The Blackhawks are in training camp and preseason, and the Blackhawk Up staff is already trying to map out where this season might land. The group’s forecasts point in the same direction overall: Connor Bedard is the centerpiece, the team takes a step forward in the standings, and there’s even a little playoff buzz mixed in.
On the record front, the predictions ranged from 42-35-7 and 41-33-10 all the way down to 34-40-10. Gail Kauchak picked the Blackhawks at 42-35-7 for 91 points, while Justin Lynch had them at 41-33-10 for 92 points. Ryan McGregor landed at 35-31-18 for 88 points, Nestor Quixtan at 37-35-12 for 86, Brooke LoFurno at 38-39-7 for 83, Jeff Maroon at 36-38-10 for 82, and Nate Duffett at 34-40-10 for 78.
When it came to the scoring leaders, there was no debate about the top of the board. Every staff pick had Connor Bedard leading the team in goals and points.
The goal totals ranged from 28 to 40, with most of the predictions clustered in the mid-to-high 30s. On points, the staff saw Bedard anywhere from 63 to 92, with several projections around the 90-point mark.
The rookie race was a little more divided. Roman Kantserov got four votes as the team’s leading rookie scorer, while Anton Frondell picked up three. The point totals also reflected that split, with Kantserov projections at 65, 38, 65, and 56, while Frondell was forecast at 52, 54, and 60-plus.
The staff also weighed in on the blue line, specifically the top defensive point producer besides Bowen Byram. Sam Rinzel got the nod from Gail and Jeff, Artyom Levshunov was the pick for Brooke, Justin, and Ryan, Alex Vlasic was Nestor’s choice, and Wyatt Kaiser was Nate’s.
As for the player each writer is most eager to watch, Frank Nazar showed up twice, and Bowen Byram did as well. Gail called Nazar “a playmaker” and said, “This kid is a playmaker, and he’s so charismatic.
He also works his butt off and plays the right way. He's put his heart and soul into his craft only to endure setbacks, injuries, and bad luck.
If he keeps pushing and overcomes all that for a breakout campaign, he’ll be super fun to watch.” Nestor was similarly high on Nazar, noting that he finished third on the team in scoring last season despite playing just 66 games and adding, “Why not expect 20-plus goals from him this season?!”
Byram drew strong interest too. Brooke said she wants to see the impact he has on the defense, especially in 5-on-5 play and on special teams.
Nate pointed to the pressure that comes with the move, saying Byram is “the most exciting player for me because of the gamble the Blackhawks took on him and the opportunity for him to be the top dog on a blueline for the first time in his career. If he fails, Kyle Davidson will get crushed.
But if he shows he is a top defenseman, the sky could be the limit. Either way, there will be plenty of storylines.”
There were some bold calls mixed in as well. Gail predicted Tyler Bertuzzi would stay productive and finish second or third on the team in points with a career-high 34 goals.
Brooke said Bertuzzi could repeat 30 goals. Jeff went with Nick Lardis scoring more than 25 goals.
Justin forecast Patrick Kane at a point-per-game pace. Ryan picked a top-10 power play.
Nestor was the most optimistic about the team’s overall arc, saying a consistent season could put the Blackhawks into the playoffs if the Utah Mammoth and Los Angeles Kings regress enough, with 86 points possibly enough for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Nate’s bold call was Roman Kantserov finishing top three in Calder Trophy voting.
The staff’s takeaway lines up with the broader view around Bedard: he’s the pick to lead the Blackhawks in both goals and points, even if he misses the first month of the season. The only real split came in the rookie scoring race, where Kantserov held a narrow edge over Frondell, four votes to three.
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