With seven free agent signings, plus improvement by Connor Bedard and other youngsters, Chicago is poised for big jump in the standings in 2024-25.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson seemed pumped on Monday, and not just from another intense session in the gym.

Richardson was beaming when he met with reporters after Chicago signed seven free agents, topped by forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen. Combined with natural improvement by the Hawks' talented young players — starting with Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard — his team suddenly looks drastically better for 2024-25.

How much? Richardson didn't want to hazard a guess. After all, the injury-depleted Blackhawks finished next to last in the NHL last season at 23-53-6.

But Chicago's third-year coach sure seemed pleased his general manager, Kyle Davidson, dove into the free-agent market head-first on its first day.  

And Richardson hinted more new talented might be coming.

"Right now I'm just kind of happy where we're going and where the lineup is starting to fill out," said the former defenseman who played in 21 NHL seasons. "But we're not done yet. So we'll have to see where we finish."  See Richardson in the following video.

Richardson is overseeing the team's annual development camp with prospects at the team's practice facility on Chicago's West Side. But the signings of forwards Bertuzzi, Teravainen, Craig Smith, Patrick Maroon and Joey Anderson, along with goalie Laurent Brossoit and defenseman Alec Martinez dominated the discussion with reporters. See the full rundown of Chicago's signings in story in the following link.

Could the Blackhawks even make a run for the playoffs after missing four straight seasons? (And six of seven.)

"We haven't had a conversation about expectations yet and goal setting yet," Richardson said. "I think it was to get to this point, see who comes in and who we can kind of finish today and even going forward in free agency and seeing what kind of depth that we can add and what kind of team we can put together."

And Taylor Hall, the the 2018 Hart Trophy winner, is due back at full strength following right ACL surgery and a robust rehab.

The Blackhawks will be tougher on opponents and a lot less tough to watch. They've added "hard" players like Bertuzzi and Maroon, and Bertuzzi has the skill to play as a top-6 forward. The 29-year-old Teravainen, originally a first-round Chicago draft pick in 2012, will bring speed and puck skills.

"You've got big guys who will get pucks like the Maroons, Bertuzzis," Richardson said "Once we get it, we want to be fast you got the Teravainens that's going to help us keep that puck even longer. I think that's the plan, the longer the puck possession you have in this league the more you can do with it. 

"It makes the other team frustrated and it takes them out of their game plan so that's the way we want to play--fast and hard--and I think we definitely took a big step toward that today."

Brossoit will give Richardson a solid backup for Petr Mrazek, who played a career high 55-games in a resurgent 2023-24 season. That will allow Arvid Söderblom to sort out his game with AHL Rockford.

"I think adding another veteran goalie lets Arvid work on his game again," Richardson said. "As we got banged up and our lineup was very young on the back end, especially. I think when goals start going in on the back end, backdoor and stuff, it takes away the confidence of the goalie."