they’re ready to roll.

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions

Andre Burakovsky, LW
Sam Lafferty, C
Dominic Toninato, LW

Departures

Cole Guttman, RW (LA)
Joe Veleno, C (MTL)
Pat Maroon, RW (Retired)
Alec Martinez, D (Retired)
Philipp Kurashev, C (SJ)
Ilya Safonov, LW (VAN)

OFFENSE

The Blackhawks ranked 26th in goals-for per game (2.73) and last in shots per game (24.5) in 2024-25, so it’s hard to get much worse than that. The Blackhawks had just three forwards record 50 or more points: Bedard (67), Ryan Donato (62) and Teuvo Teravainen (58). Donato’s play was a nice surprise, but the reality is the offense runs through Bedard – and he can’t do everything himself.

Don’t expect much improvement from this group. Fresh off a new deal, it’ll be interesting to see if last year was a fluke or the real deal for Donato. He has shown plenty of times before that he can be a difference-maker, but he showed legit chemistry with Bedard in a way he hadn’t shown with anyone else before. Burakovsky was the lone addition to the team’s top nine this summer, and while the 30-year-old winger hasn’t been the same since his 61-point season in 2021-22, he has a big 6-foot-2 frame and plays with a ton of energy. The Blackhawks will eventually need to get Bedard better linemates, but these two can get the job done, for now.

Speaking of Bedard, many criticized his lack of explosive play last year – and much of it was fair. But Bedard has been asked to do so much with so little already in his career. It’s easy to forget he’s only 20 – he’s still far from his prime.

Speaking of youth, Frank Nazar is set for a big sophomore season. Many questioned why the 21-year-old received such a big contract despite having just 27 points in 54 games to his credit. But that’s going to be a bargain in the very, very near future. He might be on the small side, but he’s an incredible passer, skates so well, has a great shot, is exceptionally smart and will get in your face every time he possibly can. He’s a future star – someone who should be part of the team’s future success. If his World Championship performance in May was anything to go by, he’s going to enter 2025-26 with so much confidence.

Tyler Bertuzzi had a decent season but likely won’t net you more than 45-48 points in a year. His physical play, though, is still intriguing – he’s as close to a power forward as the Hawks have in the top six. Teravinen looked at home in Chicago last year, registering his best season since putting up 65 points in 2021-22. As long as he stays in the 55-plus point department, he’ll continue to be a solid investment.

Beyond that, though? That’s where things get tricky. Jason Dickinson saw his offense drop significantly in 2024-25 (injuries limited him to 59 games, though), while Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev are more just 30-35-point guys right now. There isn’t another forward in the system that’s going to take them up another level, which is why so much of the heavy lifting will be on the shoulders of Bedard and Nazar this year.

DEFENSE

With RFA Wyatt Kaiser still needing a deal, the Hawks have eight defenders under contract with a realistic chance of challenging for a roster spot. Of them, only Connor Murphy (32) is older than 24. It’s one of the most inexperienced bluelines of any team, with only Murphy, Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier not on entry-level contracts. Vlasic is the most notable veteran blueliner, coming off a breakout 30-point season. He also averaged 23:16 of ice time last year – a whole two minutes better than his rookie season at 21:29. Vlasic was sixth in takeaways while also being among Chicago’s leaders in blocked shots. Vlasic seemed to get better as the season wore on, especially once Seth Jones was shipped out. It was still a learning experience, and Vlasic said he dealt with fatigue, too. Hopefully, with some offseason conditioning, we’ll see him at his best this year.

Murphy set a personal best with 17 assists and 19 points last year. More importantly, he was first in blocked shots and second in hits with the Hawks as the veteran, no-nonsense blueliner. He’s far from perfect and is better off being a third-pairing defender, but he can hold his own. Crevier, meanwhile, is there for his 6-foot-8 frame. Yet, he still lacks the overall physicality you’d expect from someone so large. I think he’ll be beaten out by one of the youngsters, but he’ll definitely play some NHL games. As for Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov and Ethan Del Mastro – check out the rookie section below.

The Blackhawks will boast one of the worst defensive cores in the NHL. But that’s by design – they’re giving their rookies a big opportunity here. At some point, the veterans will cycle out and the young guns will reign supreme. For now, it’s going to be ugly – and that’s OK.

GOALTENDING

For the first time in his NHL career, Spencer Knight has an opportunity to show why he was once viewed as one of the top prospects in all of the NHL. He struggled early in his NHL career and eventually took a leave of absence during the 2022-23 season. Knight would have a monster season in the AHL the following year before getting back to the NHL last year. The Florida Panthers would ultimately trade him to Chicago for Jones. Knight might have been able to snag the No. 1 job in Florida once Sergei Bobrovsky’s deal expired. But with the Darien, Conn., native turning 24 last April, it was time for him to finally get the right opportunity to prove himself. He has a big 6-foot-3 frame and moves exceptionally well. Knight is prone to the odd bad goal but, at his core, he has all the fundamentals to be a true starting goaltender for at least another decade.

