Various members of the Chicago Blackhawks took turns gushing about Connor Bedard’s rookie season.
“It was incredible,” general manager Kyle Davidson said. “The weight that was put on his shoulders, given his profile walking into the league, it’s really difficult to handle. I don’t think anyone can adequately quantify the degree of difficulty of what he had to deal with off the ice, to then go and perform on the ice.”
Nick Foligno said, “I give that kid a ton of credit for the year he had, faced with a lot of things that were uncontrolled. He seemed to just put his head down and work.”
“He’s a world-class player,” Jason Dickinson said. “He’s got all kinds of skill, he sees the ice incredibly well and his future is bright. It’s hard to believe he’s only 18.
“I’ve got to remind myself that every day honestly when I see him that he is still a kid and there’s a lot of growth for him and that his ceiling is quite high.”
Bedard tied Dickinson for the team lead in goals (22), and led the team in assists (39) and points (61) — with a month missed due to a broken jaw.
The only one who wasn’t so effusive was Bedard himself.
“Personally, there’s definitely pros and cons,” he said. “I thought I learned a lot. Coming into next year that’s going to be a big help for me.”
Connor Bedard’s rookie season: Tracking the goals of the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 pick
Bedard lauded how coach Luke Richardson handled his transition to the NHL.
“He was great,” he said. “He gave me tons of confidence right away. I think my first game in the NHL I played 20 minutes, so that’s rare and I feel grateful for that.
“He showed me clips a lot where I could improve and I love that stuff, just little things like that, so he was great for me.”
Perhaps an equally important part of Bedard’s education came outside the game.
“You kind of learn what you need to do and what your routine needs to look like,” he said. “On the ice, what I need to get better at, I think that’s something even going into the summer is great to know what the league’s like and how you can succeed, what more I can do to succeed.”
Now he can turn to his summer program.
“It’s a long summer, which sucks,” said Bedard, who often pushed the limits of after-practice time. “We want to be playing more hockey, but that’s a positive you can take out of it. You have more time to improve, more time to be in the gym, more time to work on the things you need to work on. That’s kind of my approach toward the offseason.”
He acknowledged the need to work on his defense and his play when he’s not the puck carrier.
“Obviously I want to get faster, in the gym, probably more explosive, a little stronger for puck battles and net-front and stuff like that, little things like that,” he said. “On the ice the main thing is probably speed, but I’m going to work on just trying to create more offense.
“At home, we do a lot of three-on-three and two-on-two, stuff like that. Fun stuff. Just having fun, being creative. That’s always big for me.”
Here’s a breakdown of some other Hawks and their outlook for this summer and next season.
Philipp Kurashev, forward (signed through next season at $2.25 million)
Recap: He came two goals shy (18) of the 20-goal plateau, but 36 points boosted him to a career-high 54 points, more than doubling his previous high. He was literally Bedard’s right-hand man at winger.
Outlook: He just needs to continue building chemistry with Bedard (or risk his spot on the top line) and show this season wasn’t an aberration.
Asked what clicked for Kurashev this year, Richardson said last week, “I’m not sure. There’s a little bit of one more year of experience, a little bit more maturity in his game, and he showed some drive in some instances.
“Where before, he maybe shied away a little bit. Not scared, just not taking the initiative to be the force out there.”
Jason Dickinson, forward (signed for two more seasons at $4.25 million)
Recap: He’s the only Hawk to play in all 82 games. He posted a career-high 22 goals and had 13 assists, but he also looked like a dark-horse Selke Trophy candidate as a defender (he led the team with 54 takeaways).
Outlook: For his summer plans, “I’m going to head back to Georgetown (Ontario) to get some TLC, to see my family and just unwind.”
The Hawks signed the locker room leader to a two-year extension in January.
“I loved that they appreciated what I was doing and that they wanted to see me stick around,” he said.
Nick Foligno, forward (signed for two more seasons at $4.5 million)
Recap: He was on and off the top line with Connor Bedard, but took on a larger mentorship role with Bedard and other players. He was part father figure, part captain, only without the title. The 36-year-old signed a two-year extension in January.
Outlook: For the summer, he plans to head back to Sudbury, Ont., with his young sons (who were fixtures on the ice after Hawks practices) and spend time on the lake.
He’s “highly motivated” to give more input on personnel affairs when he gets back.
“I’m excited to have the conversations, some probably hard conversations with management, with the team, and just get this moving in the right direction,” he said.
Tyler Johnson, forward (becomes an unrestricted free agent)
Recap: He provided an occasional spark on offense and finished 17 goals and 14 assists. He had a 14-game stint on injured reserve with a right foot injury.
Outlook: He never minced words about how to address the Hawks’ shortcomings during his time in Chicago, but during exit interviews he sounded like a man who was looking for his next destination.
