CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Last season: 25-46-11, 35 points out of second wild card
How it ended: The Blackhawks won nine of their first 30 games (9-19-2) and were eliminated from playoff contention March 20. It was the fifth straight season they missed the playoffs, tied for the second-longest drought in team history.
Biggest offseason change: The Blackhawks are hoping Andre Burakovsky can provide another secondary source of offense. The 30-year-old forward, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on June 21, scored 10 goals in 79 games last season, but has four seasons of 17 or more goals, including two with 20, and is a two-time Stanley Cup winner (Washington Capitals, 2018; Colorado Avalanche, 2022).
Why they could get in: The Blackhawks could start the season with as many as eight players age 22 or younger on the roster. Connor Bedard, who has led Chicago in scoring in each of his first two NHL seasons, only turned 20 on July 17 but looks like a player ready to bust out with more support around him. Full seasons from forwards Frank Nazar, 21, who had 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games after being called up from Rockford of the American Hockey League, and Oliver Moore, 20, who had four assists in nine games after signing his entry-level contract March 29, project to bring more young skill. Their youthful enthusiasm also could lead to an uptick in production from veterans like Burakovsky, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato, who scored an NHL career-best 31 goals. It would be a giant jump at this stage for the Blackhawks to contend for a wild card, but with all the young energy, including defensemen Artyom Levshunov, 19, and Sam Rinzel, 21, and a full season from 24-year-old goalie Spencer Knight, they’ll have a chance to surprise some people.