Blackhawks 2026/27 season

[gflore34]

Maybe you can answer this jersey cubs fan - why are, currently, none of the young players improving.  In fact, I know it's a very small sample, they appear to be regressing.  It's not as if they're completely devoid of talent, many of them were very good amateurs, some even dominating.  Yet, as Blackhawks, they're completely pathetic, there's nothing good to point at, it's very discouraging when there's not the slightest glimmer at the end of the tunnel.

[jersey cubs fan]

3 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Maybe you can answer this jersey cubs fan - why are, currently, none of the young players improving.  In fact, I know it's a very small sample, they appear to be regressing.  It's not as if they're completely devoid of talent, many of them were very good amateurs, some even dominating.  Yet, as Blackhawks, they're completely pathetic, there's nothing good to point at, it's very discouraging when there's not the slightest glimmer at the end of the tunnel.

Everybody in hockey loves the phrase “development isn’t linear”. In addition to that truism, I think there’s two main things going on. 
 

1) all of these players are playing with less than ideal NHL teammates, which is a self fulfilling prophecy of prospect failure. 
2) it’s tough to get past the hump of an organization not only accepting, but inviting failure. 

Good players need to play with good players to reach their promise, every hockey parent thinks their kid just needs to play on the top line or pair with the top D to succeed. And the parents of the #1 center and #1 D think their kid needs to play on a better team. 

But there are individual storylines for all of them. It’s not weird for late first and early second round draft picks to be non contributors at the nhl level. You need top of the first talent to get top NHL ability. Defenseman take longer to develop and there hasn’t been a top of the lineup veteran in place for guys to compete with and eventually take their place. They were all just guaranteed NHL minutes because the Hawks had no other options. Teams like the Devils have a bunch of D men to the point that they chose to trade away their RFA first round D in Nemec rather than make room. 
 

very soon Chicago will begin moving on from some of these names we’ve heard about for years. There just isn’t enough roster space for all of them. That’s part of the reason why Davidson was so willing to trade the #4 pick. Diminishing returns have hit this team. It’s probably gonna be Arty or Rinzel in a year or two. I doubt they sign both to long extensions. Lardis is redundant despite his history of scoring because other guys do what he does better (in theory) and he can’t do bottom 6 stuff. 
 

in a way Bedards injury may help them actually decipher who is worthy of being given top line minutes and who is just here because the Hawks have no real competition for these roles. 

[gflore34]

1 hour ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Everybody in hockey loves the phrase “development isn’t linear”. In addition to that truism, I think there’s two main things going on. 
 

1) all of these players are playing with less than ideal NHL teammates, which is a self fulfilling prophecy of prospect failure. 
2) it’s tough to get past the hump of an organization not only accepting, but inviting failure. 

Good players need to play with good players to reach their promise, every hockey parent thinks their kid just needs to play on the top line or pair with the top D to succeed. And the parents of the #1 center and #1 D think their kid needs to play on a better team. 

But there are individual storylines for all of them. It’s not weird for late first and early second round draft picks to be non contributors at the nhl level. You need top of the first talent to get top NHL ability. Defenseman take longer to develop and there hasn’t been a top of the lineup veteran in place for guys to compete with and eventually take their place. They were all just guaranteed NHL minutes because the Hawks had no other options. Teams like the Devils have a bunch of D men to the point that they chose to trade away their RFA first round D in Nemec rather than make room. 
 

very soon Chicago will begin moving on from some of these names we’ve heard about for years. There just isn’t enough roster space for all of them. That’s part of the reason why Davidson was so willing to trade the #4 pick. Diminishing returns have hit this team. It’s probably gonna be Arty or Rinzel in a year or two. I doubt they sign both to long extensions. Lardis is redundant despite his history of scoring because other guys do what he does better (in theory) and he can’t do bottom 6 stuff. 
 

in a way Bedards injury may help them actually decipher who is worthy of being given top line minutes and who is just here because the Hawks have no real competition for these roles. 

Thanks.  Really like the analysis.  Don't remember, did you coach or play or are still playing?  I play with a fellow in my old man lacrosse during the summer, who has essentially played hockey all of his life and keeps on going. 

[jersey cubs fan]

I’m just a youth coach and fill in pickup game player. Complete amateur and non expert but been paying pretty close attention to the sport for several years. 
 

I’ve also been a tank skeptic since it began so biased, I guess. But I’m tired of the free pass Davidson has had where every year results don’t matter it’s the next year that matters. 

[jersey cubs fan]

So tonight counts as back to where we were 2 years ago, when a “quality loss” was progress. 

[BigbadB]

7 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

So tonight counts as back to where we were 2 years ago, when a “quality loss” was progress. 

