Blackhawks Taylor Raddysh gets honest about future in Chicago

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Joshua Deeds
April 4, 2024 (8:35 PM)

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Taylor Raddysh has proved himself to be an important forward in the lineup for the Blackhawks. He proved to be a capable 20-goal scorer.

He would break out and score 37 points during the 2022-2023 NHL season and provided much-needed offensive production.

In contrast to this season, he has 5 goals and 14 points, in 70 games this season.

He has been disappointed with his production, and according to him he has made strides in other areas of his game but wants more goal production.

"Now that we're getting towards the end of the year, it's something you think about. I would love to be back. I've loved being here."

Taylor Raddysh frustrated by lack of goals as he ponders future with #Blackhawks: https://t.co/SZhbhpwMy6� Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 4, 2024

"I feel like lots of times this year I've had chances, whether it was 2-on-1s or backdoors or things like that, there are different areas that the puck does go in," Raddysh said. "And maybe last year at times when I had those chances the puck did go in. It's frustrating for me when I'm in that spot and you're trying to bear down and whether something happens or it's on myself to be able to put it in, I guess it works both ways with hearing that.

"Obviously you go out there and try my best and try to be able to contribute and things like that offensively. This year hasn't really gone that way, and when things like that happen, you've got to try to find other ways to be involved with the team and help the team win."

His -8.2 goals expected ranks him 11th on the list of unlucky NHL players, and his regression hasn't been fully realized as it is near the end of the season. He has also worked on becoming a diverse forward in the group, convincing head coach Luke Richardson to place him on the penalty kill, which he's been a fit.

Only Jason Dickinson (156:18) has logged more minutes on the PK than Raddysh himself who has 109:19 total.

"I feel like I've taken a pretty big step that way," Raddysh said. "I've got to keep building off that and hopefully keep working towards the things that I've had success with in the past and build off that."

However, this season he has also skated as an extra forward, making him a health scratch this season.

His game has been on a downturn and he has been fighting for every reason as an RFA, to get the Blackhawks to give him an extension, but as of now, he feels uncertain about his future with the team.

He loves it with the Blackhawks and would love to be back in the fold, with Bedard and the bunch.

"I wouldn't say throughout the full season, but I think it's always in people's minds when you're up for a contract," Raddysh said. "But now that we're getting towards the end of the year, it's something you think about. You want to be able to help the team out as much as you can to show them what you can do so they want you back or wherever it may be.

"It obviously is in the back of my head throughout the last little bit here and it's something you've just got to keep working for and just try not to think about it too much."

If it were up to him, Raddysh said he would "love to be back" with the Blackhawks.

"I've loved being here," Raddysh said. "It's been awesome for the two and half years I've been here so far. I feel like I've showed them different areas of my game, whether it was offense or from the start of the season this year just being in a penalty kill role.

"I feel like I've showed them two different ways. I've just got to be able to blend that into one and become a full, complete player, and hopefully I can continue to do that and be able to mesh those together."