Skates, Spikes, and Sidelines

With the announcement of Luke Richardson’s termination on December 5th, Kyle Davidson is now looking to work with his fourth head coach in as many years. Anders Sorenson will take on the task of interim head coach for the foreseeable future. The 8-16-2 Blackhawks find themselves at the bottom of the league, having earned a lottery pick for three years straight coming into the 24-25 season. Does Davidson find himself on the hot seat?

At some point the Blackhawks have to look internally and observe where the problem lies. Yes, coaching is often an issue. Building culture and holding players accountable is crucial to winning in the league. But coming up on Davidson’s third head coach hiring, should he have some urgency as the GM?

Building a team can be viewed as a portfolio challenge. Has Davidson created a collection of strong players for the future, or strong “investment assets”? Sure, Connor Bedard is looking like a future face of the league. A strong sophomore year, following an incredible rookie outing. However, the team ranks smack-dab in the middle of average ages for the NHL. In two, three years, they’ll have an aged team, which is their average contract length. In the next couple seasons, the Blackhawks will have an aged team, with contract negotiations around the corner, so it’ll be crucial for the team to realign their plans.

It is crucial for Kyle Davidson to ensure his next hire understands the uncertain tenure surrounding his hiring. Make sure that their goals align, so the Blackhawks can return to their dominance of a decade prior.