The Chicago Blackhawks have this entire week off ahead of the NHL All-Star Game. They limped into the break with an ugly loss in Edmonton, but finished the month of January with a fairly decent, above-.500 record (7-6-0).
Every time the Blackhawks win a game at this point in the season, there are questions/comments/concerns that they are somehow ruining their chances of landing Connor Bedard. If the Blackhawks want to be assured of a top-three pick, they need to have the worst record in the league. That would, obviously also guarantee them the best odds of the top overall pick.
So, as they head to their full-week break at the end of an over-.500 month, how do the Blackhawks stack up in the race for the worst record in the NHL?
As a reminder: you should be paying attention to the team’s point percentage, not their total points. Teams have played different numbers of games, so the number that matters is their point percentage.
These are the eight teams in the NHL that currently have a point percentage under .500 for the season. As you can see, the Blackhawks (48) have played the fewest games on the list.
So entering Sunday’s action, the Blackhawks are second-to-last in the league at a .354 point percentage. Their 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games is the best among the bottom feeders, but it clearly hasn’t “ruined” their chances of being the worst in the league.
A few of these teams still have games this week.
- Monday: St. Louis at Winnipeg
- Tuesday: Washington at Columbus
- Tuesday: Ottawa at Montreal
If Columbus can sneak an upset of the Capitals on Tuesday night, that would make things very interesting. After all, the Blue Jackets went into Edmonton and pulled of a stunning overtime win against the Oilers this past week.