The Blackhawks don’t need everything to break right this season, but they do need enough of it to start clicking. That’s the real line between another long year and a team that at least pushes itself into the playoff conversation. With training camp coming into view, Chicago is still very much a young roster, but one that could take a meaningful step if a few key areas improve.
Start on the blue line, where the Blackhawks need more offense from their defensemen. Last season, Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Artyom Levshunov were all 25 years old or younger, and the group finished with just 129 points, 25th in the NHL.
That’s a thin return, even for a developing unit. The addition of Bowen Byram should change the look of things.
Chicago paid a steep price, but Byram arrives as the most experienced and most productive defenseman in the group, with the kind of No.1 offensive defenseman potential he flashed for the Buffalo Sabres last season. Another year of growth from the younger defenders, plus a possible jump from 22-year-old Kevin Korchinski, could make the back end much more dangerous.
The same logic applies to the power play, which was a major drag a year ago. Chicago converted just 16.9 percent of its chances, ranking 29th in the league, and that was part of the reason the team managed only 2.56 goals per game, 30th in the NHL.
Even a move to league average would add five to 10 goals, and on a team that scored 40 all season long, that kind of bump matters. Byram’s skating, vision, and offensive instincts should help there, especially when Connor Bedard returns, and with youngsters like Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell in the mix.
Chicago also has to get tighter defensively. Spencer Knight is one of the bright spots, and last season he kept the Blackhawks from looking even worse than they did.
But goaltending can only cover so much. The team allowed 30 shots per game, which ranked 31st, and that kind of volume puts constant pressure on the crease.
A reduction of just two shots per game would bring them closer to league average and ease the burden on the goaltenders. The other route is to spend more time in the offensive zone, but Chicago was dead last in shots taken last season.
The biggest swing factor, though, is the young core itself. Tyler Bertuzzi, Patrick Kane, and Teuvo Teravainen are important veterans, but the franchise is really riding on Bedard, Frondell, Kantserov, Levshunov, Vlasic, and Frank Nazar.
Six of the top nine forwards and three of the top seven defensemen, counting Korchinski, are 22 or younger. Bedard is nearing superstardom despite the injury.
Nazar put up 41 points in 66 games last season. Kantserov is expected to be a top rookie after three seasons in the KHL.
Levshunov needs to take a step forward in all three zones, and even small offensive gains from Vlasic, Kaiser, and Lindel would help.
The Blackhawks don’t need all of those players to become stars overnight. They do need visible progress, especially on defense. If Nazar and Kantserov can combine for 100 points, that would be a huge lift for an offense that struggled badly a season ago.
That’s why this season is about more than just wins and losses. Chicago is in a tough division, and the playoff path is crowded, but there is at least a route to a meaningful push.
If the Blackhawks fall short yet still climb 10-15 points in the standings, that would still matter for 2027-28. The danger is another bottom-of-the-barrel season.
If that happens, the organization could be left wondering whether it has backed the right prospects.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Face One Early Test That Could Shape Their Season
A new season usually starts with optimism around Chicago, and this one is no different, even with a familiar veteran back in the mix to help carry the offense. Patrick Kanes return gives the Blackhawks another proven playmaker beside a young core that still has plenty of growing to do, while the blue line is projected to lean on Bowen Byram and Alex Vlasic as its top pairing. In goal, the team is set to sort through Spencer Knight and Drew Commesso, giving the staff a different kind of test as it tries to build something steadier around a roster still finding its identity.
The early challenge is less about ceiling than timing, because the Blackhawks may have to navigate the opening stretch without their centerpiece up front. Connor Bedards recovery from shoulder surgery creates a real opening for others to step forward, and the coming weeks could tell Chicago plenty about which players are ready to handle more responsibility. If the Blackhawks can survive that stretch with structure and a few unexpected contributors, it could say a lot about how far this group has come from simply waiting for its future to arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Blue Line Suddenly Puts Pressure On Two Young Defensemen
Chicagos blue line has already been reshaped in a way that makes the next few seasons look a lot different than the last. With Connor Murphy, Matt Grzelcyk and Louis Crevier gone and Bowen Byram and Ian Cole added, the Blackhawks are staring at a defense corps that is still sorting out its balance, especially when it comes to left- and right-handed fit. It is the kind of roster puzzle that can look tidy on paper and still change once the games start, but it has already created a clearer sense of which young defenders are being pushed into bigger roles.
Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel now sit at the center of that conversation because the lineup math appears to be pointing their way. The way the roster is built, there is a real case for the club to split its top young pieces across the top two pairings instead of clustering them together, which only raises the pressure on both players to handle more responsibility sooner rather than later. For a team trying to build a sturdier back end, that is the sort of choice that can shape not just pairings, but the timeline of the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]