The Chicago Blackhawks are stuck in a rough place this season, parked near the bottom of the Central Division and lingering close to the basement of the Western Conference. If things keep going this way, the franchise could be staring at another first- or second-overall pick in the 2027 Draft, which is hardly the kind of company a fan base that celebrated three Stanley Cup titles in five years wants to keep.
That reality is what makes the current mood in Chicago so hard to pin down. Bleacher Report recently put together a list of the NHL’s most frustrated fanbases, and Adam Gretz slotted the Blackhawks in at No. 8 out of 8. The ranking may reflect the misery around the league, but it still feels light for a team that has managed just one playoff series this decade, even if it came during the bubble playoffs in Edmonton.
Chicago’s case is built on expectation as much as disappointment. The roster has been loaded with high-end draft capital, yet the results have not followed.
Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Frondell, Bowen Byram, Sam Rinzel, Frank Nazar and Spencer Knight are all part of the picture, and that collection of first-round talent is exactly why the Blackhawks’ position is so maddening. The organization keeps adding promising pieces, but the on-ice product remains one of the NHL’s worst.
Bleacher Report’s list also put the Blackhawks behind teams with their own serious baggage, including the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is the only other club on the list with a first overall pick in the lineup, and unlike Chicago, it has never won a Stanley Cup.
The Sabres last played in the Final in 1999, but they did snap an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought last season and reached the second round. They arrive in Chicago tonight, Nov. 12, after getting blown out by the Tampa Bay Lightning and sitting around the wild-card picture in the East after winning the Atlantic Division.
There’s also a case to be made that Vancouver should have landed higher on the list than Chicago. The Canucks missed out on the first overall pick after a disappointing season at the bottom of the standings, and even with a new coach and some changes, they’re back near the bottom again despite a few upset wins along the way.
Still, Chicago’s numbers are ugly in just about every direction. The Blackhawks are among the league’s worst teams in shots on goal, goals scored, goal differential and power-play efficiency. That’s the part that stings: the talent is there in pieces, but the standings don’t show it.
There is at least one possible roadmap for patience paying off. Edmonton spent years collecting high picks before landing Connor McDavid first overall in 2015, and only then did the Oilers turn into a contender, reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals within a decade. By the time McDavid arrived, the frustration had already built to a boil, but the losing had also positioned the franchise to find a player who changed everything.
That’s the tension hanging over Chicago now. Bedard still hasn’t hit his full stride, and the Blackhawks may still be searching for the right running mate for him, the way McDavid has Leon Draisaitl, Patrick Kane had Jonathan Toews, or Duncan Keith had Brent Seabrook.
Maybe the answer is another top pick. Maybe it’s already somewhere else, waiting to become the kind of difference-maker Sidney Crosby found in Chris Kunitz.
Either way, the frustration is real. Three Stanley Cup championships will always matter in Chicago, but they don’t erase what’s happening now. After three full seasons of the Bedard era, asking for more than another lottery ticket is more than fair.
In Other News...
Patrick Kane Returns As Blackhawks Desperately Search For A Spark
Patrick Kane is back in the mix at a time when the Blackhawks could use just about any kind of lift. Chicago activated the veteran forward from injured reserve, opening the door for him to return against the Buffalo Sabres after missing the previous three games with an upper-body injury.
Kane had been practicing with the team and had already been sidelined for six games overall, leaving the Blackhawks to keep searching for more offense and a steadier rhythm without one of their most important players. His return gives Chicago a familiar presence to lean on, but the bigger question is how quickly he can settle back in and help a club still trying to find a spark. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Suddenly Face A Delicate Matvei Michkov Situation
Kyle Davidson has left the door open to bigger roster changes after the Blackhawks rough start, and that alone is enough to keep the focus on Chicago as the season settles in. The general manager has signaled a willingness to shake things up if needed, a notable stance for a team trying to get itself back on track without making panic moves too early.
At the same time, the leagues trade chatter is already starting to spill into the Blackhawks orbit, with other clubs dealing with their own delicate situations and deadline pressure. Philadelphias handling of Matvei Michkov rumors has only added to the noise around the market, and for Chicago the question is less about any one rumor than whether Davidson decides the current roster needs a more dramatic reset as the losses pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks GM Sends Clear Message After Chicagos Brutal Start
Kyle Davidson spent his latest press conference trying to steady the conversation around a Blackhawks team that has stumbled badly out of the gate. The general manager acknowledged the defensive issues and the rough start, but made it clear he still believes in the current roster and coaching staff as Chicago works through its rebuild. He also touched on recent roster decisions, including the handling of Kevin Korchinski and the move to place goaltender Arvid Sderblom on waivers.
The bigger takeaway was Davidsons insistence that the organization is still focused on the long view rather than reacting to every early-season setback. Chicagos struggles have only sharpened the scrutiny on the front office, and the pressure to show progress is only going to grow if the results do not improve soon. For now, Davidson is projecting patience and confidence, even as the Blackhawks continue trying to find some stability on the ice. [Read more 🡒]