{"id":802541,"date":"2026-08-04T15:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/802541\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:38:11","slug":"blackhawks-fan-survey-results-did-adding-patrick-kane-bowen-byram-affect-optimism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/802541\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackhawks fan survey results: Did adding Patrick Kane, Bowen Byram affect optimism?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the first year we decided to survey Chicago Blackhawks fans twice. In the first survey<\/a>, we sought to gauge how fans felt about this past season. In the second, we wanted to do so again after they made moves and their offseason was complete.<\/p>\n

Here are the results of the second survey, with brief commentary from us and some quotes from survey participants:<\/p>\n

We duplicated some questions from our last survey in April just to see if there were changes based on the offseason. Danny Wirtz benefited from the last few months. He went from getting mostly 3s in April to jumping to mostly 4s now. He also got a few more 5s this time around.<\/p>\n

\u201cDanny Wirtz earned a bump in how he helped bring Kane back, but I\u2019ll never be able to give him a 5 after he actually promoted Bowman in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRegarding the ranking of Danny Wirtz: I think hearing the news that he was directly involved with convincing Kane to return has made a very positive impression on me. He had seemed somewhat recluse and uninvolved to me when it comes to roster development, but knowing now that he personally reached out to Kane has definitely made me believe in him a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davidson\u2019s results were relatively the same since the last poll. He went from having about 66 percent of the votes giving him 3s and 4s to about 72 this time around. He lost some 5s over the last few months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have high marks for KD. He handled phase I of the rebuild well, acquiring a lot of picks, and many of those picks are now in the NHL. Phase II began this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKD has been good with trades and contracts for the young guys. I’m not sure he’s had great foresight on the number of prospects we’d have in the system at any point in time and how best to surround them with meaningful vets to develop them. How the blue line prospects develop will make or break this rebuild at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not dissatisfied with how the rebuild has been going, and where it is going. What we\u2019ve gone through is exactly what KD told us when he was hired is what we have and are going through. His plan is in motion, and I believe in most of the moves he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis offseason showed that Kyle from Chicago is not the right person to lead this team going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

We could have probably excluded Blashill from this survey, but it\u2019s good to have consistent data points. His results were similar to the last survey, with him getting mostly 4s. How he handled Andr\u00e9 Burakovsky last season still does not seem to sit well with some fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe jury remains out on Davidson and Blashill. This next phase will be very important. They seem to have talent. Now they need the talent to develop\/rise and to find balance on the lines and on defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill not sold on Blashill being a good game coach. Shows some flexibility but also an underlying stubbornness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans appear to be somewhat satisfied with this offseason. By trading Burakovsky, signing Roman Kantserov, re-signing Connor Bedard, acquiring Bowen Bryam and Jordan Greenway, and signing Patrick Kane, Ian Cole and Cole Smith, the Blackhawks altered their present and future. With just 7.4 percent of voters giving As, the offseason wasn\u2019t a complete win.<\/p>\n

\u201cTop-6 winger, CHECK, High-end defenseman, CHECK. Adding some much needed physicality, CHECK. Adding vets with championship pedigree, CHECK. Getting an NHL-caliber top 6, CHECK. Kids taking offseason development seriously, CHECK. All of this accomplished without giving up any meaningful roster player.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey haven\u2019t done enough in the offseason. Kane is a nice addition but has slowed down. Our defense isn\u2019t proven and we need additional proven scorers. It\u2019s nice seeing all the potential young players but let them develop and get someone who can be an immediate impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSucks to lose Big Lou, but when you look at the overall ins and outs, you see this as a much much improved roster. Also, they didn\u2019t sign an aging vet to a long-term contract that you know will age badly. That\u2019s the most impressive part.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really disappointed in the offseason, specifically not being able to sign a higher-caliber winger than Kane. Bedard deserves to play with someone that can keep up, and while Kane is still awesome and forever loved, he needs another running mate that can take his line over the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The trade for and re-signing of Byram were the Blackhawks\u2019 biggest swings under Davidson. Fans seem to approve of the acquisition more than the contract, but they’re still mostly optimistic Byram can be worth it, giving the moves mostly B’s and C’s.<\/p>\n

