Lazerus: Blackhawks’ Luke Richardson faces least pressure in the NHL, but toughest task

Luke Richardson is the most experienced player in the NHL. He has 125 official bouts in his career. General manager Kyle Davidson wants to secure the best pick possible in next summer's draft. Richardson wants the team to win. The Blackhawks are in training camp. They are going to make Davidson's job the toughest possible. It's not his job to be the Tank Commander.

Richardson is the new coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. He wants to improve team morale and the leadership. Kevin Lowe's leadership helped him improve as a player. Davidson wants the team to play well. The team has expectations. The players want to win every game. They are competitors. It's not that they want the Blackhawks to lose. Davidson is not giddy about it. His team is thinking long-term. But he wants them to do well this season. For him, the players are the most important. Chicago won't lose this year. There are expectations for the whole team. Blackhawks are competitive. Every game matters.

Luke Richardson is a new coach in the NHL. He has a four-year contract and a clear direction from management. In the pressure cooker that is the NFL, it's an almost unheard-of level of job security. Richardson has to keep Toews and Kane happy and develop young talent.