3 moves the Chicago Blackhawks can make to become fully relevant again

Hire Mike Sullivan to be the next head coach.

David Carle rejecting the Blackhawks is a blow. He does not have his name on the Stanley Cup twice like Mike Sullivan.

Carle also never coached Sidney Crosby in the NHL. Sullivan has coached Bedard's idol and won championships with him.

Sullivan is the best available candidate on the head coaching market. If the Blackhawks want to show they are ready to turn the corner, hiring Sullivan would go a long way.

Beating fellow Original Six teams like the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins to land Sullivan would also speak volumes to where the outside world thinks about where the Hawks stand.

It would mean a champion coach thinks the Blackhawks are close to contending and not years away.

Draft Michael Misa or James Hagens in the top five.

There is no clear-cut top prospect like there was in 2023 with Bedard or last year with Macklin Celebrini. Even if the Blackhawks win the NHL Draft Lottery, they do not need defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who many draft resources think is probably the best prospect.

They need either a relatively bigger and faster forward in Misa or the skilled and fast Hagens. Porter Martone would also provide some needed size at forward; however, his skating is ranked below average. The Hawks love prospects who can skate like the wind.

Therefore, the Hawks must get Misa or Hagens to make up for not taking Ivan Demidov in last year's draft.

Hopefully, this is the last time the Blackhawks are picking in the top five for a long time. They must add a talented forward worthy of skating with Bedard for the next decade.

That is why a lot of fans wanted Demidov. While it was prudent to draft defenseman Artyom Levshunov at No. 2 overall, the Blackhawks will have an opportunity to get Bedard the long-term help he needs.

The Hawks also have Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, and Ethan Del Mastro. They are set in the blueline for the rest of the decade. The team must add more help around Bedard and Misa or Hagens have the skill to provide that assistance.