Blackhawks switch Connor Bedard's linemates hours before opening night puck drop vs Utah HC
Photo credit: The Rink
The Chicago Blackhawks made a significant amount of moves during the offseason to become competitive in 2024-2025.
The moves could be construed as blocking the youth movement that is thriving in the AHL, as the Rockford IceHogs were playoff competitors in 2023-2024.
Even then, sometimes Head Coaches do things that make us scratch our heads.
GM Kyle Davidson did his best to secure the best compliments to Connor Bedard, and we thought the projected lineup which originally had Bedard centering Teuvo Teraveinen and Taylor Hall, was the best option to give the Blackhawks a great 1st line.
One chock full of fast skaters, with more than capable offensive abilities.
But a day before opening night against the Utah Hockey Club, on October 8th at 10 PM he has drastically changed the lineup.
Ilya Mikheyev was slotted in on the third line, originally with Jason Dickinson, and instead will be placed with Connor Bedard on the 1st line.
This means that Richardson is still experimenting with the lineup, which of course might explain why Mikheyev is on the 1st line. His role seems like it'll be a puck retriever and forechecker.
The versatile Russian winger is a late bloomer who can play up and down the lineup; he showed in the KHL that he has the skills needed to play a top-six forward role and is demonstrating in the NHL that he has the two-way game to fill a complementary role. Has to get stronger and avoid serious injuries to make the most of his value.
Last season in 78 games with the Vancouver Canucks, Mikheyev produced only 31 points( 11 g, 20 A), and could grow into a top-six winger but he never had the ability to make it work in Toronto.
But the entire reason the Canucks moved the former Maple Leaf was due to the fact he's often been injured and his salary cap was costly.
If Mikheyev was a versatile top-six winger, it's unlikely they'd have made a move for Jake DeBrusk or Daniel Sprong during the offseason.
Honestly, it is sort of puzzling, when you have Taylor Hall right there, the entire reason why he was brought here in the first place was to compliment Bedard.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 8 | 88 ANSWERS Blackhawks switch Connor Bedard's linemates hours before opening night puck drop vs Utah HC Is Luke Richardson wrong in putting Ilya Mikheyev on the Chicago Blackhawks 1st line instead of Taylor Hall? | ||
| Yes | 64 | 72.7 % |
| No | 24 | 27.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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