Though it seems like a lifetime ago, today marks two years since Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was named to his current role after four months in an interim capacity. Once former decision-maker Stan Bowman was removed from the team, Davidson proved he was the man for the job by explaining his master plan, which included a scorched-earth rebuild and building a new team up from scratch. After all, after finishing the previous two years sixth and seventh in the division, it was clearly time for a change.
But over the next year, no one could have anticipated just how much of a scorched-earth approach Davidson was willing to take. Almost exactly one year after he took office, he traded franchise icon Patrick Kane to the Rangers. While that move may be the most memorable of his career, Davidson has made move after move to tear down the meddling roster of the past. A list including Jake McCabe, Max Domi, Jack Johnson, Brandon Hagel, Marc-Andre Fleury, Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, and so many more were shipped off to make room for the next generation of young Blackhawks.
As expected, the product on the ice at the United Center hasn’t been pretty. In Davidson’s first full season last year, the group he put on the ice stumbled to a 26-49-7 finish – good for the third-worst record in the NHL. This year’s results have been even worse. With the team currently at 15-40-5, they or the Sharks are all but guaranteed to be the last-place team in the entire league.
While his moves haven’t come to fruition yet, it’s clear the Blackhawks franchise is still staying the course of their GM’s master plan exactly two years later. His goal of building through the draft has already been accomplished, as Chicago has made 22 picks in his first two drafts. Additionally, they hold a total of nine picks in the first two rounds of the 2024 and 2025 drafts. While the franchise certainly got a lucky bounce that allowed them to take Connor Bedard, the prospect pool is as deep as any in the league. Players like Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, and more will be in the league sooner rather than later, propelling this bottom-feeding team into contention.
The on-ice results haven’t been great, but the Blackhawks’ faith in their GM should pay off soon. With Davidson’s impressive treasury of draft picks and a strong prospect pool, there’s nowhere for the young, promising team to go but up.
Watching the rebuild, much like the Bears, has some upside. Watching the team, I notice better team speed than years gone by. I also see better effort and enthusiasm. And with Connor Bedard back on the ice, you can see how he elevates the team too. He is worth tuning in for, even with their present record. Blackwell looks good, Vlasic, Dickenson, Foligno, Korchinski, Phillips, and Mrazek are also part of the plan too. And with more talent coming between now and next season, there are signs of hope on the horizon. When you’ve been a Chicago sports fan your… Read more »
IMO the masterful description does not come into play until all the young, promising talent is on the NHL roster contributing to wins.
It’s standby mode for me.