Chicago Blackhawks, Collin Delia Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Blackhawks experimented with the net during the 2020-21 season. Rather than keep longtime netminder, Corey Crawford, or bring in another veteran, Chicago went with three largely untested goalies for the duration of the regular season. Now that everyone has seen the results of three-man rotation in goal, it’s entirely possible that once free agency begins Chicago could bring in a veteran.
Overall, the goalie experiment went better than expected, but expectations were very low for standings. It’s not realistic to think that the Chicago Blackhawks will be satisfied with long-term mediocrity, nor should they be, despite the down years being important for the team’s overall success.