The Chicago Blackhawks will return to action on Thursday. This follows a couple of weeks away for the Olympic break. Teuvo Teravainen was the team’s only Olympian, and he captured a Bronze Medal with Team Finland.
Team USA defeated Team Canada in overtime of the Gold Medal Game for their first Olympic victory in men’s hockey since 1980. Now, following this wonderful tournament, the NHL will get back to business as they push toward the trade deadline and postseason.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are coming back with a record of 22-26-9. They are far from the worst team in the league, or even their conference, but they currently sit 10 points below the playoff line.
So what is the goal for this team? What is their plan for the rest of the season? These are the four storylines that will mostly define the stretch run to the off-season.
1. Decisions Ahead Of Trade Deadline
The Chicago Blackhawks have a handful of veterans who are currently pending free agents. Guys like Nick Foligno, Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy are all in the trade rumors, but will Kyle Davidson move all four?
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Will any of them get extended, and if so, when? The decisions that the Blackhawks make ahead of the deadline (March 6th) will shape how their roster looks for the rest of the season and possibly going into next year.
2. Prospects Joining NHL Lineup
If they trade multiple of those players, they will certainly call on a handful of prospects to take roster spots. Seeing what they have in a handful of these guys is important.
Kevin Korchinski is already up while Wyatt Kaiser works his way back, but could he spend the rest of the season in the NHL if Murphy is moved?
As far as the forwards, Nick Lardis, Anton Frondell, and multiple college prospects could be looking for spots when their seasons end.
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In the case of Frondell, an addition like that to the lineup would add some juice to the hype around the team. As their 2025 third overall pick, there are expectations that he will be a great NHL player.
Nick Lardis already proved that he can fit into an NHL group when Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar were out, but a roster spot has to open up again for him to join full-time. That may be coming for him (and others) sooner than later.
3. Where Will Chicago Land In The 2026 NHL Draft?
If the season ended today, the Blackhawks would have the 6th-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery. If everything stayed in place, they’d make the 6th overall pick. They are likely going to land within the top-ten, so a highly touted prospect will be coming to Chicago in June.
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They also have the first round pick of the Florida Panthers, but it is top-ten protected. Down the stretch, we will see where they land.
Right now, they would have the 10th-best odds of winning the lottery, meaning if it all stayed the same, that 10th overall pick would transfer to 2027. With rumors swirling that a handful of their best players may be shut down following the Olympics, that pick very well could be held until 2027.
Both of Chicago’s potential first-round draft picks are worth keeping an eye on as the season winds down. Who knows, maybe they’ll even land another first ahead of the deadline. Then, the team that gave them that pick would be added to the “must-watch” list.
4. What will Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi’s goal total look like?
Tyler Bertuzzi currently leads the Blackhawks with 25 goals. Connor Bedard is right behind him with 23. Bedard would probably be firmly in front if he never sustained his injury, but there is no doubting the overall individual success that both men have had this year.
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So will they each reach the 30-goal plateau? It looks like it. Do either of them have the ability to push it to 40 with 25 games left? Bertuzzi needs 15, and Bedard needs 17. It’s possible, but it may come down to the wire, and both would probably have to play every game.
For obvious reasons, the Blackhawks would like to see Connor Bedard close out the year with a massive goal-scoring streak. He must continue to drive the bus offensively for the team to have any kind of future. As for Bertuzzi, he is going to be happy with his output regardless, but he would like to finish strong, as would anyone.
As a side note, Connor Bedard currently has 53 points in 44 games played. He is on pace to finish the season with 83. Over the course of an 82-game season, it is a 98-point pace. In next year’s 84-game season, it’s a 101-point pace.
Bedard is, if healthy, sure to surpass his career high of 67 points, but by how many? That will also be a big talking point, along with his goals.
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