7 Takeaways From The Blackhawks 2024-25 Exit Interviews

The 2024-25 season for the Chicago Blackhawks has come to an end. As always, the team and management conduct exit interviews reflecting on the past season.

After finishing second-worst in the league again, no one was happy, but they were more optimistic. Here are some key takeaways from the interviews held on April 17.

1. Alex Vlasic Heading to World Championships

The IIHF World Championships are always hosted a couple of weeks after the NHL regular season ends. It starts on May 9, and with the Blackhawks’ summer starting early, one player has been confirmed to attend for Team USA: Alex Vlasic.

“I’m excited. It’ll be fun. Last year, I had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I think there’s a bunch of good players that go every year, and it’s fun to learn from them and pick their brains. So hopefully we can get the job done.”

Last year, the Blackhawks had six players attend the tournament. Lukas Reichel will likely play for Germany. Both Connor Bedard (Canada) and Teuvo Teräväinen (Finland) said, “We’ll see” when asked about their decisions.

It seems like the Blackhawks could have their fair share of players going.

2. Sorensen Will Keep Role In Organization

Head coach Anders Sorensen was given the “interim” tag when he took over for Luke Richardson in December. Still, general manager Kyle Davidson made it clear that he will have a role in the organization.

“We hold great value in Anders. And, you know, if the coaching search doesn’t go in his favor, he’s going to be a part of our organization. We want him as part of the organization no matter what. But right now, that’s under consideration as the head coach, and then I think after that, we’ll figure it out. Right now, he’s a candidate for the head coaching position.”

Davidson also praised how Sorensen handled everything coming into a challenging situation. He talked about it being a credit to him as a coach that the team ended strong (8 points in their last 8 games), and that the young players (like Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, etc) found their footing.

It was notable that many players praised Sorensen in their exit interviews. Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Nick Folingo were all very complimentary of how he has helped them and the team. It could be beneficial to keep him around in some capacity, knowing he is well-liked. I also wonder about the continuity factor. Just as it is important to keep certain players around to establish chemistry, the same could be said for coaching. The Blackhawks have had four different coaches in the last six years, so some familiarity wouldn’t be a bad thing. There is also the argument that if Sorensen doesn’t get the job, whoever the Hawks do hire should have a say in who is on their staff, which is also valid.

As for the head coach, Davidson noted that they won’t “pigeonhole” themselves into looking for one specific thing in their search. Instead, they remain open-minded about who could be a good fit, whether it’s internal or external candidates.

3. Davidson’s Summer Agenda

Speaking of Davidson, he touched on summer plans. He noted, “We’re going to consider what’s available to us once we know what’s available to us.”

“The upside here is going to be found through the players that are coming up through our system, and that a lot of people have seen on our NHL roster and the year. But that doesn’t mean you’re not open to adding. We certainly are. It just has to make sense.”

There is still a lot of emphasis on the young core, and that’s how Davidson wanted it, as he has always been intentional about building through the draft. They have the means to take a big swing, as they enter the 2025-26 season with the sixth-most salary cap space in the NHL ($30 million). He said they’re going to be a lot more “selective and specific” about who they add next season. They aren’t just going to sign a bunch of people for the heck of it. It makes their offseason more intriguing because whoever they add will look to complement the talent they already have, rather than detracting from development.

Could it be Mitch Marner or another plan? Time will tell. But Davidson was not about to reveal any hands.

4. Contract Extensions Loom

Two contracts will be addressed this summer: Ryan Donato’s and Connor Bedard’s. Bedard still has one year remaining on his entry-level deal, but is eligible for an extension on July 1. Meanwhile, Donato is an unrestricted free agent, and it’s still unknown whether he will return. But Davidson is focused on both.

When speaking about Bedard’s contract, Davidson wasn’t sweating it: “We’ll get to work on that now that we’re in the offseason, and you know, we’ll see if there’s anything to announce this summer. But nothing to report on that.”

