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Bowman likes what he sees from young players during recent stretch

Will the Blackhawks' playoff drought come to an end this season?

Of course, the Hawks' “drought” is all of two seasons. But in an era of sky-high expectations, that qualifies as a virtual desert for die-hard fans who expect postseason hockey every year Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are on the roster.

After another lurching, erratic, whiplash-like start, the Hawks have gained a bit of traction of late and might be able to make a playoff push similar to last season.

Coach Jeremy Colliton's squad is 7-4-0 in its last 11 games and just 6 points out of a wild-card spot in the insanely tight Western Conference.

General manager Stan Bowman, who answered questions on various topics Tuesday, is most pleased with how his younger players have responded in the wake of injuries to Andrew Shaw, Drake Caggiula, Brandon Saad, Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook.

“The biggest excitement is just the fact that even though we've had five veterans out of the lineup, we've had some young players step up,” Bowman said.

To wit:

• Kirby Dach has taken on a bigger role and is far more confident than just a few weeks ago.

• Adam Boqvist has made great strides since being paired with Duncan Keith.

• Call-ups Dylan Sikura, Matthew Highmore, John Quenneville and Dennis Gilbert are playing their games and seem less worried about making mistakes.

It's all added up to more victories and a slow but steady move up the standings.

“That's really the biggest way our team's going to improve is for those players to continue to progress ... and help the veterans,” Bowman said. “The veterans know what it takes to get into the playoff and make a push because they've done it before. The young guys don't, but if they keep on their path forward, I think it bodes well for the team.”

When Seabrook and de Haan went on long-term injured reserve, there was talk of the Hawks using their newfound cap space to ask playoff-bound teams if they wanted to unload unrestricted free agents on bad contracts. That would help cap-strapped teams acquire better players, while allowing the Hawks to load up on draft picks and/or prospects.

But what if the victories continue to pile up? Would the Hawks actually go into Buying Mode?

Bowman wouldn't give away which direction he might be leaning, which is understandable with the trade deadline 5½ weeks away. He also added that just because the Hawks didn't qualify in 2018 or '19, he doesn't feel any pressure to acquire a rental player or two just to make a push.

“We're not focused on past years,” he said. “We're looking at this year where we are right now. We've had a pretty good stretch recently. We've got to continue to do that. If we're able to build on the way we've played the last few weeks we'll put ourselves in a nice spot over the next month.

“The goal is to put ourselves in a good position between now and (the Feb. 24 trade deadline) and then evaluate what options we have to improve our team. So it's a little premature to say what our moves are going to be down the road.

“The focus right now is to just stay in the present and look where we are and build on these next few games and keep going.”

Blackhawks center Kirby Dach is playing more confidently of late, which has led to solid play in his rookie year, general manager Stan Bowman said Tuesday. Associated Press
Blackhawks rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist has made great strides since being paired with Duncan Keith. Associated Press
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