5 Things The Chicago Blackhawks Need To Do This Offseason

#5: Replace Jeremy Colliton

Okay, most everybody can agree that Coach Colliton should have been replaced a long time ago. To many fans’ displeasure, the Blackhawks are talking like they are going to bring back the 35-year-old skipper for the 2020-21 season. The 2021 season is the last of Colliton’s current contract, so all eyes will be on the youngest head coach in the NHL.

Throughout his time in Chicago, Colliton has made some very puzzling and baffling decisions. His most recent decision of putting John Quenneville on the first line in Game 5 against Vegas had made many fans, and even analysts raise their eyebrows.

Colliton also had Quenneville on the ice with only three minutes to go in that game, where the Hawks were defeated and eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His decision to scratch Adam Boqvist in favor of Lucas Carlsson during Game 2 in the same series also hurt Chicago. Carlsson proceeded to be on the ice for two goals against in only 10 minutes of ice-time. The Blackhawks lost that matchup 4-3, which put them in a 2-0 series hole from the get-go.

There has also been plenty of times during his two-year tenure during games when Colliton has chosen not to take a timeout at a key point in a game that has come back to bite the Hawks on multiple occasions. With a lot of high-profile coaches out there with an immense amount of NHL experience, I just don’t understand why the Blackhawks continue to keep Colliton behind the bench.

If the Blackhawks truly want to get to their full potential, I believe that they should replace Colliton with either Gerard Gallant or Peter Laviolette. Both coaches have had success in the league, and both have had a Stanley Cup Final appearance within the past 4 seasons.

All in all, this upcoming offseason will be fun to watch, as the Blackhawks will have to make several big-time decisions. We all can only hope that Chicago ends up making the right ones, in hopes that Lord Stanley can return to the Windy City.