The Chicago Blackhawks dismissed head coach Luke Richardson on Thursday night after yet another poor start that has left them at the bottom of the NHL standings.
On Friday, general manager Kyle Davidson addressed the media regarding the coaching change, potentially placing his own job at risk. His comments effectively redirected criticism away from Richardson and towards himself if the team fails to improve quickly. Davidson justified the coaching switch by stating that manageable goals were not being achieved and that many issues could be corrected with a different coaching approach.
There may be merit to his view; perhaps Richardson wasn’t the right fit, and interim head coach Anders Sorensen will be able to address some of the team’s shortcomings.
For Davidson’s sake, he needs this change to work, as he has publicly blamed the former coach for the team’s problems. If results don’t improve, the blame will inevitably fall on him, as he is the one who constructed the roster.
Davidson began his role as general manager early in the 2021-22 season after Stan Bowman resigned following the Kyle Beach scandal. Although he was new to the GM position, he had been part of the Blackhawks organization and worked closely with Bowman in shaping the roster, managing the salary cap, and initiating the team’s rebuild. His influence is evident throughout the current lineup.
Unfortunately, the roster is lacking in talent.
While the team has a promising young player in Connor Bedard, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, he is facing challenges as a 19-year-old on a struggling team. There are a few other bright spots, like defenseman Alex Vlasic and forward Lukas Reichel, but not enough to make a significant impact.
Much of the team consists of mid-tier veterans whose roles seem aimed at either trade value or providing temporary support to a rebuilding squad, which has not succeeded — nor has it been close to succeeding.
The Blackhawks are on track for their fifth consecutive season without making the playoffs and their seventh in the last eight years. Their only playoff appearance during this stretch was in the 2019-20 season, when they entered as the 24th ranked team in the league. They have spent nearly a decade among the worst teams in hockey, with no immediate hope for change.
In the short term, Davidson believes that a new coach and fresh perspective could spark improvement. While it may lead to a few wins initially and inject some energy into a stagnant roster, the underlying issue remains clear: a lack of talent.
By shifting the blame to the coach, Davidson is likely to draw more scrutiny on himself if the new coach fails to deliver the anticipated results, which may well be the case.
