It's been a very difficult start to the season for the Blackhawks and the fan base as through 11 games, the team has a record of 3-7-1 and is currently tied for last place in the Western Conference with the dreadful Nashville Predators.
Many NHL pundits expected the Blackhawks to continue their woeful ways as some felt that they would not challenge for a playoff spot or even move out from under the bottom of the standings. General manager Kyle Davidson had hopes that the team would take a step forward as he had added several unrestricted free agents to bolster the lineup from forward down to goaltender.
Even Connor Bedard has been showing his disappointment and at times anger on the bench with how the team and himself are playing. Firing Richardson at a time when the team is going through a full rebuild does not make a lot of sense. The team is still depleted with significant talent and Davidson along with his management team are waiting for several of their star players that are in Rockford to be ready to make the jump into the NHL which will give the team more talent to work with.
It's also likely that the Blackhawks will use several of these veterans who were only signed to a one-year deal to be traded at the deadline to help other teams become contenders. It's important for the Blackhawks to stay the course and let Richardson do his work.
It's safe to say there will be a point in time where Davidson's patience will run out and if the team is not moving forward with several new star players, then likely Richardson's fate will be sealed.
POLL | ||
Should the Blackhawks fire or keep Luke Richardson as head coach? | ||
Fire Him | 149 | 59.6 % |
Keep Him | 101 | 40.4 % |
List of polls |