It has been a disaster 2026-2027 season for the Chicago Blackhawks to this point. The club has posted a 4-13-1 record through the first 18 games of the campaign. That gives them a .250 win percentage, which is on track to be their worst season in 98 years. Only the Vancouver Canucks find themselves lower in the NHL standings than this Blackhawks team. This is a disappointment for a team that entered this season with such high hopes. As a result, all options appear to be on the table when it comes to righting the ship.
Blackhawks Looking for Forward Support
The Blackhawks have been plagued with a host of issues this season. The most glaring has been a young group of players that have had a time gelling with the system ran by coach Jeff Blashill. However, Blashill is not going anywhere anytime soon as GM Kyle Davidson has decided not to make a coaching change at this time. Davidson’s job also appears safe at the moment, based on the fact he received a multi-year extension ahead of the season. That means the trade route is the most likely when it comes to movement within the team.
Chicago’s offense has been a struggle; the club’s 39 goals for rank last in the league. This is the area of the lineup Davidson looks most keen to address. Insider David Pagnotta reported that the Blackhawks are looking to make a forward upgrade on Morning Cuppa Hockey: “We’ve talked to people around the league. That seems to be what Chicago is exploring to see what younger pieces might be available, guys in their mid-20s that can help grow with some of these kids and perhaps finally click with either Bedard or Frondell.”
Connor Bedard Can’t Work Alone
For too long, the Blackhawks chances of winning have fallen squarely on the shoulders of Bedard. Bedard has lacked a strong supporting cast throughout his four year tenure with the team. This year was supposed to be different, but the majority of young players have not taken the steps forward that was expected. Roman Kantserov has been the exception as the Russian forward currently leads the team in goals with nine. A top line winger that can play with Bedard would be a logical target, but finding those type of pieces is easier said than done.
The good news for the Blackhawks is that they have a flurry of draft capital and prospects in their arsenal to work with when it comes to executing a trade. This is where Davidson will have a difficult decision to make. Acquiring a star player that can complement Bedard and company will require sacrifices to be made. Chicago’s rebuild has been centered on building through the draft. The team needs to be willing to explore different routes in regards to speeding this process along. This has been a bottom three team for too long, dating back to the 2022-2023 season. It is past time for this group to ascend in the standings; it will be interesting to see what route Davidson goes in the hopes of achieving that goal.
Blackhawks Aggressively Pursuing Upgrade’s to Forward Core