Blackhawks’ smart coaching, competitive culture defying last-place objective for the moment

The Blackhawks have gone 2-2-1 over their past five games rather than falling into last place like expected. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

The Blackhawks’ current roster is, almost certainly, the worst in the NHL.

Their active players have cumulatively contributed 30.3 “point shares” — a holistic statistic measuring total impact — this season, per Hockey Reference. For comparison, the Blue Jackets’ active players have contributed 35.5 win shares, the Ducks’ 35.9, the Sharks’ 40.3 and so forth.