Blackhawks 32 in 32: [Season preview | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown]
1. Are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on board with the rebuild?
This will be a focal point throughout the season.
Kane and Toews each is entering the final season of an eight-year contract he signed July 9, 2014. The forwards won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Luke Richardson, hired as Blackhawks coach June 27, said he talked with Toews and Kane last month, a few days after Chicago traded forwards Alex DeBrincat (Ottawa Senators) and Kirby Dach (Montreal Canadiens) on July 7.
"I just wanted to let them know who I am, what I'm about and listen to them on what they're thinking and feeling," Richardson said July 15. "Over the last week, lots of changes, stuff like that. You know what? They seem good to go and really excited about having an open communication. But also, they're driven. They said they're driven to get their game and the team's game on course to where we can have some success, as much as possible, this year."
2. Can Mrazek handle the bulk of the starts?
Petr Mrazek, acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 7, said he's ready to take on a sizeable workload.
The goalie was limited to 20 games (18 starts) last season because of a groin injury and went 12-6-0 with a 3.34 goals-against average and .888 save percentage. He said he's spent this offseason going to different doctors in his native Czech Republic to learn how to avoid injury issues. If he can do that, perhaps he can regain the form he had in 2018-19 with the Carolina Hurricanes, when he was 23-14-3 with a 2.39 GAA, .914 save percentage and four shutouts, tying an NHL career high he set with the Detroit Red Wings in 2015-16.
"I'm looking forward to playing a lot of games, hopefully," Mrazek said. "It's been a tough two seasons with injuries, so that's something I want to put aside, have fun on the ice and enjoy every moment."
3. Will defensive changes help a young team?
Richardson said that the Blackhawks will play zone defense, something they did when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The played man on man with Jeremy Colliton, their coach from 2018-2021.
"Overall, zone defense is going to be more structured than man on man where you're flying all over the place," Richardson said. "I just don't think you can do that in a league unless you've got elite skaters and thinkers out there. With a rebuild with a younger group, a real good structured, hard defensive zone, where you stay in your zone, your passing off players but the whole thing is when it's your time to kill a play and get the puck back, we've got to be really strong on that."
