The Chicago Blackhawks are officially 11 games into their 2024-25 campaign, as we also reach the end of October and head into November. The team is an unfortunate 3-7-1 so far on the season, which is tied with the Nashville Predators for last in the league. It seems like such a bad record considering how the Blackhawks have been playing. Yes, I know it’s hard to put things into perspective after so many losses. But the team is working hard on gelling and playing together as a group. There’s obviously still more work to be done. But a few players deserve some extra kudos for their efforts. Who has stood out so far at the beginning of this campaign? Let’s select the three top stars from October.
No. 3 Star: Defenseman Seth Jones
Seth Jones gets a bad wrap for his mega contract. And he’s out on the ice so much he’s bound to end up on the wrong side of a lot of goals. But I’d like to give the 30-year-old some credit for an excellent start to this 2024-25 campaign.
He didn’t sign up for a rebuild. But he really has no choice but to embrace the issue at hand. Jones has done his part so far this season, touting a goal and six assists in the first 11 games. His six helpers forms a three-way tie for the team high (along with Connor Bedard and Connor Murphy). Jones’s seven points is also a three-way tie for second place on the team (Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato).
It’s a given that Jones leads the way in ice time, averaging 25:41 minutes a night. This is over three minutes more than second-place Alex Vlasic (22:18 ATOI). But what stands out to me is that Jones, as a defenseman mind you, is second on the team with 30 shots on goal (Bedard has 37 and Taylor Hall has 26).
Related – Blackhawks’ Seth Jones Starting to Look Like Himself
I could go on. But I’ll leave that up to Hunter, who recently did a feature (linked above) on Jones’s strong start to the season.
No. 2 Star: Defenseman Alex Vlasic
Yes, two of our stars this month are defensemen. After all, the Blackhawks’ offense (with the exception of my No. 1 Star) could use some help right now. Alex Vlasic had a breakout campaign last season, showing he most certainly belonged in the NHL as a top shutdown defenseman. His rangy 6-foot-6 frame and long arms and legs give him a big reach and lengthy strides. That allows him to cover a lot of ground on the ice, and win a lot of puck battles. Vlasic currently leads the team with 11 takeaways and 27 blocked shots. He’s second on the team in ice time, averaging 22:18 minutes per night (Jones is at 25:41 minutes). He’s also second only to Jones in penalty kill time, with 30:14 minutes (Jones has 30:32 minutes), as well as being utilized as the quarterback on the second power play unit.
The Wilmette, IL native is already defensively sound, so now he’s working on the offensive side to his game. It’s coming along quite nicely. Vlasic focused in the offseason on his slapshot, and shooting harder and more frequently. But one thing I’ve noticed is Vlasic’s ability to find his teammates to create scoring chances and goals. He already has five assists in his first 11 games, four of them being primary. Here’s my favorite:
Connor Bedard scores his second goal of the season after a beautiful pass from Alex Vlasic. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/D0rwMhSbDQ
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 26, 2024
Vlasic doesn’t hesitate, and pulls off a beautiful pass to Bedard right in the middle of the ice. If Vlasic can maintain his strong defensive game and continue to progress in his offensive game, then the Blackhawks are truly going to have a stud on their blue line.
No. 1 Star: Forward Ryan Donato
He may just be considered a depth forward, but that’s exactly why Ryan Donato should be credited for his season start with the No. 1 Star. This is a guy who was considered a bubble player headed into training camp, based on the plethora of offseason additions at the forward position. He was even a healthy scratch two times early in the season, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 17 (against the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks, respectively).
Despite all that, Donato is currently leading the team with six goals through his first nine games. Add a primary assist in there, and the 28-year-old forward is tied for second on the team with seven points. He’s also second on the team with 22 hits (Nick Foligno has 38). Considering Donato has played in two less games than the other point and stat leaders, this is even more commendable. And, he’s accomplished all this while averaging just 12:22 minutes of ice time. This is a man that’s making the most of his playing time.
Related – Blackhawks’ Ryan Donato Seeking Long-Term Contract to Stay in Chicago
Donato started out the season on the fourth line. But since his two healthy scratches, he’s primarily been deployed on the right wing of the third line, alongside Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev. This is the team’s checking line, often tasked with taking on the opponent’s top lines. Donato is a scrappy player that doesn’t hesitate to go to the hard areas of the ice, so this line fits his style of play perfectly! Also, there’s been no shortage of effort from the gritty forward night in and night out.
In the recent 5-2 over the Colorado Avalanche, Donato had an especially good game, racking up two goals and an assist. Head coach Luke Richardson expressed his appreciation for Donato’s strong play.
“I'm glad to see him get rewarded with a couple goals tonight because he goes to those hard areas. He's bleeding out of the nose and the lip and he's coming to the bench smiling because he's got a goal.”
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) October 29, 2024
—Luke Richardson on Ryan Donato pic.twitter.com/YUxf1Otd8S
It’s great to see a depth player contributing like Donato has through this first stretch of the season. Hopefully he can keep up the good work!
Related – Blackhawks Notebook: Hall, Levshunov, Reichel, 2nd Line Center & More
The Blackhawks now flip the calendar to November, with 12 more games on tap. The above players earned the three stars of October, but others will surely step up as the season goes along. Who will be next?
