The Chicago Blackhawks’ coaching future is a lot like their prospect future. The Blackhawks like who they have in place, but time will tell if they’re the perfect fit.
Luke Richardson fit what the Blackhawks needed in a lot of ways over his first two seasons as head coach. He’s remained calm and positive in what’s often been a chaotic and losing environment. He’s worked closely with and given young players plenty of ice time. He’s kept himself and others accountable, too. He’s also promoted the organization’s plan and been firm in his belief of what they’re building.
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But through it all, the question has remained: Can he coach a winning team? That question would probably be asked of anyone, especially a first-time NHL coach, directing the Blackhawks over the past few years. Considering what their roster has looked like, it’d be hard to argue any coach would have finished much better than Richardson’s 49-102-13 overall record.
But now, that should change. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has upgraded the roster with an abundance of moves this offseason. The Blackhawks’ top six should be better. Their worst players should be improved. They have more defenseman depth. They have two reliable goalies. They have more depth at every position. They’ll likely rely more on veterans and less on young players this coming season.
Richardson would have probably liked for those improvements to come soon but he knew what he was signing up for in a rebuild. The first year was about tanking. The second year was supposed to be better, but it got derailed due to injuries. But just like the past two offseasons, this one was out of Richardson’s control. His job is to work with what he’s given. And finally, for next season, Davidson has given him more.
“I think management, that’s their job is to find the best-suited players for us,” Richardson said last week. “I think the key is, we’ve had our exit meetings at the end of the year, they expressed where we wanted to go, the organization, and (are) excited to start trying to move this organization forward now. It was a tough two years at times, but there were times we saw some really good signs. So now take those small signs and put some execution around them to make sure we can start moving forward.”
Execution falls on Richardson’s purview. With all the offseason moves, Richardson should have a team to coach that is closer to executing at a more consistent NHL level. Realistic expectations probably aren’t anywhere near the Stanley Cup playoffs yet, but the Blackhawks have the makings of a competitive and more reliable team. They shouldn’t endure the same long slides of the past two years. Richardson shouldn’t have to coach up the players every night in hopes they overcome their deficiencies to play against superior teams.
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Now, Richardson can be judged as a coach on a more equal ground. He’ll have four lines where how he’s matching up can be better assessed. He’ll have three stable defense pairings where he doesn’t have to worry so much about exposing the wrong ones for too long. How he divides the ice time within a deeper team can also be evaluated. Player development isn’t necessarily his job, but this season should provide a better gauge of how young players are coming along under him and whether he can tap into the added veterans to better assist players like Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski and Lukas Reichel.
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To go with that, this will be an opportunity for Richardson to show whether he can identify what players fit best together. Who should play with Bedard in five-on-five? What about the power play? The latter is going to be an area the Blackhawks probably have to excel in at some point. Between injuries and players underperforming, Richardson didn’t have a ton of offensive talent last year, so he tried a lot of everything. Finding logical combinations shouldn’t be as challenging this season. Davidson sought to bring in players who fit into more specific roles.
Of course, even with a better team on paper, Richardson still wants to carry over what he’s tried to build the first two seasons around culture and work ethic and improve on it.
“I think the identity of our team has to be a work-ethic team,” Richardson said. “With the excitement that this building always brings here in Chicago, we want to match that and take that and play like that. We have at times, the last two years since I’ve been here, but not consistently enough. That’s where we have to help the group that’s on the ice achieve that. I don’t know about identity, that’s not a word I’d probably use every day but it’s something that’s got to be instilled in us that we don’t even have to say that word. It’s just there. That’s where we want to grow to.”
Richardson tried to find a perfect balance between pushing and supporting a group that was often inexperienced and depleted due to injuries. Late in the season, players expressed a desire to be pushed harder in practice, and Richardson put them through some more physical practices. It might be something Richardson does more of this season.
After last season, Davidson spoke highly again of Richardson and thought he did a good job of juggling the development and integration of so many young players into an NHL lineup. But he was also questioned about how he would better assess Richardson going forward.
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“I think that’s something we’re going to have to think through more thoroughly to assess what those benchmarks, as you call them, are, and how that will be evaluated,” Davidson said in April. “I think that’s an offseason discussion and process that we’ll have to run. We also have to see what kind of team we enter camp with as well. I think that goes without saying. Just better execution will be an expectation, better execution in our systems, the accountability within the group when something goes awry, are definitely things we’ll keep an eye out for. How do you measure that? It’s probably more just being around and assessing day-to-day.”
Being around more will be the first step toward Davidson and his management staff better evaluating Richardson. So much of their time the last two seasons was spent being best prepared for the NHL Draft and seeing as many prospects in person as possible. The draft will still be important next season, but it isn’t expected to pull Davidson and company away as often. Davidson hasn’t shown any signs of wavering in his confidence in Richardson over the first two seasons. Davidson did admit this season should give Richardson a fairer opportunity to show what he’s capable of.
“I believe so, Davidson said. “The record and the losing has obviously been tough on everyone, but I also don’t necessarily know if it’s given a true glimpse into what Luke is as a coach, outside of we know he can get guys to show up and compete. That’s a huge part of the job.
“Hopefully, with a little bit of a stronger roster coming into camp this year, (it) will allow him to take hold and instill some execution aspects of the game that will be necessary for us to take a step forward this year. It’s a great opportunity for him, a great opportunity for the staff to grab hold of an enhanced group that he can really show what he can do.”
There may be some pressure for Richardson to show that, too. While he did receive a four-year contract from the Blackhawks when he was hired in 2022, the first three years were guaranteed and the fourth year was designated a club option.
Davidson could always hand Richardson that fourth season regardless of how this upcoming season goes. But whether it’s after three or four seasons, Davidson will have to decide at some point if Richardson is his long-term coach, the one to guide the Blackhawks into the next phase of the rebuild as they begin to aim again for a winning record, the playoffs and beyond.
(Top photo of Luke Richardson behind the Blackhawks bench: Sergei Belski / USA Today)
