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NHL Insider harshly criticizes Blackhawks, points to lack of physicality as team's true weakness

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman breaks down Chicago's recent struggles, why the young team must become more physical and defensively responsible to turn its season around.
ByJacob Tye
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Nov 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) checks Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) checks Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Monday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman devoted a lengthy segment of his 32 Thoughts podcast to the state of the Chicago Blackhawks, who hold a 4-13-1 record for second-worst record in the NHL.

Friedman began by reporting that Chicago's management group is aggressively looking at ways to improve the offense, and that first-round picks and players such as Jordan Greenway and Teuvo Teräväinen could be on the move.

On the ice, Friedman pointed to the roster's youth as a central issue, saying one of the hardest lessons for a player breaking into the NHL is learning how to play off the puck.

"They have a really young team, one of the things that is the hardest to figure out is how you play when you don't have the puck, how you are successful in the NHL when you have to get it back, and what you have to be good at to do that," Friedman said.

He added that he has heard from many around the game of hockey that rebuilding teams must hold on to two principles, even in the toughest games: protect home ice, and if you lose, lose with dignity.

"Either you play hard or you play tough, like the other team might beat you...but you're getting your pound of flesh out of them," Friedman said.

"In this day and age, when you go down with a fight, you go down because you go goal for goal with the other team, but lose, or you make really life really hard on the other team, but lose, when I watch Chicago right now, I see a team they don't know how to check yet."

The proof is in the pudding

Friedman said the Blackhawks could look to add more veteran players, and that it would make sense to target the areas where the team is struggling. The numbers back that up as Chicago has the fourth-fewest hits in the league at 309 and the fewest blocked shots by a wide margin at 199. The Blackhawks also rank 12th in giveaways with 298, which Friedman suggested likely stems from Chicago players being pushed off the puck in physical play.

Among his final points, Friedman said the physical side of the game is an area Chicago must improve, and that if it is ignored, the team won't climb out of its season-opening hole any time soon.

"They have to be more structured, they have to check, or you're going to get pounded and you know that's what I look at when I see Chicago," Friedman said.

"They have a lot of good young players, and some of these guys are going to be really good players, but they are not yet ready to win in this league because they they're not yet able when they don't have the puck, they don't. They're not good enough yet, or they're not able enough yet to take it back and that you get your butt kicked when you go through that."

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