\u201cByram better be as good as Davidson thinks he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA big bet on Byram. They paid a lot of pick and salary cap capital. If it does not work, it sets the rebuild back. I do wonder how it affects other high picks they will need to sign in the near future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wavered in my faith in Davidson when the Byram trade was initially announced, but I\u2019ve warmed up to it a lot as the offseason\u2019s gone on. Would much rather pay for future performance than past performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that Byram was a tremendous addition. By the end of the season, he will be in the discussion of the NHL\u2019s elite D-men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is sleeping on Bo Byram and it’s almost comical. I was livid that we passed on him and drafted Kirby above him. Bo is a flat-out stud. I was an Avs season ticket holder and had the chance to watch him live for a couple of years. He’s the real deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Byram trade was good. The contract wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was little doubt fans would be ecstatic about Patrick Kane coming back. The poll confirmed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t wait to see Kane and Bedard play together. Who would have thought after all these years Kane finally gets a similarly talented running mate? Better late than never.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy feeling about this team did a 180 when they signed Kane. I feel like they are one missing piece from contending. Assuming the young players keep getting better and Bedard can stay healthy, they are much closer to being the team we want them to be than they were a month ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Kaner back is great for fans. But it is not the big offseason winger move that was needed. He doesn’t move the needle towards the playoffs enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Patrick Kane back has strengthened my waning confidence in Kyle Davidson\u2019s ability to see beyond an over reliance on developing young talent without adding proven veterans to achieve a more seasoned mix of players capable of contending for a playoff spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

This question is always a good gauge of where fans see the Blackhawks\u2019 direction. It was interesting that the results didn\u2019t change much since before the offseason. They received 32.3 percent 3s and 38.8 percent 4s in April. The 4s led the way again, at about the same percentage.<\/p>\n

\u201cRebuild was going to be a tear down to the studs. That\u2019s done, and now the drywall is on and mudding and taping is almost finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is moving incredibly slow. Other teams are turning around much faster, which questions the Blackhawks’ ability to evaluate talent given all the high draft picks they’ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing KD is missing is getting the big-name free agent signed to complete what he started. The kids will all mature at a decent rate and the playoffs will be happening in the next few seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave my confidence in the rebuild a 3\/5, knowing that next year I will feel confident giving a 1\/5 or 5\/5. Davidson\u2019s bet on his young players has the potential to make him look like a genius or a total failure. The biggest prospects are here and I\u2019m excited to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically how I feel depends on how the non-Bedard young players look this year. If there isn’t much of a leap this rebuild is in big, big trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to gauge the state of the rebuild given the players of the future are still so young. It\u2019s taking a frustratingly long time, but the pieces are largely here. I think the Hawks would benefit from at least one more NHL-caliber player to assist these players.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the critical year of the rebuild if they don\u2019t improve time for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rebuild is still behind schedule. They will be a bottom feeder team AGAIN this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRebuilding is a tough slog. I am optimistic that they are taking the correct approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blackhawks’ offseason didn\u2019t create a ton of optimism about making the playoffs this season. That percentage has actually dropped since April. Most people expect the 2027-28 season to be the turning point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to see how this season goes. I want them in the playoffs this year, but I expect next season is the season they will be contending for more than just a battle for a wild-card spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do believe if Bedard comes back fully healthy at the end of October, this team will make the playoffs this season. But next season, I will fully expect them to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time for progress is now. I don\u2019t expect to win the Cup this year, but there are a lot of high-end prospects that need to turn into NHL-caliber players.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blackhawks finished with 72 points during the 2025-26 season. Most respondents to our survey expect them to finish between 71-80 points, which wouldn\u2019t be a major jump. But if they can get to the 81-90 points that 37.7 percent voted for, that could be more significant. With 84 games this season, there are more possible points to obtain, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of my 3s and mid-range answers are just because the team needs to prove their worth this year. Letting the young guys run the team this year, for better or worse, means you essentially have to give up predicting this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKey year for the rebuild. They may not make the playoffs, but they need to be in the running the last two weeks. If not, Davidson should be on a hot seat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a confusing time to be a Blackhawks fan. I don’t believe that anyone knows what this team is, including the guys in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m getting the feeling this is a make-or-break year for the Blackhawks. If Byram struggles, if Levshunov can’t take the next step, and if our young forwards can’t meaningfully contribute without Bedard, then I think it’s time to sound the alarms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis season is a success if it has the vibes of the 2007-2008 season, especially as we get into February and March.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this point, it\u2019d be more surprising if Connor Bedard isn\u2019t named captain this coming season.<\/p>\n

