Five Questions That Blackhawks Must Answer In Final 10 Games
The Chicago Blackhawks have ten games left. At 21-42-9, their playoff chances were gone by the time November started. That’s the reality for a team going through a long, grueling rebuild.
Throughout the season, the Blackhawks have transformed their roster into a young, vibrant group. Many of the top players on the Rockford IceHogs made their way to Chicago to show what they can do at the NHL level.
10 games remaining don’t sound like a lot, but there is plenty of time for the folks in charge to do some last-minute evaluating. These are five questions that they’d like to have answered before they hit the offseason:
Is Connor Bedard a center or a winger?
A lot of what the Chicago Blackhawks do during the summer will depend on their opinion of Connor Bedard. Is he a center or is he a winger? These final 10 games can better help them make that decision.
Is Ryan Donato worth a long-term extension?
The Chicago Blackhawks decided not to take anything for Ryan Donato at the trade deadline. They did not have an extension with him in place when this decision was made, so they ran the risk of losing him for nothing. Is he worth a long-term extension after having an unlikely career year?
What do they have in Kevin Korchinski?
Ahead of their final 10 games, the Blackhawks used their fourth and final non-emergency call-up on Kevin Korchinski. He has had a great season in the AHL, but only time will tell if he can be a star at the NHL level. Chicago will use these final 10 games to evaluate, which should help decide what to do with him in the summer.
Are any college players going to get an NHL showcase?
We have already seen a couple of college players sign with the teams that drafted them. As teams get eliminated from the NCAA tournament, will the Blackhawks consider giving any of them a chance in the NHL before the year is over? A few likely candidates are out there. These final 10 games could get interesting in that regard.
What big splash needs to be made this upcoming summer?
The Chicago Blackhawks have the roster availability and cap space to make a big move or two. What type of splash needs to be made to improve the team in the long term? Is it worth it to throw a lot of money at a player like Mitch Marner? We will know more after these 10 games are done. The answers to the above questions will help answer this one as well.
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