He’ll share the net with Arvid Söderblom, who had some shining moments this past season. Many in Chicago seem to really believe in Söderblom – even when his team is getting shelled, you can count on the Swede to give it his all. He routinely outplayed veteran Petr Mrazek last season, making the decision to give Söderblom a two-year extension quite easy. The surface-level numbers aren’t impressive, but with a 4.36 goals saved above expected last year, he often outperformed expectations.

COACHING

The Blackhawks started 2024-25 with Luke Richardson before replacing him with interim coach Anders Sorensen in December. Now it’s Jeff Blashill’s turn to get the most out of this rebuilding lineup. Blashill last coached the Detroit Red Wings in 2022 before joining Jon Cooper’s staff with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Blashill inherited the Red Wings near the end of their playoff streak and dealt with them through the early days of the rebuild, so you need to look beyond the numbers here.

For starters, learning from Cooper – one of the most successful coaches in recent memory – can’t hurt. Blashill also knows how to coach young talent, having won the USHL title in 2009 and the AHL’s Calder Cup in 2013. It’s unclear how long of a leash he will be given over the next few years – is he in for the long run, or is he just a stopgap?

ROOKIES

This is what it’s all about – the future. Nazar was the only full-time rookie on the team last year. This year, though, at least three rookies will challenge for opening night roster spots, and another two should have a good shot. Defensemen Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov are ready for top-four duty. Both are high-end blueliners, with Rinzel becoming one of the most improved prospects we’ve seen over the past half-decade. I’d say he’s ahead of Levshunov on the depth chart for now (older, too), and Rinzel is a perfect fit alongside Alex Vlasic on the top pairing.

Levshunov, meanwhile, has bounced between three different levels over the past three seasons and has been excellent across the board. There’s very little reason to believe the strong, mobile defender won’t be able to build upon his successful NHL stint last year. He has everything to become one of the best young defenders in the league.

Up front, Oliver Moore could benefit from playing against a bit of tougher competition and more minutes in the AHL. But at this point, I just don’t see him not making the Game 1 lineup. He impressed in his nine-game stint a year ago and has the speed the Hawks desperately need in the bottom six. I really like Moore’s game and I think he’ll be a long-term No. 2/3 center for this team. Moore’s energy and work ethic are unmatched, and he’s no slouch as a playmaker, either.

Beyond that, forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro saw some NHL action last year and should be in the fray again this year. Del Mastro has the better chance at cracking the team out of camp, but would the Blackhawks really want three rookies on the blueline to start the season? Honestly, they might not have a choice with the lack of veteran depth they have. If Dach doesn’t start the year in the NHL, expect him to be one of the first call-ups.

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Who will be the next Ryan Donato? The American winger saw a 32-point increase last season, easily demolishing anything he has ever done in his NHL career. And he did so on a $2 million cap hit, making him one of the best value forwards in the NHL with a 2.29 points-per-60 rate. That was a great pickup – but who’s next to become that underrated offensive threat? The main name that stands out is Lukas Reichel. Despite being one of the team’s most promising prospects three years ago, has been a true disappointment. He was extremely productive during his days in Rockford, but he only had 22 points in 70 games with Chicago last year. If he can find his confidence and force himself higher in the lineup, he might get back on the right foot. He’s a pending RFA, and the Hawks could elect not to qualify him next summer. Now is the time for Reichel to live up to his first-round billing.

2. Is this the Connor Bedard breakout year? Bedard was the obvious choice for the Calder Trophy in 2024, recording 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games. But he saw minimal improvement last year, recording 23 goals and 67 points in 82 games. Given how highly rated he was as a prospect, many have expected more from him. But it’s hard to do that with some of the linemates he has been surrounded by in his young career. He’s still young – he’d be an overager in the WHL – so there’s little reason to be concerned. But an 80-point season would do wonders at putting him on the right track and silencing some of the doubters.

3. Do the Hawks have their goalie of the future? Knight finished the season as the No. 1 and will likely retain that job to kick off the year. But neither he nor Söderblom has been a No. 1 for a full season, so that’s asking a lot of them heading into yet another difficult season. At one point, Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan looked to be part of the team’s long-term future. But they’ve lost a bit of luster as prospects, so the Hawks need to figure out their long-term goaltending. This tandem might not look sexy on the surface, but both Knight and Söderblom have proven they can steal games on occasion. We’ll see if they’re the right men for the job moving forward.

PREDICTION

Nobody in the Windy City expects this team to be in sniffing distance of the playoffs. Finding some incremental improvements absolutely will be the goal this year. They had a nine-point jump last year, all while still snagging a high draft pick. Finishing in the 70-75 point range would be ideal, while still likely keeping them in the bottom three. That – plus big years from Bedard, Nazar, Rinzel and Levshunov – would be considered a win. Don’t expect many of the two-point variety, though.