Blackhawks: Will lack of playoff experience hurt Chicago?

The Chicago Blackhawks will lack playoff experience for the first time in a long time during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. How will that impact their outcome?

The Chicago Blackhawks have been known for their playoff success during the early 2010s. They were the team to beat, the dynasty that ruled the NHL until 2017. Us fans have to know, this 2020 Blackhawks team won’t be the same as they once were, even with some familiar faces still on the ice.

Chicago still has their playoff studs in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith, all three of which who have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. They still have Corey Crawford, the goalie behind two Stanley Cups.

We can’t forget the contributions Brent Seabrook has given the team during their deep playoff runs over the years. If he returns for the playoffs, it would be interesting to see what role Jeremy Colliton gives him, especially with him returning from such serious injuries.

Looking down the roster, Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw have both won two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, but their roles with the team have dipped from 2015. After that, there aren’t any other players on the current roster who have played playoff hockey as a Blackhawk.

So there are at least five players who will make their playoff return with the Blackhawks, seven if Seabrook and Shaw play, all of which have won multiple Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks.

Those numbers still don’t favor Chicago if they get past the Oilers and face a team like the St. Louis Blues, who are coming off of a Stanley Cup victory.

Olli Maatta will be very important his playoff run, as he has two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a ton of playoff experience in such a short time. Maatta’s experience could help the team tighten up defensively and help out Crawford, which is a winning formula.

At the end of the day, the more games this team wins, the more playoff experience the future of this team gets. With more than half of the roster never playing a playoff game as a Blackhawk, there’s a lot the team leaders need to do.

Will this hurt Chicago? Potentially, but I think no matter what happens this year, the team will improve from it. Their minor league system has some solid players coming up within the next few years, along with Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Kirby Dach, and Adam Boqvist improving as well. The future is bright in Chicago.

Playoff experience isn’t cheap, which is why this series against the Edmonton Oilers is very important.