The Chicago Blackhawks were a pleasant surprise at the beginning of the season. Connor Bedard looked like a true superstar, Frank Nazar seemed to have broken out, and Spencer Knight was playing like an elite goalie. But a lot has fallen apart in recent weeks.
Bedard is injured until at least mid-January, Nazar is going to miss a number of weeks, and the Blackhawks are 3-11-2 over their past 16 games while being outscored 62-34. The team has lost five games in a row and seven of eight, now sitting last place in the NHL with 32 points in 35 games.
The positives that have come from this season are Bedard, Nazar, Knight becoming a number one goalie, Tyler Bertuzzi outplaying expectations, Andre Burakovsky acting like a great offseason addition, and Artyom Levshunov growing into a future number one defenseman.
But while the future looks bright, the current lineup does not. There is hardly any scoring and Chicago is headed towards yet another very high draft pick. It's a great year to get one more, but what was once hope for Chicago this season has turned into another below average season.
I wouldn't say any team is out of the race, especially in the Western Conference right now, but the Blackhawks seem like they are while missing their top players and constantly losing. The Blackhawks weren't going to win the Stanley Cup this season and experienced some winning, but the runway is open for some of the newer youth to step up and make claims for their spots on the team the rest of the way and next season.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.