Was there really anyone out there that didn’t see this one coming? On March 9, the Chicago Blackhawks became the first NHL team this season to officially be eliminated from playoff contention.
Injuries stacked up early for this team and other than their newest superstar Connor Bedard and a surprise season from Jason Dickinson, the Blackhawks were as advertised for the most part.
That said, as each team is officially eliminated from playoff contention, we’ll look back on the season that was in 2023-24 and where it went wrong, what could’ve changed and what needs to be done moving forward.
Where the Blackhawks Season Went Wrong
Can we say that it happened at puck drop in their opening game this season? I guess that wouldn’t be fair considering they opened their season with a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on the shoulders of Petr Mrazek.
From there, it was back-to-back losses to the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens before a win in Toronto. Three straight losses through late October and the fall really began. The team closed out the first month of the season with a 3-6-0 record and that was just the beginning.
The lone bright spots were the play of Bedard and Dickinson as one of their biggest offseason acquisitions in Taylor Hall had already suffered an early-season injury — one that would hamper him throughout most of the season.
November wasn’t much better as they went 4-8-0 in the month and the poor play prefaced an injury to their superstar Bedard later in the season that kept him out through the all-star break.
In February and March, the Blackhawks had losing streaks of eight and seven games respectively separated by just one win — going 1-12-3 over that 16-game span.
Again, the team came as advertised.
Blackhawks Could’ve Seen Better Outcome
No, no, no, we’re not saying they could’ve been a playoff team. Let’s be real for a moment. That said, a 17-43-5 record with 17 games left could’ve been much better with a few less man games lost to injury — including Hall and Bedard — and a bit better of a supporting cast for the league’s latest superstar.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft – Forbes’ Top 96 February Rankings
Twelve times this season, the Hawks lost by one goal. They were also shutout nine times. If you take even half of the games in which they lost by a goal and turn them into wins, you’re talking about a team that could be 23-37-5. Still not ideal, but it looks a lot nicer than what they will finish with.
That said, there was certainly an understanding this season that they were going to be battling for the top lottery spot — a chance to get their hands on Macklin Celebrini and create hockey’s newest all-star duo.
So would it have been good for the Blackhawks to change much this season? Likely not.
The Blackhawks Moving Forward
Considering they will be a top team in the lottery this season, that could mean celebrating with Celebrini. Regardless, there is some top-tier talent in the first round of this draft again and the Blackhawks are set to get their hands on some.
They potentially have seven picks in the first three rounds — five of which could be in the first two rounds and that will bolster a team that already has Bedard lighting up the league.
Now, they won’t be a playoff team right away, but they should be on the verge of building something special in the next three seasons. Fingers crossed for Blackhawks fans that they simply won’t be the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention moving forward.
The new generation of Blackhawks are now upon us. Gone are the days of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. For now, the Bedard-led Blackhawks will rest in peace for the 2023-24 season.