The Chicago Blackhawks improved in 2025-26, but a perfect storm sets them up for huge growth entering 2026-27.

Entering the 2025-26 NHL season, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson was adamant about his club taking a step forward after two very down seasons. Davidson had plenty of reason to expect growth in this season as well.

For starters, Connor Bedard entered his third season in the NHL, setting the stage for a huge improvement in his offensive play. In addition, Frank Nazar was entering the season with momentum from the end of the prior campaign, and full-time arrivals of Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and others were supposed to push things forward. It did, and yet… it didn’t?

The Improvement

Let’s lay it out here, the Blackhawks are statistically better in the NHL standings this season than they were last season. In 2024-25, the Hawks finished with a 25-46-11 record, good for 61 points. In 2025-26, the Blackhawks already have a 27-34-13 record, good for 67 points, with eight games to go. Whether fans want to admit it or not, they’re a better hockey team. Period.

Now, the improvement has not necessarily been linear over the course of the season. Early on, the Blackhawks were a playoff team, sitting firmly in a Wild Card spot as late as December 10, 2025. The team was humming, Bedard looked like an early lock for Team Canada at the Olympics, and a surprise season was in store. Then, the injury bug bit… hard… and seemingly detoured the team’s magical start.

Don’t get it wrong, Bedard still has a new career high in points despite the injury earlier in the season. Things aren’t all bad. However, regardless of that outcome, the team has still improved.

Story continues below.

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The NHL Landscape

In an unfortunate downfall for the Blackhawks, the organization finds grace ahead of a loaded 2026 NHL Draft. The Eastern Conference is on fire, with the conference’s worst team, the New York Rangers, ahead of the Blackhawks in the league standings.

As for the Western Conference, the Pacific Division is so bad (and frankly so is the Central aside from the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild) that everyone is right on top of one another. As a result, the Blackhawks are second-to-last in the West.

Naturally, ending any other season in the bottom two of the league signals failure. But, the Hawks improved greatly in 2025-26 and with some crazy luck in the standings, they’re in an incredible spot to improve.

The Odds

As of this writing, the Blackhawks have the second-best odds to land the top pick in the upcoming draft, with protection to fall no further than fourth overall. In a draft with names like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Keaton Verhoeff headlining the crop, the Blackhawks can add yet another cornerstone player to their group of young talent.

Think about it. Anton Frondell looks great early on, Nazar and Bedard are looking like the pillars that they’re expected to be, and incredible seasons from some important contributors have the Hawks positioned well moving forward. Add another game breaker and this ship is closer to righted than wrong.

Things are trending well. Frankly, the Blackhawks may have fallen into a perfect storm this season in the NHL standings.