The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to get to the next level as a franchise after another lost season. As the front office is preaching patience, the team has been trying to create a juggernaut with young talent, but the wins are not coming as consistently as some would want. Let’s take a look at why one outlet is putting a member of the Blackhawks organization on the hot seat.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson is on the hot seat

Bleacher Report’s Joe Yeldon wrote an article describing some coaches and general managers who are on the hot seat. One name that popped up was Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson. Below is a snippet of why he believes Davidson is on the hot seat:

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The Chicago Blackhawks received discouraging news on Thursday as general manager Kyle Davidson announced that veteran goaltender Laurent Brossoit underwent hip surgery this offseason and will be sidelined long-term. The setback marks yet another hurdle in what has been a turbulent stretch for the 31-year-old netminder, who has yet to make his debut for the Blackhawks since signing a two-year contract in July 2024.

From knee issues to this latest hip procedure, Laurent Brossoit’s body has not cooperated over the past year, leaving his NHL future uncertain. For a player once viewed as one of the league’s most reliable backup goaltenders, the string of injuries makes his road back steeper than ever.

A string of setbacks for Laurent Brossoit

Brossoit’s unfortunate run of misfortune began shortly after inking his deal with Chicago last summer. In August 2024, he underwent surgery to repair his meniscus, which put him on the shelf for several weeks. However, his recovery was complicated, leading to a follow-up arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in November. The cumulative effect forced him to miss the entire 2024–25 campaign, preventing him from seeing the ice even once in a Blackhawks uniform.

#Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said goaltender Laurent Brossoit underwent offseason hip surgery and he’s out long term. pic.twitter.com/pP83IY8M30

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 18, 2025

Now, after hip surgery during the offseason, Brossoit faces yet another lengthy recovery. For the Port Alberni, B.C. native, the timing could not be worse. His last NHL appearance came in April 2024 with the Winnipeg Jets during their first-round playoff matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. Since then, he has been battling his health rather than opponents on the ice.

Brossoit’s recent history is especially disheartening given his performance with the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2022–23 season. That spring, he emerged as the starting goaltender in the opening round of the playoffs, helping Vegas dispatch Winnipeg. However, an injury in the second round against Edmonton cut his postseason short, paving the way for Adin Hill to take the crease and eventually backstop the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup.

Across 140 career NHL appearances, Brossoit has compiled a 64-46-13 record, boasting a 2.64 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, alongside six shutouts. His postseason track record includes a 5-2 record in 10 games, though his stats, 3.13 GAA and .890 SV%, reflect the challenges he faced under playoff intensity. Despite the numbers, his calm presence and adaptability made him one of the more admired No. 2 goaltenders league-wide.

With years of quality play behind him but recurring injuries threatening his future, it is unclear whether Brossoit will be able to reestablish himself as a reliable NHL goaltender.

Chicago Blackhawks turn to Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom

With Laurent Brossoit unavailable, the Blackhawks will lean heavily on their other goaltenders as they head into the 2025–26 season. Spencer Knight, fresh off signing a three-year contract extension, is expected to take the bulk of starts. The 24-year-old, once considered a top goaltending prospect in the league, now has an opportunity to solidify himself as a true No. 1 option. Alongside him, Arvid Soderblom will serve as the backup, giving Chicago a tandem with promise but limited proven consistency at the NHL level.

Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight shares his first impressions of head coach Jeff Blashill.

“He’s holding guys to a standard. I think that’s great for the group. It sets the tone.” pic.twitter.com/TBDxPJzWBT

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) September 18, 2025

While the Blackhawks continue to rebuild their roster, stability in net will be crucial. Laurent Brossoit was initially brought in to provide veteran insurance and to mentor younger goalies, but with his health undermining those plans, Chicago’s goaltending depth chart looks very different from what was originally intended.

Davidson also provided updates on other injury concerns as training camps opened. Prospective defenseman Ty Henry is slated for knee surgery, while forward AJ Spellacy will miss 7–10 days after injuring his shoulder. Meanwhile, Boston University standout and Blackhawks draft pick Jack Pridham is listed as day-to-day with an infection.

For now, injury concerns remain an unfortunate theme for the franchise. And for Laurent Laurent Brossoit, once regarded as one of the NHL’s ideal No. 1B goaltenders, the uphill climb continues, his future with Chicago, and perhaps even in the league, hanging in the balance.

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The Chicago Blackhawks would like to keep Connor Bedard around for a very long time. He’s shown flashes during his short NHL career of being something special, though more work has to be done, but the team has amounted to very little during that time.

Being such a talented player who would undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after free agents in NHL history, it wouldn’t be shocking if Bedard weren’t interested in an extension right now, since Chicago hasn’t been good for a while. That, according to GM Kyle Davidson, is not the case.

Chicago Blackhawks GM talking with Connor Bedard on extension

The Chicago Blackhawks can extend Connor Bedard now. As of July 1, the former top prospect can sign a long-term deal to extend his stay in Chicago. Given how highly-touted he was and how valuable he is to the future of the Blackhawks, they’ll want to do so.

That dialogue, according to GM Kyle Davidson, is open now. “We are talking now, and so I think that’s an indicator of openness to discuss,” the GM said. “I think he made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season, and then subsequently in interviews about he’s committed to Chicago and wants to be here long term. We obviously want him here long term. There’s mutual agreement there.”

What would a Bedard extension look like? It would be lengthy and lucrative in all likelihood. Bedard’s performance has, on occasion, lacked, but he has largely been good for Chicago and remains very young and exciting.

Early reports indicate he could sign for $10 million or more AAV and have a contract term of eight years or more. That means he could sign for almost $100 million and be part of the Blackhawks for the better part of the next decade.

