Chicago has finally hit the reset button. After years of championship contention and plenty of championships to show for it, the Blackhawks are looking to rebuild.
In more recent seasons, the Hawks have managed to find themselves at the top of the lottery. The Blackhawks’ rebuild currently has a solid foundation after making three first-round picks and eight in the first 90 at this year’s draft. Drafting Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar adds tons to their prospect pool which the Hawks have been desperately trying to overhaul. Time will tell how Kyle Davidson’s first draft as Chicago’s general manager went. But with four more first-round picks and 11 selections in the first three rounds over the next two years, the Blackhawks should have enough opportunities to replenish their prospect pool further.
Now, the Hawks are hunting for their next franchise player. They need a new cornerstone for their franchise. Long gone are the days of the dominance of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Hawks need a replica of that. They need a superstar.
The Blackhawks are most likely going to be tanking their way into doing so to have a top three pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. For how much the franchise has stripped itself of talent, a high end pick is necessary. And drafting a generational talent is mandatory.
Otherwise, this is all a waste and only prolongs their rebuild.
Moving out Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach were bigger hits than most fans think. To have two young talents just go out the door so quickly at the expense of a potential top three pick to some is considered bizarre. With DeBrincat only being 24 and Dach being 21, most would imagine they would factor into the future success of the Blackhawks going forward. But, in the eyes of General Manager Kyle Davidson, the franchise is making the necessary moves to put the best foot forward for the Hawks.
There are a lot of expectations to live up to for an original six franchise. Especially one headed into a long and serious rebuild. It’s also going to be hard to live and grow out of the shadow of Stan Bowman, who helped build the team into a perennial contender. Davidson surely has a lot of work in front of him for sure. He will have to please the aging stars Kane and Toews, develop a new core, and try to continue to drive ticket sales. Luckily for the Hawks, they are an iconic franchise. Their fans will finally have to encounter the sight of a rebuild which hasn’t been seen in Chicago for ages. They have a great base built for the future. Hopefully they get the guy that they are looking for so they can ease their way back into contention.
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