As far as Donato goes, Davidson acknowledged mutual interest in a reunion: “We did have a little bit of a rapid discussion around then [trade deadline], and it didn’t get done. I wouldn’t say there’s a hurdle or anything like that. Once you get past the deadline, everyone takes a little break, a little breather, and then you’re near the end of the season. So I think things will pick up. Now that we’re through the year, I think we’ll pick up again very soon.”

Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff mentioned, the Blackhawks reportedly offered Donato a three-year, $4 million AAV contract. It will be interesting to see the resolution, whether it’s here or elsewhere. I believe that a Donato contract will get done. He mentioned multiple times he wants to be part of the future, and as their leading goal scorer (career-high 31 goals), he was an integral part of the team.

Moreover, like most fans and pundits, I also believe a Bedard extension will get done, too. That seems like a no-brainer to lock in the 19-year-old who will continue to be the cornerstone of the franchise. What that contract will look like remains to be seen, but I predict Hawks fans will get exciting extension news.

5. Blackhawks’ Eagerness Shines

In last season’s exit interviews, there was anticipation for the upcoming season. However, going into next season, there seems to be even more hope and excitement, as if the players believe in it even more than they did last year.

Captain Nick Foligno said, “There’s a genuine care now in this group of trying to get this team forward, and that’s really encouraging for a guy who’s, you know, the leader of the team that you want to see that out of your players and out of your teammates that you go to war with every day.”

Spencer Knight boasted, “I think they’re going to take steps because they’re so eager to develop into where they want to go. I think that’s what you see a lot with the young players that are in the NHL, that they’re eager to become the players that they want to be. How fast they get to that point? I don’t know. It could take three years, it might take eight, ten, but at that, they’re so young and they’re so eager to get better and develop that I think the upside on all the players you mentioned, plus many more, is tremendous.”

Alex Vlasic noted, “I think the excitement level in terms of just the youth coming up is fun to see and fun to be ready for, for next year is all these young guys that have come up and shown really well, and the future that we have. It’s definitely looking pretty bright.”

Getting the players to “buy in” to the rebuild was always key because, as much as they understood the process, you want to see proof like anything else. The interviews showed that they see more on the horizon worth being optimistic about, and it’s nice to hear. Especially hearing how much more they care and how eager they are to keep building.

6. Bedard Ready For The Future

Connor Bedard had another successful sophomore season. He had his ups and downs, but was the Blackhawks’ leading scorer with 67 points in 82 games. He said he felt he had grown in his game, including faceoffs.

He also had a great reflection on how he feels he matured, “I can be hard on myself. I expect a lot of myself, which is great. But I think just always coming to the rink positive, and not that I didn’t, but you know, I think just taking things a little lighter. You know, we’re in the NHL, and we’re just trying to get better every day. I want to be great. I want us to win the Stanley Cup. But if we’re positive and kind of attack every day, I think that’s the approach. I thought I grew a lot just with little things like that.”

There is certainly growth with Bedard, and he had his eye on working this summer, noting speed and acceleration as areas of focus. He discussed how good he felt about the team’s direction, which brings us to the fans’ favorite part of the exit interview:

I think we’ll see a stronger version of Bedard in year three, one that includes a long-term deal to keep him a Blackhawk.

7. Recruitment Starts Now

Finally, for some fun, when Foligno was talking, he was asked if he started recruiting free agents. Remember, he convinced Tyler Bertuzzi to sign as a free agent last summer.

Foligno jokingly replied, “About five days ago. It never stops [laughs]. You know what? My biggest hope is that we’re starting to show that we’re moving, right? Hopefully, that attracts some people. But you know, I’m encouraged by what we have here, too. I’m not so concerned about that right now, but I’m sure those guys have already looked at who we’re looking at. There’s always a wish list. But my biggest thing is I’m encouraged by the group that we have in here.”

Surely, if the Hawks acquire someone via free agency or trade, we’ll find out soon enough whether Foligno had a hand in it!

Overall, it’s a big summer for the Blackhawks. They didn’t have the year they expected in the standings, and that can’t be ignored. Therefore, there is more pressure on them. However, they hope their end-of-season progress translates into next season.