Blackhawks dealt a brutal reality check on forward Connor Bedard

In a surprising turn of events, Center Connor Bedard has fallen behind in production on the Blackhawks to Ryan Donato.

However, that is just one area of which the Blackhawks should be concerned with Bedard himself, who seems to be frustrated with the team at the moment.

The team under Anders Sorensen is now 21-43-9 (52 points) and 8th in the Central Division. There remains a possibility of earning 10 more points to finish out the year. But that is an underwhelming revelation given how much money Kyle Davidson spent during free agency.

According to Scott Powers of The Athletic he projected them to finish the season with 25 points above the 52 earned last season.

However, in the greater scheme of things, injuries and how the team has been built turned out to be a disaster.

Tyler Bertuzzi, while posting 41 points in 73 games with the Hawks this season, has failed to be a consistent forward in the lineup.

Other pieces acquired during the offseason, including Alec Martinez and Laurent Brossoit, have failed to make an impact in the lineup, simply due to ongoing injuries, which have been a major factor in the lack of success for the team in 2023-2024 and last season.

For GM Kyle Davidson to redeem himself and the team in the fans' eyes, is to build a better team around Bedard.

Find better forwards, considering the ones he's surrounded Bedard with now, won't be here long-term.

If he does invest in a veteran, make sure they fit the timeline, and could play alongside Bedard and improve his production, someone comparable to Mitch Marner, for instance.

The Blackhawks will end the season with a chance at a lottery pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

But are no better than they were last year after all is said and done.