It’s the doldrums of the offseason, and we’re all looking forward to more news surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks. The 2024 NHL Draft and free agency period are on the horizon, but these are both still a month or more away. It was a disappointing 2023-24 campaign for the Blackhawks, but that was by design. A plethora of injuries certainly didn’t help either.
Related – 2022-23 Blackhawks: Describing Each Player in One Word
Regardless, a group of human beings struggled through a tough campaign. Let’s honor them by assigning one meaningful word for each player, along with the thought process behind it. My colleague and partner in crime, Brooke LoFurno, was immediately on board to help out! Her entries are marked with an asterisk.
One Word for Each Blackhawks’ Forward
Joey Anderson: Hard-worker
Anderson was a fringe player at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, but he worked his way into an everyday player as the season progressed. This was a testament to his strong work ethic and determination. Anderson built special chemistry with Jason Dickinson, & the two were part of a very effective shutdown line.
*Andreas Athanasiou: Disrupted
Athanasiou had a tough season. He missed half of it with a groin injury that began in November, and when he returned in March, he wasn’t much of a factor. He had his moments being paired with Lukas Reichel and showed his speed. But overall, it was a season to forget, and the long injury absence probably inhibited him from getting in a groove.
Connor Bedard: Cornerstone
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick lived up to all expectations, and then some, in his first NHL season. He was by far the most talented player on the team and led in scoring, despite missing 14 games to jaw surgery.
Bedard is officially the new cornerstone for the franchise for them to build around.
*Colin Blackwell: Resilient
One thing about Blackwell, is he is very resilient. After missing 10 months with a sports hernia, he became a player that coach Luke Richardson had a hard time taking out of the lineup because of the impact he had on his teammates on and off the ice. He even got nominated for the Masterton Trophy, which was a great way to cap his season.
Jason Dickinson: Backbone
This guy is supposed to be a defensive-minded shutdown forward, which he was. But he also tied Bedard with 22 goals (a career-high) and was a leader and motivator both on and off the ice. There’s a reason the Blackhawks extended Dickinson for two more years. These are the kind of players who are the glue that holds it all together.
Ryan Donato: Versatile
I said it in my forward player grades, and I’ll say it again. Donato lined up on every single forward line this past season, and in every position. He could be trusted to do his part throughout the lineup.
His 18 assists and 30 points were both career-highs, as well as his 78 games played. Plus, the 28-year-old scored the first and the last goal of the season!
*MacKenzie Entwistle: Adaptable
“Twisty” has been with the Blackhawks for four seasons, but has always found himself in and out of the lineup. He played the most games of his NHL career at 67 this season, and he has been very adaptable. He understood the roster competition aspect and always went with the flow of whatever the coaches wanted from him. Which is admirable, even if he wanted a bigger role.
Nick Foligno: Dad
At 36-years-old, Foligno is twice as old as Bedard! Yep, Bedard is closer in age to Foligno’s three kids than he is to Foligno himself.
Basically the de facto captain, Foligno took his role very seriously. He became the “father figure” to pretty much the whole team, inviting them to dinner and planning outings.
Taylor Hall: Unfortunate
Hopes were so high at the beginning of the season that Hall would be the mentor and linemate to bring Bedard along. Both being No. 1 overall picks, it made perfect sense. Alas, Hall only dressed for 10 games before undergoing season-ending ACL surgery.
*Reese Johnson: There
Johnson is someone I didn’t think would be on the team this season, but the coaches love him because of his passion and work ethic. One thing about the 25-year-old; he was always there. For the Blackhawks, that is what they loved to have, especially when he was needed with all the injuries (he suited up for 42 games this season). He isn’t a scorer and is more of a physical presence, but he was there when needed.
Tyler Johnson: Done
Johnson was the most outspoken in his exit interview, saying he’s ready to move on from the Blackhawks. He was a salary cap dump in the 2021 offseason by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he’s been a good soldier with the Blackhawks ever since.
But he says it wasn’t exactly what he envisioned or wanted. The 33-year-old free agent strives to sign with a contending team.
Philipp Kurashev: Lucky (Honorable Mention, Emerged)
No one benefitted more from having Bedard on the team than Kurashev. He was his linemate most of the season, and his 18 goals, 36 assists and 54 points absolutely blew away his stats in his previous three seasons in the league.
Related – Blackhawks Highs and Lows of the 2023-24 Season
That said, the Swiss native did come into his own this campaign and did a great job gelling with Bedard. He was lucky to have such a linemate, but he deserves some credit too. Brooke dubbed him as “Emerged”.
