Blackhawks' biggest offensive problem goes beyond goals scored

The Chicago Blackhawks recently got shut out 1-0 by their longtime rival, the St. Louis Blues, on Thursday. Although preseason games don't count in the NHL record book, it was the team’s third shutout this calendar year, following 4-0 defeats on February 4 (vs. Columbus) and March 14 (vs. Vegas).

Last season, the Blackhawks scored just 210 goals, which was tied for second-worst in the league. However, the silver lining is that the club was shut out only five times, up from 2024-25 (two), but not as bad as the 13 from 2023-24. Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons behind those totals is the Blackhawks' inability to generate enough shots on goal and shot attempts.

Blackhawks rank last in NHL scoring since Bedard's debut

According to NHL.com statistics, the Blackhawks have scored 612 goals since Bedard made his debut in October 2023. With 75 career goals, the former first overall pick has accounted for 12.2% of the team’s goals in the past three seasons. 

Because the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Utah and became the Mammoth, their statistics are now split between two franchises. However, when combined, those teams scored 762 goals over the same span, making Chicago's offensive struggles look even worse.

With just 612 goals, it's no surprise the Blackhawks have averaged only 2.49 goals per game, the lowest goals-per-game average among all current NHL franchises over that span, just 10 percentage points behind the San Jose Sharks at 2.59. 

For perspective, during Patrick Kane’s first tenure in Chicago, 2007-2023, the Blackhawks tallied the sixth-most goals, with 3,630. They also ranked eighth in goals per game at 2.93. 

In three-year increments, these are the Blackhawks' offensive totals throughout the salary-cap era. The trend becomes even clearer when comparing every three years.

Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Chicago has averaged just 25.1 shots on goal per game, the fewest in the NHL over that span. Simply put, teams that generate fewer chances rarely finish plays and score goals. 

The Blackhawks aren't generating enough shots

As mentioned earlier, the Mammoth and Coyotes rank 32nd and 33rd overall in shot attempts over the past three seasons, with the Blackhawks the only NHL team that hasn't hit 13,000 shot attempts, coming up short at 12,479. 

Their shots-on-goal total is currently just 6,172, almost 500 fewer than their closest opponent, the Blues, at 6,632. Because Chicago generates so few shots on goal, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that they have missed 2,928 shots and had another 3,379 blocked. 

Only 49.4% of Chicago's shot attempts have reached the net over the past three seasons, one of the main reasons the club continues to rank near the bottom of the league in goals scored.

The Blackhawks have had other rebuilding periods in club history, but right now they're going through the growing pains of a lineup loaded with young, inexperienced players. Eventually, Chicago will buck these trends and find themselves back in contention and among the league leaders in all these important categories. 

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