After finishing in the bottom three teams in the NHL the past three seasons, the Chicago Blackhawks are approaching the backend of their rebuild. The team finished with the second worst record this season, just beating out the San Jose Sharks. This looks bad on paper, but in the last 10 games, I could see the vision Kyle Davidson is building with this team. The pipeline of talent they have is second to none in the NHL.
While everyone wants the Blackhawks to have a repeat of their 2010s dynasty, I think their leadership wants the team to have an identity of their own.
Connor Bedard is proving that he is the franchise centerman everyone thought he was going to be when they took him with the first overall pick in 2023. He’s not only the future of the Blackhawks but the future of the National Hockey League.
With that being said, Bedard is under immense pressure for a 19-year-old. I have seen people say that he is in a “sophomore slump,” which is fine if you consider scoring more points, more goals, more assists, recording a better plus/minus and playing in more games than last year to be a “sophomore slump.” He is just getting started and he is a cornerstone of this team.
Within the last three drafts, general manager Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks have put on an absolute masterclass with their draft picks. The team has a killer roster. Connor Bedard will soon be the face of the league. Frank Nazar is already proving to be one of the best two-way forwards. Oliver Moore can skate with anyone on the ice. Artym Levshinov is a big,strong offensive minded freshman who tore up the NCAA at Michigan State. And finally, Sam Rinzel, who people thought was a crazy first round pick, is now the smoothest skater on the Blackhawks and a great power play defenseman.
These are only their first-round picks — the team has so many other high-ceiling guys in their system and they will soon be a playoff contender.
There has also been a huge culture shock throughout the Blackhawks. The front office is done with short-term deals and bad contracts for salary cap management. The team has a roster of young and talented players and has still been able to sign veteran players like Teuvo Terivinan, Nick Foligno and Tyler Bertuzzi. All of these guys are helping players like Nazar and Bedard navigate the league and find their footing on the team. The veterans are doing a great job of showing the younger players how to be winners.
The Chicago Blackhawks are not a playoff team this season and probably won’t be next season, but good rebuilds take years. I think the Hawks have had a great rebuild so far and with a few more signings, I have hope. The culture, roster, coaching and front office is going to rocket this team into scary playoff momentum for the foreseeable future.
