The preseason is in full swing for the Chicago Blackhawks. Veteran and new gamers alike are looking for their manner and etch out their roles with this new-look workforce. We all know that Nick Foligno is the Blackhawks’ 35th captain in franchise historical past, and Connor Bedard is primed to start his second season within the NHL. The Blackhawks are attempting to take that subsequent step of their rebuild. Individually, just a few gamers didn’t have the best 2023-24 marketing campaign, and so they need to treatment that as this 2024-25 season commences. Let’s have a look at 4 gamers who need to have bounce again seasons.
Murphy Needs the Most
When Connor Murphy is at his finest, he’s a shutdown defenseman with a variety of snarl. He’s recognized for his huge hits and for blocking photographs, and simply usually getting underneath the pores and skin of the opponent. Briefly, he embodies what the workforce sees as their identification; being onerous to play towards. At 31 years outdated and with seven seasons in Chicago underneath his belt, Murphy is a veteran and a pacesetter on the workforce. He’s additionally sported the “A” for alternate captain on his jersey for the final three seasons, and can achieve this once more this season.
This is the reason Murphy can be the primary individual to inform you he was upset in final season’s marketing campaign. To be honest, the Boston Massachusetts native handled a hard damage final 12 months that stored him out of the lineup from Jan. 16 by Apr. 12. He suited up for 3 contests on the finish of the season, however that was principally only for his delight and to get some sport reps earlier than the offseason.
At first Murphy thought he was simply coping with a minor groin pressure. Nevertheless it turned out to be an osteitis pubic damage, which is ache and irritation of the groin and environment areas. He stored considering his signs have been subsiding, however as quickly as he began ramping up his workouts it could get infected once more.
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Coping with accidents is nothing new for the veteran blueliner. In his seven seasons with the Blackhawks, Murphy has solely performed greater than 58 video games two instances. However final season was by far the worst; he solely performed in 46 contests, registering two targets and eight factors.
Curiously, the earlier 2022-23 marketing campaign was one among Murphy’s finest. He suited up for 80 video games, contributing seven targets, 13 factors, 160 blocked photographs (first on the workforce) and 165 hits (second on the workforce).
Can Murphy keep wholesome this season, and emulate his robust marketing campaign from two seasons in the past? I’m positive he’s hoping so. Except the 2019-20 playoffs within the Edmonton bubble, Murphy has by no means participated in postseason video games in all of his 11 years within the league. I’m positive with an improved Blackhawks’ workforce, he needs to see playoff video games with Chicago earlier than his contract expires on the finish of 2025-26.
Athanasiou Goals Excessive
Right here is one other participant who handled accidents final season. Andreas Athanasiou solely suited up for 28 video games in 2023-24, recording simply two targets and 9 factors. Contemplating he was the highest offensive contributor within the 2022-23 season (20 targets and 40 factors), this was undoubtedly a tricky tablet to swallow.
Like Murphy, Athanasiou handled a groin-and hip associated damage that stored him out of the lineup from Nov. 9 by Mar. 12, a span of 53 video games. Earlier than the damage, he had a gradual begin to the season, solely managing 4 assists in 11 video games. When he returned in March, the ahead once more had a tricky time discovering his groove. When interviewed in early April, Athanasiou acknowledged that.
If you sit out for that lengthy, it’s somewhat little bit of a brand new feeling, coming again and enjoying. I’ve had some good probabilities in some video games. [I’m] simply constructing all through all zones of the ice.
The 30-year-old has at all times been recognized for his velocity. He did say he had “extra within the tank” upon returning final season, indicating that he nonetheless won’t have been 100%. When wholesome, it’s superb to look at Athanasiou use his velocity to create breakaway after breakaway. However for all these alternatives, he solely appears to attain off a handful of them. That’s the irritating factor about this speedy ahead. He creates so many probabilities, however can’t appear to complete. He does look wholesome and quick on this coaching camp, so maybe this will lastly be remedied.
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Head coach Luke Richardson additionally experimented with Athanasiou enjoying heart on the finish of final season, which was reasonably profitable. If he can come out of coaching camp robust, I might even see Athanasiou taking up the second line heart position. On this situation, he would additionally profit from extra gifted linemates to enhance his velocity, hopefully resulting in extra targets and extra success.
The veteran ahead may even be an unrestricted free agent on the finish of this season, which means he’ll need to play effectively to earn a brand new contract, whether or not or not it’s in Chicago or elsewhere.
