Blackhawks Wrap: Welcome to the Next Level

While Edmonton burns due to the Oilers 3-9-1 start along with bizarre comments from management, it’s been every nightmare scenario a team’s fanbase could go through. A Stanley Cup contender who isn’t even close. Anything less than a parade is a failure. It’s the antithesis of the Chicago Blackhawks lot in hockey life.

See, anything better than a last place finish is improvement. A rise from last year’s win total is momentum. Anything that shows hope in the rebuild is as close to a parade as you get when losing is expected at high clips over winning.

The loss to the Florida Panthers stings less because of how Connor Bedard played. The win over Tampa Bay sparks that hope because of how the future of the franchise played.

There’s also clues that management knows what it’s doing even as they try to ensure one more crack at lottery luck.  Nick Foligno netting three points in one game while tearing the head off of a player running his teammate in another?

Corey Perry being second in team points–when so many wrote him off. Kevin Korchinski looking like he not only belongs, but that he might be exactly the building block Kyle Davidson thought he would when he drafted him.

As storm clouds gather in Edmonton, the fog of a rebuild seems to be lifting in Chicago. Oh, there’s still some ways to go. But it’s no longer cloaked in a blanket of uncertainty. No, things are definitely trending in the right direction.

Welcome to the next level.

CHN Top 10

1. Bedard’s Next Level Skills Showing He’s the Real Deal
2. Blackhawks Stock Index: Three Rising Prospects in the System
3. A Glimpse of what Blackhawks fans are looking for
4. Gavin Hayes continues to get better and is making his case to be in Chicago
5. The prospects report sees an awful lot of progress through the system
6. Kevin Korchinski’s first goal with video and analysis
7. It’s never too early to look at the 2024 NHL Draft–and who could be future Blackhawks
8. What’s worse: A rebuild that guarantees a season of losing or expectations that blow up spectacularly?
9. Nolan Allan and Ethan Del Mastro are looking good in Rockford
10. Another Blackhawks Stock Index: The early high returns