They may have gone four seasons without a series victory in the playoffs, but the Chicago Blackhawks have more than earned this period of rebuilding.
Having established an almighty modern dynasty with Stanley Cup triumphs in 2010, 2013, and 2015, the legendary veterans are now guiding through the next generation.
In NHL 20, there is plenty of young and seasoned talent on this Blackhawks roster to make the team competitive in almost every match-up.
In this NHL 20 team guide, you can find all of the players on the Chicago Blackhawks roster, the best Blackhawks prospects, upcoming picks, and where the team and prospect pool needs improving.
The latest roster at the time (31 March Roster) was used for this guide.
Patrick Kane, Center, 91 OVR
Age: 30
Nationality: American
Position: Right Wing Sniper
Height/Weight: 180cm, 80kg
Shoots: Left
Best Stats: 97 Hand-Eye, Deking, 96 Offensive Awareness
Patrick Kane has been one of the NHL’s premier snipers for a good decade, but since turning 30-years-old, the American has put up a career-best 110 points (last season) and was enjoying a superb 2019/20 campaign.
Through 70 games, Kane scored 33 goals, 51 assists, and held a +8 rating on a team with only 33 wins and 218 goals against.
Kane is one of the easiest players to use in NHL 20, standing as one of the best snipers and one of the fastest skaters in the game.
With 97 deking, 97 hand-eye, 95 puck control, 94 slap shot accuracy, 95 wrist shot accuracy, and 90 speed, Kane is always a goal threat with the puck on his stick.
Duncan Keith, Defenseman. 85 OVR
Age: 36
Nationality: Canadian
Position: Two-Way Defenseman
Height/Weight: 185cm, 87kg
Shoots: Left
Best Stats: 93 Passing, Endurance, 90 Deking, Puck Control, Stick Checking, Acceleration, Speed, Durability
Every Stanley Cup-winning team has an elite-level defenseman, and Duncan Keith is Chicago’s. Even now, he’s still putting up points and commanding the blueline.
In 61 games of the locked-down campaign, the left-shot defenseman put up 27 points, a +1 rating, blocked 117 shots, and averaged over 24 minutes per game.
Keith may only be rated 85 OVR, but he still totes many lofty attribute ratings, including 90 puck control, 93 passing, 90 deking, 90 durability, 90 stick checking, and 90 poise.
Furthermore, Keith is 36-years-old, but he can certainly get around the ice with his 90 speed, 89 agility, and 90 acceleration.
Corey Crawford, Goaltender, 86 OVR
Age: 34
Nationality: Canadian
Position: Hybrid Goaltender
Height/Weight: 188cm, 98kg
Glove: Left
Best Stats: 90 Poise, Agility, Aggressiveness, Vision
While Antti Niemi’s postseason performances will always earn the credit for Chicago’s 2010 triumph, it was Corey Crawford’s consistent presence which enabled a Blackhawks dynasty thereafter.
Now aged 35, Crawford is still the number one netminder in Chicago, and deservedly so. Even though he only has 16 wins in 40 games, he’s held a strong .917 save percentage and has managed to keep a shutout.
Crawford is still a top goaltender to have between the pipes in NHL 20, boasting ratings of 90 for his poise, aggressiveness, agility, and vision.
Perhaps the only knock on Crawford in the game is his durability rating of 75, so, the chances are that you’ll want a decent, up-and-coming goaltender in reserve – which the Blackhawks certainly have on the roster already.
NHL 20 Chicago Blackhawks Roster
The majority of the team’s most influential players are heading towards or are in the twilight of their respective careers, so the top line could change a lot over the course of a year.
