For a team that finished as the second-worst in the entire NHL last season, the Blackhawks have spent the summer as one of the most hyped-up franchises in the league. A slew of free agent additions, a successful draft and a shrewd trade by GM Kyle Davidson and his front office gave Chicago fans plenty to get excited about, with whispers of the playoffs and an almost certainly improved finish running rampant.
A new edition of an annual survey from the Athletic revealed that that excitement has translated into a higher approval rating for Davidson and his staff. The survey polled both the public and the fan base to determine confidence in each team’s front office.
The Blackhawks ranked 12th in the NHL in confidence, an improvement from 15th a year ago. Their highest rank for the public was in the “draft and develop” category, while the fan base was most confident in the “free agency” and “vision” categories. Additionally, 61 percent of the fan base said they were more confident than they were a year ago while only 7 percent said the opposite. The bump up in overall rank is the franchise’s second in a row, as it was brought up from 30th in the league in 2022.
The survey is conducted after the draft every year, so it makes sense that the Blackhawks saw a huge jump last summer. It was only a short while after the team had drafted Connor Bedard first overall, and emotions were running high in Chicago. It’s a fair assessment, especially given the shameless tank job that was executed perfectly to get them to that point. The analysts at the time were skeptical about the results, arguing that the Blackhawks hadn’t yet built around him, which became evident throughout much of the abysmal 2023-24 season.
This summer, however, the same case can’t be made, and the writers struck a much more positive tone regarding their No. 12 ranking. Fans saw Davidson make a series of savvy moves in free agency, picking up players like Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Laurent Brossoit, and others. The public gave the Blackhawks a “free agency” grade that ranked 14th in the league, which I felt was a bit low considering the sheer quantity of talent they brought in and a relatively effective use of their large amount of cap space. Overall, the consensus among fans seemed to be that Davidson has yet to do anything to make them even scratch their heads, much less diminish their trust in him.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the survey was that it came after what was (let’s face it) a much less jubilant draft. The consensus on social media leading up to the draft was that Chicago should opt for Ivan Demidov at No. 2 overall to pair with Bedard, but the Blackhawks obviously went with defenseman Artyom Levshunov instead. I was curious to see how big of an impact that decision might have in the team’s grades among both fans and the public, but it appears the survey subjects trusted Davidson’s decision. Bringing in five new forwards to join Bedard likely didn’t hurt, either.
While the Blackhawks still have plenty to prove on the ice, a series of shrewd moves by Davidson has fan confidence on the rise. With so much confidence in the team’s ability to draft and develop talent, as well as in its long-term vision, it appears fans certainly believe Chicago is set up for success for years to come.
