The Blackhawks are in control of their destiny. They’re about to turn into a crash test dummy, as they run their car of destiny straight into a wall. In the midst of a playoff push, the Blackhawks were gifted 3 consecutive games against beatable teams, and of course, they couldn’t win any of them. They only took 1 point out of a possible 6 points in the past 3 games and lost ground in the Wild Card race — not ideal.
The Blackhawks missed out on a golden opportunity to gain ground in the Western Conference Wild Card race. They have given new meaning to March Madness, as they have simultaneously taken themselves out of the Wild Card race and a Top 5 draft position. This is the epitome of a lose-lose situation.
Blackhawks Go Ice Cold At the Worst Possible Time
As most fans know, the Blackhawks had to basically win out for the rest of the regular season to have any chance of making the playoffs. Their failure to win key games against beatable teams basically seals the team’s fate for the 2018-19 season.
Here lies the #Blackhawks 2018-19 #NHL season#CHIvsCOL #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/gga0i3VcYL
— ✶ ✶Tony G✶ ✶ (@Certified_TonyG) March 23, 2019
While I originally had no expectations of making the playoffs heading into this season, it is still frustrating to see as a fan. The whole last-ditch playoff push was fun to watch, but as a rebuilding team, now there are more serious ramifications that arise from a failed playoff push.
Just look at the Bulls, who have suffered the same fate recently, as they tried to be a playoff team and ended up prolonging their time as a bottom-dwelling team. The Blackhawks needed a higher draft pick to really put this rebuild in motion, but currently, sit in a 3-way tie for the 8th worst record in the league.
What Does the Future Hold for the Blackhawks?
There are still 8 more games, so the Blackhawks’ draft position isn’t set in stone yet. Being out of the Top 5 definitely limits their ability to add a surefire stud though, who would help turn this team around faster. Right now, the Blackhawks are projected to have about $23.169 mil in cap space heading into the offseason.
I believe some of that cap space may go towards getting extensions done for Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and Brendan Perlini. DeBrincat and Strome still have a year left on their ELCs, but StanBo may opt for an early extension in an effort to save money in the long run. I predict DeBrincat to be somewhere in the range of $5-7 mil AAV, Strome will likely be between $3-5 mil AAV, and I see Perlini getting between $1.5-3 mil AAV.
If they all receive the higher end of those ranges, that would leave the Blackhawks with approximately $8.169 mil to use for free agency and other extensions. Personally, I wouldn’t be comfortable working with the theoretical $8.169 mil, so I wouldn’t doubt if StanBo & Co. try to unload some of the bigger contracts on the team.
Artem Anisimov ($4.55 mil AAV), Brent Seabrook ($6.875 mil AAV), and Duncan Keith ($5.538 mil AAV) are all prime candidates to be dealt. Corey Crawford’s contract ($6 mil AAV) also expires at the end of next season, so it will be interesting to see if he gets moved as well, for draft picks, players with upside, or prospects.
It has been an entertaining season for sure, and the offseason is setting up to be just as fun. The Blackhawks organization is approaching a major crossroads of the utmost importance. Future success and longevity are on the line. Which path will they take?
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