Could the Chicago Blackhawks make the Playoffs?

Impactful Youth

The Blackhawks have always relied on cheap, reliable veteran talent between 2009-2017 to keep their contending window open. Now, they are relying on these young guys to take some of the load. The open roster spots left by players on IR or LTIR meant that the ‘Hawks were able to see who they have ready to go. The youth movement has proven to be much better in Year 1 than anyone expected. Each young player has been quality members of the team, contributing as an asset than a liability every game.

Entering the season, I was high on Philipp Kurashev, Brandon Hagel, and Ian Mitchell, three rookies in their first season, and they have been mainstays on the roster since they debuted. Hagel and Kurashev both get to the dirty areas while maintaining a high skill level, and Mitchell has proven to be a trusted member of the defense. Nicolas Beaudin is also a surprising addition to the roster, and his play so far has been a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see him in the NHL this soon, even with the youth movement underway, thinking he might be a couple years away.

Red-Hot Powerplay/Above Average Penalty Kill

The Blackhawks scored three goals on the powerplay vs the Hurricanes, half of their offense so far this season. We saw the powerplay reach massive numbers a couple seasons ago with Erik Gustafsson’s 60-point season. They were a playoff-caliber roster, but they didn’t have their systems in place. Now, they have everything planned out and they are still under-manned with their top-two centers sidelined to injury. Special teams COULD carry you to the playoffs since it’s not how you score the goals to win, it’s how many goals you score.

The penalty kill is sitting at an 81% kill rate, which is above-average at this point of the season (78%). With a reliable powerplay to score the goals and a reliable penalty kill to keep the team in the lead when the calls come against them, this team COULD be something special.

Could be.

Final Thoughts

I said before that the Blackhawks have the makings of the 2015-16 Penguins before the season began with a mix of promising young talent and proven veterans. They are maybe a year away from making a splash in the playoffs (reaching the conference finals), but the win over Carolina showed that they could potentially take advantage of their situation and finish fourth in their division to qualify for their first real playoff-series since 2018.

The ‘Hawks are a very different team since their games against the Lightning and Panthers. They are an improved team since their games against the Predators. If this continues to go well and get increasingly better as it has been, it is very possible that this team could make a run and finish with the Lightning, Hurricanes, and Stars as the four teams qualifying for the playoffs.

To do this, however, they need to play a full 60-minute effort to pull this off. They took their foot off the gas too many times, leading to a change in momentum. In the second period vs the Hurricanes, they took their foot off the gas and the Hurricanes scored two goals before the Blackhawks began to play again. There is always a five-ten minute lull in their work ethic, and teams always take advantage of it.

I would also like to remind you that Kirby Dach is slated to return before the season is over if everything goes well. His IR is scheduled to be for 4-5 months back in December. He COULD be back in the line-up on April 27, with six games remaining if their schedule goes as it’s supposed to.

With 12 points up for grabs in a close division at the time of Dach’s return, and the team playing at a higher level than it is now, this ‘Hawks team could surprise everyone. Dach could be the equivalent of adding a quality player at the trade deadline to make a final push to the playoffs if his play is at the same level as it was in the postseason of 2020.

This team could very well surprise everyone, myself included, and make the playoffs this season. If not this season, then next season for sure.