Why Tyler Bertuzzi's goal-scoring has disappeared for Blackhawks this season

TAMPA, Fla. — When the Blackhawks set higher expectations for the 2026-27 season, they were counting on most of their established players repeating their 2025-26 performances and some up-and-coming players taking big steps forward.

The latter has happened. Touted rookie forwards Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell and enigmatic second-year defenseman Artyom Levshunov have been three bright spots.

The former, however, has not happened across the board. Spencer Knight's save percentage has dropped from .902 to .892, and his analytics depict an exactly league-average goalie so far. Patrick Kane hasn't scored since the season opener — but had taken seven minor penalties between then and getting injured Monday.

And Tyler Bertuzzi, who led the Hawks with 32 goals last season, is stuck on just two goals this season — one of which was an empty-netter.

"Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't," Bertuzzi said recently. "I feel like I haven't been able to get as many grade-A chances, and then some games I'm getting a lot of chances. If you're getting chances, that's a good thing. Eventually they'll go in. [You] just have to keep creating chances. I'm looking for those spots to get open."

The 31-year-old winger seems like a particularly poor fit in coach Jeff Blashill's high-pressure system, which is designed to take advantage of the Hawks' team speed.

That speed is prevalent in most of their young forwards (and on-the-way prospects). But Bertuzzi, on the other hand, is one of the NHL's slowest skaters.

In the Hawks' aggressive 2-1-2 forecheck, the puck is often gone before he gets low enough to pressure opposing defensemen, and then he's caught chasing the play back up the ice.

TNT panelist Paul Bissonnette ripped Bertuzzi for a poor forecheck during the first period Wednesday against the Panthers, but a more effective Bertuzzi forecheck did help create Roman Kantserov's second-period goal. Bertuzzi later said he thinks the Hawks' forecheck has improved recently.

"Our [defensemen] are down the walls a lot more, and we're keeping pucks alive," Bertuzzi added. "Sometimes we can get a little bit in-between. We've got to be fast-paced, just on top of everyone."

The fact most of the Hawks' scarce offense comes off the rush rather than from offensive-zone cycles — plus that most of their cycle chances are one-and-done because they struggle to retrieve loose pucks — particularly hurts Bertuzzi, too.

He's one of the league's most efficient finishers around the net, but that relies on teammates getting the puck to the net. If they don't, the so-called "human backboard" isn't as useful.

During five-on-five play, Bertuzzi is averaging just 6.5 shot attempts per 60 minutes, down from 10.7 last season. And on the power play, he's averaging 10.8 attempts per 60, down from 18.6. He was taken off the top power-play unit this week for the first time all season.

"We've got to do a better job of getting more pucks...for him to get opportunities for rebound looks, tip looks, things like that," Blashill said recently. "That's not on him; that's on our team. Right now, we're just not generating enough across the board."

Even when the Hawks do generate close-in chances for Bertuzzi, he isn't finishing them at his usual rate. Only 47.2% of his attempts have made it successfully on-goal (down from 55.4% last season) and only 5.5% have gone in (down from 10.8%).

Bad luck is a contributing factor, and that should balance out over time, even if the systemic issues will take more effort to resolve. He has had several should-have-been tap-ins shockingly skitter wide in recent games.

"It just needs to cross the red line," he said. "I'll keep going to the net. I'm not too worried about it."