The 2023-24 season is edging closer and closer for the Chicago Blackhawks. Training camp starts on Sept. 21, and the first exhibition game will be at the United Center of Sept. 28, where the Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. There are a plethora of storylines to follow as this rebuilding team looks to take the next step in their development. Today our THW crew of Brooke LoFurno, Connor Smith, and Gail Kauchak tackle a few burning questions in our latest roundtable.
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To get us started, we’ll look at the potential forward lineup. We pretty much know the 2023 first round draft pick Connor Bedard will be in the mix, along with already established Blackhawks such as Andreas Athanasiou, Taylor Raddysh, Jason Dickinson, Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel and Tyler Johnson.
They’ll be joined by veteran reinforcements and offseason additions such as Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, Corey Perry and Ryan Donato.
By my math that covers 11 spots, barring injuries. Considering 14 forwards usually comprise the 23-man roster, there’s only three spots left. Realistically, forwards such as Colin Blackwell, MacKenzie Entwistle, Cole Guttman, Reese Johnson, Boris Katchouk and other depth players will be fighting for those last three spots.
So, let’s break this up into two queries. Name one depth player you’re most confident will make the opening lineup, and one player you feel will be on the outside looking in. Give your reasons why.
Depth Forward to Make the Team
Brooke
One depth forward I’m confident will be on the opening night roster is Blackwell. Although it seems like he could be pushed out by other talent such as Guttman, the Blackhawks committed to Blackwell and he is on the final year of his two-year, $2.4 million deal. So I think it’s safe to say the 30-year-old veteran will be on the team.
Connor
I want to say Katchouk, as I was fairly impressed with is effort down the stretch last season. But I’ll go with Blackwell. The Blackhawks signed him to a two-year deal last offseason, and injuries limited his first campaign with the team to just 53 games. It was a tough break after recording a career-high 20 points in 58 games with the Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021-22.
The Blackhawks would be wise to give Blackwell a fair shot after missing much of last season. I feel like they’ll gravitate toward his versatility, given he can play both center and wing. Along with the fact he’s been in several winning environments, similar to offseason additions (Perry, Foligno, etc.). Plus, a healthy season could make Blackwell a low-risk trade candidate if the Blackhawks are out of contention come deadline day, much like when he was flipped from Seattle to Toronto in March of 2022.
Gail
Call my crazy, but I’m gonna take a flyer on Guttman. This is really a flyer, by the way, because he’s the only player I mentioned that’s waivers exempt. That could definitely factor against him. But based on what he can offer the team, I think the 24-year-old has a good shot to make an impact.
Last season, Guttman came in blind, taking over second line center duties without flinching. In 14 games played, he tallied four goals and six points, along with a 52.1 faceoff percentage. All with a bum shoulder!
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He’s fully healthy now, and I believe his centering abilities might give him an edge over some of the others. Or, I could be completely wrong. We shall see.
Depth Forward as Odd Man Out
Brooke
I am not so confident Reese Johnson makes the team. It seems like their depth is set, and although he provides good physicality and feisty play, his offense is lacking and is easily replaced by the other names.
Connor
I’m leaning towards Johnson. I know he’s just 24, but with 99 games under his belt over the last three seasons, his growth felt a little stagnant to me last season. He couldn’t build off his 2021-22 point total of six, despite appearing in 20 more games (57 games compared to 37 in 2021-22).
I understand it’s not necessarily Johnson’s role to be a point producer. However, I’m just not convinced he has much of an NHL ceiling beyond a fourth line or extra forward. I’d rather see the Blackhawks take a chance on Katchouk or even Entwistle, who I feel both bring a tad more upside, even though neither will be around long-term.
Gail
I hate to say this. Because I really love him as an individual and for his great attitude. But I’m not feeling the on-ice vibes with Entwistle. Last season, the 6-foot-3 forward had the same amount of goals as Guttman, but in 66 games played versus Guttman’s 14. He’s not a center, and he just doesn’t offer the kind of production that others do. If the Blackhawks put Entwistle on waivers, I don’t think he’ll get picked up by another team. Which is why I believe he’ll end up playing for the Rockford IceHogs this season.
Let’s move on to defense. It’s a given that Seth Jones, Connor Murphy and Jarred Tinordi will be part of the veteran lineup on the back end. Nikita Zaitsev might be in the mix as well. Then there’s the plethora of prospects who will have a shot to be everyday defensemen this season. This includes names such as Wyatt Kaiser, Isaak Phillips, Filip Roos and Alex Vlasic. That said, what about 19-year-old Kevin Korchinski, who was chosen 7th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2022 Entry Draft? Many think he’s ready for the NHL, and has a chance to make the roster. Would you agree or disagree?
