We’re now a few days into December, and the Blackhawks find themselves squarely in last place in the NHL with an 8-16-2 record. That’s a hugely disappointing result for a team that many thought could find itself in the middle of the pack after numerous offseason acquisitions and frivolous spending.

Speaking of disappointments, we just flipped the calendar, so it’s time to check in on the biggest surprises and disappointments so far this season. A few players have somehow kept their shocking starts going, but others aren’t having quite as much fun.

Surprises

Ilya Mikheyev

Mikheyev is far from the most notable player on the Blackhawks this season – he’s 15th in points with five, including two goals, and doesn’t spend any time on the power play. But Mikheyev has quietly turned into a solid contributor for Chicago. That may be mostly because he’s playing on a line with Jason Dickinson, but Mikheyev is beginning to show similarities when compared to Dickinson. He’s a good forechecker and is defensively responsible, and playing alongside Dickinson has given him a plus-minus of +2 on a terrible team.

Arvid Soderblom

Soderblom made the list last month, but he’s still been the most pleasant surprise of the season for the Blackhawks thus far. His stats have dipped a bit in his last two outings, but Soderblom is shockingly still one of the better goaltenders in the entire league. His impressive 2.4 goals saved above expected is a testament to his work despite a rough team in front of him. Soderblom’s success should allow him to stick around in the long term, which is a huge turnaround from where he was last season.

Ryan Donato

His crazy heater may finally be over, but Donato hasn’t only been one of the most surprising players on the Blackhawks, he’s been one of the best. He’s second on the team with 15 points in 24 games and his 10 goals is three more than the next-best mark, which belongs to Nick Foligno. His effort on the ice is refreshing, and he’s being rewarded, as it seems like the puck always finds him in high-danger areas.

Disappointments

Connor Bedard

Bedard won’t be on this list much longer, as it appears he’s finally close to breaking out of his tough slump. His 19 points lead the team, and he’s the most dangerous player on the ice, but he’ll be the first to admit that his stats aren’t quite where he wants them. With his tremendous talent, it can be easy to forget that he’s only 19 years old – one slump shouldn’t be a cause for concern, despite what angry comment sections might suggest.

Petr Mrazek

Mrazek being included on this list isn’t fair at all, and no one would be disappointed in Mrazek himself. However, the situation that surrounds him is disappointing. With Laurent Brossoit somehow still on IR, Mrazek has taken on a massive workload, having played in 19 games already. As a result, his stats are beginning to suffer, having posted a save percentage of below .900 in each of his last three starts. The player is performing as well as anyone could ask him to, but the situation? Disappointing.