Bedard has elevated expectations after last season. Most fans expect him to produce more than a point per game.<\/p>\n

Kane averaged a healthy 0.86 points per game during his three seasons in Detroit. Across a full 84 games (Kane last played close to a full schedule in 2021-22, when he played 78 of 82), that translates to about 72 points. The Blackhawks would surely take that; Bedard\u2019s 75 points last season represented the team\u2019s first 70-point season since Kane had 92 in that 2021-22 campaign. But most of our readers are aiming a little lower, with nearly 80 percent anticipating a solid season between 50 and 70 points. Playing alongside Bedard for most of the year should at least boost Kane\u2019s chances of beating those expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatrick Kane isn\u2019t a winning player anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLoved the Kane trade for nostalgia but he hasn\u2019t had 60 points in four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Byram had career highs with 11 goals and 42 points last season. Those are solid-if-modest totals. But he\u2019s also never been used as a No. 1 defenseman, either. With heavier minutes and loads of PP1 time with Bedard and Kane, the Blackhawks are counting on Byram to take a big leap in offensive production. Blackhawks fans are a little more skeptical, with nearly half expecting him to be in the 40s again. Eight hundred of our voters had Byram in the 51-60 range, which the Blackhawks would love to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cByram better be as good as Davidson thinks he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s certainly more belief in Chicago\u2019s young forwards than its young defensemen among the fans. Anton Frondell, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, had three goals and six assists in 12 games after coming over from Sweden last season. Kantserov, meanwhile, was the youngest player to lead the KHL in goals since Kirill Kaprizov, so expectations are sky-high \u2014 and they’re only heightened by the knowledge that he could be spending much of the year on a line with Bedard and Kane. Nick Lardis, who looked good late last season but likely lost his spot next to Bedard, comes next in our vote. Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, leapfrogged on the depth chart by Byram, face more modest external expectations, even though internally they remain critical pieces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough I picked Frondell for breakout player, I think Levshunov is the one who really needs to break out if this rebuild is any sort of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay the course. Young D-men don\u2019t reach their peak until about 26 or 27.\u201d<\/p>\n

A remarkably even split here between the popular Nazar, the tantalizing Frondell and the rock-steady Spencer Knight. Knight isn\u2019t featured much in this survey because he\u2019s already proven so reliable and he\u2019s become a fixture in net, so it\u2019s nice to see him getting some love and respect here. Nearly 20 percent picked \u201cother,\u201d so perhaps those people are waiting to see how Kantserov pans out. His No. 80 has been worn by only one other Blackhawks player: Antoine Vermette, one of the great and most consequential short-term players in team history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want an (Alex) Vlasic jersey! Support the hometown kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

From old man Lazerus, who seems to be the lone voice of dissent on this question: \u201cAm I so out of touch? No. It\u2019s the children who are wrong<\/a>.\u201d Blackhawks fans love the black jerseys, and Blackhawks business types love money, so these throwback kits are here to stay.<\/p>\n

