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The Blackhawks Need to Address Their Defensive Problems

Sep 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (24) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Minnesota Wild at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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The Blackhawks Need to Address Their Defensive Problems

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Precourt | Last updated Oct 3, 2026 9:15 AM ET

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The Chicago Blackhawks went to Utah to face the Mammoth after getting smacked around by the Vegas Golden Knights and losing 5-2. Things didn’t change at all, and the Blackhawks played a worse game than they did in the season opener, losing 6-0 to the Mammoth.

A Humiliating Loss

The Blackhawks didn’t show up at any point during the game. They just looked like they weren’t interested in playing any hockey throughout the whole 60 minutes. At least in the game against Vegas, which also wasn’t good, they showed up late in the game to make it 3-2 and interesting.

The transition defense remains an issue. The Mammoth were able to drive the puck up the ice with no problem and with such speed that for the whole night, the Chicago defensive corps could’ve been pegged as playing in slow motion. The Blackhawks’ defense can not break the puck out at all, either. Right before the second goal, Sam Rinzel fanned on a breakout attempt, and Utah capitalized on it.

With around 14 minutes remaining in the second period, Artyom Levshunov was in his own end, with no one around him, and still managed to bobble the puck as he tried to gain control of it. When he tried to move the puck up the ice, he made a soft pass straight to a Mammoth forechecker. It was almost as if he was passing it to him.

Sticking on the defensive side of things, the Bowen Byram and Alex Vlasic pair is not clicking. Whether it’s because they don’t have any chemistry, or Byram playing on his off-side is screwing him up, it needs to be torn apart. Granted, Vlasic broke a few pucks up with his stick, but it wasn’t nearly good enough. Sometimes he just goes off on his own adventure and leaves his assignment as a whole. Byram loses almost every battle he’s in defensively and gets stripped off the puck constantly.

Byram and Vlasic were the worst defensive pairing out on the ice against Utah when those two should be the ones the Blackhawks can count on the most. When that pairing was on the ice, the Mammoth led 12-1 in shots on goal, 26-8 in shot attempts, and 2-0 in goals. It was a disaster.

Something Needs to Change

Unfortunately, the tale goes both ways. The offense is dead. Not having Connor Bedard plagues the offense and creates a massive gap, but there are no excuses for the attack to be this non-existent. The Blackhawks just can’t get the puck moving north.

Anton Frondell has been shoved into the centering position after not being strong at it in junior play, as well as preseason — he needs to be moved back to the wing. It’s early in the season, but once confidence is lost by the kids, it takes a long time to get it back — just look at what happened to Kevin Korchinski.

Adjustments need to be made now if the Blackhawks want to have any chance whatsoever of keeping this sinking ship afloat. Right now, the kids’ confidence is at risk.

The lineup blender was brought to the table before the first game of the regular season, and it hasn’t gotten any better since. Head coach Jeff Blashill changed all of the lines around once again before the game against the Mammoth, and then shuffled them all around during the game more than once. It’s as if he’s clueless while trying to find something, anything that works.

If you’re a player, though, why would you try and build any type of chemistry on a line if you’re just going to be moved?

Byram should show up to the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 3 motivated because it’s the team that traded him. There are still 82 games to go, but the Blackhawks are in dire need to show up in Buffalo, looking like they have any interest whatsoever in playing a hockey game, and be enthusiastically encouraged.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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