Is there any way this Blackhawks season can be salvaged?

Remedial Chaos Theory is arguably the best episode of the Community TV show. This was a popular sitcom that ran from 2009-2015, funnily enough the glory years of the Chicago Blackhawks. In this episode, multiple different timelines are simulated that have a different effect on the group members. One of those scenarios was the darkest timeline, in which everything that could go wrong does go wrong for the characters.

How does this relate to the current Blackhawks squad? Well, this team is living in that dark timeline as we speak. If you were to simulate the season 1,000 times, there will be a worst-case scenario situation that could play out. Somehow, that is the exact reality this team now finds itself in. Let's not sugarcoat it; you could not script a worse start to the 2026-2027 season than what the Blackhawks have had to this point.

The 4-13-1 record is on track to be the worst since the 1928-1929 season; yes it has been that bad. GM Kyle Davidson has decided to keep his faith in the coaching staff he brought in, led by Jeff Blashill. It appears to be status quo for now, despite the team coming off a low-point in their 9-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last weekend. The "big change" so far has been swapping the backup goalies, with Drew Commesso taking over for Arvid Soderblom.

So, where does the team go from here? Is the season already effectively over? What, if any, ways can this season be salvaged for the club?

Figure out the young core

At the very least, the Blackhawks will learn a lot about who their true future players to build around are. There is the old saying that accurately describes much of the young players on this team: "sink or swim." Which players are going to take this opportunity to bear down and assert themselves as untouchable assets? And which players will be shown to not be as advertised? The core will become clearer after this season has been complete.

The captain, Connor Bedard, is the only certainty at the moment. With that said, there are other players that have shown flashes of brilliance. Rookie Roman Kantserov has been the brightest story this season as he paces the team with nine goals. He's shown he has potential to be the wingman for Bedard that the team has been looking for. Anton Frondell has shined when he's had the chance to do so. He's had limited runway to show his talent, having been utilized as the shutdown second-line center with a lack of support from his veteran linemates. Artyom Levshunov has improved after a rough rookie year for the defenseman. Spencer Knight has done the best he can in net with the brutal play in front of him.

After that, the rest of the puzzle becomes harder to figure out. Frank Nazar is a guy who entered this season with expectations of taking his game to the next level; that has not happened. Oliver Moore was expected to take a step after extending with the team; that has not happened. Nick Lardis was pegged as a potential breakout candidate; he now finds himself with the Rockford IceHogs. And every defenseman, besides Levshunov, has regressed.

Bottom line, Davidson will have a better idea of what he has with the players this team has been drafting and developing over the years. The players who swim, build around them. The players who sink, use them as trade assets to bring in established stars. Does Davidson have a willingness to make difficult decisions with these players or should a different manager be calling the shots? That is a whole other conversation, but likely a moot one. Davidson's job is looking safe at the moment, considering he recently signed a multi-year extension upon conclusion of the 2025-2026 season.

The other area Davidson has to consider when evaluating this roster is how much of these struggles are on the players versus the coaching staff under Blashill. When nearly every player on the roster has either stagnated or taken a step back, that would logically point towards poor coaching having a negative influence. However, Davidson has given Blashill his vote of confidence. That would suggest he believes this falls more on the players, meaning trades will likely be on the horizon in the near future.

If all else fails, there is always the draft to fall back on if this ends up being another lost season. It is hard to envision a scenario where this magically gets better with few major changes taking place as of this writing. The team has already dug themselves in a massive hole; their hopes of making the playoffs are basically dashed. This projects to be another year of banking on another wave of prospects coming in to right the ship, a copy-paste of Davidson's five year tenure in the front office. How long will ownership see this as acceptable with a Chicago fanbase understandably losing their patience?

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