Comparing The Blackhawks To The Rest Of The Central Division After One Month

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League after one month of play. At 4-9-0, they are in last place in the Central Division and second-to-last in the entire league. 

Chicago ranks dead last in goals for with 27. They've also allowed 48, giving them a -21 goal differential. Their defensive system forces them to step back before they step forward, and the players are getting hemmed in their own end as a result. Against good teams especially, they have a hard time breaking the puck out when they do get possession. 

Heading into the next month of NHL action, it is going to be incredibly difficult for the Blackhawks to gain any ground within the division. Their next five games are at the Boston Bruins, home vs the Colorado Avalanche, at the Florida Panthers, at the Tampa Bay Lightning, at the Carolina Hurricanes, and home vs the Buffalo Sabres. Those teams have a combined record of 42-18-7. 

The Central Division standings look as follows:

1. Minnesota Wild: 9-3-3, 21 points

2. Utah Mammoth: 9-5-0, 18 points

3. Colorado Avalanche: 7-5-1, 15 points

4. Dallas Stars: 7-5-1, 15 points

5. St. Louis Blues: 6-6-1, 13 points

6. Nashville Predators: 4-4-5, 13 points

7. Winnipeg Jets: 4-6-3, 11 points

8. Chicago Blackhawks: 4-9-0, 8 points

As you can see, the Blackhawks are four points behind the Jets after 13 games played. Winnipeg had a good start to the season, but are currently on a 3-game losing streak. The Blackhawks have a win against them, and it looks like they will be competing for last in the division all year. However, none of Winnipeg's losses have been as non-competitive as some of Chicago's losses. The Jets have a better goal differential by 11. 

The rest of the division already looks out of reach for Chicago. The Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues are solid teams, even if they aren't as good as the division's top four. 

The Minnesota Wild are obviously off to the hottest start of the bunch, but they have the Quinn Hughes issue hanging over their head. Is he going to stay, or is he as good as gone in free agency? Will they trade one of the five best players in the world if he doesn't commit to them by the deadline?

The Utah Mammoth came into the season with mixed expectations. They were less proven than the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, or Colorado Avalanche, but they gave the Vegas Golden Knights (who ended up winning the conference) a tough test in the first round of the playoffs last year. Now, it looks like they are the real deal with a great young core. 

By their standards, Dallas and Colorado have been just okay so far, but the number of elite players who reside on those two rosters is unbelievable. By the end of the year, they are certainly going to enter the playoffs as Stanley Cup contenders. 

The Blackhawks are 2-2-0 within this division, but the two losses are against top-four Central teams (Utah, Dallas), while the two wins are against the lower half (St. Louis, Winnipeg). It may be difficult to find wins within the division early in the season, unless a change they make turns things around. 

Without Connor Hellebuyck and an aging roster, it is hard to see the Jets making much noise, but they are certainly better equipped than the Blackhawks. However, the rest of the division will play meaningful games until the very end. 

Both the Central and Pacific Divisions may send one Wild Card team each, but there could be a world where 5 of these Central teams make it. It likely depends on how the Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks finish their seasons. Overall, the Pacific is worse than the Central from top to bottom. 

When evaluating the Eastern Conference divisions, the Atlantic Division is the best in the NHL right now. The Metropolitan Division is not bad either, but the Central Division has been much better over the first month.

The Blackhawks are the team in the division that everyone is looking forward to playing, and that won't change until they make a change, whether it be roster, coaching staff, or front office-related. 

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