After nearly two weeks away from the rink, the Chicago Blackhawks will return to practice on Tuesday for the first time since the Olympic break began. Aside from Teuvo Teravainen, who’s representing Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the rest of the Blackhawks’ roster has been away from any action since Feb. 4.
The 13-day break was much-needed for a Blackhawks’ squad that was struggling mightily leading up to the Olympics. They closed out January with five consecutive losses and dropped six of their final seven games. The offense had also hit a wall, with only 15 goals scored in those last seven appearances. Six came in the lone victory of the stretch against the San Jose Sharks.
For both veterans and youngsters alike, the hope is that the time off the ice will allow for a full reset before the final stretch of the 2025-26 season. The Blackhawks have 25 games left on the schedule and sit 10 points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. While the postseason is likely out of reach, there are many areas where this team would surely like to improve before the offseason arrives.
From an individual perspective, a case can be made that the time away will serve as a benefit to everyone. For the rookies and more inexperienced players, they’ve likely played more hockey than ever before and could use the rest. For the elder players, getting to heal up the body and spend time with family is always enjoyed. However, there are three players in particular who should benefit most from the Olympic break.
Artyom Levshunov
The first month of 2026 didn’t treat rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov too kindly. His offensive production dipped drastically, while his defensive structure and decision making was far too inconsistent.
In 15 games in January, Levshunov tallied just one goal and two assists, while sporting a grotesque minus-14 rating. Following a disastrous minus-five showing against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 29, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick was a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks final three games before the break.
During his time out of the lineup, Levshunov began a brief development program, where he worked with head coach Jeff Blashill and the rest of the staff to improve three specific areas of his game: puck play, defensive positioning, and shooting technique. Plenty to work on there. But with nine days until the Blackhawks play their first game out of the break, Blashill has refered to this stretch as a mini second training camp. That gives Levshunov and the coaches plenty of time pick up where they left off before the pause and try to clean up those aspects.
It’s not ideal that the Blackhawks and Levshunov find themselves in this position once again, but he did respond well to his first reset of the season back in early October. Levshunov made a few unacceptable errors in an overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 9, just the second game of the year. Two nights later, he was scratched for the home opener against Montreal. But in the 22 games that followed, Levshunov progressively improved, racking up 12 points (1G, 11A) and earning a larger role game by game. Eventually, he snatched Sam Rinzel’s job as the quarterback for the top power-play unit and became the team’s most trusted upon offensive defenseman. He’s shown before that a quick and significant turnaround is possible.
Still only 20 years old and one of the youngest blue liners in the NHL, life has likely been a complete whirlwind for Levshunov, who’s averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this season. He’s been asked to do a lot for the Blackhawks, and having some time off should certainly help him mentally reset going into a very important stretch before play resumes on Feb. 26. He reportedly spent the break down in South Florida, where he trains during the summer.
Andre Burakovsky
The start of Andre Burakovsky’s tenure with the Blackhawks was terrific. In his first 38 games of the season, Burakovsky was among the team’s leading scorers with 29 points (10G, 19A) and meshed well alongside Connor Bedard on the top line. His size and speed combination was somewhat of a missing piece in the top six, and his puck-carrying abilities and playmaking helped take the pressure off Bedard in transition.
But ever since a four-game point streak to begin the New Year, Burakovsky has looked like a shell of himself. In the final 13 games before the break, he amassed only one assist and had a minus-13 rating. Not once was he on the right end of the five-on-five ledger during that stretch.
Burakovsky spent most shifts turning the puck over and then constantly chasing to try and get it back. His inability to string proper plays together forced Blashill to hand him less ice time, as he played over 12 minutes only once in the last four games going into the Olympics. For the first time this season, he was also bumped down to the third line.
Blashill mentioned amidst Burakovsky’s struggles that he’s someone who cares immensely, and that he desperately wants to play better and help out his teammates more. But sometimes, he can try too hard and force things on the ice, which only leads to additional issues. It felt like Burakovsky was in his own head there for awhile, and hopefully, he will return from the near two-week break with a fresh mindset. The Blackhawks simply need more out of him for their offense to find consistent success.
Based on he and his wife’s latest Instagram posts, it appeared that the Burakovsky’s enjoyed a tropical vacation during the Olympic break. That should most definitely help with a mental reset. The beach sounds rather nice right now, personally.
Jason Dickinson
One of the most underappreciated defensive forwards in the NHL, Jason Dickinson has quietly gone about his business per usual this season. He’s only picked up 13 points (6G, 7A) in 43 games, but the offensive side of things isn’t what he’s known for. Once again, he’s been the team’s most called upon center iceman in defensive situations and regularly shutdown opposing team’s top lines. He’s also been a staple of the NHL’s best penalty-kill unit.
The reason Dickinson is included along with Levshunov and Burakovsky in this grouping isn’t due to any struggles; it’s because how many times he’s already been banged up this year. The 30-year-old has missed multiple stretches of play, leading to 14 occasions in which he hasn’t been able to suit up. He’s dealt with several nagging injuries, including one to his left wrist, which he needed to have surgery on last year and effectively ended his 2024-25 campaign early.
While he only missed one of the Blackhawks final 18 games before the break, it’s been a challenge for Dickinson to remain healthy for signficant stretches over the last two years. As someone who consistently blocks shots and plays a rugged role, it’s understandable. Remaining injury-free in this sport involves some good fortune.
While Dickinson’s time in Chicago could soon be coming to a close, as he’s expected to be traded ahead of the deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, you want to see him fully healthy and playing to the best of his abilities, regardless of what sweater he’s wearing. Being off the ice for 13 days should help Dickinson fully heal up and get ready for the season’s home stretch.
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