Coming off weeks of practice, training camp, and preseason, the 2023-24 regular season is nearly here for the Chicago Blackhawks. There’s naturally a lot of excitement around the team, thanks to its promising young players such as Connor Bedard, Lukas Reichel, and Kevin Korchinski, all of whom will ideally be part of the next competitive roster. With that in mind, let’s not forget about players who may not necessarily be household names but are still pivotal to the team’s success. Here are three under-the-radar Blackhawks to keep an eye on with the regular season kicking off on Oct. 10.
Ryan Donato
As one of Chicago’s four offseason additions, Ryan Donato should bring versatility to the Blackhawks’ forward group. Over the last six seasons, the 27-year-old has skated in more than 300 games with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle Kraken. Like Sam Lafferty and Tyler Johnson over the last two seasons, Donato can play up and down the lineup, and he’s a good skater. He could also be an option for the penalty kill.
I thought Donato played effectively with Bedard and Taylor Hall on the Blackhawks’ top line during their 3-2 preseason shootout loss to the Wild on Thursday (Oct. 5). He made a great takeaway around halfway through the second period, setting up Hall on a breakaway goal and recording the primary assist. Donato also won all four of his faceoffs and recorded six shots in 20:06 time on ice (TOI).
Related: Meet the New Blackhawks: Ryan Donato
Granted, on many other teams, Donato would likely have more of a reduced role. After three seasons at Harvard from 2015-18, he was one of Boston’s top forward prospects but never blossomed into a top-six role there. Since getting traded to Minnesota in Feb. 2019, however, he has emerged as a respectable middle-to-bottom-six forward, as we saw with the Kraken the last two seasons; he recorded 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 71 games with Seattle in 2022-23.
Head coach Luke Richardson’s decision to skate Donato with Bedard and Hall in training camp may have been bold, but it’s slowly appearing to pay off. As a Swiss Army Knife-type player, he can do a bit of everything. Time will tell whether he becomes a long-term fit on the top line or even in the top-six, but it could set him up for a successful campaign as he enters the first season of a two-year deal.
Jason Dickinson
After coming over from the Vancouver Canucks last offseason, forward Jason Dickinson had a productive first season as a Blackhawk, recording a career-high 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 78 games. He bounced around the lineup, primarily due to the team’s overall lack of forward depth, but look for him to primarily have a bottom-six role in 2023-24.
Like Donato, Dickinson showed last season he can thrive in multiple roles. That said, he has gelled nicely with Nick Foligno and Corey Perry this preseason, recording two assists in three games. The line has found solid chemistry, and while Foligno and Perry have garnered much of the attention, Dickinson’s contributions shouldn’t go unnoticed. Not only has he shown hints of being a reliable playmaker, but he also brings good shutdown abilities, even if he isn’t the flashiest name of the trio.
Entering the final season of his current deal, it would not be surprising if Dickinson came close to or even exceeded his point total from last season. Foligno and Perry are two reliable veterans, and Dickinson should be a good center for them. Another successful campaign could make him a trade chip at the 2024 deadline if the Blackhawks are out of contention, as he’d benefit several contenders.
Arvid Söderblom
Arguably one of the Blackhawks’ biggest weaknesses entering the season is goaltending. After losing Alex Stalock, who had an incredible 2022-23, the team will rely on Petr Mrázek and Arvid Söderblom as its tandem. Though it may be below league-average, it’s nonetheless competent, and Söderblom should grow after a rough 15-game stint last season.
Related: Blackhawks’ Goaltending Could Surprise in 2023-24
In 2022-23, Söderblom went 2-10-2 with an .894 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.45 goals-against average (GAA). Those aren’t good numbers, but the defense around him wasn’t always great. In addition, Söderblom was at the NHL level from Oct. 29 until Dec. 18, in which the Blackhawks played some of their worst hockey last season. The 24-year-old then began thriving with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rockford IceHogs, slowly growing in his second full North American season.
Overall, I thought Söderblom was a major positive in Thursday’s (Oct. 5) game despite the loss. He looked cool and confident, stopping 25 of 27 shots, including seven on Minnesota power plays. The Blackhawks don’t need Söderblom to put up Calder Trophy-like numbers this season, though I’d expect him to grow with more experience. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be their No. 1 once they’re competitive, but he should be a perfectly fine/above-average backup option, at the very least.
From Bedard to Reichel, there are many reasons the Blackhawks should be more watchable compared to last season, even if their improvement in the standings is minimal. Though these three players may not come to mind first, they’ve all shown the ability to make a difference at times and have stood out in preseason. The Blackhawks’ big theme this season is growth and improvement, and Donato, Dickinson, and Söderblom should all help in that regard.
