Tonight we say good-bye to the year 2023, a year that had lots and lots of downs for the Hawks, but the ups it gave us were absolutely out of this world. 2023 saw the official ending to one of the greatest eras in this franchise's long history. We said good-bye to two players who brought this team back to the top of the hockey mountain and gave us countless memories that, as fans, we can forever be grateful for. Jonathan Toews was given the send-off he deserved and was able to play in one final game at the UC as the greatest captain in Chicago Blackhawks history. However, Patrick Kane, while we knew his time here was coming to an end, was not lucky enough to get the same send-off, but unlike Toews, who has taken the year off, Kaner is back in the league looking like the Showtime of old and will get his moment when he is back at the UC in February.

As we said good-bye to two franchise icons, we said hello to someone who very well could surpass them both by the time everything is all said and done. The Blackhawks won the draft lottery and the right to select a generational talent in Connor Bedard. To say anyone who doesn’t cheer for this team wasn’t happy with this result would be a gross understatement, but at the end of the day, having Bedard in Chicago is what is best for this league. In just 35 games this season, Bedard has proven that the hype surrounding him is well placed, and seeing what he is doing with no support has to get you very excited for what is still to come when Kyle Davidson decides to start spending to bring in a supporting cast.

While it gets lost among the Bedard Show, 2023 has also given us a nice look into the future of our defensive core. This past year, we saw this team give the ball to young defenders such as Alex Vlasic and Kevin Korchinski, who have taken the opportunity and run with it. Both players have been given major roles throughout the line-up at various points this season, and while there have of course been some hiccups and growing pains, it is very obvious that these players are the real deal. On top of that, thanks to injuries, we have gotten a look at some other defensive prospects we might not have had the chance to see, and if anything, it showed us that, given the right time to develop, this team is in very good hands going forward.

2023 by the Numbers
From January 1, 2023, to December 30, 2023
29-48-5, 63 points (30th)

211 GF (30th)
297 GA (5th)
12.6 PP% (32nd)
77.4 PK% (24th)

Top Three Goals
Tyler Johnson, 18 (77 GP)
Jason Dickinson, 17 (82 GP)
Connor Bedard, 15 (35 GP)

Top Three Assists
Seth Jones, 27 (74 GP)
Philipp Kurashev, 21 (63 GP)
Jason Dickinson, 21 (82 GP)

Top Three Points
Seth Jones, 38 (74 GP)
Jason Dickinson, 38 (82 GP)
Tyler Johnson, 37 (77 GP)

What’s Next in 2024?
Since taking over as GM, Kyle Davidson has done a good job sticking to his game plan. Last season, he did what he had to do to help get the Hawks out of the cap hell Stan Bowman put this team in. He was able to acquire multiple first-round picks, and some of them have turned into pieces that could be a major part of the future core of this team (Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Kevin Korchinski). He has multiple first-round picks this year and nine total picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts. This team will be in the lottery again this year, and as of now, they have the second-best odds of winning it once again and adding another top-end forward. This team is in a great position for the future, but what about next year? I don’t believe we are going to see an all-in offseason in 2024, but I do believe they will start the process of adding pieces to this roster that will be a major factor for years to come. The Bedard Effect is real, and there are rumors of pending UFAs and even RFAs that would love to join this roster. Maybe KD brings in William Nylander for the right price, but I expect to see Nazar and Moore on this team next fall and see how they are going to fit with this team, and I don’t think there will be a lot of money spent until Bedard's next contract is locked down. I think 2024 will see this team flirt with being a threat in the Central but still be a year or two away from true contender status. All of this is speculation based on how KD has worked so far as the GM; he could have decided it was worth going all in now, but based on his track record, it is highly unlikely. What is likely, though, is that we as fans are in for some fun and exciting times, and all we have to do is get through a few more years.

Game Day
The Hawks and Stars are back at it for the second time in three days. I don’t know about you guys, but I like this baseball-style scheduling of playing miniseries over a couple days. The last game was a rollercoaster ride that saw the Hawks go up 2-2 and then down 4-2, only to tie it up and drop this one with 8 seconds left in overtime. It was nice seeing them get off to a good start against a playoff-bound team, but it was really nice seeing them battle back. These are the small victories that matter with young teams that they hopefully can take and learn from.

Projected Line Up

Blackhawks lines in morning skate in Dallas:

Foligno-Bedard-Kurashev
Reichel-TJohnson-Guttman
Beauvillier-Dickinson-Blackwell
Donato-Entwistle-RJohnson

Vlasic-Murphy
Tinordi-Phillips
Korchinski-Crevier

Mrazek

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 31, 2023

That’s going to be all for me; puck drop is at 7 p.m. central. I wanted to wish everyone a safe and wonderful New Year. As always, let's go Hawks!

Check Out WCBPodcast Interviews from 2023!
Daniel Carcillo




GearGeek

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