Blackhawks: 24-Team Playoff Has Chicago vs Edmonton in Round 1

The Chicago Blackhawks have been rumored to face the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, if the new proposal passes.

The Chicago Blackhawks are currently the last place team in the Central Division, but they are within the Top 12 teams of the Western Conference, which gives them a playoff spot if the NHL does a 24-team playoff.

The round one rumored matchup is against the Oilers, a team the Blackhawks have played well against in the past, going 2-1 against them this season.

With all of their games being close, this would be a very interesting playoff matchup. As seen in 2017, nothing in the regular season matters once the playoffs start. It’s all about each game in the playoffs.

The Blackhawks are in an interesting spot. They’d play the Oilers in Round 1 under this new proposal, with the winner playing the Stars in Round 2. The Blackhawks match up well against the Stars. This would be a very good situation for Chicago to bounce into Round 3.

This team comes in well-rested, gets at least three playoff games against the Oilers, and experience. If they are out in the first round, at least the younger players get some playoff experience. If they can get past the Oilers and even the Stars, who knows what the Blackhawks could do.

The more they win, the hotter this team becomes. With them having some older players on the roster, this NHL pause has really helped those players. It’s given them time to rest, work out, heal up, etc. The playoffs are brutal, this is much needed for the veterans.

Still, nothing is guaranteed. They’re playing against Connor McDavid and his on fire Oilers. If McDavid and teammate Leon Draisaitl come out hot, the Blackhawks could be in for a long five-game series.

It’s up to the core players from the 2015 Stanley Cup to lead this team. They were so close last year, to just fall short by six points of the final playoff spot. If they’re given this playoff chance, the guys need to be fired up. These older players might never get this chance again.

This playoff race could help restart the dynasty from the early 2010s. Four cups in 11 seasons isn’t too bad, right?