Blackhawks’ Taylor Raddysh Making a Statement with Point Streak

The Chicago Blackhawks are going through a transition period where everyone is trying to make a name for themselves as the team steps into the next chapter of their rebuild. One of the names that fans were looking at was Taylor Raddysh. Although he was one of many forwards that needed to have a breakout season, it helped that he also seemed the most likely to do it. Although he had a good season for the Blackhawks after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline in March 2022, he has taken his game to the next level this month.

Raddysh’s Development With Blackhawks

Going into this season with the Blackhawks was huge for Raddysh. Speculation was that he was possibly a bottom-six forward but with top-six potential. When he was with the Lightning, he had 12 points in 53 games but couldn’t crack the lineup in the Lightning long-term because their championship depth was set, so he spent the prior three seasons with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL). Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson saw Raddysh as an opportunity to take a chance on someone that could be a 20-goal scorer but also provided intangibles on special teams, which brought similarities to the player they traded in place of him: Brandon Hagel.

Although Raddysh is not Hagel and likely won’t match his production, he could still be an impact player necessary for the rebuild. He got a great opportunity on the Blackhawks because he has been made more of a presence on the top-six, most notably the second line, and the team wanted to see how he would fare with more responsibility and talent-wise; he seemed up to the task. After being acquired, he had 10 points in 21 games, which is a 39-point pace in a regular 82-game setting. He had 11 goals and 22 points between two teams last season. With an entire season in Chicago, he was expected to surpass those numbers. Mainly because he plays a significant role on the power play; three of his six goals with the Hawks last season came on the power play.

Raddysh’s March Madness Production

Something about Raddysh that was noticeable even from last season is that he can be inconsistent. For example, he endured a stretch last year where he had three points in two games, then went cold for the next six games. This year, the same thing happened: he had three points in two games, then went pointless for the next seven. His hot and cold streaks go by…