NEWSLETTER
Sunday was the Blackhawks’ 39th game of the regular season. And that means this Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken will be their official half-way mark in the 2022-23 regular season. Some teams have already reached and passed their 41st game of the year, so it’s a great time to dust off the old Bad for Bedard Circle of Trust and look at which teams are doing the best job of doing the worst job this season.
As a reminder of what we’re all chasing here, Connor Bedard just blew the world away at the World Juniors and broke just about every record possible. But when you back away and look at what’s he’s been able to do in junior and his multiple WJC golds in the past six months, he’s the definition of a “generational talent.”
When the season began, I really thought the Blackhawks would hang around the 3-6 spot before the trade deadline and then “make up” the losses after a series of defections. Well, injuries have taken a toll and the team’s offense has been worse than even the most pessimistic fans likely thought. So the Blackhawks are looking up at all 31 other teams in the standings.
Here are the teams who are circling the Blackhawks for the bottom of the barrel right now, with their point percentages and records in their last ten games:
32. BLACKHAWKS — .308 — 3-7-0
31. Columbus Blue Jackets — .333 — 2-8-0
30. Anaheim Ducks — .341 — 4-5-1
29. San Jose Sharks — .390 — 2-5-3
28. Arizona Coyotes — .397 — 3-6-1
So here’s where my mind goes looking at this list: the good news is only Arizona is in the Blackhawks’ division. The bad news is three of the next four teams in line are in the Western Conference.
Here’s the next concern: Montreal is bad (.438 win pct, 2-7-1 in their last 10) so they would be right behind Arizona in the lottery balls. But they are one of the two other teams that own multiple first-round picks in 2023 (the Rangers are the other). The Canadiens’ second pick in the first round comes from the Florida Panthers, who are presently not in the playoffs. So the Habs could technically have two shots at the prize if the Panthers stay bad. And the pick is not protected in 2023, so if it’s in the top ten it still transfers.
