Chicago Blackhawks: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

Every NHL team has now played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Chicago Blackhawks. After an atrocious start to the season, they are starting to pick it up and have won six of their last 10 games. Although they still sport a 9-13-2 record, it is at least looking a bit better for them than before. These two players have been big factors for their recent success and are off to very good starts this campaign.

Brandon Hagel: Brandon Hagel seems to be blossoming into one of Chicago's top scoring forwards. In 21 games so far this season, he has eight goals and 11 points. This is a notable increase in scoring, as he had nine goals and 24 points in 52 games last season. If he continues to produce at this pace moving forward, his $1.5 million cap hit over the next three seasons will be a complete and utter steal.

Seth Jones: When Seth Jones signed his eight-year, $76 million contract extension immediately after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, it raised a lot of eyebrows. He just had a disastrous campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets where he had five goals, 28 points and a minus-18 rating in 56 games. He's been responding amazingly this season when it comes to offense, though, as he already has 22 points in just 24 points. That kind of production from the back end is marvelous and something not many hockey fans would have predicted from him this season.