Corridor Hoping for Well being
Let’s transfer on to Taylor Corridor, who’s yet one more participant that bumped into damage woes final season. Corridor’s was the worst of all; he solely suited up for 10 video games earlier than present process ACL surgical procedure to his proper knee, ending his season.
As a No. 1 general choose within the 2010 draft, Corridor was introduced in final season to be Bedard’s mentor and linemate. Nicely, everyone knows that didn’t come to fruition. However Corridor has truly been paired with Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi to this point in coaching camp. Whereas it’s too early to know if that would be the high line on opening evening, it seems Corridor is getting each alternative to select up the place he left off final season.
Now, the 32-year-old has so much going towards him. It’s onerous at any age to get well and return to kind from a knee damage, a lot much less at 32. Can Corridor bounce again immediately, or will it take him a while to stand up to hurry once more? He’s additionally headed into his 15th 12 months within the league, together with 5 playoff appearances. Whereas he brings loads of expertise to carry to the desk, that’s additionally a variety of put on and tear on the physique.
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Like Athanasiou, Corridor will likely be an unrestricted free agent on the finish of the season, so he’ll need to carry out effectively to earn one other contract. Corridor will likely be hoping, firstly, to remain wholesome, in addition to bounce again and contribute at a excessive stage like he’s performed prior to now.
Reichel Prepared for a Breakout
Whereas the theme has been accidents to this point with gamers who have to bounce again, Lukas Reichel can’t use this as an excuse. He simply flat out had a nasty season in 2023-24. Because the 17th general draft choose by the Blackhawks in 2020, Reichel got here into the league with a excessive pedigree. He was deployed because the second line heart final season, behind the younger Bedard on the primary line. Hopes have been excessive for Reichel, with the teaching employees putting him on this top-six heart place.
Nicely, he simply didn’t take to enjoying heart. Lastly, he was moved to the wing. However by this time, Reichel had misplaced any mojo he may need began with. He didn’t rating his first objective till Nov. 16, and that was on the person benefit. The Blackhawks weren’t positive what to do to assist Reichel achieve his confidence again. They ended up sending him right down to the Rockford IceHogs in February to regroup.
When Reichel returned to the massive membership in late March, he did look somewhat extra rejuvenated, nevertheless it didn’t actually translate to the scoresheet. He ended the marketing campaign with 5 targets and 11 factors in 65 video games.
In an try to show issues round this season, the 22-year-old modified up his offseason routine. He returned to practising on the ice sooner, and labored on gaining extra energy. In an try and be extra aggressive, Reichel labored on battle drills together with his brother, who Reichel described as “huge and robust”.
The German native can be taking a web page out of Patrick Kane’s guide to enhance his shot by utilizing his legs extra. He mentioned,
In case you have a look at [Connor Bedard], his higher physique is de facto robust. He does it together with his higher physique. I’ve obtained to do it like — if you happen to have a look at [Patrick Kane], he sort of steps into the shot as a result of he’s robust in his decrease physique. So simply utilizing my legs to get a greater and heavier shot.
Let’s hope all this stuff work for Reichel, as a result of this actually looks like a make-it-or-break-it season for the younger ahead. Blackhawks’ common supervisor Kyle Davidson made that fairly clear with this assertion.
My expectation is that he competes onerous for a top-six spot, and we’ve obtained our bodies, so he’s going to should earn that. He’s going to have to return in and take that position. It’s on him, in a manner. We don’t need him enjoying on the fourth line or something like that, however he’s been round sufficient to know what the expectation is and what the NHL requires from a consistency standpoint.
For what it’s price, Reichel has been on a line with Philipp Kurashev and Teuvo Teravainen to this point in coaching camp. Reichel is sweet mates with Kurashev and the 2 of them have discovered some success on the ice collectively prior to now. With Teravainen as a playmaker on the opposite wing, this might doubtlessly translate right into a breakout marketing campaign for Reichel.
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The Blackhawks are nonetheless checking out a variety of query marks as coaching camp continues. The primary exhibition sport will likely be on Wednesday, Sept. 25, when the Blackhawks will host the Detroit Pink Wings. Their first contest within the 2024-25 common season will likely be on Oct. 8, towards the Utah Hocky Membership in Salt Lake Metropolis. Can the above gamers put collectively bounce again seasons? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient.
