Rebuilds are hard. A franchise has to be all-in because it can be a quick flip to success — or a dreadful path through obscurity.
The Florida Panthers hired general manager Bill Zito in 2020 to build a contender, and he decided to start almost from scratch. Trading for players such as Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart to add to captain Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers have become a modern dynasty, appearing in the last three Stanley Cup Finals and winning the last two.
They came into the United Center on Sunday and showed the Chicago Blackhawks the flair of an NHL champion. The Hawks aren’t close to that point yet, and it showed. The young team held its own until the third period, when Reinhart and company scored four unanswered goals for a 5-1 win.
Kyle Davidson officially became GM of the Hawks on March 1, 2022, (he was the interim GM for a few months prior) and started his own rebuild. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were out, and it was up to others to return the Hawks to hockey royalty.
The process is going at a slower pace than Florida’s rebuild. With that comes losses — a lot of them.
“I’m pretty understanding of that, but you look at some of the best teams in the league, there’s some cold streaks there as well,” Davidson told the Tribune on Sunday. “It’s hard to break out of trends, good or bad, but seems like you’re either on a winning streak or you’re on a losing streak.
“Up and down the organization, we have good respect on (the fact) that sometimes these things are going to occur, especially when you introduce a lot of youth. It’s just making sure that you stop it as quickly as you can and rebound and try and get over those.”
The Hawks have been streaky in the 2025-26 season, with multiple stretches of “the Hawks are nasty again” mixed in with some patches of “the season’s over.” It hasn’t been all bad, a leap forward in itself for Davidson’s team.
“We’re really integrating a lot of young players into our lineup. They’re getting great experience,” Davidson said. “The most important thing is we’ve got young guys that are coming up, that are ready to play, and they’re learning how to be everyday contributors.”
At 21-23-9 through Tuesday, the Hawks sit just six points out of a playoff spot. They’re playing important games in late January, the first time Hawks fans have been able to say that in several years.
Coach Jeff Blashill said after a 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 19 that if his team wants to reach the postseason, “this is the way we have to do it,” referring to winning scrappy games like that one against Toews’ new team. It was the first time Blashill had made reference to the playoffs since his hiring in May, and Davidson is thinking the same way.
“The one good thing is that we’re playing meaningful games deeper into the season,” Davidson said. “That’s really important for everyone to keep pushing forward late into the year, and we’re certainly doing that. Rather than playing spoiler on someone else’s season, we can try and keep making ours positive.”
Blashill is upfront with his criticism of his players at times, but he also has been a supportive figure in the locker room through the tough times. He has made it clear how much he loves coaching this group and enjoys helping his players grow.
Davidson appreciates Blashill’s approach of criticism and growth. The two share a patient outlook, willing to go through the process.
“He’s someone that understands how you have to win in this league,” Davidson said, “but also understands where we are as an organization in our trajectory, in that we’re going to be building through the young players. He’s got perspective on both our path, but also how teams are successful in this league and how to get our players to get there.”
Speaking of young players, the Hawks have a long line of them. Prospects such as Anton Frondell, Marek Vanacker and Mason West are producing highlights for their junior and international teams, while the Hawks have 16 picks over the next two drafts.
It’s trade season in the NHL with the Feb. 6-24 Olympic break coming before the March 6 deadline. How active the Hawks will be is up in the air, but it sounds as if the goal is to give their future talent room to strive.
“The one thing for us, we’re going to keep giving young players opportunity, and that’s something that we’re committed to,” Davidson said. “I’m really excited about what our prospects are doing. They all seem to be either meeting or exceeding expectations.”
When that talent arrives, the Hawks could quickly lock the players up with a contract like they did with Frank Nazar last offseason. That would depend on the player, though.
“It’s probably more of a situational thing,” Davidson said. “It was something that we saw with Frank, where he ended the season so strongly. It was just something that we felt was advantageous to us long term and didn’t mean that something wouldn’t get done.”
With more new players coming, the Hawks want the younger core to build the team’s identity. But what exactly does Davidson want that to look like?
“It’s hard enough in the draft to find players that are just playing in the NHL, let alone play a very specific way,” Davidson said. “At the core of it, in the draft anyway, you’re always looking for players that are going to get to the NHL and be contributors.
“A player that works hard, but also a person and a professional that’s always trying to look to get better and improve themselves and improve the team through that. That’s how we go down the line on player acquisition stuff.”
Connor Bedard is showing those traits while blossoming into a superstar. The 2023 No. 1 pick has 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 39 games this season while wearing an alternate captain’s patch for the first time.
He’ll likely have the “C” on his Hawks sweater sooner than later. Davidson has been impressed by how Bedard has handled the pressure of stardom, as well as the disappointment of being left off Canada’s Olympic team.
“He’s really stepping up, maybe not necessarily a traditional vocal leadership, but a lead-by-example guy,” Davidson said. “I think that rubs off on on the rest of the team.
“As far as how he handled not making Team Canada out of the gate, it was very impressive. He’s someone that puts the ownership on himself. He doesn’t look to other people to for reasons why.”
The Hawks could be in an even better position had Bedard and Nazar not missed time because of injuries. Still, through 52 games, Davidson believes this season is a step in the correct direction.
“I don’t think there’s anything really that we’re missing or disappointed (with),” he said. “It’s all part of the process. We have taken a nice step this year, all in service to the long-term plan.”