From the latest update, 31 March Online Roster, this is how the Chicago Blackhawks first lines start:
Alex DeBrincat (85) – Jonathan Toews (87) – Brandon Saad (83)
Duncan Keith (85) – Brent Seabrook (79)
Corey Crawford (86)
| Name | Overall | Age | Position | Role | Shoots | Best Stats |
| Jonathan Toews | 87 | 31 | Center | Two-Way | Left | 95 Poise, 93 Faceoffs, 93 Stick Checking |
| Dylan Strome | 83 | 22 | Center | Playmaker | Left | 90 Durability, 88 Deking, 88 Puck Control |
| Zack Smith | 79 | 31 | Center | Grinder | Left | 90 Aggressiveness, 89 Strength, 88 Body Checking |
| Kirby Dach | 78 | 18 | Center | Power Forward | Right | 86 Balance, 86 Slap Shot Power, 86 Wrist Shot Power |
| David Kampf | 76 | 24 | Center | Two-Way | Left | 85 Endurance, 85 Strength, 85 Wrist Shot Power |
| Brandon Saad | 83 | 26 | Left Wing | Two-Way | Left | 89 Durability, 88 Agility, 88 Hand-Eye |
| Dominik KubalÃk | 81 | 24 | Left Wing | Power Forward | Left | 88 Slap Shot Power, 88 Wrist Shot Power, 87 Strength |
| Drake Caggiula | 79 | 25 | Left Wing | Two-Way | Left | 88 Acceleration, 88 Agility, 88 Speed |
| Patrick Kane | 91 | 30 | Right Wing | Sniper | Right | 97 Deking, 97 Hand-Eye, 96 Passing |
| Alex DeBrincat | 85 | 21 | Right Wing | Sniper | Right | 95 Discipline, 93 Deking, 92 Speed |
| Andrew Shaw | 81 | 28 | Right Wing | Grinder | Right | 90 Aggressiveness, 87 Body Checking, 87 Speed |
| Alexander Nylander | 79 | 21 | Right Wing | Playmaker | Right | 89 Speed, 89 Agility, 89 Acceleration |
| Ryan Carpenter | 78 | 28 | Right Wing | Two-Way | Right | 86 Discipline, 86 Durability, 85 Balance |
| Duncan Keith | 85 | 36 | Defenseman | Two-Way | Left | 93 Endurance, 93 Passing, 90 Deking |
| Calvin de Haan | 81 | 28 | Defenseman | Offensive | Left | 89 Endurance, 88 Agility, 88 Speed |
| Olli Maatta | 81 | 25 | Defenseman | Two-Way | Left | 88 Stick Checking, 88 Endurance, 87 Passing |
| Connor Murphy | 80 | 26 | Defenseman | Defensive | Right | 90 Endurance, 87 Strength, 87 Stick Checking |
| Brent Seabrook | 79 | 34 | Defenseman | Two-Way | Right | 89 Shot Blocking, 88 Balance, 88 Strength |
| Slater Koekkoek | 79 | 25 | Defenseman | Two-Way | Left | 88 Agility, 87 Endurance, 87 Speed |
| Nick Seeler | 75 | 26 | Defenseman | Defensive | Left | 90 Aggressiveness, 88 Durability, 87 Balance |
| Lucas Carlsson | 71 | 22 | Defenseman | Two-Way | Left | 82 Acceleration, 82 Speed, 81 Wrist Shot Power |
| Corey Crawford | 86 | 34 | Goaltender | Hybrid | Left | 90 Poise, 90 Vision, 90 Aggressiveness |
| Malcolm Subban | 80 | 25 | Goaltender | Hybrid | Left | 90 Speed, 90 Agility, 85 Recover |
This Chicago Blackhawks team is already well into a rebuild with plenty of top-class talents getting time on the NHL lines.
This is why the Blackhawks are the best team to rebuild in NHL 20, especially as the elder statesmen are still highly-rated enough to command some serious trade returns.
That’s not to say that all of the dynasty-building, future legends should be shipped out for picks and prospects, but capitalising on the value of some of them would ensure a robust future for the franchise.
Adam Boqvist, Defenseman, 77 OVR
Age: 19
Nationality: Swedish
Position: Offensive Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Potential: Elite med
In the 2019/20 NHL season, Boqvist broke into the Blackhawks team and managed to impress, putting up four goals, 13 points, and 50 shots on goal through 41 games.
