Where Do Kyle Davidson & the Blackhawks Go From Here?

The offense isn’t any better, either. The only time the Blackhawks get solid chances are through breakaways of their own or rushes, but it’s a one-and-done deal. They’ll occasionally hold the zone and get a couple of pucks on net, and maybe even one goes in, but otherwise there’s not much happening. Not enough to win, at least. 

It’s worth noting that after the game against the Bruins, Blashill, for the first time this season, didn’t have many positives, if any at all, to take away from the loss. It could be that it was him finally feeling some pressure and frustration to produce some results after a rough start — although, after the Avalanche game, that was proved to be not the case. 

Blashill, after the 5-2 loss to the Avalanche, said that the internal metrics — which he’s been preaching all season — favored the Blackhawks 17 to 16 in scoring chances; the same contest in which the Blackhawks were outshot 29 to 23. According to Natural Stat Trick, Colorado led in Corsi-For, Shots-For, Scoring Chances-For, High-Danger Chances, and Expected Goals-For. It’s normal for internal numbers to favor the teams they’re for, but that’s beyond ridiculous. 

It’s Time for Kyle Davidson to Step up to the Plate 

General manager Kyle Davidson can’t be excused from this mess either. He’s the one who hired Blashill, drafted and signed the players, and built this thing from the ground up in his vision. 

There’s growing concern that even if Blashill is fired, he’s unable to hire a coach who will be impactful, and for good reason. His first coaching hire was Luke Richardson, and he didn’t make it two full years as head coach. Next, he hired Blashill, and we know how that’s currently going. 

Davidson needs to stop reaching deep down into the well for a coach. If Blashill is let go, Bruce Cassidy, Jay Woodcroft, Gerald Gallant — a number of people are out there who would most likely be better than what the Blackhawks have right now. This next coaching hire needs to be a home run, but the problem is Davidson hasn’t been able to show he can do that yet in that department. 

It’s been reported that Davidson has been looking for a piece to add to this team and doesn’t want to make Blashill the “scapegoat.” This team is more than a piece away from being anywhere near where they need to be, and making a panic trade right now is the worst thing that could happen. Davidson needs to put the phone down and start working internally.

After the game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 7, there’s a four-day break. That would be the logical time for a coaching change or for that roster addition to shake things up in Chicago, because this isn’t working. That’s not the only time they could turn things on its head, of course, but it would be the time that won’t affect things as much as doing it a day before a game.

If the Blackhawks want to keep sitting on it and see what they have, the All-Star break would be the next best option if nothing changes until then, but that’s a long time from now. 

There’s light at the end of the tunnel with this group, but none of them have been put into a position where they can succeed together — they’ve all shown individual flashes — just not as a unit; for that, the blame goes in so many different directions you’ll get dizzy. The good news for management, if they do want to rearrange some of the core after these past five years: the wall could be sticky, and it’s not hard to rebuild a sandcastle.