Offseason review: Will the real Chicago Blackhawks please stand up?
I may be in the minority here, but I’ve thought that Chicago has been due for a rebuild for a few years now. In the last six years, they’ve made the playoffs three times and in each were dispatched in the first round.
Sure, they won a cup seven years ago, but that featured a club where Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were still in their mid-20s. Duncan Keith was just 31, and Brent Seabrook’s body had yet to break down. Oh, and goaltender Corey Crawford was still an elite netminder.
But since then, they’ve dappled in mediocrity and spent an offseason giving up major assets to go all in.
What happened in 2021?
Chicago was far from an exciting team in 2021. They finished with a 24-25-7 record placing sixth in a top-heavy Central Division. They scored the 16th most goals (161) and allowed the 24th most goals (186).
Kane (15-51—66) showed he’s still an offensive threat at 32-years-old, while Alex DeBrincat (32-24—56) took another massive step forward leading the team in goals.
On the backend, Adam Boqvist (2-14—16) led the way scoring, but Duncan Keith (4-11—15) continued to munch minutes.
And in net, things weren’t pretty. They relied on 25-year-old rookie Kevin Lankinen (17-14-5. .909 sv%, 1.9 GSAA) to carry the way and he did so admirably, but backups Malcolm Subban (6-8-1, .900 sv%, -3.6) and Collin Delia (1-3-1, .902 sv%) couldn’t muster the same luck.
Right off the get-go, Chicago struggled with a tough four-game losing streak and things didn’t get much better. The Blackhawks rebounded with a good February, but the wheels truly fell off the wagon in March where during an 11-game stretch they lost eight games.
What did they do in the offseason?
Notable Additions: Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, Marc-Andre Fleury, Caleb Jones, Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Toews
Notable Subtractions: Duncan Keith, Vinnie Hinostroza, Pius Suter, Adam Boqvist
It was a busy offseason that kicked off with a farewell to long-time Chicago staple Duncan Keith off the backend. Shipped to Edmonton with none of his $5.5-million salary retained, the club got back a serviceable, but still young player in Caleb Jones.
All roads, however, pointed to Seth Jones. Chicago made a massive move to acquire the rearguard from the Columbus Blue Jackets. They shipped off Boqvist, a first-round pick in 2022, and a 2022 second-round pick for Jones, and a pick swap of 2021 first-round picks. What followed was a massive eight-year deal paying him an AAV of $9.5-million a year.
The jury is still out on the massive acquisition of the 26-year-old. The analytic crowd is cool and says his game has taken steps back while another faction say he’s still an elite top-pairing defenseman. It will be up to Jones to prove exactly what he is.
Chicago will get back a big piece in captain Jonathan Toews, but it’s not exactly clear what form he will return to.
What to expect in 2021-22?
I’m not solid Chicago will be much better than last year and that’s largely because I’m in the camp that doesn’t think the Jones deal was a good one. The Central this year will be competitive with teams fighting for space behind the Colorado Avalanche. I’m just not sold Chicago’s decision to go all in was the right one.
One bold prediction…
Chicago misses the playoffs and Jones struggles once again. Not exactly the hottest of takes, but the choice to acquire Jones could set them back years down the road.
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