The Blackhawks could have the perfect storm in 2026-27

We’ve talked a lot here at Blackhawk Up about how the Chicago Blackhawks have improved in the offseason, and should be able to find more success in 2026-27. Positivity is running high in Chicagoland. On that note, I’d like to share a recent experience I had. I was out with a friend over Labor Day weekend, and he asked me if I thought the Hawks were going to be good this year. My knee-jerk response with this, “I think the Blackhawks might just have the perfect storm this season.”

We all know there’s reasons for optimism, and reasons to be cautionary as well. No matter which way you slice it, it will be a big stretch for the Hawks to go from 31st in the league to a playoff spot in merely one season. But something feels different this season. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ll be the first to admit it could just be the positive vibes everyone has heading into any new campaign.

But lots of things have been building for a while now, and if they all come together at the same time, the Blackhawks have the potential to be a really good team in a hurry. Here’s how it could happen.

New additions are filling previous voids

When you think back to last season, what do you remember as being the biggest areas of weakness for the Blackhawks?

Additions at forward

I know one of them, and something fans have been complaining about for a long time, is the lack of a running mate for Connor Bedard. Ever since he was drafted first overall in 2023, the new franchise cornerstone has been forced to play with less-than-optimal linemates. Unfortunately, that’s kind of how rebuilds work. The Blackhawks tore it down to the studs to obtain Bedard, but then nobody else of his caliber was really around to play with him.

Now, the Blackhawks have gone out and wooed Patrick Kane back into the fold. An older superstar, yes. But still a pretty darned good one, with elite hands and vision. Kane’s skills could be just what Bedard needs to break through. Or for Frank Nazar to break through. Or maybe it’s Nick Lardis. Not to mention Kane is someone that knows how to win championships. His experience will be invaluable in showing this young, hungry team what it takes to win.

Not only did the Blackhawks add a seasoned superstar, but they also have a new weapon in Roman Kantserov. This Russian prospect was the top goal-scorer in the KHL last season. That’s no small feat. Plus he’s 21 years old, so he’s no spring chicken. Think Artemi Panarin, who was pretty much successful right way at the NHL level.

Let’s also not forget about Anton Frondell, who only played in 12 games at the end of last season. But gosh, did he show some potential in that small sample size. The Blackhawks will now have him at their disposal for the entirety of this campaign.

Moving on to depth forwards. Cole Smith has the potential to be a solid role player for the Blackhawks. He brings a high motor and some snarl. Jordan Greenway will add size, physicality and can be the enforcer for the team, which is something the Blackhawks have been lacking in previously.

Additions on Defense

Now let’s look at the defensive additions. The Blackhawks have a lot of young defensemen in their system, giving them a strong prospect pool. But when’s the last time they had a true No. 1 defenseman? You might think Seth Jones, but many would argue he was never a No. 1 defenseman either. Beyond that, you have to go all the way back to Duncan Keith, who last played with the Hawks in the 2020-21 season.  

If Bowen Byram can become the next No. 1 defenseman for the Blackhawks, that would be a huge step forward. It would take the pressure off Alex Vlasic, allowing him to be more of the true defensive defenseman he is. It should help Wyatt Kaiser too, who incidentally will be playing for a new contract this season. It would take a big load off the entire defensive corps actually, giving these young players time and space to develop instead of having to take on those bigger roles and minutes.

Ian Cole comes factors in here as well. The grizzled veteran can stabilize this young group with his consistency, reliability and experience.

Numerous young Blackhawks primed to break out

While the new additions should fill some voids, let’s not forget the Blackhawks have been building through the draft now for many years. They’ve made a plethora of high draft picks throughout this rebuild, and many of them are now graduating to the NHL level together.

We already mentioned Bedard and Nazar, who are leading the way and will have plenty to prove this season. But there’s also promising young players such as Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene, all of whom were rookies last season. They will now have that much more experience under their belts. It’s not inconceivable for them to all take their games to another level this year.

On defense, there’s the young trio of Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski. These are three offensive-minded blueliners with tons of potential. Can each of them take the next step?!

Goaltending is in a good place

The Blackhawks already have their top goaltender in Spencer Knight. Despite an often-porous defensive corps in front of him, the 25-year-old posted an impressive .902 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.82 goals against average (GAA) in 2025-26. This was his first season as a starting goaltender, and he hit career highs in games played, wins and shutouts. Plus, he ranked fourth in the NHL in save and shots against.

Knight proved he can handle more starts and more responsibility while still remaining calm and consistent in net. There’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to do that moving forward. Obviously, this is a boon for the Blackhawks. They appear to have found their franchise goaltender, and he’s just getting started.  

Arvid Soderblom didn’t fare as well last season (.880 SV% and a 3.80 GAA). However, Soderblom has been the backup in Chicago for the past three seasons. His familiarity with the organization is a plus, and a bounce back season could be in order. He’ll be pushed by a hungry Drew Commesso, who suited up for three games with the big club last season. Many think he’ll eventually earn the backup spot for good.

The long and the short of it is that this competition in net will serve to push both Soderblom and Commesso to be better. It’s a good situation to have.

Coaches have built the right culture

Finally, we look to coaching. This will be head coach Jeff Blashill’s second season behind the bench for the Blackhawks, and he’s made some positive strides so far. He’s lived up to his reputation of developing young players; they all seem to respond to him. On the flip side, he appears to have the respect and trust of the veterans.

Blashill and his staff have worked hard to develop a culture and identity for this team. So far, it seems to be working. The players are hungry and motivated and look at their group as one big family. They might not have done much winning yet, but they believe they’re learning and growing and building together. Talk during exit interviews last April was all about a conviction that they were right on the cusp of something big.

It’s not going to be easy. The Blackhawks have their work cut out for them. They’ll have to dig deep, both as a team and individually, to take this thing to the next level. There’s lots of obstacles to overcome. But they also have a lot of pieces in place to set themselves up for success.

A perfect story may be brewing.

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