Five storylines to follow during the final third of the Blackhawks' season

The highest drama of the Olympic men's hockey tournament is yet to come, but for the Blackhawks, the relaxing part of their Olympic break has reached its end.

The team will hold an optional practice Tuesday and resume fully practicing Wednesday — just without Teuvo Teravainen, their lone Olympian — as they gear up for the resumption of the NHL regular season Feb. 26.

Players will talk about a last-gasp playoff push, but that has realistically exited the realm of possibility. With 10 points separating the Hawks from the eighth-place Ducks, their playoff odds have fallen to a minuscule 0.7%, per MoneyPuck.

Still, the final third of their season should be interesting for a number of reasons. Here are five storylines to follow:

Impact of mini camp

The Hawks will hold six official practices before starting a four-game road trip Feb. 26 through Nashville, Colorado, Utah and Winnipeg. For comparison, they were able to squeeze only six practices into the entirety of January.

This young, inexperienced team has desperately needed an extended stretch of practice time like this — which coach Jeff Blashill has described as a "mini training camp" — for a while.

Will they adjust any of their systems? Blashill has foreshadowed that option. The power play, in particular, could use some re-imagination.

And will Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar be healthier, mentally refreshed and prepared to take charge offensively again?

Following the Hawks' official training camp in September, they both raced out of the gates: Bedard racked up 29 points in his first 19 games and Nazar tallied 11 in his first 10. That level of production is exactly what the Hawks would love to see replicated down the stretch.

Levshunov’s development

The Hawks' work with rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov to reform his defensive footwork and positioning, puck plays and shooting technique will continue the rest of this season and into the next. The process that began when the Hawks held him out of their final three games before the break isn't a brief one.

However, the mental reset provided by a few weeks in Florida out of the spotlight — and out of the line of fire — should be beneficial for him, as will the ample practice time.

Will the Hawks reinsert Levshunov into the lineup right away? When they do, will they return to the seven-defensemen lineups that allowed them to shelter him earlier this season by limiting his minutes and keeping him away from opponents' best players?

This feels like a critical moment in his long-term developmental arc, so the Hawks need to get these decisions right.

Trades before deadline

The Hawks' next home game isn't until March 6 against the Canucks, hours after the NHL trade deadline that afternoon. That means some of the team's pending unrestricted free agents — the guys they'll shop ahead of the deadline — have likely already made their final United Center appearances.

Veteran defenseman Connor Murphy and veteran center Jason Dickinson seem most likely to be moved. They're both defensively reliable players with leadership experience who would add depth to contenders. They both recognize the likelihood, too.

The Hawks have two salary retention slots they could use to cut in half their $4.4 million and $4.25 million cap hits, respectively. They might be able to get a second- or third-round pick in exchange for each. Murphy played very well in January, so that might help the cause.

Forward Ilya Mikheyev is another pending UFA, and if the market value for Mikheyev seems significantly higher than for Dickinson, the Hawks could opt to trade him instead — or trade both. So is defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, although Murphy's value will surely be higher than his — and surely the Hawks will keep one veteran around on the back end.

Then there's the uncertain case of captain Nick Foligno, who will probably get to decide his own fate. Is he planning to retire after this season? If so, will that influence his decision one way or another?

Last year, Seth Jones announced his trade request during the mini camp after the February international break. It's unlikely anything as spicy happens this year, but this is the time when trade dials turn from "simmer" to "high."

Prospect arrivals

The most important reason why the Hawks need to — and will — trade some veterans is to open up roster spots for prospects graduating into the NHL in March and April.

Anton Frondell is the headliner. The 18-year-old Swedish power forward (the No. 3 pick last year) has 15 goals and seven assists in 34 games with his SHL club, Djurgarden. Their regular season ends March 14, and they aren't expected to go far in the playoffs. Once they're eliminated, Frondell will join the Hawks.

Sacha Boisvert once seemed likely to make the pro leap this spring, too, but his rocky sophomore year at Boston University may or may not change that plan.

It would be nice to get AHL prospects Nick Lardis, Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski and/or Drew Commesso more NHL games late this season. Lardis was a victim of the numbers game when sent down to Rockford on Jan. 26, but he showed himself well in his first 21 games and is a recall candidate as soon as numbers change.

Roman Kantserov will be a much-anticipated addition next season, but his KHL playoff run with Magnitogorsk will likely outlast the Hawks' season, and there are contractual things to figure out before he makes the North American leap. Marek Vanacker and AJ Spellacy's OHL playoff runs will also likely outlast the Hawks' season.

Jostling for picks

The Hawks' front office will root for wins and team improvement down the stretch. That matters more than anything else now. But the Hawks' final position in the standings — and thus in the draft-lottery order — is still relevant.

Right now, the Hawks sit atop a cluster of five teams — separated by just four points — occupying 27th through 31st place. If the season ended today, they would have a 15.2% chance of getting a top-two pick and would otherwise pick sixth, seventh or eighth.

But if they finish at the bottom of that group, they would have a 27.6% chance of getting a top-two pick and would be guaranteed a top-four pick. That's a big difference.

The Panthers' position in the standings will also greatly affect the Hawks (due to new revelations). The Panthers are currently in 10th-to-last place, and if their pick ends up in the top 10, they get to keep it and instead send the Hawks their 2027 first-rounder.

The Hawks will root for the Panthers to climb a few spots but not climb enough to make the playoffs. That outcome would land the Hawks an extra pick in the 11th-to-16th range.