Better Luck Next Year: Chicago Blackhawks edition
As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown takes a look back at the highs and lows of their season, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. Up next, the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Good
Young guns. In a season that disappointed in many ways, the Blackhawks at least have a couple of things to give them some hope. Alex DeBrincat's 25 goals (entering play Saturday) tie Patrick Kane for the team lead in an impressive rookie campaign, and it's a matter of time before he's regularly skating on Kane's line. Promoted to the Blackhawks from Rockford in December, winger Vinnie Hinostroza settled in nicely too, recording 24 points in 42 games.
Nick Schmaltz, top-6 center. The Blackhawks might have their No. 1 center of the future in Schmaltz, who had a solid showing in his second NHL season with 48 points. Coach Joel Quenneville has been patient with Schmaltz's development, and that can only mean good things going forward.
A chance to immediately improve. For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Blackhawks are in the draft lottery, setting them up for their highest pick since they selected Kane first overall in 2007. That gives them an opportunity to get a player who could make an immediate impact. The chances of winning the right to pick top-ranked prospect Rasmus Dahlin are slim, but general manager Stan Bowman could do a lot with a selection in the top 10.
Patrick Kane. Kane was possibly the only Blackhawks forward who lived up to expectations this season. Though Jonathan Toews found some consistency in March, Kane's the one who currently tops the team in scoring, with 25 goals and 71 points. That's respectable for most players, but something of a slump by his standards, since it's a far cry from his 106 points two years ago or his 89-point 2016-17 season.
The Bad
The decline of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Keith and Seabrook, once two of the Blackhawks' top defensemen, evidently aren't what they used to be. Keith, 34, had one goal on 172 shots, the third-fewest assists of his career, and maybe his worst season defensively. A revolving door of defensive partners didn't help. Seabrook, 32, was a healthy scratch in January and saw his overall ice time decrease. He seemed to have trouble keeping up in a league that's gotten younger and faster, and he's signed for six more seasons with a salary-cap hit of $6.875 million.
Combine the Blackhawks' defensive problems with their goaltending issues, and it's clear why things went south.
Corey Crawford's injury. Defensive issues aside, what hurt the Blackhawks most was losing Crawford to a head injury in late December. Before that, he was in the top five in the NHL in save percentage and may have even been a Vezina Trophy candidate. It's not hard to imagine the Blackhawks still fighting for a playoff spot if Crawford had stayed healthy.
The end of the playoff streak. For the first time since 2008, the Blackhawks missed the postseason. Their list of accomplishments during that run is impressive: three Stanley Cups, the 2013 Presidents' Trophy, and last season's Central Division title. With back-to-back first-round exits at the conclusion of that playoff streak, however, the team's trending downward.
Questions
Does Quenneville stay? Quenneville can't be blamed for the declines of Seabrook and Keith or the injury to Crawford, all major contributions to a dismal season. He also didn't trade Artemi Panarin to bring Brandon Saad back, a deal that hasn't panned out (at least not yet). Though Quenneville's been a big part of Chicago's success over the last decade, if his message is being tuned out, it might be time for him to go. He wouldn't be out of a job for long.
Will Crawford be healthy enough to play next season? Crawford was put on IR on Dec. 27 for what was reported as concussion-like symptoms. He was sidelined in 2015-16 for four weeks for similar reasons. It seems unlikely that he'll return for the end of the season, and if he hasn't fully recovered by next fall, the Blackhawks will have to explore other options in goal - in his absence, Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass, and Jean-Francois Berube weren't exactly up to the task.
Can Stan Bowman add a top-4 D-man and stop looking to the past for solutions? All six current blue-liners will be back next year, and the defense is arguably the team's biggest offseason concern. General manager Stan Bowman needs to find a top-four defenseman - essentially, someone to play alongside Keith - either through free agency or the draft. Last summer, Bowman tried to stop Chicago's slide by bringing back some of the Cup-winning crew, dealing for Saad and signing Patrick Sharp. Neither has lived up to expectations. Sharp is an unrestricted free agent this summer and it seems unlikely that he'll be re-signed.
It's time to look toward the players that could help the Blackhawks succeed in the future instead of gazing longingly into the past.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)