The short answer is no, not yet.
If the season ended today, Sunday, January 18, 2026, the Chicago Blackhawks would be watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from their couches. It’s the reality of a rebuild that feels like it’s been going on forever. Right now, the Blackhawks are sitting at 19-22-7. With 45 points, they are currently 7th in the Central Division.
They aren't mathematically eliminated. Not by a long shot. But they are definitely "on the outside looking in." To get that final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, they have to leapfrog a massive logjam of teams including the Predators, Kings, and Ducks. It’s a tall order for a squad that still struggles with consistency.
Are the Blackhawks in the playoffs right now?
The NHL playoff structure is pretty cutthroat. You either finish in the top three of your division or you snag one of the two Wild Card spots. Currently, the Central Division is being bossed around by the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild. Those three have essentially locked up the divisional seeds.
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That leaves Chicago fighting for a Wild Card.
Honestly, the math is getting tricky. They are about 6 points back from the final spot, but there are four teams between them and the postseason line. Every time they win a big game—like that recent 7-3 blowout of the Blues—they seem to follow it up with a frustrating loss where the offense just goes cold.
The Connor Bedard factor
You can't talk about the Blackhawks without talking about #98. Connor Bedard is 20 years old now and he’s clearly the engine. He’s leading the team with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists), but he can't do it alone. He missed some time in December with an upper-body injury, and the team basically cratered without him.
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Since he returned on January 9, things have looked better. He’s got that "game-breaker" quality where he can score from the circle even when the defense knows exactly what’s coming. But the secondary scoring? It’s hit or miss. Tyler Bertuzzi has been a solid addition with 23 goals, providing some of that "grease" the team was missing last year. Yet, the drop-off after the top six forwards is noticeable.
Why the defense and goaltending tell the real story
If you're wondering why they aren't higher in the standings, look at the goals against. They've given up 149 goals so far. That puts them near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency.
- Spencer Knight has been the primary guy in net. He’s been okay—13 wins and a 2.61 GAA—but he’s had games where the defense just leaves him out to dry.
- Artyom Levshunov, the young defenseman, is showing flashes of brilliance. He’s got 19 assists, but he’s also 20 years old. He makes rookie mistakes.
- Nick Foligno is still the captain and the heartbeat of the room, but he's 38. He's more of a mentor at this point than a guy who can log 20 minutes of shut-down defense.
The Blackhawks have a "goal differential" of -18. You generally don't make the playoffs with a negative differential unless you’re winning every single one-goal game, and Chicago has lost seven games in overtime or a shootout this year. Those "loser points" are keeping them alive, but they aren't enough to propel them into a top-eight seed.
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The road ahead: Can they actually make it?
The schedule for the rest of January is brutal. They have games coming up against the Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Those are all elite teams. If they can’t go at least .500 over this next stretch, the "are the Blackhawks in the playoffs" conversation is going to shift toward "who are they drafting in the first round?"
The trade deadline in March will be the ultimate tell. If GM Kyle Davidson thinks they have a real shot, he might stand pat. But if they're still 8 or 10 points out by then, expect them to sell off some of the veterans on one-year deals to keep stockpiling draft picks.
What needs to happen for a miracle run
- Stay healthy: They cannot afford another Bedard or Teravainen injury.
- Fix the Power Play: It’s currently hovering around 22%, which is fine, but it needs to be elite to compensate for their 5-on-5 struggles.
- Road Wins: They are 9-10-3 on the road. To make the playoffs, you have to be able to steal points in hostile buildings.
The fans at the United Center are still showing up, but there's a sense of "hurry up and wait." We've seen the flashes of what this team will be in 2027 or 2028. Whether they can jump the line and get a taste of the 2026 playoffs is still very much up in the air.
If you're looking to track their progress, keep a close eye on the Wild Card standings rather than the Central Division. The path to the postseason goes through the Pacific Division teams they are chasing. Every game against a team like the Kings or the Ducks is essentially a four-point swing at this stage of the season.
To get a clearer picture of their immediate future, check the official NHL standings after their game against Winnipeg on Monday night. That game will be a massive litmus test for whether this roster has the grit to compete with the heavyweights of the West. If they can't handle the Jets' physicality, the playoff dream might be over before February even starts.