Alex Vlasic eager to speak playoffs into existence for Blackhawks: 'It's a matter of time'

The day after last season ended, defenseman Alex Vlasic declared ‘‘playoffs are the expectation’’ for the Blackhawks in 2026-27. Now that the season — or at least training camp — is approaching, he’s not backing down from that prediction. ‘‘It’s a season where we’re trying to make the playoffs,’’ Vlasic said last week, multitasking with a phone call while trying to keep his Bernedoodle puppy out of trouble. ‘‘As soon as training camp starts, that’s what our goal is. The sooner we establish that…