3 major mistakes Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson cannot make in the 2024 offseason

The summer of 2024 will be a pivotal one for the Chicago Blackhawks and general manager Kyle Davidson. The Hawks finished the 2023-24 season with just 52 points. And while most fans knew what was coming, it won’t take away from a heightened sense of urgency as we officially begin Year 2 of this rebuilding project - I’m personally counting drafting Connor Bedard as the rebuild’s beginning. 

Anyway, here’s the dilemma Davidson faces: The long and almost always the correct view in a full rebuild comes with improving an organization almost exclusively through the draft and signing free agents as needed. As mentioned in the Ultimate Guide post, objectives include drafting the best players, signing cheap free agents, and, perhaps most importantly, making sure there is room for high-end prospects, which must be completed when training camp begins in September. 

Yet, Chicago, Illinois is a town synonymous with the Blackhawks success, something we saw when they hoisted the Stanley Cup three times in the 2010s. And even before and shortly after, it wasn’t like the Hawks weren’t contenders. 

Kyle Davidson must stick to a well-crafted plan for the Blackhawks rebuild

Since the Blackhawks have some significant cap space, it wouldn’t be tough for Davidson to make some serious offers to unrestricted free agents. And in a large market housing a storied franchise, who wouldn’t want to play in the Windy City? 

Couple that fact with a higher sense of urgency in Year 2, and there is plenty of temptation to go around. But this must be a time-intensive rebuild - just look at what Steve Yzerman has done with the Detroit Red Wings. But the only difference is, one team has a generational talent and the other doesn’t. 

Translation: The Blackhawks rebuild won’t take as long as the Red Wings, but Davidson still needs to keep conducting this the right way. Let’s talk about three major mistakes that he must avoid this summer and why he cannot make them.