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Blackhawks’ X-factor in 2025-26, and it’s not Connor Bedard
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- Blackhawks’ X-factor in 2025-26, and it’s not Connor Bedard
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The post Blackhawks' X-factor in 2025-26, and it's not Connor Bedard appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to need a lot of help if they want to dig themselves out of their lengthy rebuild. And it is going to need to come from more than just Connor Bedard .
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Bedard did take a step back after showing generational potential in his 2023-24 rookie season. After scoring 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games as a rookie, his numbers looked more or less the same in 2024-25 despite playing in more games.
The 20-year-old forward scored 23 goals and 67 points in 82 games as the Blackhawks struggled mightily. Chicago finished with the worst record in the Central Division at 25-46-11 and were, once again, way out of playoff contention as they had been since they snuck into the expanded 24-team COVID-19 playoff bubble tournament in the 2019-20 season.
Bedard was far from the only reason why the Blackhawks struggled the way they did, in fact, it was quite the opposite.
The 2023 first overall pick had next to no help around him, with the team lacking depth scoring, a cohesive defensive structure, and, until the team made a swing at the 2025 trade deadline, lackluster play in net.
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Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson was able to potentially patch that hole up for the foreseeable future, and it all hinges on whether or not they get the level of play they expect out of this player.
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Spencer Knight could guide Chicago in the right direction in net
The Blackhawks acquired Spencer Knight in a blockbuster deal, which sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, and he could be exactly what they have been missing since Corey Crawford hung up his goalie pads. Florida might have won the Stanley Cup in 2025, but the Blackhawks still have an opportunity to win this trade if Knight consistently shows some of the flashes he had shown after his arrival.
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Knight's numbers post-trade do not exactly jump off the page — a 5-8-2 record with a .893 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against average — but there is a good excuse for that. The Blackhawks simply played some of the worst defense in front of him in modern hockey history.
The promising aspect emerges when examining some of his individual starts.
In his 17 wins in 2024-25 — which includes his tenure with the Panthers — Knight has a .929 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average. When the team in front of him is playing remotely competent hockey, he is able to shut the door and make the simple saves.
Knight began his Blackhawks career with a bang in a 5-1 victory against the Los Angeles Kings . He stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced to outlast a flurry of quality chances from a playoff-bound opponent.
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He fared well when he was pinned toe-to-toe with back-to-back Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in his penultimate start of the season against the Winnipeg Jets on April 12. He stopped 34 of 38 shots in a 5-4 shootout loss to the eventual Presidents' Trophy winners in a marquee matchup.
Knight's career has had a lot of ups and downs. He spent time in the NHL/NHLPA's Player Assistance Program after struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder in 2023, but he has since turned it around and shown signs of being the franchise goaltender Florida thought he was when they selected him 13th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
He put together a quality season in 21 starts with the Panthers prior to the trade, going 12-8-1 with a .907 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average, and it gave Davidson a big reason why he needed him in the deal that sent Jones to Florida.
The Blackhawks already invested in Knight further with a three-year contract extension that carries a $5.83 annual cap hit. If he proves them right, he could patch up one of the biggest holes Chicago has had for the past few years.