*Frank Nazar: Impressive
This is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Nazar. He only played in three games, but he didn’t look one bit out of place, and in fact, he outplayed a lot of the roster during that span. Winning the opening faceoff and scoring during his first NHL shift is not too shabby, and he gave fans a lot to look forward to next season.
Taylor Raddysh: Friend
It’s actually quite amazing what a disappointing season Raddysh had (5G, 9A, 14P) after his fruitful 2022-23 campaign (20G, 17A, 37P). I don’t think anyone would have predicted it. Raddysh has probably seen the last of his time in Chicago, and doesn’t have much to bargain with for his next contract, wherever that may be.
But one thing the 26-year-old did do is try to be a good friend to Bedard. The two lived in the same apartment building all season, and Raddysh empathized with an 18-year-old being alone for the first time. Despite his own struggles, Raddysh reached out to help Bedard along.
“No one has ever really needed to lean on me for anything,” Raddysh said. “I know he’s not in need to have me around, but whatever he needs help with, I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job with it.”
Lukas Reichel: Disappointing
Another disappointment was Reichel, who was supposed to have a breakout season. We all know he didn’t (5G, 11A, 16P in 64 games). The Blackhawks played some tough love with the German native. He was moved down in the lineup, healthy scratched, and then finally sent down to the Rockford IceHogs.
The good news is Reichel performed well in the IceHogs’ playoffs and is also currently doing well with Team Germany in the World Championships. Hopefully this one word to describe him will be completely opposite after the 2024-25 campaign.
*Landon Slaggert: Energetic
The first thing people notice about Slaggert is his motor. He brought high-energy shifts and never gave up on a play. He made a good first impression and played well with everyone, even impressing his teammates like Dickinson, for his first 16 NHL games coming out of Notre Dame.
One Word for Each Blackhawks’ Defenseman
Louis Crevier: Reach
This word for Crevier has a double meaning. At 6-foot-8, the blueliner has an incredible reach. When he and 6-foot-6 Vlasic were a defensive pairing, Coach Richardson joked they could hold hands and touch both sides of the rink.
Also, Crevier was selected in the seventh round (188th overall) in the 2020 Draft. Many late draft picks never make it to the NHL. But the 23-year-old did “reach” the NHL, suiting up for 24 games with the Blackhawks this past season.
Seth Jones: Steady
Jones is such a polarizing figure. People seem to hate him for his mega contract that he never seems to be able to live up to. Now everyone is going on about him being over the hill at almost 30 years of age.
But Jones just keeps going about his business, leading the Hawks with 25:29 minutes of average ice time (this is also fourth in the league among defensemen). He contributes on the power play and the penalty kill, and mentors the other blueliners. Oh, and by the way, his minus-15 plus/minus rating is up from minus-38 in the 2022-23 season.
Thank you to Seth for steadily continuing to plug away!
*Wyatt Kaiser: Improved
It’s no secret that Kaiser struggled out of the gate this past season, often being out of position and experiencing rookie struggles. But his stints in Rockford in November and December seemed to do wonders. He looked like a different player and didn’t look so out of place after that. He looked like a genuine threat on defense towards the end of the season. He is one to watch going into training camp.
Kevin Korchinski: Green
Am I right?! He’s 19 years old and nobody really thought he’d make the team out of training camp. But because of Canadian Hockey League rules it was either the Blackhawks or back to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Blackhawks took a chance on him since they’re rebuilding and they really had nothing to lose. Yes, Korchinski had his ups and downs. Because he’s green! Good golly, considering his situation he did a pretty good job, along with gaining some great experience along the way.
There should be more ups than downs for Korchinski in his second NHL season.
*Jaycob Megna: Stopgap
Megna was brought in during the injury-fest in January and he was a good fill-in. He didn’t miss a game of his own choice (he saw some healthy scratches), but he did exactly what the Hawks wanted from him, with just being a dependable body to put in the lineup. He was the perfect stopgap, so it didn’t really matter whether he performed well or not, because he was ready and able to play.
Connor Murphy: Worrisome
I’ve always been a big fan of Murphy. He’s hard not to like because of his strong work ethic, honesty with the media, and overall leadership qualities. But he missed 36 games this past season due to a groin and hip-related injury. With the exception of the 2022-23 season (80 games), Murphy hasn’t played over 60 games in the last six seasons. There always seems to be some sort of issue. At 31-year-old, it’s fair to question his durability.
