There have been many frustrations for the Chicago Blackhawks so far in the month of November. Instead of getting into a groove and becoming better as they go along, the team seems to be finding new ways to struggle every day. The Hawks have now lost four of their last five games, and have scored just one regulation goal in those five games. This team was supposed to be better this season. But right now, nothing is going their way. So, what gives? Let’s empty out the notebook and get some things off our chests.
Jones Placed on Injured Reserve
The most recent blow for the Blackhawks is the loss of their top defenseman, Seth Jones. The 30-year-old sustained a right foot injury in the third period of the Seattle Kraken game (Nov. 14) while blocking a shot. Jones finished the game, but it was announced before the contest against the Vancouver Canucks (Nov. 16) that the blueliner was being placed on injured reserve.
"He's going to be put on IR this afternoon with a foot, I think his right foot, but we won't really know anymore on that until we get home and get more in-depth evaluation."
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) November 16, 2024
–Luke Richardson on Seth Jones being placed on injured reserve pic.twitter.com/5f81BnC2Z3
This means Jones will have to miss at least one week of time, which includes three games. But it sounds like it will be even longer. Many fans have a love/hate relationship with Jones, mostly because of his mega 8-year contract with an average annual salary of $9.5 million. While this kind of pay and term is basically impossible for Jones to live up to, his laid-back and relatively quiet demeanor doesn’t exactly do him any favors either. Fans tend to get the impression he doesn’t care enough, or that he’s a negative influence on the team.
Related – Blackhawks’ Seth Jones Starting to Look Like Himself
But Jones does wear the “A” for alternative captain on his sweater, so it’s hard to believe any of this is true. His is just a different leadership style. Regardless of any of this, the veteran is a very integral member of the Blackhawks on the ice. He leads the entire league (never mind the Blackhawks) in ice time, averaging 25:43 minutes a night. This includes contributing important minutes in five-on-five play, as well as on the penalty kill and the power play (as the quarterback of top PP unit). Jones is also currently third on the team with 10 points.
Long story short, it’s going to be tough to fill Jones’ contributions and heavy minutes. For some reference, when Jones was out last season for 15 games with a shoulder injury, the Blackhawks went 3-11-1 and had a goal differential of -30 in that stretch.
Blackhawks’ Defensive Depth
Some credit should be given where it’s due. The Blackhawks’ defense is a work in progress, but they certainly haven’t been the main problem for this team. Veteran Alec Martinez was out for 12 games with a groin injury, but young defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Nolan Allan have stepped up admirably in his absence. Alex Vlasic has been just as good, if not better, than he was last season. Veteran Connor Murphy is healthy and playing his role of a shutdown defenseman. T.J. Brodie has been a bit of a liability, but Isaak Phillips has filled in quite well when needed.
The good news is Martinez is back now, so he should be able to step in to pick up some of the slack with Jones out. Louis Crevier has been called up from the IceHogs, since he is one of the only right-handed shot defensemen (the same as Jones) in the system for the Blackhawks. It should be noted that when Jones was out last season, Vlasic (6-foot-6) & Crevier (6-foot-8) did an admirable job as a top D-pairing.
Can the youngsters and the vets hold down the fort while Jones is out? It will be a good measuring stick for all of them.
Hall the Latest Victim of a Healthy Scratch
Let’s get down to the next order of business. Head coach Luke Richardson hasn’t hesitated to utilize his plethora of healthy forwards to his advantage, by sending messages up and down the lineup that no one is safe from scrutiny when it comes to their play and competitiveness.
Related – Chicago Blackhawks Establishing Higher Standard With Healthy Scratches
Lukas Reichel was scratched for the first four games of the season, and then has played mostly on the fourth line. 30-year-old Andreas Athanasiou only suited up for five games before he was eventually put on waivers and then sent down to the Rockford IceHogs. Other veterans Ryan Donato and Craig Smith both sat for two games, as did Ilya Mikheyev and Patrick Maroon. Joey Anderson has just recently been inserted back into the lineup after sitting nine games altogether. Shucks, even Phillip Kurashev was scratched for a game.
The latest victim of a healthy scratch is former MVP Taylor Hall, who didn’t play on Saturday night in the 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Here was Richardson’s explanation of Hall sitting,
Players want to play, and I totally understand that. But that’s just a decision that we feel (will) help the player. … So hopefully we can get a couple good (days) on the ice for him, feeling good with the puck and playing like Taylor Hall plays — skating up and down the ice with the puck and recovering pucks in the O-zone and moving his feet and getting lots of opportunities. Our team didn’t do a great job getting through the neutral zone as a team last game, so that takes away from a guy like him’s game. It’s me personally thinking that’s a good plan for the next week. I know the player disagrees, but sometimes that happens.
