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The Chicago Blackhawks have begun their 2024-25 season like the rest of the league. And so far, it's been a mixed bag. The Blackhawks lost to the Utah Hockey Club in their season opener. They followed this up with an overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets in their second game. But the Blackhawks did pick up their first win of the year over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
The Blackhawks are going to have trouble winning games this season. While the team improved in the offseason, they are not quite ready to stand up to some of the Western Conference contenders. They will certainly return to contention status sooner rather than later. However, they aren't quite ready for that just yet.
Chicago made interesting moves in NHL Free Agency to improve their roster. Specifically, they set out to add to their top-six forward group over the summer. They did just that with the signing of Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year contract as well as their reunion with Teuvo Teravainen. These are fine moves without a doubt. But flaws remain with this roster.
There is one flaw above all that remains even after their moves in the offseason. And Chicago will need to overcome this flaw in 2024-25. Especially if they have any designs of making a surprising challenge for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Blackhawks cannot over-rely on Connor Bedard
The Blackhawks had a rather dreadful offense last season. And a major reason for this was due to its one-dimensional nature. Opposing teams did not need to rack their brains in an attempt to stop this team from scoring. They simply had to keep Connor Bedard at bay. While Bedard was great as a rookie, he was in no position to carry the team far.
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Heading into this season, nothing has changed. Bedard is likely to be the team's best offensive producer this upcoming season. However, he is still not in a position to carry the Blackhawks all that far. Even with their offseason moves, Chicago's offense is still going to run through Bedard most nights.
Tyler Bertuzzi is a good option for the top six. Teuvo Teravainen is a quality all-around player. And Philip Kurashev formed promising chemistry with Bedard. But neither of these players can give Bedard the support he needs for this offense to truly have another dimension to it. If opposing teams keep Bedard quiet, they should be able to beat the Blackhawks
Take a look at Chicago's recent game against the Winnipeg Jets as an example. Bedard did not record a single point against Winnipeg. In fact, neither Bertuzzi nor Tervainen found themselves on the scoresheet. And in the end, the Jets were able to mount a comeback thanks to Mark Scheifele.
Someone is going to need to step up in a major way in 2024-25. Jason Dickinson cannot wind up as the joint top scorer of this team as he did last season. The chances of that happening again are rather slim, but the point is that this offense needs to find another gear. They have to find a way to win when Bedard does not score.
It's certainly going to be an up and down season for the Blackhawks this year. Their young stars are going to lead the way, and that rings doubly true for Bedard. However, Chicago must find ways to avoid over-relying on him as the season progresses.
