The Blackhawks’ week opens with a simple reality: this team is not getting enough from the bench, and the results have shown it. Chicago sits at 4-9-1, and the frustration around Jeff Blashill is only getting louder as the lineup choices and special teams continue to drag the group down.
That concern has only grown because this season was supposed to feel different for a young roster that already had a taste of momentum last year. Instead, the energy has been missing for most of the opening stretch.
The one exception came in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Boston Bruins, when Alex Vlasic got tangled up with Casey Mittelstadt late in the second period. Nikita Zadorov, now with Boston and a former Blackhawk, stepped in to pull Vlasic away, and Ryan Donato moved in to do the same to Zadorov.
Outside of that moment, there hasn’t been much sign of teammates jumping in for one another. That stands out, especially compared with last season, and it’s part of the larger picture around a team that has looked flat far too often.
The question of what comes next for Kyle Davidson’s roster is also starting to sharpen. NHL insider Frank Seravalli said on Oct. 27 that Davidson is looking for “shoot-first, scoring wingers with size”, and that fits the obvious needs on this team.
Chicago has been linked to names like Dmitri Voronkov, Jake DeBrusk and Owen Tippett. Tippett, in particular, was described as “a great skater with good size (6-1 and 210 pounds) and a fire-away shooting mentality that would fit perfectly on the Hawks”, which lines up with the kind of forward presence Chicago is missing.
If a deal for Tippett were to happen with Philadelphia, it would likely cost a significant package of prospects. Still, the logic is clear: the Blackhawks want to win, and adding a winger with size and a scoring edge would help.
Amid the broader struggles, Anton Frondell gave Chicago something to build on Saturday. He had been stuck in a six-game point drought before breaking through with the Blackhawks’ first two goals of the game. He also came close to completing his first NHL hat trick later, including in overtime.
“He’s going to be a heck of a player for a long time in this league,” Andrew Mangiapane said. “He’s good in all three zones.
He knows where to be. And he’s supporting everywhere, and that’s what you want in a center,”
Frondell said the recent tweak to his power-play usage helped him find his rhythm again. “I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, and there I was living my dream,” he said.
“So, just trying to have the same energy, the same enjoyment, because every day is so fun. It’s a dream to play here.
So, [I’m] having fun and trying to get better.”
The schedule ahead is a brutal one. Chicago hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Monday at the United Center before heading to Florida for games against the Panthers on Wednesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The week ends Saturday at the Carolina Hurricanes.
It’s the Blackhawks’ first back-to-back of the season, and it comes against both Florida teams. That’s a problem on its own, especially considering what happened the last time Chicago saw the Panthers. In that game, the Blackhawks went 0-for-7 on the power play, including a pair of 5-on-3 chances they couldn’t convert.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Unveiled A New Look Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Blackhawks added a fresh wrinkle to their look this week with a green-themed jersey unveiled as part of a league-wide release, and it is already the kind of design that will get fans talking. Built around the Blackhawks logo on a green base, the sweater is meant to celebrate Chicagos history and progress, with gold shoulder patches and embossed stars inspired by the city flag giving it a distinctly local feel.
It is also set to become more than a one-off alternate, with the team planning to wear it at six home games this season and rolling out a new merchandise line alongside it. The first chance to see it in action comes in a home matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, which should give Blackhawks fans an immediate read on whether this new look lands as a sharp addition or a bold departure. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Just Got A Brutal Patrick Kane Blow During This Slide
The Blackhawks skid got a whole lot tougher to manage in Denver, where a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche stretched their slide to three straight and sent another jolt through a lineup already trying to find its footing. Patrick Kane, who has been carrying the offense since returning to Chicago on a two-year contract, left in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not come back, leaving the team to finish the night without its top scorer.
For a club still trying to stabilize its season, losing Kane at this stage is more than a short-term inconvenience. Head coach Jeff Blashill said the winger is expected to miss at least the next couple of games, which puts even more pressure on a roster that has already been leaning on him heavily. Chicago now has to sort through a rough stretch without the one player who has been giving its attack the most reliable punch. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Get Even Worse News After Another Brutal Loss
The Blackhawks were already trying to steady themselves after another rough night at the United Center, where they let a 2-0 lead slip away in a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche. It was the kind of collapse that deepens every concern around a team that has now dropped six of its last seven, and it leaves little margin for error as a difficult road trip approaches.
Chicago also has to navigate the fallout from Patrick Kanes upper-body injury, which is expected to keep him out for the next couple of games. Losing one of the clubs most important pieces only adds to the pressure on a roster that is searching for answers fast, and the timing could hardly be worse with the schedule about to get tougher. [Read more 🡒]