Jeff Blashill has seemingly become the favorite to fill the vacant Chicago Blackhawks’ coaching position. The former Red Wings coach has been described as a “very serious contender”, especially thanks to his experience coaching young players, although critics point to his lack of wins as being a serious concern.
Little had been known about the search until a few days ago, when it emerged Blashill had met with general manager Kyle Davidson, although sources close to the matter have said that Blashill is not the only candidate currently under consideration. Some other top names have already been snapped up, however, and the candidate list is diminishing, along with the amount of time the Chicago team has to fill the vacancy.
The Blackhawks Prospects
The Blackhawks had a 2024/25 season to forget, ending with 61 points and a 25-46 record. Only the Sharks had a worse season. As a result of that, sportsbooks have ranked the Blackhawks as one of the rank outsiders for next season’s Stanley Cup.
They’ve been given odds of +50000 by crypto sportsbooks, which offer faster deposits and withdrawals than traditional sportsbooks and are used by bettors who live in areas with restricted betting. The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks are the only teams with worse odds, both of which have been priced at +100000.
Offseason Promise
The season may have been bleak, but heading into the offseason, there was some potential light cutting through that darkness. They will get a top-four draft and as much as $30 million in salary cap space.
Season Review
The Blackhawks started the season with a veteran team and with Luke Richardson in charge. However, come December, and just 26 games into the season, Richardson was fired and Anders Sorensen was handed the reins. At the same time, the team started to transition to a more youthful output.
The change did see some returns, and the improvement led to some calls for Sorensen to be given the role full time, although, in truth, the calls were somewhat muted. Before the season started, Davidson had said that the team needed to kick on and make steps forward from the disastrous 2023/24 season.
61 points was an improvement over that year’s 52 points, but it is fair to say that most people had expected greater improvement. Nobody really expected a playoff spot, but they likely expected to finish better than 31 out of 32 teams.
Youthful Transition
The young players did have an impact, especially towards the tail end of the season. The Hawks won four of their last six matches, with a record of 4-1-1. This uptick came directly as a result of players promoted from newly signed college players and youngsters promoted from the minors.
Ryan Donato had a career-best season, finishing with 31 goals, more than double his previous best of 15. Ilya Mikheyev also bagged a solid 20 goals, and Frank Nazar’s end-of-season performance showed positive signs for next year.
However, the team as a whole had the worst one-goal game record. And, while they didn’t particularly struggle in the first periods, having led in 28 games, they couldn’t hold on to these winning positions, ending with an 11-6-6 record. Some of that could be down to inexperienced players, but it’s an area that needs definite improvement.
The Draft And Free Agency
The Hawks will enjoy a strong draft position. They are guaranteed to secure no lower than the fourth pick. Depending on the lottery results, they could get first pick, but statistically are most likely to end with the second pick.
Defenseman Matthew Schaeffer is widely accepted as being the best pick, but other possible options include Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, Porter Martone, and Caleb Desnoyers. In terms of free agents, Donato’s 31 goals mean Chicago will likely want to bring him back. However, Donato has so far refused to sign a deal worth a reported $4m a year.
Outside their own roster, the Blackhawks may look to trade for somebody else’s restricted free agents. Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs looks like a good option, along with JJ Peterka and Marco Rossi.
Jeff Blashill
It seems highly likely that the Blackhawks will continue to transition next season, relying on young players to try and carry them higher in the standings. And, to that end, they will be looking for a coach with experience coaching young players. One name that has recently been closely associated with the role is that of Jeff Blashill.
Blashill seemingly wasn’t even in the conversation a few weeks ago, but with other contenders having been snapped up by the opposition and a decision seemingly not having gotten any closer, Davidson reportedly met with the former Red Wings coach recently.
Blashill was the Detroit Red Wings coach from 2015 to 2022. The Red Wings went through a similar transition during Blashill’s time that the Hawks are currently undergoing. They were considered a veteran team when he joined. In his first season, they reached the playoffs, where they were ultimately unsuccessful.
Before the second season, the team had lost 11 of its top 12 scorers, and they never made the playoffs again. After the 2021/22 season, Blashill was let go, and he has spent the last three seasons coaching at the Tampa Bay Lightning. As well as experience coaching the transitional Red Wings, Blashill has also coached in the USH, NCAA, and AHL.
Experience Coaching Young Players
Blashill has experience coaching youth and helping turn some young players into excellent senior picks. Dylan Larkin, Filip Hronek, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Raymond all progressed well under his tutelage, and that would be a required skill if Blashill did get the Blackhawks’ job.
Blashill has also fared well, both before and after his time at the Red Wings. He won the USHL Championship in 2009 and the AHL title in 2013. And, at Lightning, he has primarily coached defense and penalty kill. The team has ranked in the top six for penalty kill over the last two seasons.
So, while his performance of a single playoff appearance in six seasons with the Red Wings isn’t much to write home about, his experience certainly shouldn’t be written off as inconsequential, although it is unlikely to get fans too excited.
Other Contenders
The lack of news regarding a new head coach had led many fans to suspect that Sorensen would be announced as the permanent head coach this offseason. Some fans may welcome the move as Sorensen’s appointment did see improvement in the team’s performance, but most will welcome a new face.
And, while Blashill currently looks to be the favorite to take up the position, his isn’t the only name on the list. With the playoffs concluding soon, there will likely be some assistant coaches that may also become available, potentially further increasing the size of the candidate list.
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