The 1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks season was the 61st season of operation of the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League. Offseason The 1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks were coming off a year in which they won the Norris Division then somehow got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks selected forward Everett Sanipass with their first round, 14th overall pick. Sanipass played with the Verdun Junior Canadiens of the QMJHL in the 1985–86 season, scoring 28 goals and 94 points in 67 games, while amassing 320 penalty minutes, sixth highest total in the league. Other notable players selected by the team were defenseman Frantisek Kucera and center Mike Hudson. On August 27, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Gary Nylund to a three-year contract worth approximately $620,000. Nylund, who would turn 23 years old early in the season, appeared in 79 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1985–86, scoring two goals and 18 points while accumulating 180 penalty minutes. In 10 playoff games, he had two assists. The Blackhawks then sent Ken Yaremchuk, Jerome Dupont and their fourth round draft pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft to the Maple Leafs as compensation for signing Nylund. Due to a back injury, defenseman Behn Wilson would miss the entire 1986–87 season. Forward Tom Lysiak, who had been with the club since 1979, announced his retirement during the off-season. Regular season The Hawks struggled to start off the season, posting a record of 4-12-5 in their first 21 games, as the club was fighting with the Minnesota North Stars for the fourth and final playoff position in the Norris Division. The Blackhawks would continue to slide to a record of 8-17-6 after 31 games, putting them in last place. The team broke out of their season long slump, winning nine of their next 12 games, putting their record to 17-20-6, and into a tie for first place in the Norris Division with 40 points. The Blackhawks would continue to hover just under the .500 mark, peaking at two games under with a 27-29-10 record following a four-game winning streak in March, sitting in second place in the division. A late season slump brought the Hawks final record to 29-37-14, earning 72 points and third place in the division, as they qualified for the post-season for the 18th consecutive season. Their 72