Why the Blackhawks need Teuvo Teravainen to step up this season

John Bloomer writes that both Teuvo Teravainen and the Chicago Blackhawks urgently need the forward to produce a bounce-back season. Teravainen struggled in the previous campaign with his lowest full-season point output since 2016, suffered a May injury at the IIHF World Championship, and was scratched for the season opener against Vegas. However, an injury to Andrew Mangiapane has opened the door for Teravainen to rejoin the lineup against Utah.

The writer argues that a strong season is critical for Teravainen's future contract prospects as he nears free agency at age 32. For Chicago, Bloomer asserts that Teravainen regaining form would bolster their playoff push or maximize his value before the trade deadline.