The 2026-2027 season has not gotten off to the hot start that the Chicago Blackhawks would have wanted. The team has posted a 3-6 record through their first nine games of the year and find themselves in a familiar position as they currently sit last in the central. To be fair, it is early on in the campaign and the team did not have their captain Connor Bedard for the first six games. With that said, it is a troubling open to the season for a team that went into the year with postseason expectations.
Patrick Kane Maintains Belief in Team
Blackhawks veteran Patrick Kane discussed what could be behind the team’s poor start with the Chicago Sun-Times Ben Pope. Kane defended the team’s personnel, maintaining his belief in the squad: “I don’t think it’s a talent issue at all, to be honest… A lot of mistakes either come when we have the puck on our sticks or give up odd-man rushes when there’s no need to.”
Kane believes in the skill of the players on this roster, stating that he does not think the team’s issue is a lack of ability. The problem area for Kane appears to be when it comes to the team’s system execution. Defending has been a challenge for this group, giving up 36 goals against thus far. That is an average of 4 goals allowed per game, which is not a sound recipe for winning hockey games. The greater issue is the team has also not been able to outscore their problems defensively, amassing just 21 goals to this point. That is a -15 goal differential already, a deficit that the team needs to cut through if they are going to become a competitive unit moving forward.
Blackhawks Struggles Could Be Growing Pains of a Young Team
The Blackhawks early struggles could simply be chalked up to a young team of players learning what it takes to win at the NHL level. Chicago is icing one of the youngest groups in the league with an average age hovering around 26. Many of these players are still adjusting to the NHL game and figuring out their roles on the team. It is one thing to achieve success in the lower levels, to do so in the NHL is a different ballgame.
This may be the realities of a youth core dealing with growing pains. For some teams, the results do not click right away. Some squads take a longer period of time to gel and for that eventual breakout away from the rebuild to occur. However, some teams never take that next step into contention. The longer this process takes for Chicago, the less patience there will be with a fanbase that has already been tested in that regard.
The good news is there is a long season yet ahead for this team. With 75 games left on the horizon, there is plenty of time to right the ship. Kane will hope to play his part, along with Bedard and company, in leading this team to the next level.
Patrick Kane Explains What Could Be Behind Blackhawks Poor Start