First period looked hopeful. 2nd and 3rd were pretty bad. Hawks rarely controlled the puck and Buffalo challenged every Hawk player to the point where they couldn't perform basic passing even on their own end of the rink. 2 more periods like the first one and they probably win that game.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bedard skating in non contact uni with the team today, all sorts of beat writer videos. Talk of end of October return possible which would be in line with my “split the difference” between original 4 month and overly optimistic 3 month return talk. 
 

maybe he’s back for Montreal game in 2.5 weeks but they might not want him facing the Tkachuk brothers immediately upon return that weekend since you know they will target him. LA/Det/Bos that last week of October might be a target. 

[jersey cubs fan]

Arty’s assist on Frondell’s goal was a beaut. The Arty/Byram pairing is a high risk high reward situation that makes more sense than trying to fit your new #1 D on his off hand with another LHD in Vlasic. You might have a few too many offensive possessions with both D pinching with those guys but at least they have offensive upside. 
Nice win on the home opener despite flailing around in the final minute and a few other stretches 

[Tryptamine]

So which generational talent can they squander when they're picking #1 again next year?

[jersey cubs fan]

10 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

So which generational talent can they squander when they're picking #1 again next year?

Landon DuPont should be on his entry level contract for the first three years of Byram’s extension, then they will have to get creative to fit his extension which probable means trading away Bedard as he’ll refuse to sign his third contract with the team. 

[Wilson A2000]

[jersey cubs fan]

No doubt the people at the top heard the universal disdain for this move when it was made. I’m sure they were fine with Davidsons choice at the time, but if this level of ineptitude countinues into the winter it may be the thing that ends Davidson. They have Bedard under contract and don’t have to worry about upsetting him right now. It’ll be at least 2 years before he’ll have enough leverage to demand a trade. 
 

if they get somebody in the job who actually knows how to acquire real NHL players Bedard is going to be fine. 
 

but odds are they will sort of get better once Bedard gets back and do enough for everybody to keep their job. 

[jersey cubs fan]

Sounds like Nazar gonna get a suspension for his end of game hit to head that drew a hearing with nhl safety. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

5 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Sounds like Nazar gonna get a suspension for his end of game hit to head that drew a hearing with nhl safety. 

Frank got 2 games. 

He deserves it, imo. 

Edited October 10 by NorthsideAvenger

[Wilson A2000]

 

[Tryptamine]

We can stop paying attention now, right?

[jersey cubs fan]

26 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

We can stop paying attention now, right?

Give it one more week 

[BigbadB]

5 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

We can stop paying attention now, right?

Good on you if you made it past the first two periods last night. The third period looked much more promising. 

[Wilson A2000]

Much faster of a return that we expected

[Tryptamine]

57 minutes ago, Wilson A2000 said:

Much faster of a return that we expected

Not surprised when the season is on the verge of being over before we even hit the end of the 2nd week.

[gflore34]

On 10/9/2026 at 3:49 PM, jersey cubs fan said:

No doubt the people at the top heard the universal disdain for this move when it was made. I’m sure they were fine with Davidsons choice at the time, but if this level of ineptitude countinues into the winter it may be the thing that ends Davidson. They have Bedard under contract and don’t have to worry about upsetting him right now. It’ll be at least 2 years before he’ll have enough leverage to demand a trade. 
 

if they get somebody in the job who actually knows how to acquire real NHL players Bedard is going to be fine. 
 

but odds are they will sort of get better once Bedard gets back and do enough for everybody to keep their job. 

Is sending Byram down an option?  Don't know how this works for hockey.

 

Found the answer - No - Waiver Eligibility: At 25 years old and with over 300 games of NHL experience, Byram cannot simply be assigned to the minor leagues without clearing NHL waivers. If the Blackhawks were to place him on waivers,

Edited Monday at 07:39 PM by gflore34

[gflore34]

25 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Not surprised when the season is on the verge of being over before we even hit the end of the 2nd week.

Think it's pretty obvious the season was over after the first week.  Highlight is going to be the 2027 draft.

[Wilson A2000]

49 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Not surprised when the season is on the verge of being over before we even hit the end of the 2nd week.

If they are rushing to get him back to save the season in early October, that’s a problem. Bedard should never have re-signed with the Hawks.

[Tryptamine]

53 minutes ago, Wilson A2000 said:

If they are rushing to get him back to save the season in early October, that’s a problem. Bedard should never have re-signed with the Hawks.

Honestly I was a bit surprised he did. 

[jersey cubs fan]

6 hours ago, Wilson A2000 said:

If they are rushing to get him back to save the season in early October, that’s a problem. Bedard should never have re-signed with the Hawks.

The initial diagnosis was 4 months. It’s been over 3 now. It’s not really rushing to be back at like 3.25 months 

 

this isn’t an acl or a pitcher to Tommy John.