Kyle Davidson Addresses Current State Of Blackhawks, Jeff Blashill, Bowen Byram, & More

On Wednesday afternoon, Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson spoke for the first time since Opening Night. At 4-13-1, the need for him to address the state of the team became apparent. He went over a variety of topics that pertain to his team. 

Before taking any questions, Davidson had a well-thought-out statement prepared to share. He dove deep into the frustrations plaguing the team, in addition to some comments about personnel. 

"We're all extremely disappointed with how the season has got off on an unfortunate foot," Davidson opened. "I appreciate the patience from everyone. Simply put, we haven't been good enough. This isn't what we told our fans to expect, and I take responsibility. I'm not going to make any excuses." 

Davidson went on to describe how their internal group came together to discuss how to move forward despite their lousy start. They seemed to come to one major conclusion: that the defense is the main issue. 

"We are not defending well enough," Davidson said. "We give up odd-man rushes, specifically 2-on-1s and breakaways, at a rate that is one of the highest in the league. The high-danger chances we give up are at too high a rate in our defensive zone, which leads to goals against, which we have to do a much better job of cutting down on. This not only hurts us in the defensive zone, but it also hurts us in the offensive zone. If we are chasing the game defensively, that takes up the energy it takes to get up the ice and go on offense." 

There is a clear identification of a problem within the Blackhawks, and they are working to address it. They have a lot of young players on the back end, and most of their forwards aren't fully developed defensively either, so this is going to take some time. 

The Hawks have already started to make some defensive changes in practice, but Kyle Davidson also announced that Mark Eaton is going to become a full-time coach starting Monday. Eaton will be tasked with helping on the defensive side of the puck. 

Eaton, who has had various roles within the organization over the years, is a former NHL defenseman who has experience with most of the players on Chicago's blue line. Davidson noted that most of their coaches are forward-heavy in terms of their knowledge, and Eaton will be an addition to help with the other side. 

Multiple times, Davidson reiterated his belief in the players on the roster. He mentioned that he is always looking to make upgrades where he can, but they aren't going to make a trade just to make one. It would have to make sense for the team in the short and long term. He also isn't going to pin the entire thing on the head coach.

"Jeff Blashill is our head coach," Davidson said with confidence. "I have full confidence in him. The players believe in him; he makes them better. They've stated that to you. I believe that. I've seen this perception that he's stubborn and doesn't want to change. I contradict that. He's someone who seeks out feedback, wants alternative opinions, and he's behind everything I've laid out and said so far. We're very much on the same page." 

Davidson ended his opening statement by sending a message to the fans. He wants them to know the organization recognizes that the fans have been with them through the thick and thin of the rebuild. He knows the fans deserve better, and that the team shows up to the rink every day trying to get out of this. 

It's important to hear that Davidson believes that the group is tight-knit, but that will only go so far if they continue to lose at a high clip. Eventually, the frustrations will boil over if things don't start to turn around. 

As far as the roster, there were a lot of player breakdowns. Some were more interesting than others, but he didn't really have an answer to the questions about Kevin Korchinski. The truth is, the way that they have handled him sends a message that they don't believe in him as an everyday NHL defenseman. Even when he plays well, he can never get in the lineup for the next game.

Davidson deferred to coaching decisions when it comes to Korchinski, and the player hasn't earned the trust needed to be in the lineup every day. It's confusing based on the roster and what we've seen from him during his limited ice time. 

For Bowen Byram, whom the Blackhawks acquired over the summer in a deal involving the fourth overall pick, he is still not ready to come back. Before Kyle Davidson spoke, Jeff Blashill said that he is still day-to-day. Byram did practice with the team on Wednesday, but Blashill wouldn't go past the "day-to-day" comment when pressed. Davidson had Blashill's back on that one and said the exact same thing. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are an incredibly young team. They have a handful of veterans, but there is a lot of reliance on players under the age of 23 to lead the way. Davidson and his staff miscalculated how much more they needed help from veteran NHL players who have experience in the league. 

"We probably miscalculated what we would look like if we had one of our relied-upon defensemen go down," Davidson said. "Injuries happen. It's not an excuse, but it is the reality when you have young players. Could we have benefited if we had one more veteran? It's very possible. That's part of the evaluation process and honest candor that we're having internally."

The only actual roster move that the Blackhawks made during this window is the subtraction of backup goalie Arvid Soderblom. In his place, Drew Commesso is coming up from the Rockford IceHogs, and Soderblom is headed down to the AHL. 

In regard to that, Davidson said that Commesso staying with the team over Soderblom doesn't have a timeline, and that it will mostly depend on performance. He also respects and understands Spencer Knight's comments defending Soderblom. It's a tough situation for everyone, but one that Davidson feels makes the team better. 

This is not a negative situation that is going to fix itself overnight. The front office, coaches, and players are all working hard to address it, but it will take some hard work and better decision-making. Davidson did hint at the fact that they are always looking to improve where they can, but it takes two teams to make a trade. The team is open for business, but they have equal emphasis on getting better internally. 

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