On Friday, The Hockey News named the Chicago Blackhawks as the 30th-best NHL Team On Paper. The only teams below them are the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks, both of which play in the Pacific Division. 

Does that mean the Chicago Blackhawks are destined for another last-place finish in the highly competitive Central Division? It is incredibly possible. 

The Blackhawks finished 31st in 2025-26, but it was still an 11-point improvement over the year prior. Something similar could happen in 2026-27. Every other team in the Central is trying to win now, which could lead to another last-place finish, even if they do actually improve in terms of record. 

The Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are still the three teams to beat, but the Utah Mammoth are coming. There are also the St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets, who put competitive products on the ice pretty much every year. 

We know what the floor is for the Blackhawks, who will play the first month of the season without Connor Bedard due to shoulder surgery, but the ceiling is a competitive team that is in the race until the very end, regardless of how it ends. 

We see stories like that happen every year. Nobody expected the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Philadelphia Flyers to do anything last year, but they all had winning years unexpectedly. Not all of them made the playoffs, but they all had a competitive chance in the final few games of the season. 

The latter can only happen if multiple young Blackhawks overachieve right away. It is more likely that they will need another year or two before competing for the playoffs every year. When you're in that stage of a rebuild, it can be hard to come out of. 

With Bedard out, can Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore amongst others step up? Can Roman Kantserov translate his goal scoring prowess to the NHL? How are the defensemen going to play? Is Spencer Knight elite? A lot will be answered during the 2026-27 season.

Chicago certainly doesn't want to think about another top-five pick, even with what is projected to be a good draft, but that could be their reality again if they do end up in the basement of the Central Division. 

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