These kinds of contracts are ceremonial, of course, and Toews already held his retirement news conference with the Winnipeg Jets. But Blackhawks fans want to see the captain in red one more time. It\u2019s not hard to envision a home-opener with both Kane and Toews being feted in different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cToews and Kane both deserve to stay and retire as a Blackhawk; this is just good business with both the organization and the fanbase.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Blackhawks should sign Jonathan Toews to a one-year contract. He would be another great addition to the young players, as a mentor, plus who wouldn’t want to see Kane and Toews back together again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t really care that much about who wears what letters, whether Jonathan Toews has his ceremony, or any of the pageantry. I just hope they are fun this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kane is now the only member of the championship core still playing, so we\u2019re going to see a lot of numbers put in the rafters in the coming years. Toews tops the fans\u2019 list, with Duncan Keith not far behind. Shout out to the old heads out there, still (correctly) carrying a torch for the criminally under-appreciated Steve Larmer. The Blackhawks just gave his No. 28 to Ian Cole, though, so don\u2019t hold your breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously Toews should have his jersey retired. But if they are both open and positive toward it, I’d like to see him and Kaner do it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we’re overdue for Duncan Keith getting his number retired. He’s already in the HHOF and came back for the inaugural induction of the Blackhawks HOF, I’d be slightly surprised if they don’t retire his number this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish there were fewer retired numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight be a hot take, but I don\u2019t think Sharpie should have his number retired. I think jersey retirements should be Keith, Larmer, Toews, Hammer, Crow, Seabs, and by then probably Kaner\u2019s clocked out and can have his raised, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what took so long?! The Blackhawks actually did this for the 2013-14 season, but because many of the fans in the 100 level live in the far suburbs, they often had a tough time fighting through traffic in time for puck drop. The team brass didn\u2019t like the visual of so many empty seats on TV, so they went back to 7:30 starts the following season. Those 7:30 starts are getting more and more scarce throughout the league, and we\u2019re all the better for it.<\/p>\n

When we asked this last July, only 44 percent of respondents said they\u2019d have access to CHSN. So, at least they\u2019re over the 50 percent mark now. There’s still a very long way to go to have the kind of reach the team enjoyed during the Comcast and NBC Sports Chicago days. Now, if the league would drop its archaic blackout rules, this would be a lot easier for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill pissed at CHSN for yanking over the air coverage away like it was Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCHSN needs to be more widely available or they need to reduce pricing. RSNs are a dying solution and as hockey becomes more expensive (both to watch and play) we need better avenues to grow the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The political winds have shifted dramatically since the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians changed their names and logos, and what once seemed inevitable now seems unlikely. That\u2019s fine by Blackhawks fans, who overwhelmingly want to keep the team\u2019s famous logo (and who, based on the comments, are very tired of us asking this question every now and then).<\/p>\n

\u201cGet over the name change, it\u2019s tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease drop the changing the logo nonsense. It\u2019s exhausting, and a non-topic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is past time for the Blackhawks to change their logo. Even if they do not change their name (which some would argue is necessary), there is not reason to continue using a caricature. There will be incensed fans, the owners will fear the loss of revenue, but we have the ethical need to change. This is necessary. A generation from now it will begin to fade. And eventually it will not matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for changing the logo, I selected they should keep it. My caveat would be to bring back the more realistic Black Hawk in lieu of this cartoonish version. As well as once again separating the name (into two words).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is time for the logo to change. The legacy and story of Black Hawk must remain part of the brand and history of the team, but I refuse to wear anything bearing the Indian head. I live on the West Coast now and have realized how disgusted people are by the logo outside of the Chicagoland bubble \u2014 it\u2019s deeply embarrassing. We are making fools of ourselves by failing to adapt to the times. We have seen that very cool logo design alternatives exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe logo question is political garbage. Stop the virtue signaling. There is no intent other than honoring the traditions of the Native American history. Do more if you feel guilty. Don\u2019t run from it like cowards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hilton Chicago was the place to be every late July for years. If and when the Blackhawks muscle their way back into contention, it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see the convention resurrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fan convention was some of the most fun I had as a fan. I don’t know why they got rid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is the first year we decided to survey Chicago Blackhawks fans twice. In the first survey, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":802542,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[4824,385,99],"class_list":["post-802541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-chicago-blackhawks","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=802541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/802542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=802541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=802541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=802541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}