The preseason is in full swing for the Chicago Blackhawks. Veterans and newcomers alike are trying to find their way and fulfill their role with this young looking team. We know Nick Foligno is the Blackhawks' 35th captain in franchise history, and Connor Bedard was given the opportunity to begin his second season in the NHL. The Blackhawks are trying to take that next step in the rebuild. Individually, several players did not have a great 2023-24 campaign, and they are looking to rectify that as the 2024-25 season begins. Let's take a look at four players who are looking to bounce back seasons.
Murphy Wants More
When Connor Murphy is at his best, he is a shutdown defender with a lot of aggression. He is known for his big hits and blocking shots, and generally getting under the opponent's skin. In short, he embodies what the group sees as its identity; to be difficult to play against. At 31 years old and with seven seasons in Chicago under his belt, Murphy is a veteran and a leader on the team. He has also sported another captain's “A” on his jersey for the past three seasons, and will do so again this season.
That's why Murphy will be the first to tell you that he was disappointed in last season's campaign. To be fair, the player from Boston Massachusetts suffered a serious injury last year that kept him out of the lineup since Jan. 16 to April 12. He suited up for three tournaments at the end of the season, but that was just because. his pride and finding players of the game before the start of the season.
At first Murphy thought he was dealing with minor hip problems. But osteitis pubic injury appeared, which is pain and inflammation of the groin and surrounding areas. He kept thinking his symptoms were going down, but as soon as he started putting together his tests it would flare up again.
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Dealing with injuries is nothing new for the veteran blueliner. In his seven seasons with the Blackhawks, Murphy has played in more than 58 games just twice. But last season was worse; he played only 46 games, registering two goals and eight points.
Interestingly, the previous 2022-23 campaign was one of Murphy's clinical ones. He suited up for 80 games, contributing seven goals, 13 points, 160 blocked shots (first on the team) and 165 hits (second on the team).
Can Murphy stay healthy this season, and replicate his strong campaign of the past two seasons? I'm sure you hope so. Outside of the 2019-20 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble, Murphy has never participated in the postseason in his 11 years in the league. I'm sure with an improved Blackhawks team, he wants to see the playoffs with Chicago before his contract expires at the end of 2025-26.
Athanasiou Aims for Excellence
Here is another player who was dealing with injuries last season. Andreas Athanasiou suited up for just 28 games in 2023-24, recording just two goals and nine points. Considering he was the best offensive player in the 2022-23 season (20 goals and 40 points), this was a tough pill to swallow.
Like Murphy, Athanasio dealt with groin and hip injuries that kept him out of the lineup from Nov. 9 to Mar. 12, a season of 53 games. Before the injury, he had a slow start to the season, managing just four assists in 11 games. When he returned in March, the striker once again had a hard time finding his groove. When interviewed in early April, Athanasiou admitted that.
When you sit outside that long, there's a little new feeling, coming back and playing. I had good opportunities in other sports. [I’m] just building in all the snow areas.
The 30-year-old player has always been known for his speed. He said he had “a lot in the tank” when he returned last season, indicating he may not have been 100%. When healthy, it's amazing to watch Athanasiou use his speed to create breakaway after breakaway. But in all those chances, he seems to hit only a few. That's what's so annoying about this fast forward. He creates a lot of chances, but he can't finish. He's looked healthy and fast this training camp, so maybe this can finally be fixed.
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Head coach Luke Richardson also tried playing center Athanasiou at the end of last season, which was successful. If he can come out of training camp strong, I could see Athanasiou taking the second center spot. In this situation, he will also benefit from talented teammates to match his speed, hopefully leading to more goals and more success.
The forward will also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, which means he will want to play well in order to earn a new contract, either in Chicago or elsewhere.
Hall Hope for Life
Let's move on to Taylor Hall, another player who had his share of injuries last season. Hall's was the worst; he only suited up for 10 games before undergoing ACL surgery on his right knee, ending his season.
As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Hall was brought in last season to mentor Bedard and his teammates. Well, we all know that didn't come to pass. But Hall has actually been paired with Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi so far in training camp. While it's too early to tell if that will be the top line on opening night, it seems like Hall is getting every opportunity to pick up where he left off last season.
Now, the 32-year-old has a lot going against him. It's hard at any age to recover and get back in shape from a knee injury, especially if you're 32. Can Hall bounce back quickly, or will it take time for him to get up to speed again? He also went straight to his 15thth year in the league, including five playoff appearances. While he brings a lot of experience to the table, that also takes a toll on the body.
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Like Athanasiou, Hall will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so he will want to perform well to earn another contract. Hall will be hoping, first, to stay healthy, and to bounce back and contribute at the same level he has in the past.
Reichel is Ready to Break Up
Although the theme has been injuries so far with players needing to return, Lukas Reichel cannot use this as an excuse. He just had a bad season in 2023-24. As the 17th A 2020 overall draft pick of the Blackhawks, Reichel entered the league with a high pedigree. He was deployed as a second-line center last season, behind the young Bedard on the first line. Hopes were high for Reichel, the coaching staff placed him in this position among the six.
Well, he didn't take the playing field. Eventually, he was moved to the wing. But by this point, Reichel had lost any mojo she might have had to begin with. He didn't score his first goal until Nov. 16, and that was man's profit. The Blackhawks weren't sure what to do to help Reichel regain his confidence. They ended up sending him down to the Rockford IceHogs in February for a reunion.
When Reichel returned to the big club in late March, he looked rejuvenated, but it didn't translate to the score sheet. He finished the campaign with five goals and 11 points in 65 games.
In an effort to turn things around this offseason, the 22-year-old changed his approach this offseason. He returned to ice training immediately, working to gain more strength. In an effort to be more competitive, Reichel worked on trials against his brother, whom Reichel described as “big and strong”.
The German is also taking a page out of Patrick Kane's book to improve his football by using his legs more. He said,
If you look [Connor Bedard]his upper body is very strong. He does it with his upper body. I have to do it as – if you look [Patrick Kane]he said to step on the gun because he has the power down here. So using my legs to get a better and heavier shot.
Let's hope all of these things work out for Reichel, because this sounds like a make-it-or-break season for the young player. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson made that clear with this statement.
My expectation is that he will compete hard for a place in the top six, and we have bodies, so he will have to earn that. He has to step in and take that role. It's on him, somehow. We don't want him playing on the fourth line or anything like that, but he's been around enough to know what's expected and what the NHL needs from a consistency standpoint.
Ideally, Reichel has been lining up with Philipp Kurashev and Teuvo Teravainen so far in training camp. Reichel is good friends with Kurashev and the two have had some success on the ice together in the past. With Teravainen as a player on the other wing, this could translate into a campaign for Reichel.
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The Blackhawks are still dealing with a lot of questions as training camp continues. The first exhibition game will take place on Wednesday, September 25, when the Blackhawks will host the Detroit Red Wings. Their first contest in the 2024-25 regular season will be on Oct. 8, against the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City. Can the above players combine seasons? We'll find out soon enough.
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