The 2026 Trade Deadline has passed, and the Chicago Blackhawks have just 18 games left in their season. With the Blackhawks comfortably out of the playoff picture, games may seem somewhat meaningless to some fans.
The reality is that these final 18 games are incredibly important for the growth of the young players who will bring the franchise back to the playoffs. For that reason, my eyes are on Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill for the rest of the season.
Blashill Needs to Trust the Youth
What has made some of this season entertaining, regardless of the losing, is watching Connor Bedard take serious steps in his development. Frank Nazar has gone through some growing pains, but by and large, I think he’s had a solid season so far. He will obviously need to improve next year with his big contract kicking in. Plus, Spencer Knight has finally had his breakout season.
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On top of all this, we’ve seen other players such as Drew Commesso, Ryan Greene, and Oliver Moore get minutes, and pretty much the whole defense core being filled with young Blackhawks draft picks.
There have definitely been some low points for the youth throughout this season. The one stretch that immediately comes to mind is Artyom Levshunov being a healthy scratch for a stretch of games just before the Winter Olympics.
These last 18 games are the perfect time to put young players in as many situations as possible. I think one of the biggest myths in hockey is that young players benefit from sitting in the press box and watching the game.
Obviously, there is a healthy balance, and teams don’t want to let their young guys get crushed on every shift, but I’d be giving a lot of guys a chance to play penalty kill or power play.
Throughout the season, I think Blashill’s management of the youth has been questionable at times. There was the issue with scratching Ryan Greene, then in the 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth, Nick Lardis was stapled to the fourth line with Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert. He played just 7:18, which is the second time he’s played less than 10 minutes this season.
In the 23 games Lardis has played this season, he has played more thaan 15 minutes just three times. Is there actually a benefit to having Lardis up in the NHL if he isn’t going to be used? Another problem is the role Blashill has him in. Playing undersized offensive-minded forwards in a fourth-line role is insane to me.
On top of that, Andre Burakovsky just scored his first goal since Jan. 7, and it hasn’t been like he has been playing well. What is the long-term benefit of continually running Burakovsky out on Bedard’s wing? I understand you have to earn your ice time, but I’d love to see Blashill lean on Lardis and give him a run in the top six.
Trading away players like Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno shouldn’t mean Teuvo Teravainen has more on his plate. It should open up roles for the youth.
Winning Doesn’t Matter Right Now
Something you often hear from people inside the game when asked about the lineup decisions and playing veterans at this time of the season is that coaches are coaching for their job. I get that, but I am begging general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson to tell Blashill to give the young players a shot regardless of the results.
Heading into the season, this was not a playoff-ready roster, which is out of Blashill’s control, and that is why they are at this point.
The Blackhawks obviously want to create some semblance of a winning culture soon, but this isn’t the season where it will be cemented. One positive to come out of this season, regardless of the results, is that I feel the vibes have been better.
Granted, I’m not around the room to know the dynamic as well as my The Hockey Writers colleagues, Brooke Lofurno and Gail Kauchak, who are in the room often talking to the players. However, last season Bedard looked very discouraged, and it felt like nobody was having a good time. That’s where it gets dangerous for a young team.
I’m not sure if it’s the progression of the younger guys using their experience from last season or just having some new faces who haven’t gone through it, but it looks like they’re enjoying themselves more out there.
Another thing that I’ve liked is how quick everyone has been to jump in and defend teammates. Blashill is partially responsible for that. It is so easy to lose the dressing room in seasons where you have rough results, but I rarely watch this Blackhawks team and think the effort wasn’t there.
The Blackhawks Are a Team to Watch This Offseason
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he heard that the Blackhawks will be a team to watch to make some additions this offseason.
If they truly are trying to make big additions to the roster, they need to have a better idea of what they have in their young players. Davidson has recently said on a podcast that he doesn’t want to block the development paths of the guys who are currently on the team or still playing in Europe.
So how do Davidson’s plans for the summer and outlook on the team actually affect the way Blashill should coach?
When teams are on the way up, coaches and GMs need to be on the same wavelength and of the same mindset for what is best for the team. So if Davidson wants to add, but is also afraid of blocking development paths, how does he know who to target if he doesn’t really know what he has next season in players like Lardis?
These last 18 games need to be a chance to see what the Blackhawks might have next year in guys who aren’t veterans or Bedard. These games can also potentially change some offseason plans for the front office.
