The 2024-25 season has not gone the way that the Chicago Blackhawks have anticipated thus far. The team got defeated rather handily in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field against the St. Louis Blue, and GM Kyle Davidson was none too pleased after the game. Things need to change for a franchise that was once at the top of the mountain in the hockey world, and that could start as soon as this summer.
A report shows that the Chicago Blackhawks could pursue a star forward this offseason to help Connor Bedard
The team currently sitting dead last in the NHL with 26 points ahead of Friday night’s game at the United Center against Montreal. It is very apparent that not much has been done to help the goal-scoring efforts of the club this season.
Unfortunately for Connor Bedard, year two in the NHL has not looked the way he or Blackhawks fans were expecting. The 19-year-old sits with 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) through 38 games, which includes a 12-game drought where he couldn’t find the back of the net. Many believe that this isn’t anything against Bedard, but rather that he hasn’t been set up for success based on what is around him.
In a column from The Athletic, insider Scott Powers throws out the idea that Davidson could look to make a big move this offseason if the opportunity presents itself.
“This could finally be the offseason Davidson makes a splash in free agency,” he writes. “It will all likely depend on who is available, but if someone like Mitch Marner or Mikko Rantanen hits the open market, you would think general manager Kyle Davidson will be all in on trying to sign a premier free agent.“
Based on where the team is in the standings right now, convincing a name like Marner or Rantanen to jump ship from their respective clubs to join the Blackhawks will be a tough task. However, money will always talk and if the front office brings the right offer to the table, nothing is impossible.
Rantanen was a first-round draft choice (10th overall) of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2015. He has 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 39 games this year. The 28-year-old put the hockey world on notice in a big way in the 2022-23 campaign when he lit the lamp 55 times and had 105 points.
Marner went in the same 2015 draft class as Rantanen, just four picks ahead at number four overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The winger has 51 points (13 goals, 38 assists) in 39 games this season. There were rumors last year that Marner and the Leafs were not on great terms and that a trade of the Markham, ON native, could be imminent. Those talks subsided and he has remained a part of the current core for a team desperate to win their next Stanley Cup.
Regardless of what happens in free agency or trades, the Chicago Blackhawks should be in a position to draft a promising forward
If the Chicago Blackhawks can’t land a guy like Marner or Rantanen for a handful of reasons, they know that the upcoming draft will present an opportunity to once again change the trajectory of the franchise. As long as the Chicago Blackhawks can secure a top-three selection, they will not have to sweat losing out on one of the big three forwards who are draft-eligible this summer.
James Hagens, Michael Misa, and Porter Martone would all make a world of difference by helping out a franchise cornerstone like Bedard. It is known in hockey that building a winning core for sustained success starts through the draft. Just look at the dynasty that this organization had in the early 2010s as a prime example.
Just like last offseason, changes will be made to this roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. For Davidson and the rest of his staff, they are hoping these adjustments pan out much better than they have so far this season.
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