I hope I’m wrong and Murphy can have a bounce-back season in 2024-25.
*Isaak Phillips: Uncertain
Phillips is an interesting case because he has been in the Blackhawks’ system for the past three seasons, and he believed he was ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman. But the coaching staff didn’t think he was there yet, and he spent a lot of time in Rockford. In 33 games this season he was a minus-26. Because of that, I think his future is uncertain with the Blackhawks.
Jarred Tinordi: Bouncer
We have another Coach Richardson-inspired one-worder! It’s a quote from the 2022-23 season, but it applies to this past season as well. Richardson said, “If you owned a bar, you’d hire him as your bouncer. He looks in control and people are unsure and they don’t mess around.”
Tinordi’s fate as a Blackhawk remains unclear, but if the organization doesn’t re-sign him, the team will need to find another enforcer to take his place.
Alex Vlasic: Breakout
We had some fun with this one. I initially wanted to go with Pickle. Then I changed it to long-legs. I mean, come on! You can always tell it’s Vlasic on the ice with that long-legged stride of his. Brooke thought he should be dubbed Exciting, which is certainly true.
But I went with Breakout, because nobody expected Vlasic to be so good so soon. He definitely overachieved, performing much better in his first full season in the league than anyone expected.
The Blackhawk are in good hands (and legs) with Vlasic manning the blue line!
*Nikita Zaitsev: Peculiar
Zaitsev was strange because early in the season there was a point where he was neck and neck with Korchinski in goals for the defense (2). But then he would have times where he would really struggle. He was also in and out of the lineup, and it was a strange season all around for him. He had seven points and was a minus-5 in 38 games.
One Word for the Blackhawks’ Goaltenders
*Petr Mrazek: Rock
I think the word “rock” isn’t enough to describe what Mrazek meant to the Blackhawks this past season. But his teammates, including Bedard, referred to him as the team’s “rock” and they are not wrong. He kept them in games they had no business being in, and even though they finished second-worst in the NHL, it could have been even uglier (if you can believe that) if he wasn’t in net this season.
His rebound year, with a 3.05 GAA (goals-against average) and a .908 SV% (save percentage), gave his team confidence, knowing he was going to make the saves they needed. He deserves a nice, long vacation after the World Championships!
*Arvid Soderblom: Struggle
I don’t know what word to describe Soderblom’s season other than he struggled with his five wins in 29 starts. He had some bright spots, like when he beat the Toronto Maple Leafs twice. But I think he and the organization expected more from him, even though the team in front of him was bad. Coach Richardson even admitted they couldn’t take Mrazek out when Soderblom went five games without playing, which showed some distrust.
Related – Chicago Blackhawks’ 2023-24 Player Grades: Goalies
As of now, his status as a Blackhawks’ goaltender seems to be up-in-the-air.
One Word for Blackhawks’ Management
We have a bonus section for you, and that’s some one-worders for a few members of Blackhawks’ management!
*Kyle Davidson: Proactive
General manager Kyle Davidson likes to take action. Whether it’s making tough decisions, like trading Patrick Kane, or signing players to new contracts, Davidson is always up to something. He just recently re-signed Vlasic, Reichel, and Brett Seney. Whether people agree with his moves or the direction he is taking the team, you can’t say he isn’t proactive. He has a vision and he is sticking to it.
Luke Richardson: Character
Another word with a double meaning goes to the Blackhawks’ bench boss. Richardson is known for his high moral character. Everywhere he’s ever coached players rave about his openness, fairness and treating everyone like family.
But we also know another side of Richardson. He loves a good joke. Remember the exercise and wine gag?! That was his tongue in cheek response to dealing with all the player injuries in January, and he didn’t hesitate to roll with it again before the All-Star break.
Made the mistake of asking Luke Richardson what he plans to do during the All-Star break:
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) January 27, 2024
“Exercise and wine. I’m not kidding, I’m going to Napa Valley.” pic.twitter.com/a52PSDABiV
Yeah, I’d say Richardson has plenty of character, and he makes it fun to cover the Chicago Blackhawks.
Related – Connor Bedard’s Rookie Season Was Anything But a Disappointment
It’s hard to break down each player’s impact with just one word. But that’s what makes it fun! We hope you’ve enjoyed this exercise, while we wait for more news on the draft and free agency front for Chicago. Do you have any suggestions to portray the 2023-24 Blackhawks? Leave your responses in the comments section below, or on whichever platform you come across this article. Thanks for reading!
