Christmas is over and it’s back to the old grind for most of us. Some of you might be lucky enough to have some extra time off between Christmas and New Year’s. The Chicago Blackhawks ended their three-day holiday break on Friday (Dec. 27) when they faced the Buffalo Sabres. Yeah, that wasn’t pretty. The Blackhawks suffered a 6-2 loss.
But the show must go on. The team will host the Dallas Stars on Sunday (Dec. 29), and they’re also looking forward to the Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve, when they play the St. Louis Blues at historic Wrigley field.
We here at The Hockey Writer’s thought it would be good to get back into the hockey groove with a roundtable edition, something we haven’t done in quite a while. After all, there’s plenty of questions to ponder with these struggling Blackhawks. Today our crew of Brooke LoFurno, Hunter Crowther, Jim Bay and myself will weigh in on some important topics surrounding the Blackhawks as they head into the new year.
We’ll start with a player that’s elicited plenty of controversy ever since he joined the Blackhawks, that being forward Lukas Reichel. The 17th overall pick from the 2020 draft hasn’t exactly progressed as planned. Some feel this could be due to circumspect treatment from former head coach Luke Richardson. Others say Reichel might just be taking longer to develop than others.
Regardless, the 22-year-old German forward is currently still playing on the Blackhawks’ fourth line, even with the coaching change to Anders Sorensen. By the way, Reichel’s speed and aggressive play helped lead to a goal by Seth Jones in the most recent contest versus the Sabres (Reichel was credited with the secondary assist). Which begs the question; should Reichel be moved up in the lineup, or do you agree with his current deployment on the fourth line?
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Brooke: I have mixed feelings about Reichel on the fourth line. On one end, he has great chemistry with Pat Maroon and Craig Smith (before his back injury), so it’s hard to justify splitting up what works. However, general manager Kyle Davidson said he expects Reichel to compete for a top-six role. Playing with Maroon and Smith will not give him that big production, even though they have been good influences on Reichel.
Therefore, it is worth trying him on the top lines again, and for more than just a few shifts. They have nothing to lose by doing so. Although Reichel has been streaky, he has been better this season, and maybe he would look different in the top six in the Sorensen era.
Hunter: If I’m being honest, I don’t want him in either the top-six forward corps or the fourth line — ideally, he’d spend more time in Rockford, but he’s no longer waiver exempt. I’d say it’s worth the risk to send him down, but knowing this league, there’s at least one team that’s thinking, “I can fix him.”
He’s only 22, but he’s coming up on 250 professional games, and that doesn’t include two full seasons in Germany’s top domestic league. In a season already lost, if they fear they’ll lose him on waivers, put him in the top-six group and give him power play time. There’s no benefit to playing 11 minutes a game.
Jim: For now, I would leave Reichel on the fourth line. But as Sorenson gets more comfortable as a head coach, he needs to move Reichel up, if only to give him and the Blackhawks’ organization a chance to see what he can do under a different head coach.
Gail: Let me start by saying that I LOVE the chemistry and leadership Maroon and Smith have offered to Reichel. He wouldn’t be back in the mix if it wasn’t for these veterans showing him the way and boosting his confidence.
But the team is losing and the Blackhawks need to change things up. Reichel played with Philipp Kurashev in the most recent contest versus the Sabres (albeit on the fourth line after Kurashev had been scratched for four games). Nevertheless, the two generated some chances, which I think Reichel could do more of if he could play with more talented players on a consistent basis.
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Reichel with Connor Bedard has already been tried, without much success. But what about putting Reichel on the second line with Frank Nazar? Perhaps he replaces Nick Foligno while Foligno slots down in the lineup. The future is the youngsters, and we might as well use this lost season to see who gels with who. Or, to see if Reichel is truly a bust.
Let’s move on to coaching. The Blackhawks have responded well to their new coach, but it hasn’t exactly shown in their record. They’re 4-6-0 so far since Coach Sorensen took over on Dec. 6. What’s impressed you so far from the changes the interim head coach is trying to make?
Brooke: Although we are not players in the locker room, something that seems prevalent is Sorensen’s “tough love” approach with the team. He seems like he tells them what they need to hear and encourages them to say their piece, as well. Like Reichel said about Sorensen, “He’s honest with me. I’m honest with him.” Communication and honesty are needed for a developing team, and hopefully, that will benefit them.
Hunter: One thing that stood out is the team’s focus on the forecheck. Increased pressure on defenders in the opposing zone has led to more scoring chances from the likes of Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev, players who struggled mightily at times under former head coach Richardson. There’s still the occasional bad giveaway or moment that makes you wonder, “What the hell was that?!”, but the change in style is both more entertaining for those watching the games and generates more opportunities for those playing it.
Jim: What I like about Sorensen is that he is not afraid to challenge the entire locker room, like he did when they lost to the Minnesota Wild. Before when the games were close, the Hawks would sometimes play very defensively and that would usually lead to a loss. Sorensen has the Blackhawks playing more offensively in close games.
