“Prior to this year, we were in the bottom three. This year we finished second-to-last. That's not going to happen again. We need to start moving up and moving forward.” — Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson.
The Chicago Blackhawks were able to clean out their lockers on Saturday, meet with coaches and the front office, and speak to the media afterwards. A total of 13 players spoke to the media before head coach Luke Richardson and general manager Kyle Davidson exchanged closing remarks to conclude the 2023-24 season. The players (some staying, some leaving) and the head coach and GM had a lot to chew on and digest. We'll definitely hear more from the players this week.
But Davidson's comments garnered a lot of attention. And you should. The Blackhawks are coming off the worst regular season record (over 70 games) in franchise history.they landed conor bedard And…it got even worse, at least on paper.
Davidson was cautious, but his comments Saturday were spot on. The “losing to improve with a top draft pick” part of the rebuild is officially over. end. rearview mirror. I look forward to the team's growth next year. And while he's still not promising a championship or even a playoff spot, it sounds like he's expected to be a significant step in the right direction.
“I think we have to raise the bar. We have to raise expectations. And with that comes accountability. That's the nature of the path we're on. Ultimately, we've got to take positive steps. We have to. And I think we've reached that point.”
conor bedard We talked about dealing with the pressures on and off the ice this season, being a Chicago resident, and some special moments along the way. He lights up when he talks about playing floor hockey with local kids. kevin kochinski He said he looks forward to finding more ways to be an active member of the community as he progresses in his career.
Seth Jones There were many interesting things. He was asked very specifically if the team needed someone who was more outspoken in criticizing his teammates, and he said it was. Nick Foligno We didn't necessarily agree, but it seemed like everyone in the organization wanted more internal accountability heading into next season. Jones didn't come to Chicago and sign an eight-year deal to continue a rebuild, and he reiterated that he doesn't like losing. He's mentioned it several times this year. A question arises here. Is there a point he asks? Seth will turn 30 this fall.
Alex Vlasic He was the only guy who could step back and say he was proud of what he did on the ice this season and how his game has gone over the past nine months. And so should he. Vlasic has become one of the better defensemen in the entire league. He's a restricted free agent this summer, so obviously that came up. He said he wants to play as long as possible for the team he has supported since childhood. I hope to hear about a long-term extension in the near future.
Bedard has confirmed that he will play for Canada at the world championships.
Philip Kurashev Confirmed that he is playing for the Swiss national team. He also admitted that both he and Bedard “want to score.” Petr Mrazek” We did badly in the tournament.
Add Jones and Vlasic (USA) to Mrazek (Czech Republic), Bedard (Canada) and Kurashev (Switzerland), and the Blackhawks have a great roster heading into the World Championship in a few weeks.
Finally, a young player who is doing something special. Blackhawks fans are hoping to see more of that trend next season.
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