Alex Vlasic isn’t backing away from the big word.
The Blackhawks defenseman says Chicago should be talking about the playoffs heading into 2026-27, even after six straight seasons without a postseason berth and four consecutive last-place finishes in the Central Division.
“It’s a season where we’re trying to make the playoffs,” Vlasic told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. “As soon as training camp starts, that’s what our goal is. The sooner we establish that goal as a team, the more realistic it can be.”
Vlasic pushed the point further, making it clear he sees confidence as part of the job description.
“If you’re scared to use that word, it isn’t a good thing,” Vlasic said. “You want to be confident as a team. Up until halfway through the season last year, we were in a really good spot of potentially making the playoffs, and I think we’re a better team this year and going to take steps forward.
“It’s a matter of time for us. You have to have that confidence level going in, knowing we’re a team that belongs there, and that will carry over to play throughout the season.”
Chicago’s 2025-26 season had two very different stretches. The Blackhawks opened 10-5-4, then lost 14 of their next 17 games and slid out of the race. Connor Bedard’s December injury was a major factor in that downturn.
This offseason, the Blackhawks added Patrick Kane, Bowen Byram and Ian Cole to bolster a young core that’s still taking shape. Anton Frondell, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, is expected to play a full season after joining the team late last year, and Roman Kantserov is among the rookies set to make his debut.
Vlasic, 25, has become a steady presence on Chicago’s blue line over the last three seasons. The 6-foot-6 defender led the club in average ice time last season at 21:08 and finished with a team-high 119 blocked shots.
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