Next up in our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Sleepers series is the Chicago Blackhawks. Similar to the Arizona Coyotes, they are rebuilding, so their roster is not deep heading into 2023-24. Although this is true, they still have some sleepers who players should take a chance on later in their fantasy drafts. Let’s go over four sleepers from the Blackhawks worth considering now.
Chicago Blackhawks Sleepers for 2023-24
Taylor Raddysh
Taylor Raddysh is a sleeper from the Blackhawks who should not be ignored. The 25-year-old winger just had a breakout season, posting new career highs in goals (20), assists (17), and points (37). It was a solid year for the winger, and now he is looking to build off it in 2023-24. When noting that he will have a big role with Chicago, he should do just that.
When looking at the Blackhawks’ roster, Raddysh stands a great shot of playing top-six minutes. Furthermore, his excellent net-front presence ability will land him plenty of power-play time. This increased role should help Raddysh’s production improve noticeably this season. Due to this, he is a player to consider taking a chance on in the later rounds of your fantasy draft.
Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall is a clear sleeper heading into this season. The former Hart Trophy winner had a down year in 2022-23, posting 16 goals and 36 points in 61 games with the Boston Bruins. These numbers are not bad per se, but they are low for his standards. Yet, now that he is with the Blackhawks, he stands a great shot of having a bounce-back season in 2023-24.
Hall was a victim of Boston’s excellent forward depth last season. He played third-line minutes and was barely utilized on their power play, which led to his drop in production. Yet, now that he is joining a weaker Blackhawks team, he should be on their first line with generational prospect Connor Bedard. This, in turn, should be enough for the former star to be a bigger threat in 2023-24. Therefore, he’s a sleeper who should be considered.
Lukas Reichel
Hockey fans are excited about Bedard’s arrival. Yet, that does not mean that they should ignore Lukas Reichel in the process. Reichel is another top prospect in Chicago’s system who stands a good shot of making the NHL roster. He was excellent with Chicago last season, posting seven goals and 15 points in 23 games. If he can carry that kind of production to 2023-24, he is somebody who fantasy players should consider snagging in the later rounds.
When noting that Reichel has immense potential, the Blackhawks are likely to give him top-six minutes. A first line consisting of him, Bedard, and Hall would create magic, as they are all skilled players. Furthermore, Reichel will see power-play time because of his high offensive IQ. Due to all of this, Reichel is another promising young forward worth taking a shot in fantasy.
Andreas Athanasiou
Andreas Athanasiou is a bit of a deep sleeper at this juncture of his career. Although this is the case, he warrants some consideration in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. The 29-year-old quietly had a strong season with the Blackhawks in 2023-24, posting 20 goals and 40 points in 81 games. This is solid production, and it is believable that he can replicate it this upcoming season.
Athanasiou is expected to play top-six minutes this season with the Blackhawks. With that, he also will spend a lot of time on their power play. These big roles have the potential to help him hit higher offensive totals in 2023-24. Therefore, if you are doing bigger fantasy drafts, don’t hesitate to take a flyer on him with your later picks.
Alas, the Blackhawks have some solid sleepers who you should consider taking a chance on in your draft. It will be interesting to see how well these four forwards perform for Chicago this season from here.