Is Taylor Raddysh Part of the Blackhawks’ Future?

The Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of a rebuild, so this 2023-24 season is much more about development than it is about winning. The organization is also trying to determine who they want as a part of their team in the future. Only five forwards and three defensemen are signed beyond this season, meaning the Blackhawks obviously have a lot of flexibility. So, who will they want to re-sign? That’s a question we will be pondering all season long.

A player I’d like to discuss today is forward Taylor Raddysh. The 25-year-old was acquired by the Blackhawks by the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the Brandon Hagel blockbuster trade. The Blackhawks have had 21 games in the 2021-22 campaign, plus all of last season and the beginning of this season to evaluate Raddysh’s game. Is he someone the Blackhawks will want to extend? Let’s look at his contributions thus far.  

Raddysh’s Strong Start With the Blackhawks

As mentioned above, Raddysh arrived with the Blackhawks from the Lightning at the end of the 2021-22 season. On a stacked Lightning roster, the right winger wasn’t going to get the same opportunities as he would with the Blackhawks. The trade was a chance for him to prove himself.

With his new squad, Raddysh was deployed mostly on the second line with Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. Towards the very end of the campaign, he comprised a rather effective third line with Philipp Kurashev and Sam Lafferty.

All in all, the Ontario native registered six goals and 10 points in 21 games, averaging 15:34 minutes of ice time. He was also credited with 41 hits, showing a physical side to his game. All this added up to establish Raddysh with the Blackhawks as a versatile member of the top-nine forwards.

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Raddysh Heads up a Respectable 2022-23 Campaign

The 2022-23 campaign was certainly a strange one, as the rebuild began in earnest. The Blackhawks officially said goodbye to legends Toews and Patrick Kane, and dealt another top forward, Max Domi, at the trade deadline. That said, no one on the team finished the season with more than 20 goals.

Related – Chicago Blackhawk’ 2022-23 Player Grades: Veteran Forwards

It turns out Raddysh was one of the guys to accomplish 20 goals, along with 17 assists (78 games played), while averaging 16:34 minutes of ice time. His 37 points was second only to Andreas Athanasiou, who registered 20 goals and 20 assists for 40…