Blackhawks Overall Rebuild Grade: C-
Core: B
Overall Roster: D
Prospect Pool: A-
Head Coach & General Manager: C
Blackhawks Can Build A Juggernaut If They Stay Patient
The Chicago Blackhawks had one of the better rebuilds going for them, especially after they won the draft lottery to select Connor Bedard in 2023. Then they rushed things in the 2024 offseason. GM Kyle Davidson, who showed patience early on with the focus on drafting and developing, brought in a handful of veterans with the expectation of making the playoffs.
They took a step back and had to fire head coach Luke Richardson because of it. The chain reaction is their generational talent in Bedard is a year behind schedule, and the team still doesn’t have that young forward to work alongside him, which he needs. Bedard can still be one of the most talented players in the NHL. The problem is the Blackhawks haven’t done him many favors by throwing him out there and letting him get pushed around without another young forward to take the pressure off of him.
The hope is that Frank Nazar can become that this season, while Anton Fondell can become the power forward for the top six down the road. If Artem Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski develop on the defensive unit, then the Blackhawks have a core built to make noise. That’s still an unknown and will take a few seasons.
There’s some irony with the Blackhawks roster in general. The biggest need is young NHL talent, and players like Brandon Hagel and Dylan Strome would fit that bill (they moved on from both to tear things down and start from scratch). Otherwise, the Blackhawks are still adding through the farm system, which is talented but, of course, hit or miss.
Outsider’s Perspective
The Blackhawks have been rebuilding for a few years now but patience remains the overall sentiment with this team. One writer noted, “They’re moving ahead in their rebuild and have made some progress, but they’re likely another year or two away from being competitive in their respective conference.”
So, Bedard’s development is pivotal, and so is the rest of the roster. If the young players can make progress, and they should under head coach Jeff Blashill, then the conversation around the rebuild will change. Blashill is also a key part of the Blackhawks rebuild as the hiring appears underwhelming, considering how his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings went but he’s a coach known for working well with young players, and another chance could be one he makes the most of.
The Bottom Line
The Blackhawks have the pieces in place to have a successful rebuild. The problem is the process. Davidson took the right preliminary steps by building up the farm system, and this offseason was a good sign as he didn’t make any crazy or irrational signings. The big thing with this team is what happens next, and what they target in the drafts ahead. Adding size to the forward unit with the Frondell selection is a step in the right direction (as he can be the Robin to Bedard’s Batman or the Malkin to Crosby).
“ GM Kyle Davidson, who showed patience early on with the focus on drafting and developing, brought in a handful of veterans with the expectation of making the playoffs.”
Anyone who thinks this is true has no business writing about this team. Nobody, and I mean nobody had expectations that the Hawks would make the playoffs last year.
It’s to forget how many veterans they brought in and what the expectations were when they did. If they just signed Martinez and Maroon, then it’s easy to say they were looking to add players to help mentor the prospects and move the rebuild along. When they brought in Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall (2023 offseason), TJ Brodie, Craig Smith, and Laurent Brossoit, they were looking to make a push for the playoffs (at least that’s what the front offices were hoping for with the rebuild).
The moves backfired in multiple ways, and it’s why this otherwise promising rebuild is a step behind now.
I agree with Ogi. He brought in veterans to be not terrible. The hope was that the kids could learn from the veterans. The not terrible part didn’t work out as well as he’d hoped. Still, I see good things ahead.
I agree Ogie, those vets were brought in to help the kids to progress and to not take the full season workload. I don’t think those vets were brought in to make the playoffs, but rather give the younger players the insight of what goes into playing a long season towards making the playoffs like Maroon and Martinez.