The Chicago Blackhawks (13–25–2) fell to the New York Rangers (18–20–1) Sunday afternoon at the United Center 6–2 in front of a young and quiet crowd. Connor Bedard assisted on the opening goal to extend his point streak to seven games and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser scored his first career NHL goal late in the game when it did not matter.

The Chicago Blackhawks expected big things when they selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. It was clear from his junior days that he'd make a major impact once he got to the NHL.

Let's pull the lens out from the current state of the Blackhawks and focus on what the calendar year could bring for the team.

The Chicago Blackhawks had Connor Bedard extend his point streak to seven games but they couldn't beat the New York Rangers.

The urgency to surround Bedard with a higher-caliber supporting cast stems from his importance to Chicago’s rebuild. The Blackhawks are last in the Central Division with a 12-24-2 record. For now, the spotlight remains on Chicago’s young phenom while the franchise looks destined to be making another top selection in the upcoming NHL draft.