Kyle Davidson’s extension speaks volumes about Blackhawks still trusting his rebuild process

Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz expressed optimism Wednesday for where the team is heading. He spoke of future success, including future Stanley Cups. But Wirtz was also careful not to place a timetable on that expected success.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson will speak Thursday. You can bet he also won’t staple any sort of timeline to the rebuild. He learned that lesson the hard way two years ago and has since pulled back from stating defined goals.

For a fan base that watched another season end after 82 games Wednesday and has been waiting since 2017 to witness another Stanley Cup playoff game at the United Center, the uncertain length of the Blackhawks’ rebuild has been at times frustrating. With each season, patience has worn thinner. After finishing 30th, 31st, 31st and 31st in the NHL standings over the past four consecutive seasons, the Blackhawks have asked a lot of their fans to trust the process while the on-ice results haven’t changed all that much. To be fair, the 20,397 fans who paid to attend Wednesday’s game, cheering in the final minute of a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks as if it were a playoff game, and the nearly 19,000 fans who on average came to the United Center this season have kept the Blackhawks’ business rolling just fine despite their place in the standings.

Which brings us to Wirtz’s announcement Wednesday that he signed Davidson to a multiyear contract extension. The timing and message were clear, even if the timeline remained vague: Wirtz and the organization still firmly stand behind Davidson. Around the league, there had been gossip about Davidson’s seat potentially growing warmer. For Wirtz to come out on the final day of the regular season and not only express a vote of confidence but also do so in the form of a new contract squashed that outside perception and reaffirmed his belief in Davidson and his plan.

“We’re really, really happy with the progress we’re making,” Wirtz said of why he extended Davidson, “and all the work we still need to get done. We want to continue to build the way we’re building and continue to execute on his plan and his vision.”

Wirtz continued, further explaining why he still believes in Davidson’s plan. For one, he noted the prospect pipeline Davidson has built over the past four years, with 11 first-round picks and 25 selections in the first three rounds. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked the Blackhawks’ pipeline as the league’s best, and those individual rankings didn’t include many of Davidson’s picks who have already graduated to the NHL. Wirtz also spoke about this season’s team being more competitive and in more games. He also touched on the culture he believes the young players are creating among themselves, especially after the trade deadline, when a number of team leaders were dealt.

Something Wirtz said on CHSN before Wednesday’s game especially stood out.

“We didn’t hire Kyle to be the prospect GM,” Wirtz said. “He’s building a championship-caliber team. It goes to the point we’ve extended Kyle’s contract. We are committing to Kyle to continue the plan he’s put in place. We feel confident in that. We believe he has the right insight, the right team around him and the belief he can continue to build a championship team.”

Wirtz later said to the media, “Our intention is to be competing and winning Stanley Cups, but we can’t race to that conclusion until we do all these right things.”

It’s important for Wirtz to voice that goal, even if it is keeping the timeline open-ended. Because at some point, this rebuild will be judged on actual results and not simply progress and potential. And then, Davison will have either succeeded or been fired, with a new hire to pick up the pieces.

When will that be? Some fans may argue that the rebuild has taken long enough and that the Blackhawks should be ahead of where they are. Objectively, the Blackhawks should probably be next season what the Sharks were this season: vying for a playoff spot late in the campaign. Two seasons from now, the Blackhawks should be like the Anaheim Ducks: turning that corner and making the playoffs. Three seasons from now, they should be like the Buffalo Sabres or Montreal Canadiens: taking an even bigger step and leaving open the possibility that anything can happen in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill knows how far his team is from each of those levels. It’s going to take time. For him, it’s vital to know Wirtz is giving it to him and Davidson.

“I think it’s important to be on the same page with coaching staff, management, ownership,” Blashill said after Wednesday’s game. “One of the reasons the job was so appealing to me was the fact I thought I was on the same page with what their vision was, both management and ownership. That remains today. If it was about a quick fix, this wouldn’t be the most appealing job. This job was very appealing to me because it was about the belief of how to build a championship-level team.

“I think we’ve been able to stay steady on the rudder through ups and downs. Kyle’s very, very calm, very calculated, very, very wise, very intelligent, and he doesn’t overreact one way or the other. I think that’s a huge thing as you kind of guide this type of ship through what can be choppy waters as you’re going through a rebuild. They’re never easy. But at some point, you reap the benefits of it. As I said when I took the job, I thought our player pool is excellent. I still believe that. And let’s go and continue to grow as a group.”

Internal growth will be important to that. Blashill said his players need to have an “elite” offseason. That applies to everyone Davidson has drafted and brought along to the NHL. Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Artyom Levshunov, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore and the many other under-25 players the Blackhawks had on their roster to end the season need to be at another level come next season.

Davidson’s offseason management will also continue to set the course for the future. He has a contract extension to negotiate with Bedard. He has another top-four draft pick to make. Adding draft prospects Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg to the forward pool could do wonders. He could also sign or trade for a forward. Would Alex Tuch be interested if he hits the markets? Will Jason Robertson, Robert Thomas, Matthew Knies or any other player in their prime be available for trade? Davidson probably has to add a veteran defenseman, considering how inconsistent the young defensemen were after the deadline.

Like everything else, Wirtz will allow Davidson to determine all that.

“Look, I don’t think our plan has always been exclusively to build from within,” Wirtz said. “We think that the core of this team needs to be homegrown talent through the draft. That’s how we were successful in the past. And when the opportunity arises and we have the opportunity to add to our team and become better, there’s nothing holding Kyle back, that’s for sure. It’s not coming from me. So, he’s got the reins to make those decisions when he thinks the time is right and when the opportunities arise. We can’t always make opportunities out of thin air. (It’s) a combination of continuing to build from within and adding the right ingredients when the time comes.”

Bedard, who will have the choice to commit long-term to the Blackhawks in his second contract, was happy to hear Davidson had been extended.

“I mean, I heard maybe 30 seconds ago, but no, it’s great,” Bedard said. “He’s doing a great job. You see the talent we’ve collected the past few years, and he’s a great guy. He’s very easy to talk to. Me and him have a good relationship, and he has a good relationship with all of our players. That’s important, and he’s a very smart hockey mind. I think it’s exciting when you can keep growing with the same group of people. To see that, it’s exciting for them.”

The Blackhawks were able to end the season on a positive note with Wednesday’s win. Everyone was in a good mood. But that doesn’t change an up-and-down season and the disappointment of a rough final 21 games after the deadline. Blashill said he doesn’t want to be in the same place next season. Wirtz said a similar finish wouldn’t feel like progress.

The players especially don’t want another season like this one. It might come down to their accountability and drive that accelerates them quicker. Spencer Knight, who has been seen as the organization’s No. 1 goalie for years to come, didn’t hold back recently on his expectations for the future. He has an exact timeline for when he expects the Blackhawks to be better: Next season.

“We’re young, right?” Knight said. “I mean, I feel like we’ve been saying that a lot lately. And we are young, but I don’t think that’s an excuse anymore. … We’re not going to lose to a lack of work ethic.

“Obviously, you’re not going to have your game every night, but we have to find ways to battle and win in different ways, and we’re going to be an unselfish group that knows how to play in all situations, and we are not going to have that excuse anymore. I’m not going to let that happen. I know that … leadership here is not going to let it happen. We are not gonna have those stupid excuses of just being young and learning experiences and just learning the NHL, because that’s how the NHL is. Every team has promising prospects and players and, you know, screw that — let’s just be good now.”

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