Over the past few seasons, not a lot has gone right for the Blackhawks. The team waved goodbye to huge stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and has lived among the worst teams in the NHL since, stocking up on draft lottery picks but having little to show for it in the standings.
The pressure in the organization has shifted from the players (with plenty of roster turnover) to the head coach (fired) and all the way up to GM Kyle Davidson and team owner Danny Wirtz. I’ll be the first to argue that Wirtz is taking more than his fair share of the blame for the team’s problems on the ice, his tenure since the passing of his father, Rocky, hasn’t been the most popular.
Fans who have been upset with the Blackhawks’ ownership apparently aren’t alone, according to a new poll of NHL agents. The poll, which was published by the Athletic, reflected the opinion of four agents that Chicago is “the most unstable or poorly run franchise.” That puts them in a tie for third-worst behind Buffalo and Anaheim. One would think this indictment is because of the Blackhawks’ TV debacle or other off-ice issues, but it’s apparently the opinion of at least one agent that Chicago needs to be doing more to support Connor Bedard, even if the team isn’t ready for playoff contention.
“When you got it all, you’ve got to run it like you do. I don’t think they have a plan. It should be getting done right. For what they’ve been given, Chicago and Detroit are the biggest letdowns. They’ve been given the keys to the kingdom, but my gosh.”
-- Anonymous NHL Agent
That doesn’t exactly seem like a fair assessment. Davidson is a polarizing figure, and it doesn’t help that his team has been at the bottom of the standings for so long. But rushing a rebuild has rarely worked out in the history of the sport. By spending too much money before their own prospects are ready, the Blackhawks could seriously hamper their own future.
With the team on the ice losing so much, it can be easy to point fingers at anyone in sight, most of all Davidson and Wirtz. And it’s true that public perception of Danny is, for now, nowhere near that of Rocky, who completely turned the organization around from when Bill had the reins. Since Danny took over, the Blackhawks haven’t exactly been a fan-favorite for reasons like the issues with CHSN. But when it comes to the on-ice product, Chicago still needs a bit more time. It isn’t fair to expect the Blackhawks to be in playoff contention less than three years after tearing it down and starting from scratch. Armed with a massive amount of cap space and one of the league’s best prospect pipelines, the future is still bright. And maybe, just maybe, then they can get off of lists like this one.
