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The vibes have modified across the Chicago Blackhawks during the last week. They’ve dropped their final three video games since a formidable 4-1 win towards the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 16, together with two shutout losses.
Sitting with a 2-5-0 file, this season’s group hasn’t seemed significantly better than final season’s. The tank is all however over, and it’s straightforward to really feel disheartened, particularly with all of the hype round 2023’s first-overall draft decide Connor Bedard and their prospects. There have been some troubling developments over Chicago’s first seven video games; the facility play has been futile, changing at simply 6.7%, whereas Lukas Reichel stays pointless with a minus-7.
Related: Blackhawks’ Goaltending Depth in Great Shape Moving Forward
It’s vital to take a step again right here, nevertheless. The Blackhawks aren’t even one-tenth into their season, with simply seven video games beneath their belt. Many new faces means constructing crew chemistry, which takes time. With 75 video games remaining, the Blackhawks can nonetheless have a profitable 2023-24 common season, even when it doesn’t imply making the playoffs. There is completely no motive to hit the panic button proper now.
Blackhawks Have Faced Tough Opening Schedule
Let’s begin with the apparent: the schedule-makers did the Blackhawks no favors. Seven of their first eight video games have come or will come towards respectable playoff contenders, concluding tonight (Oct. 27) towards the Vegas Golden Knights in a rematch of Saturday’s (Oct. 21) 5-3 loss. Just six of their first 16 video games have been or can be on the United Center. In truth, the Blackhawks don’t have a homestand of greater than two video games till after American Thanksgiving, with a three-game stretch towards the Maple Leafs (Nov. 24), St. Louis Blues (Nov. 26), and Seattle Kraken (Nov. 28).
After Tuesday’s (Oct. 24) 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins, head coach Luke Richardson expressed frustration together with his crew’s efficiency. Normally having an even-keeled demeanor, he stated he desires the Blackhawks to be extra than simply hard-working this season and outcomes to begin showing. To a degree, he’s proper. The Blackhawks’ younger gamers want to start progressing, which hasn’t absolutely been the case between Reichel’s sluggish begin and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser’s struggles, the latter of whom seemed overwhelmed towards Boston.
Here’s the factor, although: there’s a major expertise hole between the Blackhawks and different groups. The aim this season must be enchancment, however one other top-five decide might be within the playing cards. After beginning 2-2-0, their three-game dropping streak has magnified their points, but 4 of their 5 losses have come towards groups who’ve gone a mixed 19-1-1 within the Colorado Avalanche, Golden Knights, and Bruins. That’s the 2022 Stanley Cup Champion, final season’s Cup champion, and final season’s Presidents’ Trophy winner, respectively. Against different opponents, they’re 2-1-0. Not unhealthy, proper?
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Having such a grueling schedule comes with execs and cons. The Blackhawks’ subsequent seven video games are all towards groups that would realistically make the playoffs, so there’s an opportunity issues proceed going south. On the opposite hand, this early-season adversity provides them time to work on their weaknesses and construct character earlier than dealing with groups nearer to their expertise stage.
Blackhawks Fans Need to Temper Expectations
Just two weeks in the past, the Blackhawks had been on cloud 9. They had been coming off a 4-2 season-opening win on Oct. 10 towards the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Bedard making his debut towards his childhood idol Sidney Crosby on ESPN. There was a lot pleasure within the air, and it even received a few of us eager about whether or not the crew might defy all odds and make a playoff push. Fast ahead to the top of the month, and the reply is extra possible “no,” however that’s not a foul factor.
For now, it’s vital to mood expectations only a bit. Despite Bedard’s presence, the rebuild remains to be a long-term course of. Rather than wins and losses, the main focus of the season must be development and improvement, which you merely can’t assess after seven video games.
Related: NHL Needs to Get on & Accelerate the Connor Bedard Hype Train
It’s good to have some expectations for the primary time shortly. This is a refreshing change in contrast to final season when, let’s be sincere, the video games had been principally meaningless. However, the Blackhawks stay within the thick of their rebuild. When you think about prospects and potential trades/free-agent signings, their roster will look vastly completely different 4 years from now, when the competition window will ideally open.
The Blackhawks completed with 59 factors final season at 26-49-7, which is a really low bar. Any form of regression this season could be worrisome, and if issues are nonetheless wanting down in a month or two, that’s when there could also be trigger for concern. Right now, it’s not justifiable, particularly given the groups they’ve confronted.
Blackhawks Will Be Fine Moving Forward
No matter how this season goes, the Blackhawks are in glorious form past 2023-24. They have an above-average prospect pipeline even if you take away Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, and people on the NHL stage. Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, Ilya Safonov, and Nick Lardis lead the ahead group. Nolan Allan and Ethan Del Mastro might change into regular contributors defensively. Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan might each change into the crew’s future No. 1 goaltender. Not to point out, the Blackhawks have 9 picks within the 2024 Draft, seven of that are within the first three rounds. They’ll even have greater than sufficient cap area to make a splash or two in subsequent summer time’s free company.
There’ll be issues if the Blackhawks fail to enhance on their 2022-23 level whole, nevertheless it gained’t be the top of the world. Remember, improvement isn’t linear. Perhaps Bedard doesn’t have a Crosby-like rookie marketing campaign, and that’s OK. In his rookie season (2013-14), Nathan MacKinnon recorded 63 factors in 82 video games. It took him 4 seasons earlier than he turned a point-per-game participant and blossomed into the celebrity we all know him as right this moment, recording 97 factors in 74 video games in 2017-18.
Davidson, Richardson, and crew management deserve endurance, together with the gamers. Whether it’s line mixtures or wholesome scratches, let’s not overanalyze each little resolution, as tempting as it might be. Yes, they’ve made some attention-grabbing calls, resembling giving Reichel a protracted leash at heart when a lot of his success has come on the wing. That stated, now’s the proper time to see what their younger gamers are able to as their long-term future takes form. There’s an expectation for development, however not essentially to win now. With the Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews drama overshadowing a lot of 2022-23, I would even argue that is the primary true season of the rebuild.
So, Blackhawks followers, calm down. Take a deep breath, and most significantly, don’t freak out. As the cliché goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” which couldn’t be extra true of the crew proper now. Everything can be OK in the long term.
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