One dark horse veteran coach the Blackhawks can’t afford to overlook

The best way for the Blackhawks to finally snap out of their perpetual rebuild is to hire a coach who knows how to lead teams out of the doldrums. They would do this by focusing on young talent and developing them once they’re with the big club, quickly turning them into at least fringe contenders. 

And best yet, this coach has a track record of player development, even if he never made the playoffs in his first stint as a bench boss in the NHL. He’s also a name Hawks fans may be familiar with, as he spent a few seasons as an assistant coach in the Windy City. Plus, he’d be much easier to ‘sell’ the team to as opposed to other big-name coaches. 

If you guessed Don Granato, give yourself some bragging rights. While he fell short during his time with the Buffalo Sabres, Granato also spent those years with the Blue and Gold trying to figure out what it took to be a successful NHL head coach. Well, now that he has a few seasons under his belt, chances are he could take the Hawks a little further than he did the Sabres. 

Don Granato could be a godsend for young talents like Connor Bedard

While it’s a myth that Connor Bedard’s first two seasons were a real struggle - he’s fallen short of expectations but his production’s been solid - Granato is one coach who’s proven to turn around careers. In Buffalo, Tage Thompson was a no-name and Rasmus Dahlin was in a similar position as Bedard, even if they play two different positions. 

Fast-forward to 2025, and Tage once again put up 40-plus goals, the second time in three seasons. Dahlin should contend for a fair amount of Norris Trophy votes, and if he played for a better team, would be a serious Norris candidate year after year. 

Granato’s a coach I would trust getting the best out of Bedard and transforming him into a Tage Thompson-like superstar. Yeah, Bedard lacks Tage’s length, but he has more upside. Plus, talents like Artyom Levshunov, Alex Vlasic, Frank Nazar, and Colton Dach, to name just a few, would benefit from Granato’s presence. 

Then, there are players like Philipp Kurashev who’ve shown potential but fell way short of that last season. I can’t think of anyone to better get the best out of Kurashev than someone like Granato, and perhaps set him back onto the right path. 

Lessons learned from a solid but unspectacular stint in Buffalo

Don Granato shifted the culture in Buffalo, turning the team from the league’s laughingstock into one that at least put up some serious contention in 2022-23. The 2023-24 season was a step back, but injuries to players like Tage Thompson likely contributed to it. 

Granato also struggled to hold players accountable, but that’s a mistake he likely won’t repeat, especially if the Blackhawks hired him, a large-scale market team with a rich history. While there are other big, more successful names out there, the Hawks need someone who can develop youngsters, and prospects and with a proven record. Granato fits the criteria. 

While I doubt this is the direction we’ll see the Hawks go since Granato had three and a half seasons to break the Sabres playoff drought and fell short, he still deserves strong consideration. And if they want someone whose No. 1 priority should involve unleashing Connor Bedard’s full potential, Granato would be a fine hire.