Team: 2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 12, 2020

Published: Apr. 12, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

So, so bored...

Let’s talk about next season. What’s changing? What’s added and subtracted? What’s a realistic goal for next season? Lastly, what’s a firm prediction for next season?

Firstly, crow, strome, and kubalik are the big names out of contract. I’m sure kubalik is a guarantee to return, as for a contract prediction, it all depends on show me type or bridge. Bowman is a nut job though, and long term is never quite escaping my mind. I’d say bridge personally. Crow is almost by default going to be resigned since the team is realistically not gonna sign anyone else. I’d love to be wrong, but I don’t see markstrom or holtby as cheap enough. Also, bowman definitely burned a bridge with Lehner, so that’s not happening. As for strome, I genuinely have no clue what’s gonna happen there. I don’t personally like him considering his inability to perform without marquee players around him or when he’s moved to wing. Incidentally, JC is a moron for always trying him at wing.

As per usual, a goal (albeit I’m not sure how realistic) is to make the playoffs. However, as someone once said to me on here, the mantra is “One Goal,” so it’s always the cup. Not realistic, but still the goal. At this point, I’d just love to see this team at least show some desire to get back to the playoffs. There are proven winners in the team, but there’s so many holes in the team, and that’s before getting to the problems off the ice.

As for A prediction, personally, the team has too many issues on and off the ice still to make even the playoffs. Boqvist, beaudin, and Mitchell are too young and not being allowed to express themselves the way they should, which brings me to my next point. Off the ice, having JC as head coach still hinders a lot of develop. Just my opinion of course. He does seem to imbue good defensive development, but in players such the dmen I mentioned, they aren’t allowed to actually jump into play and be game breakers. Unfortunately, this defensive style JC preaches is horrendous to watch and never seems to get the best out of the team. JC should go, but even then, bowman is still there, and that’s a whole other problem that I won’t bother with anymore. Goaltending is a huge question mark, nuff said. I don’t trust crow for a full season anymore and it needs solving. As for offense, this is where the team should, and I do mean “should” make a difference. Again, the defensive style just sucks. Kane is firmly in his prime and no style hinders it. However, with players like Kane, toews, Saad, debrincat, and kubalik, there’s no excuse for not going on the offensive style wise.

All that being said, this is very much a narrowed and thinned down version of this debate. I’ll reiterate that I don’t believe this team is a playoff team yet. I don’t think the forward depth is good enough, defense is still either young and shackled or just slow and ineffective, and goaltending is a question mark the size of the Sears tower (never, ever, the Willis tower...). I do like boqvist, beaudin, and Mitchell, but they are still a year or two from being influential. Which brings me to JC. As long as JC is around, this team will never get the best out of the team. It seems very apparent that none of the star players listen to JC and his man management sucks. As for bowman, I don’t know how many lives this guy has, or if he has blackmail material on rocky wirtz, but for the love of god, please don’t do anything stupid anymore.