The last few seasons have been understandably frustrating to fans as the Blackhawks faded into mediocrity while maintaining a façade of competitiveness. Despite it being obvious that the Blackhawks were attempting to retool on the fly, it was only this summer that the “R” word was finally used: rebuild.
Specifically, the Blackhawks issued a letter stating:
“We’re committed to developing young players and rebuilding our roster. We want more than another window to win; we want to reach the summit again, and stay there — an effort that will require a stockpile of emerging talent to complement our top players.