CHICAGO — During a challenging season, Kyle Davidson, the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, emphasizes the necessity for patience among fans and players alike. Following a 4-2 defeat to Minnesota on Sunday night, the Blackhawks’ record stands at 15-29-5, illustrating their struggle, with a disappointing 3-10-3 mark over the last 16 games. This places them once more near the bottom of the NHL standings, vying for a top-three draft pick for the third year in a row.
Davidson acknowledged the ongoing rebuilding phase, stating, “This takes time. We knew it would take time. There’s nothing that’s gone on in our prospect group or the development of our young players that’s causing me concern… We are in the process of a rebuild here, and it’s going to be on the backs of our young players and prospects.”
Despite an active offseason, where the Blackhawks made significant additions by signing Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, T.J. Brodie, and Alec Martinez, the team has yet to see the competitiveness they had hoped for this season. Last year, they finished with a poor record of 23-53-6. Following the disappointing results, Luke Richardson was dismissed from his coaching role in early December, and Anders Sorensen stepped in as the interim coach.
Davidson expressed his disappointment with the performance at the NHL level, stating, “For his group at the NHL level, I did expect a little more and we made a coaching change because of that. That’s a pretty big indicator that I didn’t feel the group was where they needed to be.” However, he remains optimistic about the overall direction of the franchise.
One bright spot for the Blackhawks has been the performance of Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. After a slow start to his career, the 19-year-old center has found his rhythm, boasting 13 goals along with a team-leading 30 assists. This level of performance aligns more closely with his previous season, where he recorded 22 goals and 39 assists, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
While Bedard has voiced some frustration regarding his play and the team’s ongoing struggles, Davidson remains confident in his development. “You know his words get taken much further than everyone else and everything’s read into a little bit more,” he noted, adding, “I think you’re starting to see that offensive creativity just blossom over the last little while here… He’s got some swagger back, and it’s really exciting to see.”
In addition, the Blackhawks secured nine selections in the 2025 draft after acquiring their third-round pick in a recent trade. Among these picks are two first-round selections, building on a trend where the team has drafted eight players in the first round over the last three years. The franchise moved Taylor Hall to Carolina in a deal that also saw them retain a portion of Mikko Rantanen’s salary cap hit.
Though the NHL trade deadline is not until March 7, Davidson indicated the team is open to exploring options. “We’ve got a lot of assets,” he remarked. “We’re not necessarily in that asset-build stage like we were a little while ago. And so we’ve got the luxury of being patient and just seeing what comes our way.”
