After a few surprising post-trade deadline wins, the Chicago Blackhawks have lost eight straight games and are at the bottom of the league standings. However, that doesn’t mean the players have tuned out.
Despite the Blackhawks’ lack of talent, their compete level has been admirable. Sure, there have been some duds, such as their 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on March 28, but the effort has mostly been there, and much of it can be credited to head coach Luke Richardson.
The Blackhawks have six regular-season games left, and whether it’s fighting for a roster spot next season or looking to stay around long-term, this is an important stretch of games for a handful of players. As the first full season under Richardson and general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson comes to an end, here are four Blackhawks who need to end 2022-23 on a high note.
Seth Jones
All things considered, Seth Jones has had a solid second season in Chicago. In the second half, he has played arguably his best hockey with the team. Jones finished January with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) through 13 games. He’s recorded just 11 points (six goals, five assists) since the All-Star Break, including a nine-game pointless drought in March, but staying motivated hasn’t been an issue despite that his contract doesn’t expire until 2030.
These final six games should be invaluable for Jones. The Blackhawks will inevitably need a new captain soon, and while they could wait for the next face of their franchise, Jones could be a good interim option. Even if he doesn’t take the captaincy, though, he’ll still have a greater leadership role next season with more prospects set to arrive along with other new faces via free agency and/or trades.
Jones doesn’t have much left to prove right now; he’s made the most of a tough situation. However, he needs to stay engaged and embrace his role, knowing he’ll be one of Chicago’s longest-tenured players in 2023-24.
Caleb Jones
While it’s all but guaranteed that the older Jones will return next season, that might not be the case for his younger brother. The 25-year-old Caleb is also finishing his second season as a Blackhawk but will become a restricted free agent (RFA) this offseason. Last summer, he signed a one-year, “prove it”-type deal worth $1.35 million and played 67 games this season for 15 points (four goals, 11 assists), matching last season’s career high.
There are pros and cons to bringing Caleb back. He has been relatively effective with Seth on the top pairing, but it’s not a long-term solution. The team also has many prospects who could make the full-time leap next season, such as Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, and Isaak Phillips. That alone could make Jones expendable.
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Now, Davidson has shown patience with developing prospects, so he could opt to re-sign Jones to another one-year deal to help hit the cap floor. He would be a good placeholder; however, he might need to exceed expectations, which he has before, during this final stretch to warrant keeping him or possibly getting a raise from another club.
Anders Bjork
For a bit, it looked like Anders Bjork could have been a diamond-in-the-rough acquisition for Davidson, much like Sam Lafferty. He still could be, too. The Blackhawks acquired the depth forward from the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, who had played in just one NHL game this season. The Wisconsin native then made a great first impression on his new club, recording three assists in the Blackhawks’ 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on March 6.
Bjork then suffered a groin injury on March 10 before returning to the lineup on March 26 against the Vancouver Canucks. He has gone pointless in six games since his three-assist outing, despite seeing top-line time with Lukas Reichel and Andreas Athanasiou.
There are things to like about the 26-year-old’s game as he finishes his sixth NHL season. He has good speed and playmaking ability. While the Sabres might consider the trade a cap dump, Bjork doesn’t seem like the kind of player the Blackhawks would acquire just to take on his contract. He has traits Davidson is looking for when the team finally becomes competitive.
Bjork will become an RFA this offseason, and like the younger Jones, there are reasons to bring him back. He could slot in nicely in the middle- or bottom-six and maybe even become a trade chip. Chicago has the cap space to re-sign him for, say, another season, but these remaining six games should be telling. A little more consistency wouldn’t hurt, either.
Taylor Raddysh
It’s hard to be unhappy with Taylor Raddysh’s performance this season. As he finishes his second full NHL campaign, he leads the Blackhawks in points (37) and goals (20) while also ranking second in shooting percentage (16.3%) behind Jonathan Toews. Not bad for someone who recorded just 12 points in his first 53 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning before coming to Chicago in March 2022. He arguably has the Blackhawks’ best-value contract, too, with one more season left at $758,333 before becoming an RFA in 2024.
Having said that, consistency has been an issue. Raddysh recorded 10 points (four goals, six assists) through 13 games in January, but he then posted just two assists through 12 games in February. He also went on a 15-game goalless drought post-All-Star Break before scoring two goals in the Blackhawks’ 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on March 8.
After an impressive four-game stretch last month in which he recorded seven points (six goals, one assist) through four games, including his first career hat trick, Raddysh went quiet again. He was pointless in seven games before tallying four combined assists in the Blackhawks’ last two matchups, a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues (March 30) and a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils (April 1).
At this point, Raddysh will almost certainly have a top-six role next season, barring a trade. There are reasons for him to stay long-term, most notably his skill and offensive instincts, and by no means does he have to be a point-per-game player to thrive. But his hot-and-cold streaks have been concerning, period. His future could be uncertain when he becomes an RFA; if the team hopes for him to stay long-term right now, ending this season effectively could go a long way.
The Blackhawks are playing for more than just pride as the season ends, even if they don’t improve in the standings. Jobs are on the line, while younger players such as Reichel will be looking to make a statement before heading down to the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Rockford IceHogs’ playoff run. Although these four players all have different futures, they face the most pressure to end the season strong.
