Blackhawks players set playoffs as 2027 goal, but Kyle Davidson knows that'll require enormous leap

Blackhawks players set playoffs as 2027 goal, but Kyle Davidson knows that'll require enormous leap

The Hawks would likely need to improve by 20-plus points next season to squeak into the postseason, although optimism is valuable in itself.

Blackhawks players set playoffs as 2027 goal, but Kyle Davidson knows that’ll require enormous leap

Kyle Davidson has learned not to set specific expectations for specific seasons. Two years ago, the Blackhawks general manager made that mistake while looking ahead to 2024-25, declaring: “It’s time to take a step forward. Previous to this year, we finished third-last. This year, we finished second-last. That can’t happen again.” The Hawks, in fact, did finish second-last again. Then they finished second-last again in the just-concluded 2025-26 …