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3 Chicago Blackhawks bounce-back candidates for 2024-25 NHL season
The Chicago Blackhawks are poised for a big year this season. After posting the worst record in the Central Division last year, Chicago's front office, led by GM Kyle Davidson, bolstered the team's roster.
In addition to budding young star Connor Bedard, the team will have added firepower in the form of Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi.
On top of that, the team also made three first-round picks in this year's draft. Defenseman Artyom Levshunov is poised to make waves in his rookie season after the team decided to turn him pro.
With things coming together for Chicago, several names stand out when looking at players who could have a bounce-back season this year.
Three Chicago Blackhawks players primed for bounce-back seasons
#1 Andreas Athanasiou
Last season, Andreas Athanasiou played just 28 games for the Chicago Blackhawks before missing 54 games due to groin and hip injuries. With this being the final year on Athanasiou's two-year, $8.5 million deal, the center will be looking to return to form.
The season before last, he played 81 of 82 games, logging 40 points with 20 goals and 20 assists, marking his highest points total since the 2018-19 season. With Athanasiou expected to play on the second line, he should have plenty of opportunities to return to form and make waves.
#2 Taylor Hall
A winger who will share the second line with Andreas Athanasiou, Taylor Hall is poised for a big bounce-back year after playing in just 10 games last season. He suffered a knee injury in November which cut short his participation.
Prior to that, Hall impressed while playing with the Boston Bruins, finishing the 2021-22 season with 61 points in 81 games.
While his numbers saw a drop to 36 points in 61 games the following season with Boston, it's clear that Hall can be a catalyst for success when healthy. Because of that, assuming he's able to remain healthy this season, look for Hall to have a big year as he returns to form with the Chicago Blackhawks' second line.
#3 Seth Jones
There had been plenty of talk regarding Seth Jones not living up to his contract value. This followed the Chicago Blackhawks trading three draft picks and quite a lot of cash considerations to acquire Jones.
Last season, Jones expressed frustration with the team's struggles midway through the year, and for his part, finished strong.
Because of that, he seems likely to have a big bounce-back year with the team as they look to ride the momentum of some big offseason acquisitions. Although his eight-year, $76 million contract will likely keep him under the microscope, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Jones this year.
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