Return of Teuvo Teravainen has been big for the Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have entered season two of the Connor Bedard-era and over the last couple of years, have brought in some veteran free-agent help to try and push the team back into Stanley Cup Playoff contention. One of the key free agents GM Kyle Davidson signed this past summer was former Blackhawk Teuvo Teravainen.
Teravainen signed a three-year contract, worth $5.4 million AAV, and he’s been worth every penny to start the year, recording seven points in his first seven games. Teravainen is averaging 19:26 of ice-time per game, and has seen time on both sides of the Blackhawks’ special teams’ units.
Teravainen returned to Chicago after spending the past eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. The speedy winger was part of the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks’ team during the 2014-15 season, and was eventually traded to Hurricanes in the summer of 2016 for a second and third-round pick.
On today’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli discussed Teravainen’s return to the Blackhawks and what he’s meant to the hockey club early on this season.
Yaremchuk: Couple of other names I wanted to throw your way Frank, who are off to really good starts, one of them is Teuvo Teravainen in Chicago. You just got a first-hand look at him. I love the way, and again the results are not going to come quite yet, in terms of wins and the standings, but I’ve loved how Chicago has handled both of these last two offseasons.
A year ago it was get the good vets and isolated Bedard with good, character, quality guys. And, this summer it was – alright, now go get him some guys that can keep up and play, and produce, and Teravainen can do that. I like the Bertuzzi add as well, but his stat line has certainly stood out.
Seravalli: It’s tied for the best start in his career to start a season, and he’s been in the NHL for awhile. He’s hugely important to the Blackhawks because Teuvo Teravainen is the first player that Connor Bedard has played with that can come even remotely close to processing the game, and use his brain as well as Bedard does.
To have someone else on the ice that can think, I think is what makes that acquisition, it’s going to make it so successful. He’s got talent, he’s in a familiar environment having won a Stanley Cup in Chicago before, and he’s someone that I think can be with this team, and continue to help everyone grow.
For more on the Blackhawks start, and the rest of the latest buzz around the NHL, watch the full episode here.