5 things to hope that happens for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023
By Todd Welter
The Chicago Blackhawks trade for Alexis Lafreniere.
Former general manager Stan Bowman loved trading for reclamation projects. He traded for Dylan Strome. Strome had his moments but he never was able to live up to his potential.
The problem with the reclamation projects was the Blackhawks were also trying to win.
Trying to reclaim someone’s career is better to do during a tank season. The Blackhawks are doing just that.
The player the Hawks should try to get is former No.1 overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere. There is speculation he could be available in a trade after he was a recent healthy scratch. The New York Rangers could be interested in making him part of a trade package for Patrick Kane.
Lafreniere has 17 points on the year. He has not scored a goal since December 7th. He still can create for others, especially at full strength.
He is good at helping his team keep the puck as he currently has a 53.5 CF% on the season. Lafreniere might need a bit more time to develop his talents. New York appears to be running out of patience. It might make sense for the Hawks to flip a legend for a prospect with loads of talent.
Davidson still needs to get more for Kane than Lafreniere. Still, getting a player with upside like Lafreniere could go a long way in helping the Blackhawks rebuild.
The Blackhawks play with the lead a little bit more.
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams defensively in the first five minutes of a period. If you are a betting person, laying some cash on the opponent scoring first is a wise choice.
The Hawks consistently start the game in a hole. They typically must battle back just to get it to even–if they even get to that point.
Winning is going to be few and far between this season. It would be nice if the Chicago Blackhawks could start the game with a lead more often.
It is already hard to watch these games. Watching the Hawks try to climb out of a deficit is even harder to watch.
The Hawks are not talented enough to win on most nights. It becomes even harder when they are down one or two scores in the game’s opening minutes.