Korchinski on the Roster?
Brooke
I agree that Korchinski has a chance to make the Blackhawks’ roster. The defense is majorly lacking depth, and besides Murphy, Jones, Tinordi and Zaitsev, it’s a young group. So he would fit right in and he isn’t being pushed out by fierce competition. The more time goes on, the more I believe he will start with the Blackhawks and not with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Connor
Man, this is a tough one. I’m going to say no, however. Unlike the last regime, general manager Kyle Davidson and his staff haven’t hesitated to overdevelop their prospects, with Reichel last season being a great example. Having Bedard may accelerate the rebuild, but it’s far from over, and patience will be key. Korchinski showed excellent growth last season, and I’d rather see him continue dominating in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for another year and be fully ready for 2024-25, as opposed to making the jump now.
As for the Blackhawks’ left side, provided they don’t make a last-minute addition, I’d say a likelier scenario is they start Vlasic on the top pairing and either Kaiser or Phillips on the second pairing, probably with Murphy. Obviously, neither player has the same ceiling as Korchinski, but all three could blossom into solid, full-time NHLers. This season will be all about growth, and I think they’ll want to see what they can bring. That said, if Korchinski smashes expectations during camp and preseason, I could definitely see him getting an extended tryout before a final decision.
Gail
I say no to Korchinski being on this season’s roster long term. There’s too much other talent involved. Perhaps he plays on the opening night roster, but I don’t think the Blackhawks will play him more than nine games; more of which would burn his entry level contract.
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The Blackhawks have recently taken the conservative approach when it comes to prospects. Unless Korchinski completely wows everyone at training camp, he’ll eventually get sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds (his age makes it so he can’t play for the IceHogs). I see him playing some time with the Blackhawks, and then taking that back to his WHL team to hone his skills for a legit run next season.
They might play him for nine games, but I don’t believe they will commit to the 10 games it takes to burn his entry level contract.
Finally, we’ll end with a bit of a controversial topic, because why not? It’s a new era for the Blackhawks. Gone are Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and the glory days of three Stanley Cups in a six-year span. Former head coach Joel Quenneville is out the door, as is former general manager Stan Bowman. In their place, brand new players and new management are trying to make a name for themselves, and lead the team back to contention. So, is it finally time for a new goal song?
Should the Blackhawks Change Their Goal Song?
Brooke
No, I don’t think the Blackhawks need a new goal song. The team has 99 other problems, and the goal song is not one of them. It’s not where their priorities should lie.
In my opinion, the Chelsea Dagger is part of their identity. It’s what hockey fans and Blackhawks fans know belongs to Chicago. It’s like the Alan Parsons Project song for the Chicago Bulls. Some things are too iconic to change.
Connor
I’ve repeated this ad nauseam; yes they should change their goal song! Is Chelsea Dagger fun and catchy? Sure. It’s gotten stale though, and the door has slammed shut on the team’s “One Goal” era.
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Just like when they began using the song when Kane and Toews were becoming stars, why not find something new and fresh with Bedard at the helm? Ideally with another great core taking over in the next few years! Chelsea Dagger is a staple, and by no means would I be upset or mad if the Blackhawks kept it for good. But I say it’s time for a change.
Gail
It’s iconic. It’s fun. It’s tradition. And it’s a damn catchy tune that’s easy to dance to. I don’t really care if the Blackhawks are starting over. I will always associate this song with them, and I think it should stay!
Well there you have it! We’ve got a couple votes (Brooke and Connor) for Blackwell to make the team, and a relative longshot in Guttman (Gail). Neither Brooke or Connor are very high on poor Reese Johnson, and I had to make the difficult decision to send Entwistle back to the IceHogs.
Brooke is confident Korchinski will make the lineup on the blue line, while Connor and I believe the organization will take the conservative approach and eventually send him back to the Thunderbirds.
Finally, Brooke and I just can’t let go of Chelsea. Call us sentimental! But Connor is taking the logical approach and saying it should be replaced.
What do you think Blackhawks fans?! Do you have any strong opinions on which forwards will make the team, and which ones won’t? How do you feel about the state of the blue line? And should Chelsea stay or go? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section, or in whichever social media platform you find this article. We’d love to hear your opinions have some debates before we find out what really happens.
We don’t have long to wait!
