No Playoffs for Chicago, Rebuild Continues

Thank God: The Chicago Blackhawks 2025-2026 season is finally over. It’s a small reprieve in this hellish current state of affairs. After what feels like their 100th rebuilding season, the Blackhawks finished the season with a 29-39-14 record, dead last in the Central Division.

Critiquing the Blackhawks feels like continuously listening to a broken record, but the team’s issues remained the same throughout the entire season. The team came out strong last fall, but lost all momentum as the season went on. They are sloppy and disconnected, and both the offense and defense need improvement.

So yeah, the season wasn’t great, but it wasn’t all bad, either. The Blackhawks played better than they did in the 2024-2025 season, where they ended with a 25-46-11 record. They won more games, even if only a few.

Goalie Spencer Knight was a light in the dark for the team with a .902 SV%. At an end-of-season media session, Knight was asked how he felt about his season, responding, “Found my game, felt good.” He discussed feeling like he could have played more, and that he will need to play more games in a season when the team aims to reach the playoffs in coming seasons.

The Blackhawks need to rely on Knight more for goalie, as goalie Arvid Soderblom had a .880 SV% for the season, leading to a lot of goals allowed and frustrations from both the team and fans.

Rookie Nick Lardis, a left wing, was another highlight of the season. He played 41 games this season, scoring 10 goals. He played in the OHL for the Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 71 goals in 65 games in the 2024-2025 season. In his end-of-season media session, when asked about believing in himself and his scoring ability, Lardis responded, “I still believe in myself that I could, you know, be a goal scorer in this league.”

His confidence is a good sign, and it’s one shared by his fellow young teammates. The players still believe in themselves and the team, even after a disappointing, early end to the season. Defenseman Alex Vlasic stated that he “developed as a leader” after the team lost their captain, Nick Foligno, and other veteran players. The kids may be alright after all.

The Blackhawks’ general manager, Kyle Davidson, re-signed his contract with the team for multiple years, but it was not specified how long. The team has improved slightly under his leadership, despite cycling through multiple coaches. Some fans found this re-signing surprising, as the season felt more disappointing than anything else.

Center Connor Bedard’s contract will be the thing to look for this offseason. His initial three-year contract is ending, and he is becoming a restricted free agent. Technically, anything could happen, but he is expected to re-sign with the Blackhawks. Bedard could have a generational run with the team, but the team needs to fully find its footing first.

The NHL salary cap is on the rise, hopefully giving the Blackhawks room to acquire multiple talented players for their roster. The cap for the 2027-2028 season is expected to be $113.5 million, eventually projected to hit $123 million after that: a $30 million increase in three years.

The Blackhawks are expected to be able to sign both talented, experienced players and young players with this increased cap. The team needs as much talent as it can get.

The Blackhawks need to dial in this offseason: dig deeper into offensive and defensive roles, get faster, and get more confidence in standing up for themselves on the ice. The draft is coming up, and the team has the chance at yet another top-three pick.

The team may still be in an endless cycle of rebuild seasons, but hopefully change is on the horizon. The Blackhawks should be raising the Stanley Cup eventually, but don’t cue Chelsea Dagger yet — it likely won’t be the 2026-2027 season.