The Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of a rebuild. But the Original Six team, a storied franchise with a winning pedigree, will not allow it to last much longer nor allow subpar results to be ingrained into the team’s identity and culture, proven by head coach Luke Richardson’s fearless and deliberate healthy scratches.
There’s a fine line between holding players accountable and over-punishing them to the point of discouragement. But Richardson knows how to walk that line. While some have questioned his decisions, player who have been scratched have responded with improved play and a commitment to the standards the team is enforcing. Both are positive signs for the Blackhawks as they continue to rebuild.
Richardson Holds Same Standard for Everyone
Eleven different Blackhawks have been scratched this season: Andreas Athanasiou (10 games), Joey Anderson (9), Isaak Phillips (5), TJ Brodie (4), Lukas Reichel (4), Nolan Allan (3), Craig Smith (2), Patrick Maroon (2), Ryan Donato (1), Ilya Mikheyev (1), and Philipp Kurashev (1).
That is a wide-ranging list that includes young players like Reichel and Allan and depth veterans like Brodie and Maroon. Even a top-six forward like Kurashev, who was scratched toward the end of October, was not exempt, while Maroon and Donato, who have spent time in bottom-six roles, have also been on the receiving end of the head coach attempting to instill a standard of excellence.
Athanasiou, however, has borne the brunt of these healthy scratches, suiting up for only five games this season. After placing him on waivers yesterday, management has shown that they will not let skill or a paycheck (Athanasiou carries a $4.25 million cap hit) protect players from being scratched.
Every Blackhawks’ performance must meet the standards Richardson and general manager Kyle Davidson have established. Of course, arguments will ensue over whether or not they have made the right decision in scratching one while playing another, but that is healthy (pun intended) and expected. The more difficult argument is whether any player is exempt. There have even been rumblings about Teuvo Teravainen being demoted down the lineup after struggling for a 10-game stretch.
Is the Blackhawks’ Approach Working?
If by working we mean winning, then the answer is no. The Blackhawks are 6-9-1 and 27th in the overall standings. If, however, we mean pushing players to excel and establishing a culture that demands excellence and promotes competition, the answer is yes.
Reichel, for example, did not make his season debut until Oct. 15, four games into the campaign. Everyone and their mothers knew that Richardson and Davidson expected more from him this season. Unfortunately, they did not see enough in training camp to warrant him making the opening-night roster. However, since missing those first four games, he has notched one goal and six points in 12 games.
Related: Blackhawks’ Lukas Reichel Finally Finding His Way
Before the season, Richardson did not necessarily need offensive production for Reichel to solidify his place in the lineup. “He still needs to have a little more production. I don’t mean goals and assists; it just means opportunities on the net. It’s just creating a little more with that speed and at the right times,” Richardson told Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio before the first game of the season. Reichel has met Richardson’s demands by generating offense and competing. He has not missed a game since.
How about a player like Donato? He made the roster to start the season but registered one point in three games before finding himself a spectator on Oct. 15. That did not sit well with Donato. He returned to the lineup with something to prove and has scored six goals and five assists in 11 games since. He has even earned first-line minutes and power-play time.
Donato had plenty of motivation before the season, playing on an expiring contract and becoming a father have provided some fuel. But being scratched from the lineup has pushed him to a new level. “I put in a lot of work this summer. I came in with the expectation that I was going just to work my hardest and give it my best. Everything else finds a way to figure itself out. It’s obviously been fun this year, but I still think I have a lot more to give,” he told reporters earlier this month. While he appears calm and collected, remaining adamant that his consistent work ethic is paying off, there is no denying he has elevated his game since being scratched.
A top-line player like Kurashev has also affirmed Richardson’s approach. After an impressive 54-point campaign last season, he has struggled to produce in 2024-25, with three goals and four points in 15 games. His play was so poor that Richardson scratched him on Oct. 22 against the Vancouver Canucks. He had registered one goal before that game.
Kurashev has not rebounded like Donato or Reichel, but he did score the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. He has three points in nine games since returning to the lineup. More importantly, the communication between Richardson and Kurashev has remained open. Concerning his decision to pull Kurashev, Richardson said:
To me, he’s a guy that I’ve gotten used to counting on, and he can’t play the way he did the last game for me to continue to count on him like that. I know he’ll use it as a bit of a wake-up call and be better.
The message was received. “Doesn’t matter (what’s) fair. Life is not fair. You just go how it comes. It was me, so I take it like it is, and I give my best next time,” Kurashev told Scott Powers at The Athletic.
Young defenseman Allan has not been scratched since Oct. 15, having earned Richardson’s trust since. Even a depth veteran forward like Smith has played consistently well enough (four goals, two assists) to maintain his spot since he was last scratched on Oct. 12. Other players like Brodie and Phillips, who have not found that consistency, continue to bounce in and out of games. We can debate whether or not Richardson is making the right decision every game based on the standard, but there is a standard.
Sign of New Blackhawks Era Coming
While rebuilds can be tough to digest, how the Blackhawks’ coaching staff and management are enforcing a high standard is a positive sign of what’s to come. It may take a few more seasons; a winning culture is not built overnight but begins with accountability and a demand for excellence. We are seeing that communicated and applied this season. The players must decide how to respond to the challenge.
