Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks
Updated: Oct 4, 2022
Conference: Western
Division: Central
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Offseason
Additions: Andreas Athanasiou, Max Domi, Colin Blackwell, Jack Johnson, Petr Mrazek, Alex Stalock, Buddy Robinson, Dylan Sikura
Subtractions: Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Kirby Dach, Erik Gustafsson, Henrik Borgstrom, Kevin Lankinen, Collin Delia
The Blackhawks' offseason screams one word: rebuilding. They unloaded their leading goal scorer (by far) in DeBrincat, and turned over previously believed to be core pieces in Strome, Dach, and Kubalik. In come offensive journeymen Athanasiou and Domi to fill temporary roles, and a brand new goaltending tandem in Mrazek and Stalock. Chicago will hope for steady goaltending while their young players look to step up into more important minutes up front.
Injury Report
Probable For Opener: Connor Murphy (Concussion)
Questionable For Opener: -None-
Out To Begin Season: -None-
Out For Season: -None-
There hasn't been a ton of updates regarding Murphy's status, but the hope is that he feels much better after his scary concussion suffered last season. He's one of the steadier pieces on the Blackhawks' roster and could really solidify the blueline if ready.
Projected Lineup
(league ranks in parentheses)
Forwards (29th)
Andreas Athanasiou - Lukas Reichel - Patrick Kane
Max Domi - Jonathan Toews - Tyler Johnson
Boris Katchouk - Sam Lafferty - Taylor Raddysh
Reese Johnson - Colin Blackwell - Mackenzie Entwistle
Defense (31st)
Alex Vlasic - Seth Jones
Jake McCabe - Connor Murphy
Riley Stillman - Caleb Jones
Goalies (26th)
Petr Mrazek
Alex Stalock
Chicago's current lineup does not have any sense of direction, but, with all the Kane trade rumors, we could see clearer intentions by season's end. Even with the crazy mix of veterans, this group does not grade well. Kane, Toews, and Seth Jones are no longer cornerstone players, and Mrazek struggled with injuries and performance last season.
Dynamic Players
Snipers: -None-
Playmakers: Patrick Kane | Jonathan Toews | Max Domi
Volume Shooters: Andreas Athanasiou
Play-Drivers: -None-
Shutdown Defenders: -None-
Shot Blockers: Seth Jones | Riley Stillman | Jake McCabe | Caleb Jones | Connor Murphy
Hitters: Sam Lafferty | Boris Katchouk | Mackenzie Entwistle
Enforcers: Riley Stillman | Sam Lafferty
Penalty Drawers: Andreas Athanasiou | Boris Katchouk
PP Specialists: -None-
PK Specialists: Taylor Raddysh
Faceoff Specialists: Jonathan Toews | Tyler Johnson
Fantasy Impact
Studs: Patrick Kane
Duds: Petr Mrazek
Sleepers: -None-
Other Roster Worthy: Seth Jones
It's never great when only two of your team's players are roster-able in season-long fantasy, and that's the case with the Blackhawks. Kane is still a great offensive creator, but unfortunately he has limited support to create opportunities for. Seth Jones can still provide fantasy value from his extensive role on the top powerplay unit, but other than that the cupboard is bare.
From a daily fantasy perspective, anyone getting an extensive role with Kane at a cheap price might be worth a flier. Prospective options that may qualify include Reichel, Athanasiou, and Domi.
2022-2023 PuckLuck Projections | | | | | | | | |
PLAYER | POS | G | A | PTS | W | GA | SV | SO |
Patrick Kane | F | 27 | 56 | 83 | | | | |
Seth Jones | D | 9 | 37 | 46 | | | | |
Jonathan Toews | F | 19 | 34 | 53 | | | | |
Andreas Athanasiou | F | 26 | 21 | 47 | | | | |
Max Domi | F | 18 | 43 | 61 | | | | |
Petr Mrazek | G | | | | 21 | 155 | 1338 | 3 |
Tyler Johnson | F | 19 | 17 | 36 | | | | |
Betting Impact
PuckLuck Projection: 69 points
Floor: 59 points Ceiling: 89 points
Projection Data Confidence: 56%
(League Average: 70%)
PuckLuck Odds:
Stanley Cup: +600000
President's Trophy: +80000
Conference: +15000
Division: +15000
DraftKings Sportsbook Lines:
Stanley Cup: +100000
President's Trophy: +50000
Conference: +30000
Division: +50000
The easy advice here is to stay away from all futures for this club. Chicago's current roster projects terribly, and that's before they potentially unload some of their better players.
If you're looking for some advantage, keep an eye on how Mrazek's play is trending in net. If he gets hot, he may be able to steal some games for them as a big underdog. If he struggles, then hammering the over and/or opposing team's puckline may be the play.
Season Outlook
Division Projection: 7th
Conference Projection: 15th
League Projection: 30th
Playoffs? No chance
The only thing potentially keeping the Blackhawks out of last place in the division, conference, and league is that they're in the same division as the Arizona Coyotes. It's assumed they will be battling for lottery odds at the end of the season, with little young talent to look forward to watching throughout the season.
Will the Chicago Blackhawks make the playoffs?
- Yes
- No