At the halfway point, Blackhawks an average team with potential

Two steps forward.

Two or three steps back.

That pretty much sums up how the season - now halfway over - has transpired for the Blackhawks. Every time you think Jeremy Colliton's squad might start making some noise, they come crashing back to earth. Every time you think it's time to write them off, Jonathan Toews and Co. will do something like win back-to-back games in Winnipeg and Colorado.

There are no easy answers as to why this keeps happening, a fact general manager Stan Bowman knows all too well.

"When we put it all together we can be a pretty good team - a competitive team, can beat good teams," Bowman said Dec. 23. "We haven't done that often enough, obviously, and that's why we are where we are."

Which is in last place in the Central Division prior to Thursday's games. There are serious signs of life, though, as the Hawks have won six of eight. Grade this team at the halfway point and you'd probably give them a C.

As for the players, let's take a look:

Forwards

Patrick Kane: A-

It's been another impressive campaign for the future Hall of Famer. He's on pace for 44 goals and 102 points and continues to be the focus of every opponent that faces the Hawks.

On a team that keeps getting gashed defensively, though, he could do a better job thwarting odd-man rushes and prime chances in the Hawks' defensive zone.

Dominik Kubalik: A-

The 24-year-old rookie might score 25 goals despite being underutilized much of the first half. It was probably smart of the coaching staff to ease him into the NHL in a third-line role, but by Game 10, it should have become apparent Kubalik belonged in the top six. With his powerful shot, it's strange he's not on the top power-play unit.

Dylan Strome: B

After a slow start in which he recorded points in just four of the first 14 games, Strome has turned it on by notching 6 goals and dishing out 16 assists in his last 23 contests. If he keeps it up, it will greatly increase the odds of the Hawks making a playoff run.

Brandon Saad: B-

Some may wonder why this grade isn't higher. Simple: For as good as Saad's been - and that's very good - he should have finished off more prime scoring chances. He has 11 goals in 36 games, but that total should be about five more.

Ryan Carpenter: B-

Carpenter's been everything the Hawks hoped he'd be when they inked him to a three-year, $3 million deal in the off-season. He's been fantastic on the penalty kill (where the Hawks ranked 10th through Tuesday), he's been tough in the corners, he's flipped the ice nicely at times and is even making contributions in a top-six role while Brandon Saad recovers from an ankle injury.

Zack Smith: C+

What a pro. Not every 31-year-old veteran would remain quiet and stay positive while getting healthy scratched seven times in a 14-game stretch. But Smith did, and has done a solid job on the fourth line and the penalty kill since entering the lineup for good Nov. 7.

Jonathan Toews: C

I'm guessing the captain would agree with this mark - and maybe even be tougher on himself than this. Toews has picked things up lately (5 goals and 9 assists in the last 14 games), but his slow start offensively (3 even-strength goals after 27 games) was a big reason for the Hawks' bumpy start.

Kirby Dach: C

The No. 3 overall pick of June's draft is looking more and more comfortable every time he steps on the ice. He's an impressive skater for his size, he sees the ice well and understands the importance of establishing a net-front presence. When he adds muscle, he figures to be a real headache for opposing defenses every night.

David Kampf: C

A 10-goal season, which is what Kampf is on pace for, would be decent production out of a third-line center. It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop.

Alex DeBrincat: C-

DeBrincat's primary job is to score at least 30 goals a season, and more like 35-40. He's on pace for 20 and was fighting the puck a lot early on. Give him credit for becoming a better overall player, however. DeBrincat's become one of the best passers on the team and continues to possess impressive ice awareness.

Alex Nylander: D

The 21-year-old rookie has been given every chance to succeed, but he's done very little offensively and isn't always sure where to be without the puck. He's probably better off in a reduced role for awhile.

Defensemen

Calvin de Haan: B+

The loss of de Haan to a shoulder injury hurts. He was a big part of the penalty kill and the Hawks outscored opponents 19-11 during 5-on-5 play with de Haan on the ice. He helped keep opponents' high-danger chances in check better.

Connor Murphy: B

Murphy's done a bit of everything. He'll block shots, get the Hawks out of trouble, win his share of battles and stick up for teammates when they've being roughed up. The key for Murphy is to stay healthy after missing 42 games to injury the last 18 months.

Duncan Keith: C+

Keith's a modern-day miracle. He has an incredible work ethic and a will to win. At 36 maybe he shouldn't be defending top-line forwards but he's done a decent job most nights. His offense (1G, 8A) needs to pick up a bit to give the Hawks a better chance of making a push.

Dennis Gilbert: C

Gilbert's grade could be higher, but opponents have had 59 high-danger chances with him on the ice compared to just 32 for the Hawks. There's no doubt the 23-year-old is providing energy and getting better every game, but he's also still learning how to defend at the highest level.

Erik Gustafsson: C-

Gustafsson probably deserved an F for the first 16 games as the Hawks' most talented offensive D-man had no goals and 4 assists. Since then Gustafsson has picked up the pace (5G, 7A) nicely. His defense, however, remains an issue, especially against top-six forwards.

Olli Maatta: D+

Maatta's Corsi-for (46), scoring chances-for percentage (43.44) and high-danger chance-for percentage (41.4) rank in the bottom half of all Hawks players with at least 200 minutes of ice time. Those numbers aren't nearly good enough for a $4 million defenseman.

Brent Seabrook: D

Not much went right for Seabrook, who is out for the remainder of the season. He will look to bounce back next season if his body cooperates.

Goalies

Robin Lehner: A

Despite facing a whopping 36.88 shots on goal and 9.06 high-danger shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 play, Lehner has a 12-6-4 record and a .926 save percentage. He's perhaps the biggest reason the Hawks have a chance of making the playoffs.

Corey Crawford: B-

No goalie faces more high-danger chances than Crawford (11.06 per 60 minutes). He has turned away 86 percent of those shots, fourth-best in the league. That's the good news. The bad news is Crawford's had a rough run of late, going 1-6-0 with an .877 save percentage in his last eight games. Because of how Lehner's playing, Crawford might be on the bench more often in the coming weeks.