Chicago Blackhawks: Can Bedard Make Them Contenders?

Teuvo Teravainen is one of the new additions to this team. Source: Chicago Blackhawks (twitter/X)

The Chicago Blackhawks have more optimism than most rebuilding teams heading into the new season. Why? It starts with their generational talent and then goes to the supporting cast that this front office assembled.

Everything You Need To Know

• Connor Bedard is one of the next great players in this game. Like Connor McDavid, he’s a skater who can singlehandedly take over games with great skill on the offensive end of the ice.
• It’s not just Bedard. The Blackhawks have some good prospects who are ready to make an impact at the NHL level from Frank Nazar to defenseman Kevin Korchinski. They give this team a young core to build around.
• On top of that, the Blackhawks were aggressive and made some big moves this summer including signing Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi. Whether these moves will work out long term or not is a different question but they will make this team better immediately.

Projection

The Blackhawks can easily be a playoff team this season. They might not contend for the Cup but they’ll have a good roster that can string together multiple wins. Moreover, the ceiling is Bedard’s ability to leap to the top of the league and he can carry this team to the playoffs.