For GM Kyle Davidson, here's what's important for the Blackhawks' 2024-25 season

How important is this Chicago Blackhawks season?

I thought about this question before Tuesday's season opener against the Utah Hockey Club. In one way or another they are usually all important.

As bad as the Blackhawks were in 2022-23, this season was important because it was about failing enough to have a shot at drafting Connor Bedard. Mission accomplished. Last season was all about Bedard's development in his first year, bringing a few other prospects into the NHL and losing enough to earn another early NHL draft pick. The season didn't go entirely to plan, but it wasn't too far off. Bedard's development seems to be on the right track. Alex Vlasic has made a huge leap. Further prospects remain to be seen. The Blackhawks' management expected the team to win more, but probably wasn't disappointed when it didn't, ultimately landing on Artyom Levshunov as the No. 2 pick.

That brings us to this season. After finishing 31st last season, general manager Kyle Davidson said this season will be about taking the next step and being more competitive.

Of course this is all relative. The Blackhawks could have been 45 points better last season and still not made the playoffs. Davidson probably made sure that didn't happen again by bringing in veterans. The Blackhawks should easily surpass their record of 52 points from last season. Sure, the preseason wasn't exactly encouraging, but that could probably have been predicted. Because there are so many veterans who have been through a lot of preseasons and most of them have open spots on the roster, it didn't feel like a group with much urgency in the preseason. Things may look different in two weeks, but the Blackhawks appear to have won enough this season.

What's “enough” may not be enough for Blackhawks fans who have been waiting for a return to the playoffs since 2017 (aside from being the 12th seed in 2020), but it should be for what Davidson has in this one season is enough.

So here's what really matters this season.

Let’s start by evaluating Luke Richardson as a head coach. Davidson needed to increase the talent level within the squad in order to fairly evaluate Richardson as a coach. Davidson may not have given Richardson a team that competes in the Stanley Cup, but there are enough real NHL players on the roster that Richardson feels like he's coaching an NHL team. He may have different expectations of the players. He can practice differently. His strategy in the game can change.

And with that, Davidson can better assess whether Richardson should be the Blackhawks' coach of the future. After this season, the Blackhawks have an option on the fourth and final year of Richardson's contract. This season could play a role in that decision.

Richardson has a lighter player development burden with fewer young players on the roster, but his priority must still be doing everything he can to develop the organization's most important young player: Bedard.

The most important thing the Blackhawks can do this season is further Connor Bedard's progress. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

This season, too, is primarily about Bedard's development. NHL history shows us that if you have a player on your roster who can potentially win multiple Hart Trophies, your team is likely a Stanley Cup contender, which is where the bar lies for Bedard. In other words, the bigger Bedard is in a few years, the bigger the Blackhawks will likely be, regardless of how many suitors emerge. Davidson knows this too. With the signing of Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen, he gave out his biggest UFA contracts to date in the hope of supporting Bedard's development.

How Bertuzzi and Teräväinen play in this and future seasons is also important. The Blackhawks invested in both players to be part of the rebuild. Most of the other players on this season's roster probably won't be. Lukas Reichel is one of the few other young players to keep an eye on this season, but it appears the Blackhawks' patience with him has already run out as he will likely be a healthy player in the season opener. Whenever Wyatt Kaiser returns to the game, he will be another player to keep an eye on. The Blackhawks consider him a defensive player of the future.

But aside from that small group of young players, almost all of the other signed players deemed important to Davidson's rebuild will begin the season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar were sent there after long preseason appearances. The injured Levshunov is expected to join them when healthy. Those are the most notable names, but there will be many others that Davidson envisions as part of the Blackhawks' next great team. Colton Dach, Paul Ludwinski, Samuel Savoie, Landon Slaggert and more are next in line.

Not since the IceHogs in 2007-08 have the Blackhawks had this much highly touted talent in the AHL. That team had two first-round picks, three second-round picks, and five other players who played on the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup-winning teams. IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen's job is arguably as important as any in the organization this season. He needs to prepare Korchsinki, Levshunov and Nazar to be full-time NHL players by next season.

The views count again everywhere. The Blackhawks should add even more players to the NHL by the end of the season. Oliver Moore, a 2023 first-round pick, is the one to watch this season. He should be one of the top 6 strikers in the next few years. He will be a sophomore at Minnesota and will likely turn pro after his college season. It's also possible that his Minnesota teammate Sam Rinzel (a second-year defenseman) and Boston University junior forward Ryan Greene sign after their season and play in the NHL this season. The Blackhawks have high hopes for all three.

The Blackhawks will also closely monitor the development of 2024 first-round picks Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker, as well as Nick Lardis, AJ Spellacy and Roman Kantserov this season. Lardis and Kantserov could be in the NHL in the next few years, while the others are just behind.

Ultimately, what Davidson won't say out loud, but what's important nonetheless, is that the Blackhawks finish low enough in the standings this season that they can secure another top draft pick. The 2025 draft is expected to be full of elite forwards, and the Blackhawks could use another one. If the team could improve by 20 points in the standings and still finish in the top five, that would be Davidson's perfect world.

Unless the Blackhawks surprise everyone and get into a playoff race, Davidson will want to be active at the trade deadline to transfer players with expiring contracts. He hopes someone like Taylor Hall has some value.

None of this should excite many Blackhawks fans. No one wants to hear that their AHL team is probably more important to their NHL team in the grand scheme of things. But that's the reality. As previously mentioned, Davidson had his reasons for bringing in so many veterans and giving his young players a more difficult path to the NHL.

This could pay off next season and beyond. For now, it's only likely to leave fans frustrated. But this season is still important.

(Photo of Artyom Levshunov at the 2024 NHL Draft: Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images)