“It just kind of depends on who I talk to and what happens,” he said. “I’d like to play some meaningful hockey and get back in the playoffs.”
Taylor Raddysh, forward (becomes an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent)
Recap: Taylor Raddysh had a rough dry spell. His last goal game Dec. 14 in Seattle and his last point was an assist March 23 in San Jose.
He told the Tribune, “It’s tough when it’s not going in but you’ve got to find ways to be able to be consistent every night and try to get … production offensively, get your chances.”
Outlook: Raddysh has built relationships with team members and people in Chicago since arriving via trade in March 2022. He lives in the same building as Bedard. All that might not be enough for the Hawks.
“I’m not into jumping teams,” Raddysh said. “I feel like they know who I am and what I can do with everything, and it’s going to jell it all together and be a complete player.”
MacKenzie Entwistle, forward (becomes an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent)
Recap: It seemed at times like the fourth-liner didn’t really stand out, but he was third on the team in hits (139) and fourth in blocks (32).
Outlook: He’s been a Hawk off and on since 2020-21, but it might be the end of the road if a free agent or prospect pushes him out.
“First time I’ve been in this position before so it’s kind of new for me,” Entwistle said. “Obviously I want to come back here. I would love to play on the Blackhawks again as I’ve been here a couple years now and to see the change, to see the young guys coming in.”
Connor Murphy, defenseman (signed through 2025-26 at $4.4 million)
Recap: He missed 36 games, mostly due to a hip/groin strain in mid-January. He missed the season finale due to soreness.
Outlook: The longest-tenured Hawk (seven seasons) has played in the postseason just once, in 2019-20, the pandemic “bubble” playoffs.
“Perspective is key,” he said. “It’s really easy to look at your timeline of your career or your own interests.
“It’s not easy not being in the playoffs and then, on top of that, not being very close, really. The silver lining is the frustration it brings can lead to fuel to use for the offseason.”
Seth Jones, defenseman (signed for six more seasons at $9.5 million)
Recap: He led all Hawks defensemen with eight goals and 23 assists, but it wasn’t his most productive season offensively. Richardson credited Jones for becoming a better all-around player.
“Him honing in his game … just shows a bit more maturity in his game and professionalism,” Richardson said last week. “We’ve asked him to do that and he’s done it and kept his game at a high level, even at a higher level (during) the second half, more confident shooting the puck.
“And we’ve seen some better outcomes because of that, not just for him, but for other people.”
Outlook: Jones said he had “sleepless nights” with all the losing, but he’ll focus on his mental health in the offseason: “You have maybe three weeks of decompression, travel or do what you want to do, but then you’re back to training.”
Alex Vlasic, defenseman (becomes an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent)
Recap: Vlasic far exceeded the team’s (and his own) expectations in his first full season as a Hawk (76 games).
“I think just taking control of the play a little bit and having that confidence to do things myself, push it offensively,” he said. “I think my defensive game is something I’m confident in and now I’m starting to get comfortable pushing it offensively and creating those chances.”
Outlook: The question: Is what he’s looking for in his next contract, and where the Hawks value him, in the same ballpark?
“We’re chatting,” Davidson said of himself and Vlasic’s agent. “Obviously we love Alex and love the path he’s on, and so we’re working through that, but we’ve got lots of time.”
Vlasic, a Wilmette native, said, “I would love to be here as long as possible. It’s amazing being able to play for my hometown team, the same city I grew up in, so I’m not really looking to go anywhere else.”
Kevin Korchinski, defenseman (signed for two more seasons at $918,333)
Recap: He showed off natural skating and shooting skills, though he had his rookie moments, particularly on defense.
“He’s going to need some more reminders and repetition,” Richardson said of the 19-year-old, who was the league’s youngest blueliner at the start of the season, according to NHL Stats. “You have to realize his body is still maturing and growing, so is his brain, and it’s a lot of information. … Every game for a defenseman, that’s a lot of pressure back there.”
Outlook: Korchinski had been looking to bulk up last summer, and now it’s more of the same.
“I think the main thing is just hitting the gym, getting stronger so that I can defend at a higher level,” he said.
Davidson agreed. “It’s just about strength and getting used to getting used to that grind of the NHL, where there’s not a lot of time to catch your breath.”
Jarred Tinordi, defenseman (becomes an unrestricted free agent)
Recap: He could always be counted for big hits or big fights, but his defense was spotty. After rookie Korchinski, he had the lowest rating (minus-27) among Hawks defensemen.
Outlook: He’s in the same boat as Jaycob Megna and Nikita Zaitsev: all UFAs and all on the bubble.
“My focus has been getting my game to where I want it to be,” Tinordi told the Tribune earlier this month. “Whatever the team looks like next year, whatever happens in the offseason, that’s out of my control. I know this team’s rebuilding right now, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of it for two years.”
