"Sooner is always better" – Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz stresses key aspect he prioritizes over playoff return timeline

There's not much positivity around the Chicago Blackhawks right now. With a 20-38-9 record, the Hawks have just 49 points and are second last in the league standings ahead of only the San Jose Sharks (45 points).

The losing takes a toll on everyone involved, but it's especially seemed to wear on young star Connor Bedard in his sophomore season. The 2023 first-overall draft pick's numbers dipped in 2024-25 and his frustration has begun to boil over.

He's taken 10-minute misconduct penalties in back-to-back contests for abuse of officials and getting into a late-game scrum. The Blackhawks lost the games 4-2 and 6-2, and Bedard was held pointless. The rebuild has yet to turn the corner in Chicago, and it's fair to wonder how much longer it could take.

Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers wrote a recent article for the Athletic where he interviewed owner Danny Wirtz. He asked Wirtz when he expects or hopes his team will take the next steps toward contending for the playoffs again. Wirtz said:

"Look, sooner is always better, for sure. But I even think just some of the steps we’ve made in the last two weeks, like if we’re starting to see these steps... I remember there was one year where we missed the playoffs by a couple of points.

"And I just remember that feeling of like, we’re just seeing this progress, we’re starting to see the young players contribute at a higher level, winning games differently than before, surprising in a few areas, and I think that’s just the stuff we have to start to see."

Wirtz continued:

"And I think that that’s coming and it’s starting to come in little ways this year, and I hope it continues next year. That’s really what it’s about. I think that’s what gets the fans excited. I just want to see that great improvement and start to see how these young players start to impact the game."

The Chicago Blackhawks are closing in on missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and for the seventh time in the last eight years.

Blackhawks need to land an elite player in the 2025 NHL draft

With another losing season comes the opportunity to select at the top of the upcoming NHL draft for the Chicago Blackhawks.

As the 31st-ranked team in the league standings, Chicago currently has a 13.5% chance at the first-overall pick, a 14.1% chance at second, and a 30.7% chance of landing third. The Hawks will certainly have their eyes on top prospects Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa and James Hagens.

It would make sense for general manager Kyle Davidson to focus on adding an elite talent up front to play with Connor Bedard. They've drafted several defensemen with their first-round pick in recent years including Artyom Levshunov (2nd overall), Kevin Korchinski (7th overall) and Sam Rinzel (25th overall).

The Blackhawks are back in action at home on Tuesday night against the Seattle Kraken. The puck drops at 8:30 p.m. EDT at United Center.