Connor Bedard - Jan. 8 Chicago Blackhawks Media Availability postgame The Chicago Blackhawks are halfway through the 2024-25 season and have the worst record in the NHL at 14-25-2. It has not been great for this team after staying far below expectations for this season. We know that the Blackhawks aren't where they thought they would be at this point after Kyle Davidson made a number of veteran adds to the team to make them better. It hasn't really translated to more goals and the goals against have gotten much worse after a strong start by Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom. The hope from Chicago was that the team would improve. After finishing 31st in the league last season, there was a lot of room for it. Somehow, they've managed to fall though, and a big part of that is offense. Connor Bedard can only do so much. Speaking of Bedard, he was definitely going through a sophomore slump, but that has clearly subsided as he's on an eight-game point streak and close to turning into a point-per-game player at just 19 years old. Some may have questioned his legitimacy as a future superstar, but he's right on track to becoming what the Blackhawks hoped he would be. There is a lot of runway to go as he's so young and still learning the league, but as the talent grows around him and his worth ethic continues to drive him forward, the sky's the limit. Bedard is at 11 goals and 37 points in 41 games this season and his shooting percentage is finally starting to approach where an it should be for an elite shooter like himself. There are three top-6 veteran forwards that Chicago thought would do more, but haven't been horrible either. Taylor Hall made his return to the lineup this season and has eight goals and 21 points. Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi were sold as very adequate top-6 players that will help push the team forward. Teravainen has seven goals and is second on the team with 26 points. Bertuzzi leads the team in goals with 14 and has 22 points. These contributions are well above nothing, but these three are the three highest paid forwards and 3/4 of the highest paid players on the team. While they are all amongst the top five contributors on the team, that doesn't mean they have done enough. The Blackhawks have needed more from all of them and more consistency. Bertuzzi has been the most consistent of the trio. Tyler Bertuzzi [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNDc1OTY0NzkyNjc3NTM1/bertcaps.jpg] Tyler Bertuzzi Jason Dickinson hasn't been at the same level offensively because of his utilization, but that's not what is expected from him. He and Ryan Donato have played up to expectations, if not above them this season. That has been rare to see on the Blackhawks. Philipp Kurashev has been the biggest disappointment on the team, and along with some of the veterans on expiring contracts, I don't expect to see him back next season unless there is some major turnaround. There has been no indication that's coming and he's not even getting in the lineup right now, never mind playing on Bedard's wing where Kurashev performed best. Young talent on the team including Alex Vlasic, Soderblom, Frank Nazar, Colton Dach, Nolan Allan, Wyatt Kaiser, and Lukas Reichel all look solid, but some more than others. Even so, there is lots of room to develop and get better. I see all of them continuing to improve over the rest of the season and into next season. The Blackhawks in general are still a ways away from competing. It isn't going to be the same situation for Bedard as it was for Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby where their teams are already competitive in their second season in the NHL. Whereas all of them were one of the last pieces to the puzzle, Bedard was the unexpected turning point in the rebuild that accelerated things. There are a lot of talented young pieces around him and on the way, but it takes time. The overcorrection from a younger team to a veteran squad didn't work either, so if Davidson and the Blackhawks have learned, we will see more of a mix of veterans and young players start next season on the roster. In terms of this season, fans and management should hope to see improvements on the ice and with the players, but the team still finish in a lottery spot for a chance to draft one of the stars in the 2025 draft and finally move up the standings afterwards. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more. RECENT BLACKHAWKS NEWS