Gail: I love that Sorensen is encouraging the defenseman to be more aggressive and part of the offensive push. He’s tasking them with joining the rush whenever possible. It’s obvious the D-men are loving this new-found freedom. Since Sorensen took over, defensemen have accounted for seven of the Blackhawks’ 29 goals in the last 10 games. Furthermore, they’ve accounted for eight assists.
Sure, there have definitely still been a lot of defensive breakdowns that have led to goals against. There is certainly a balance between preventing goals and helping to score goals. But this team was struggling offensively, and this change was needed. The personnel is such that this could work out in the long run. If the Blackhawks can just find that balance between scoring and shutting down the opponent.
Here’s a bit more of an overarching question. The Blackhawks have had a number of important contributors this season; some more of a surprise than others. Who would you say is the most underrated player for the Hawks so far this season?
Brooke: Since I just wrote a story on him, I’ll say Mikheyev has been underrated for the Blackhawks. Even though he wasn’t scoring to start, he was probably one of the best defensive forwards on the team, and he has been a “plus” all year (currently a plus-3). For a last-place team, that is pretty good. I didn’t expect him to go on his recent four-game goal streak, either. He has been a pleasant surprise on depth production.
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Hunter: It feels weird to call a Hart Trophy winner underrated, but I think Hall’s game has been overlooked in 2024-25. He struggled to produce at the start of the season, scoring just twice in the first 20 games and being healthy scratched for the first time in his 15-year career.
But since scoring a hat trick Nov. 27 against the Dallas Stars, Hall has been on fire, scoring five times and adding eight assists for 13 points in his last 15 games. Beyond the actual production, his 48.6 percent even-strength Corsi is second among forwards and is second among all players in takeaways, with 19. He’ll likely be dealt at the trade deadline, but it’s been refreshing watching Hall improve in the last month.
Jim: The list is long on this one but I am going with Connor Murphy. He has already matched his highest point total in years (currently 13 points) and is a minus-1 this season after going -14, -10, and -19 the last three seasons.
Gail: I’m going to have to go with forward/center Ryan Donato. The 28-year-old was slated as a fringe player during training camp this season. But now he’s tied for the team lead in goals (11) and is playing on the Blackhawks’ second line. This guy is the epitome of a player that gives 100% on the ice every single shift. Coach Sorensen referred to him as a “dog on a bone”, and Donato’s playing style is the perfect example to the youngsters. It would be great if Donato was re-signed in the offseason, but he could just as easily be traded to a contender at the trade deadline.
Finally, the NHL trade deadline is coming up on March 7, 2025. The Blackhawks are obviously not in the playoff hunt, and will be sellers again as they look to improve their team for the 2025-26 season. Who should GM Davidson and the Blackhawks be open to moving at the trade deadline?
Brooke: I know the Blackhawks have a lot of “trade bait” players on expiring deals, but I can’t help but think of Murphy. He is probably having one of his best seasons in a while, and more importantly, he is healthy. Elliotte Friedman reported in April that there was interest from other teams on Murphy last season, but then he got hurt. I don’t know how eager the Hawks are to move him since he’s such a big part of the defense/team. But I wonder if they might entertain it, especially if his trade value is higher.
Murphy does have a 10-team no trade clause, and his contract ends in 2026, but it presents an interesting hypothetical. If a playoff team came calling, would Murphy want to leave his longtime home, considering he has never had a true playoff experience? (aside from the 2020 playoff bubble). Yet, he does love Chicago, and the Blackhawks love him just as much. Tough call.
Hunter: As I mentioned earlier, Hall will likely be moved ahead of the deadline, and if his production increases in the new year, the Blackhawks could eat half of his $6 million salary and fetch them a decent draft pick. Smith is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and his quiet production could be attractive for teams looking for bottom-six depth. Donato has been one of the team’s best players and will be a UFA this summer, but I think he would be worth re-signing, considering this team needs actual NHL players to play going forward.
Jim: I think the Hawks should be open to moving players and/or picks before the trade deadline. I personally think the time to stockpile draft picks should be coming to a close. You could see what unrestricted free agents like Hall, Donato or Maroon could get in return for a contender, but I also think that teams looking to shed cap space would also make good trade partners.
I would also like to see the Hawks get involved in the Rangers fire sale. There is a lot of young talent on that team that may be traded and the price should be right, even for someone like Alexis Lafreniere.
Gail: I really hate to say this, because I would LOVE to see him re-signed with the Blackhawks. But like I already mentioned above, Donato would be a great pick up for a contending team. If the Blackhawks’ brass can get a good return for him, I’m sure they’ll pull the trigger. But I could also envision him as part of this team’s future.
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Will Reichel have an opportunity to move up in the lineup? Can Coach Sorensen keep pushing the right buttons and bring the Blackhawks some more wins? What players will step up in 2025, or continue to do their part? And just who might the Blackhawks lose at the Mar. 7 trade deadline? We will know the answer to these and more questions as the season progresses.
Feel free to weigh in on these and any other questions you might have about the Blackhawks! Our crew loves to interact with the fans as we all try to make the most of this 2024-25 season.
