It hasn’t been a good season for the Chicago Blackhawks.

With less than 20 wins on the season and a low standing in the Western Conference’s Central Division, the Blackhawks are plodding along. Though it’s an exciting time for Illinois sports fans as, starting March 5, they won’t have to register in-person for sports betting and platforms like BetMGM are providing offers like the BetMGM Illinois Bonus Code, the Blackhawks still haven’t upped their game.

Could next year be comeback time for the Blackhawks?

Injury situation may be better

One factor that can quickly derail a season: injuries.

The Blackhawks know that as well as anyone, and the team received tough injury news recently as forward Jujhar Khaira has been ruled out for the rest of the season following surgery on his lower back. It’s expected to take 10 to 12 weeks before he would be able to retake the ice.

This isn’t the first ailment Khaira has battled this season, either. He suffered a concussion in December and only played a handful of games after returning from the sidelines before dealing with the back issue.

The Blackhawks also have multiple other players, including Jonathan Toews, Riley Stillman and Tyler Johnson, expected to be out at least for the next few days. Injuries are a part of any season for any team, but for a Chicago squad whose chances at a successful campaign seem to dwindle more every day, they’re absolutely demoralizing.

The hope for the Blackhawks is that they won’t deal with similar injury issues next season. The time off will give Khaira, who could be a key player for Chicago, a chance for his body to fully recover from the recent ailments, and his teammates should get back to normal, too.

If Chicago can keep its best players healthy and active throughout its next campaign, there’s a good chance it can rebound from what’s been a disappointing 2021-22 season and have more success the next time around.

Have to stave off losing streaks

Using consistency to maintain momentum is a hallmark trait of any successful team, and the Blackhawks need to do a better job of that next season.

Losing streaks have damaged any hope Chicago had for its current campaign. As of Wednesday, the Blackhawks had lost their past three games and dropped four of their past five. That’s not a recipe for success.

Whether it’s due to coaching mistakes, lack of roster cohesiveness or any other reason, Chicago hasn’t been able to stave off losing streaks, and it’s kept the team from getting anywhere near the top of the standings as the season’s moved along.

Its latest loss was a 5-2 decision to the Florida Panthers, a game in which Chicago interim coach Derek King saw progress despite the lopsided outcome.

“I think we fared pretty good with the challenge. We hung in there with them,” King said, according to The Associated Press. “The third period, they came and they were like, ‘OK, enough with this.’ They started playing. But still, we were in it, we got back, we creeped back in. At least we kept it to the point where we could get our goalie out (for an extra attacker).”

There hasn’t been enough progress for the Blackhawks this season, though, to keep from losing multiple games in a row. They can’t repeat those woes if they hope to perform better next season.

Hire the right GM

As the players try to win on the ice, the Blackhawks front office is trying to figure itself out, too.

Chicago is in the process of hiring a new general manager, one who will lead a “next generation Hockey Operations department,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a January statement.

“We are looking to hire the best strategic mind who can build and develop a Hockey Operations leadership team that will be best in class across professional sports,” Wirtz said in the statement. “This new leader will create a team environment that brings the best experts together to guide decision-making on the future of the Blackhawks while ensuring they share in the overall organizational goals of consistently competing at a championship level. 

“And without question, he or she must be someone who exhibits our organizational values.”

Current interim GM Kyle Davidson is a candidate for the permanent job, Wirtz said, but he’ll have to prove to management that he can turn the team around from what he’s seen this season.

A proficient general manager can transform a franchise, affecting every level of the organization from the on-ice product to money stability and more, so this will be a major decision for Chicago. If the franchise hopes to get back to winning ways next year, hiring the right general manager will go a long way.