Three things that must go right for the Blackhawks to make the playoffs this season

It's been six seasons since the Chicago Blackhawks got to experience post-season hockey. The team has clearly been in rebuild mode, shoring up some strong pieces to make another run at making the playoffs. It just hasn't all come to fruition yet.

Could the 2026-27 season be the year? Here are three things that must happen if the Blackhawks hope to get out of a tough central division and into the post-season.

Connor Bedard's injury situation ends well

The worst things Chicago Blackhawks fans experienced this off-season was watching Connor Bedard go down with a shoulder injury during a summer practice. Bedard missed time last season with a shoulder injury, and is expected to be out for at least the first month of the season. This is not good news for the Blackhawks, who have centered this rebuild around Bedard.

Since he was a rookie, the Blackhawks have relied on Bedard for scoring and playmaking. In all three of Bedard's NHL seasons, he has led the Hawks in points and assists, while being in first or second in goal scoring among Blackhawks players. Losing this production for the beginning of the season will be a huge blow to the team.

If the surgery goes according to plan and Bedard stays injury-free for the rest of the season, the Blackhawks will have their best chance to make the playoffs. Each season, Bedard trends in the right direction. He has increased his production every season and hit 75 points last season in just 69 games played. If he can reach 80 or 90 points this season, he'll do more than enough to give the Blackhawks their best shot at the playoffs.

Bowen Byram meeting his potential

Bedard wasn't the only player to sign a big contract with the Blackhawks during the off-season. The Blackhawks brought in Bowen Byram around the NHL draft and signed him to a $12.5 million extension. At the time, this price tag was quite high, but the recent signing of Makar has made that price feel a bit easier. The biggest question mark is still whether or not he's worth that kind of money.

He is a skilled defender who can, and should, log big first-line minutes. He has taken a big step forward when it comes to offense, reaching 40 points for the first time in his career last season. Byram also does have experience in the playoffs, something the Blackhawks are truly lacking. He was a big part of Buffalo's playoff success last season and has done the same with Colorado, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22.

If Byram can continue to build on previous seasons and bring all of his skill and offense to the Blackhawks, he'll give them the best shot at being successful. However, when players switch teams, it's hard to know how long it'll take for them to fit in and play their best hockey.

Knight and Soderblom lock down the crease

The Blackhawks aren't exactly basking in goaltending success. Last season, Knight played the majority of the games, posting a 19-25-11 record across 55 games. He had a 2.82 goals against average with a 0.902 save percentage. Soderblom, the Blackhawks back-up goaltender, played 26 games and averaged nearly four goals against per game. The Blackhawks filled the remaining games with AHL goaltender Drew Commesso. All of these numbers don't seem great for the Blackhawks in net.

However, we did see big seasons from some unexpecting goaltenders in 2025-26, with goalies like Dan Vladar or Jakub Dobes having stellar years. Could Knight see his big break this season? Even if he can't have a groundbreaking season, a few extra saves here or there can go a long way. Plus, figuring out if Soderblom or Commesso get the backup role could help take some pressure off of Knight in the crease.

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