The pressure is intensifying on the Blackhawks coaching search

While the Stanley Cup Playoffs haven't yet reached the halfway point, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks are already weeks into the offseason.

General manager Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks have a lot to accomplish this offseason. Another top draft pick, free agency, extending core pieces of the franchise await Davidson's desk in the coming months. But one of the most pressing assignments has not yet been addressed in the coaching search.

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of four teams without a head coach.

The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken are the only other teams in the league outside of Chicago without a head coach as things stand right now. Anaheim recently hired former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and Philadelphia brought in Rick Tocchet and Vancouver promoted from within elevating Adam Foote from assistant coach to the top job.

With the exception of the David Carle sweepstakes, the news on the Hawks coaching front has been nil. There are still options out their for Davidson to choose from but with each passing day pressure is rising.

Kyle Davidson is set to hire his second NHL coach as GM of the Blackhawks.

After serving in an interim role, Kyle Davidson was named the Blackhawks general manager in March 2022. One of his first tasks in the offseason came when Davidson had to name a new head coach.

After starting the 2021-22 season 1-9-2, Davidson—who was interim GM at the time—fired then head coach Jeremy Colliton. Not many general managers get to hire multiple coaches. So when Davidson hired Luke Richardson in June 2022, it looked like the team had gotten their guy for the next decade.

Richardson joined Chicago as a first time head coach, having previously worked as an assistant and as a head coach in the AHL. Two and a half years later, Richardson was 57-118-15 as a head coach and after starting 8-16-2 this past season Davidson decided to show Richardson the door.

To finish out the season, Anders Sorensen served as interim head coach going 17-30-9. Sorensen still seems like a candidate in the Hawks search. As big names like Tocchet and Mike Sullivan go off the board of available coaches, Davidson and the Hawks have to make a decision at some point.

Carle definitely looked like the best pick on paper for Chicago, and with each day passing, pressure is intensifying. Chicago needs to make a decision sooner than later.