Looking Forward: Blackhawks Point Paces and Predictions

Point paces and season predictions for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019-20.

We are currently 25 games into the 2019-20 NHL season and patterns have developed with this Chicago Blackhawks team. By now, we know who this team is and where they stand.

With a 10-10-5 record through the first 25 games of the season, the Blackhawks are a .500 team. While I was expecting them to be better, I guess I will have to accept that my expectations were simply too high.

The 2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks are led by a strong goaltending tandem which I would also consider the best duo in the entire league. Corey Crawford has had a fairly strong bounce-back campaign, one year removed from making his return from a concussion which kept him out for almost 12 months.

This season, Crawford’s partner in twine (pun intended) is Robin Lehner. He has been a blessing and a half for the Chicago Blackhawks. Lehner has proven himself worth every cent of that $5 million contract. I hope he sticks around for a long time, because I absolutely love the guy and I’m sure all of Chicago would agree with me.

Both Crawford and Lehner have stood on their heads and I applaud them for it. This team would be a lock for another Top 5 draft pick without them.

Crawford had a rough start to begin the 2019-20 season, but turned things around into a 5-6-2 record with a .913 Sv% (35th), 2.94 GAA (T-18th), 2.09 GSAA (goals saved above average), and 1 shutout. Lehner is no slouch neither, as he has quietly put together an impressive stat line too. He currently has a 5-4-3 record with a .938 Sv% (1st), 2.38 GAA (10th), and 13.47 GSAA.

Chicago Blackhawks Player Point Paces

Even though the Chicago Blackhawks’ offense didn’t change much on paper, it hasn’t produced the same firepower. As of right now, the Blackhawks rank at the bottom of the league in goals for (71) which ranks 23rd. Part of the reason for the drop off in offensive production can be tied directly to the team’s ineffective power play which ranks 26th with a 13.5% conversion rate.

While the Blackhawks aren’t firing on all cylinders offensively, a few players are still racking up points. I’m sure you can guess who is leading the team in points. Yes, none other than Showtime himself, Patrick Kane.

Thus far, it has been all Kane and then the rest of the team is over in the distance somewhere. He leads the team in every major offensive category with 32 points (13 G, 19A) in 25 games. The next closest players are Alex DeBrincat with 19 points (5G, 14A) in 25 games and Dylan Strome with 17 points (5G, 12A) in 23 games.

 Player Point Paces:

1. Patrick Kane – 105 points
2. Alex DeBrincat – 62 points
3. Dylan Strome – 61 points
4. Brandon Saad – 49 points
5. Jonathan Toews – 43 points
6. Kirby Dach – 43 points
7. Alexander Nylander – 34 points
8. Andrew Shaw – 33 points
9. Dominik Kubalik – 32 points
10. Erik Gustafsson – 27 points
11. Slater Koekkoek -27 points
12. Ryan Carpenter – 24 points
13. Olli Maatta – 23 points
14. Drake Caggiula – 22 points
15. David Kampf – 20 points
16. Duncan Keith – 20 points
17. Zack Smith – 18 points
18. Brent Seabrook – 14 points
19. Calvin de Haan – 14 points
20. Adam Boqvist – 14 points
21. Connor Murphy – 13 points
22. Dennis Gilbert – 0 points
23. Matthew Highmore – 0 points
24. Corey Crawford – 0 points
25. Robin Lehner – 0 points

Chicago Blackhawks Rest of Season Predictions

The Chicago Blackhawks are currently sitting dead last (7th) in the Central Division and 14th overall in the Western Conference with a 10-10-5 record. If they keep this pace up as a team, they will finish with 82 points.

More from Blackhawk Up

• Blackhawks: Three Noticeable Improvements in Comeback Win vs Blues
• Blackhawks: Key Takeaways from 3-2 win over the Blues
• Blackhawks: Grading Connor Murphy and a position comparison
• Blackhawks: Shuffling the lines to try and spark offense at 5 on 5
• These Lineup Changes could Solve the Blackhawks’ Scoring Problem

I certainly didn’t see happening when the staff at Blackhawk Up made predictions for the 2019-20 season. Most of us saw the Blackhawks finishing with about 90 points.

With that being said, there is still plenty of time for things to change. Just look at the 2018-19 season for example, when the St. Louis Blues went from the worst team in the league to Stanley Cup Champs. While I don’t expect the 2019-20 Blackhawks to have the same fate as the 2018-19 Blues, it is a possibility.

To close things out, I will share some thoughts and expectations. With the way things have played out in the first 25 games of the season, I still believe this Chicago Blackhawks team is one player away from truly becoming a contender.

This team reminds me of the 2008-2009 Chicago Blackhawks where the talent was there, but they weren’t necessarily on THAT level yet. The Blackhawks need another Marian Hossa-esque player to get them over the hump of mediocrity. Maybe Kirby Dach can develop into a Hossa-type of player. It’s too soon to tell, but the talent is there with Dach. Maybe Adam Boqvist will develop into an Erik Karlsson-type of player, but it’s also too soon know that for sure. I do like what I’ve seen though.

The 2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks will either just miss the playoffs, like last season, or see an early-round exit. Their inconsistencies will prevent them from going far this season.

Although that may be the harsh truth, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Chicago Blackhawks. The future is bright with players like Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin, Evan Barratt, Alex Vlasic, and more making their way to the show over the next few years. Success is just on the horizon, so even though it’s easier said than done, just stay patient.