Will the Blackhawks abandon tanking this season?

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Ryan Hall
September 6, 2023 (3:33 PM)

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General manager Kyle Davidson implemented his plan, where the Chicago Blackhawks organization dismantled the previous version of the team, which included Kirby Dach, Alex DeBrincat, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane.

The plan resembled that of any other team looking to rebuild their franchise: sell off as much of their talent as possible, retain as many draft picks and prospects as they can to replenish their roster and build a new core.

The Blackhawks were quite successful in executing this plan and have used their draft picks wisely, selecting players like Connor Bedard first overall, along with Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Kevin Korchinski, to name a few.

Once these players were chosen, Davidson decided to add a veteran presence around Bedard and others to help insulate them from what is highly likely to be a disappointing season.

Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, and Corey Perry were brought in to mentor the young players and provide the Blackhawks with some credit. With all of this in place, the question remains: Will the team attempt to tank again this year to increase their odds of securing the expected number one choice, Macklin Celebrini?

Acquiring a player like Celebrini would accelerate this rebuild and potentially force Davidson to alter his plans, as they initially envisioned a five-year rebuilding plan.

The Blackhawks have much work ahead of them, as the team lacks a number one starting goaltender, a leaky defence core that needs rebuilding, and an offence that remains quite limited even with Bedard on the roster.

It will take a few years for the new draft choices to become regulars on the team, and some of their prospects, including Lukas Reichel and Kevin Korchinski, will have the opportunity to play many games this season due to openings in the roster.

I believe that the Blackhawks will not tank this season; however, I don't expect their season to be great or even good. A top-five draft choice will likely still be for next year.