Blackhawk’s GM Kyle Davidson still optimistic about the reconstruction: “That takes time”

Chicago – Kyle Davidson hears you. He knows that Blackhawks fans want to see a winning team again. He does it too.

However, Davidson will not sacrifice his long -term plan for short -term results. Although this plan did not go as well in the NHL this season, it is still quite confident that the Blackhawks are successful on course in order to be successful.

“This is the process we carry out, isn’t it?” Davidson said Monday morning. “When we set off some time ago to rebuild this thing, we had to build the draft, we had to find our new core, and that takes time. The players have to grow, they have to mature, they have to develop. We are in this process and see these steps. It may not have led to more victories in the NHL level this year, but we see that this is happening here below the surface.

“That takes time. We knew it would take time. There is nothing going on in our Prospect Group or the development of our young players that makes me worried. Of course you go to the NHL ice rink, you go to the United Center, see on TV and you want the team to win. I also feel that way. Player, coach, everyone feels like that. Nevertheless, we are here in a reconstruction and it will be on the back of our young players and prospects. “

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Davidson repeated several times during his media meeting that he stays safe where the Blackhawks are going.

“Did I expect us to be better than the second last? I did it, I did it, ”said Davidson. “But that doesn’t mean that I am concerned about the overall picture, about the larger process that is in the game here in relation to where we are going and how well this group and this young group can come. That hasn’t changed at all. I am probably more optimistic after seeing the years in which our young players have throughout the organization. I am probably more optimistic now than in summer. “

Davidson touched several topics during his 30-minute media meeting. Here are some of the highlights.

• In the blockbuster trade on Friday there was a lot of dissection of the part of the Blackhawks. Davidson played her role and the idea that he could have got more of it. Chicago sent Taylor Hall to Carolina, won his draft pick of the third round in 2025 and retains 50 percent of Mikko Rantannen’s salary.

“It was pretty minimal on our side, obviously a pretty big deal,” said Davidson. “I think there is a little confusion about what our role was. I think we were glad to get the capital that we came back. When moving from Taylor, I think it was something that would probably happen at some point. “

Davidson’s explanation included that he did not want to use a place of salary for retail and another in Hall. So it made sense to use one in the deal. He also explained that he thought the market for Hall was about what they received. Davidson was quite honest with regard to Hall’s game, which could have been influenced later.

“When waiting, they carry out the risk of things like injuries, (and) the role almost decreases through the game,” said Davidson. “It just didn’t approach a path that would maximize or improve the value. In the move we switched to the full price and held the other players involved (salary). It just didn’t make sense to wait and not really get a better return later. “

• Davidson was asked in different ways whether he would be willing to pursue a high -ranking player in the next low season. He was not celebrated, but he didn’t close the door either.

“We’ll see,” he said. “It’s January. I have no idea who will be available in six or seven months. We will continue to think if we know who is actually available and what makes sense. A lot can change in the next six months before we arrive there. I will say you are never out, right? You always consider what makes a short, medium and long -term use. Regardless of whether you come to summer and the signatures, whether these are trade opportunities or considerations that you make for your squad should not be considered. So we always do it. Something like that is obviously a question that I asked a lot. “

But does he believe that the Blackhawks need this kind of player?

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Well, I think every team needs such players, right? But if you get this player and who these players are, it is really difficult to say what is the right fit. And the other thing is that we are one of 32 (teams) and every star player. We are not one team league. It is not the Chicago Blackhawks to choose players and get them and go to the races.

“It is a competitive league and everyone wants to win. And we are no different from any other who answers this type of questions and conducts this kind of conversations. “

Davidson has the idea of ​​acting Draft picks or being flexible. He said he would do what would make sense at that time.

“There is no rigidity to keep a certain plan to keep it that we have to do it in this way until the end of time, and we will simply attribute it to the design again and again,” he said. “You have to be fluent. You have to be nimble in these things. We evaluate, re -evaluate, consider it to take options into account. … you have to have stages and you have to have different maneuvers on the way. And I’m extremely open to think about what is out there. “

• Davidson delivered his assessment of the interim coach Andersensen. The Blackhawks have become 7-13-3 since Davidson replaced Luke Richardson with Sorensen. The time will show whether Sorensen can win the constant job, but Davidson was largely positive about him. Davidson said from a high -ranking assessment that Sorensen was effective.

“I think he has done a good job so far,” said Davidson. “We saw a bit of heights and lows with us on the NHL level throughout his time. I think some of the habits and some of the mentality we have as a team have improved in my opinion. I think there are some things that we still have to clean up – especially when we play with leads, try to stay on this front foot and continue to push. But the fact that we used to tackle ourselves in the game and enabled the team to keep leads is a good thing, and it has been nice lately. I liked that very much. “

• Davidson admitted that the team as a whole was not where he expected it. He largely instructed Richardson this guilt when he made the coaching change in December. Since then, the overall results have not gotten much better.

“When we made the coaching change, we were in the last place, and here we didn’t want to or we expected that we had expected it,” said Davidson. “We had realistic expectations of the year to the group. … we had a lot of holes to fill, and that’s why we had to bring a number of players with us and we did it. … I think we expected that we will be a little further ahead in the overall ranking, but there are many things that we have improved over the past year almost all over the line.

“Nevertheless, we are in second place, and that is not ideally where we wanted to be, but it is what is and we are where we are. We will react accordingly if we get involved in the trading period and the low season and what we have to do with the group. “

• Davidson still expects to be a seller if the trading period approaches.

“We will listen, you know and listen to what happens,” said Davidson. “If you are able to be in which we are in, you are of course more of a seller, but we will only see what comes in our way. Nothing that we will surely force. We have a lot of assets. We are not necessarily in this phase of asset construction like some time ago. And so we have the luxury of being patient and only seeing what comes in our way, and hoping that, as you know, the group continues to take a few steps in the right direction, how we last week or like that. “

• Davidson is a hopeful goalkeeper Laurent Brossoit will play this season. With regard to potentially three goalkeepers, Davidson said that he was not concerned.

“We have a really great goalkeeper coach in Jimmy Waite here,” said Davidson. “We are confident (brossoit) (return). But when he comes back this year, we are very confident that he can manage this dynamic that is not traditional, but it is the situation in which we would return if he returned. I think it will be good for us if we end up with three goalkeepers on the NHL squad. “

(Photo: Chase Agnello-Dean / Nhli about Getty Images)