Adam Boqvist is one of the best defensive prospects in NHL 20 and is so close to being NHL-ready from the start of the game.
At the start of the second in-game season, making room for Boqvist in the Blackhawks’ defensive pairings will significantly enhance his development.
The teenage Swede already boasts very usable ratings of 86 puck control, 85 passing, 85 deking, 85 offensive awareness, 83 defensive awareness, 85 stick checking, 86 speed, and 83 wrist shot accuracy.
NHL 20 Chicago Blackhawks Top Prospects
The Blackhawks already have several great young forwards in the lines on NHL 20, with two solid defensemen coming through the system to reinforce the ageing blueline corps.
| Name | Overall | Potential | Age | Position | Role | Best Stats |
| Adam Boqvist | 77 | Elite med | 19 | Defenseman | Offensive | 86 Speed, 86 Agility, 85 Passing |
| Nicolas Beaudin | 72 | Top 4 med | 19 | Defenseman | Offensive | 85 Durability, 85 Agility, 85 Acceleration |
| Philipp Kurashev | 65 | Top 6 low | 19 | Center | Playmaker | 85 Durability, 83 Agility, 83 Speed |
| Antti Saarela | 58 | Top 6 low | 18 | Left Wing | Two-Way | 85 Durability, 82 Slap Shot Power, 81 Wrist Shot Power |
| Mackenzie Entwistle | 67 | Top 9 med | 20 | Right Wing | Power Forward | 85 Durability, 85 Slap Shot Power, 85 Wrist Shot Power |
| Alexandre Fortin | 76 | Top 9 med | 22 | Center | Two-Way | 85 Durability, 85 Slap Shot Power, 85 Agility |
| Alec Regula | 64 | Top 6 med | 19 | Defenseman | Two-Way | 85 Durability, 85 Slap Shot Power, 84 Wrist Shot Power |
| Jakub Galvas | 63 | Top 6 med | 20 | Defenseman | Two-Way | 81 Speed, 81 Agility, 80 Acceleration |
| Chad Krys | 66 | Top 6 med | 21 | Defenseman | Two-Way | 85 Durability, 84 Speed, 84 Acceleration |
| Alexis Gravel | 65 | Fringe Starter med | 19 | Goaltender | Hybrid | 85 Durability, 83 Speed, 83 Agility |
Chicago Blackhawks’ upcoming draft picks:
- 2020 Draft Picks: 1st (CHI), 2nd (PIT), 3rd (CGY), 3rd (CHI), 4th (CHI), 5th (CHI), 6th (CHI)
- 2021 Draft Picks: 1st (CHI), 2nd(CHI), 4th (CHI), 5th (CHI), 6th (CHI), 7th (CHI), 7th (MON)
- 2022 Draft Picks: 1st (CHI), 2nd (CHI), 3rd (CHI), 4th (CHI), 5th (CHI), 6th (CHI), 7th (CHI)
The rebuilding process is going very well for the Blackhawks, but the prospect pool could do with a few more talented wingers, and perhaps a later round gem who plays in net.
While those are lacking areas in the prospect pool now, given how the team looks to be transitioning, you could just take the best player off the board with each pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and then see which ones get good enough quickly enough to break into the team.
Looking for more NHL 20 guides?
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best and Worst Teams to Use and Rebuild
NHL 20: Complete Team Strategies Guide, Line Strategies Guide, Best Team Strategies
NHL 20 Team Guide: San Jose Sharks Player Ratings, Roster & Top Prospects
NHL 20 Team Guide: Toronto Maple Leafs Player Ratings, Roster & Top Prospects
Looking for the best players?
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Players
NHL 20 Draft: Best Players and Top Draft Steals 2020
NHL 20 Draft: Best Players and Top Draft Steals 2021
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Free Agents
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Centers
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Goaltenders
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Defensemen
NHL 20: Fastest players – Forwards and Defensemen
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Left Wingers
NHL 20 Franchise Mode: Best Young Right Wingers
NHL 20 Ratings: Best Young Skaters