(from ‘Blackhawks’ Seth Jones head to IR, former NHL MVP benched’, The AthleticCHI – 11/16/2024)
It doesn’t seem like Hall is really the problem, but the coaching staff is sending the message that they want more from the veteran. Tyler Bertuzzi is another veteran that’s struggling, and didn’t have the best game against the Canucks. Is he next on the list?
The Blackhawks’ Line Blender & Coaching
The Blackhawks are underperforming; there’s no question about that. When this happens, everyone is under scrutiny, including the coaching staff. Has Richardson lost the room? Why aren’t the players responding to him as expected?
Richardson did such an admirable job his first two seasons by keeping the Blackhawks competitive, despite the fact they weren’t a very talented team. But this season they were supposed to take the next step, with the improved personnel that was added during the offseason. Things just aren’t clicking. Richardson isn’t exactly sure what more he can do from the sidelines.
Luke Richardson said he doesn't think any systemic adjustments would fix this Blackhawks scoring drought.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 17, 2024
"There’s not really much we can do. We can’t start seaming passes. I don’t think we have the guys that are the strong J.T. Millers of the world… With our group makeup…
It’s true, there is only so much Richardson and company can do. The players need to execute, and they just haven’t been doing that on a consistent basis. But I believe one thing the coaching staff CAN do is keep the forward lines together a little longer. In an effort to find the best combinations, Richardson has been tweaking the forward lines almost every game. But this doesn’t give the players a chance to get used to each other’s tendencies on the ice.
Give the players a chance to develop some chemistry, and things might start clicking offensively. It takes more time to gel than just one or two games, which the players simply haven’t had with all the movement by the coaching staff.
Bedard’s Lack of Production
Moving on, let’s address the elephant in the room. Connor Bedard is currently in the biggest offensive slump of his young career, going without a goal for nine straight games, and without a point for three straight games. Bedard’s only been credited with one shot on goal in three of the last four contests, with the exception being against the Minnesota Wild (Nov. 10) where he registered a mere two shots on goal. The 19-year-old’s confidence is at an all-time low. There’s just been so much pressure on this young kid. I think it’s finally starting to catch up to him.
As an example, in the most recent tilt against the Canucks (Nov. 16), Bedard deferred to linemate Ryan Donato and then once again to defenseman Kaiser instead of taking the shot. This just wouldn’t have happened if Bedard was feeling the confidence he had when he came into the league. Said Richardson,
He’s maybe holding onto the puck a little too long and looking for something better. We try to encourage him to shoot the puck. He’s an elusive shooter. If we can get him skating and shooting the puck on the fly, I think that’s when he’s the most dangerous.
To repeat my point from above, consistent linemates could be helpful. And just north and south play is being preached, but not executed. Most of the Blackhawks (including Bedard) are guilty of trying to be too cute with their plays, instead of just being aggressive and playing a simple, straightforward game.
Related – Blackhawks Prospect Report: Levshunov, Nazar & More
Heck, if Bedard can’t bounce back soon, I wouldn’t put it past Richardson to bench even him for a game or two. Bedard would absolutely hate that, but could it be to his advantage in the long run?
Some Perspective on the State of the Blackhawks
On one final note, let’s remember that this is still a rebuilding team. Yes, the Blackhawks were supposed to be better this season than they’re currently showing. But we also have to look at the big picture. We’re only 18 games into an 82-game season. The Blackhawks are not a playoff team, so maybe this is the time to be going through these growing pains. To be learning the hard lessons; facing adversity and building off of it, in an attempt to be better in the long run.
Maybe now is when Reichel needs to find his two-way game. When Bedard realizes for the first time in his life everything isn’t going to come easily. Now is when the young defensemen realize they really can hold their own. And now is when the organization sees which veterans are the right ones to truly help the youngsters find their way.
Think about it this way. Every time the coaching staff makes a questionable decision, ask yourself; is this for the good right now or is this for the good of the future? If it’s the later, then it’s probably the right decision. We should all remember to keep this perspective throughout the season. After all, it’s the long term that’s much more important than the here and now.
Related – Blackhawks Notebook: Hall, Levshunov, Reichel, 2nd Line Center & More
Well, none of the above words are helping the Blackhawks to win games, and everyone is frustrated. The Blackhawks’ current record is 6-11-1. They’re without their top defenseman for the foreseeable future, their young superstar is in a rut, players are being scratched left and right, and the coaching staff doesn’t seem to be helping matters.
But this is an attempt to understand the situation and move forward, which is really all we can do. I truly believe the Blackhawks are on their way to being a better team. One step forward, two steps back. They’re going to get there. We just might have to be even more patient than we anticipated.