However, even though talks have begun, there’s no guarantee that this will get done now. They still have plenty of time, and it’s looking like next summer might be when Bedard actually signs the deal. For now, they’ll work things out and negotiate with the next season looming in the fall.

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Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson is a big believer in building through the draft. The Blackhawks have amassed young talent at centre in recent history, and Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are expected to be the faces of the franchise when their new core is ready to compete in the postseason.

Most mock drafts have the Blackhawks taking a forward with the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft. The selection would be in line with what Davidson has said he believes about stockpiling talent via the draft instead of through trades or free agency.

The Chicago Blackhawks “are open for business”

However, a new report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff suggests that Davidson is feeling some urgency this offseason. Sevavalli told CHSN on Tuesday that Davidson is open to trading the No. 3 pick away for immediate help.

“I’d say the Chicago Blackhawks are open for business over the next 10 days,” Seravalli said. I think everyone has just assumed, ‘Hey, Blackhawks, young building team.’ Of course, you’re going to want to take that number three overall pick, whatever player you select there, and stack them up with some of the other young prospects that you have in your pipeline.

“And that may be the case, but they are open and are willing to be aggressive, to go out and pursue more immediate help. This number three overall pick might not be impacting your team for two to three years. It’s not that the Hawks aren’t willing to be patient.

“Patience has been Kyle Davidson’s middle name as general manager, but at some point, you’re also ready to will and willing to consider alternatives to make your team better in the here and now.”

"The Chicago Blackhawks are open for business over the next 10 days."@frank_seravalli dives into his earlier report that Chicago is open to trading their third overall pick on the Chicago Lead. pic.twitter.com/2kkwfAHCuU

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) June 17, 2025

Would a trade be the Blackhawks’ best option?

The best chance for the Blackhawks to find key help this offseason is via trade. Because Chicago doesn’t want to overspend in free agency, the chatter of the NHL world has been that Davidson will look to find a young NHL player on a value contract to trade for this summer.

Seravalli’s report seems to indicate the Blackhawks might have stronger ambitions this offseason. Chicago’s young core showed promise at the end of last season.

Maybe Davidson thinks Bedard and Nazar are closer than most think to making the Blackhawks competitive again, and a star could be the best way to make progress.

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There is no quick fix for the Chicago Blackhawks coming this offseason.

The Blackhawks finished with the league’s second-worst record last season, and there was some hope the team could add talent in free agency to hasten the rebuild in Connor Bedard’s third year in the league and head coach Jeff Blashill’s first season in Chicago.

On Thursday, general manager Kyle Davidson gave sobering remarks about the Blackhawks’ plans before free agency. Despite having the fifth-most cap space this summer, Davidson warned fans that it didn’t make sense for the team to bid for elite players this offseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to be quiet in free agency

“We can’t do something that’s going to be counter to the path that we’ve set out on,” Davidson said via Scott Powers of The Athletic. “If there is a big move that presents itself, that makes sense, then I’m all for exploring that and pursuing something that does make sense.

“But to say we’re going to do something just to say we did something, and then it doesn’t make sense with where we’re at or where we’re going, then I don’t think we can do that. That would be irresponsible.

“The other thing, too, is the idea of a big splash, that’s so hard to do, right? That’s so hard to find. Especially with the salary cap going up, there’s a lot of teams that have access to space and money that wasn’t in the system before.”

Davidson confirmed that the Blackhawks are open to the idea of trading for a player on an NHL roster, but he cautioned that the rising salary cap around the league could make finding a trade suitor hard this summer. Per the NHL, the salary cap is projected to increase from $88 million to $92.4 million before the upcoming season.

Kyle Davidson is excited about the youth

Davidson believes the best path for the Blackhawks is to build a talented roster and core via the draft. While he’s pessimistic about adding playmakers through free agency and the draft, Davidson is optimistic that there will be enough “excitement” brewing from the team’s youth.

“I think we are going to be younger,” Davidson said of the roster for the upcoming season. “We are going to be way younger than where we started the season last year. I think that’s exciting. That also brings a much more volatile ebb and flow of what you get. Youth goes through growing pains at different times and for different reasons…

“It’s going to be a totally different look this year. There’s going to be a lot of excitement in that and a lot of exciting moments from young players where you can see what’s coming, you can see what this is going to look like and you can see how they’re all going to impact the team at the NHL level. There’s excitement in that. And that’s what we expect. We expect our players to continue to improve.”

Given how far the Blackhawks’ core is from competing in the postseason, it doesn’t make any sense for the team to try and bid for players in their prime, who will be on the decline when Bedard & Co. are ready to go after the Stanley Cup.

However, Davidson’s business strategy won’t make Chicago games more watchable for fans next season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a few big decisions to make in the next month about additions to the roster. Who the Blackhawks select with the No. 3 pick will be determined by whether new head coach Jeff Blashill sees Connor Bedard as a centre or wing.

Then there’s free agency. General manager Kyle Davidson needs to find value acquisitions via free agency or in the trade market with a young player on contract.

Amid Chicago’s roster planning, the team decided to part ways with several players.

The Chicago Blackhawks are not likely to sign Victor Soderstrom

Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks are unlikely to sign Victor Söderström.

“The Blackhawks aren’t expected to sign defenseman Victor Söderström, whose rights they acquired from the Utah Mammoth at the trade deadline in March,” Powers wrote. The Blackhawks were unsure whether they’d be able to sign Söderström, but they thought it was worth exploring as part of the multi-player trade.”

2021 sixth-round pick Ilya Safonov re-signed with the Ak Bars in the KHL on a one-year deal. Per Powers, Chicago did not offer Safonov an entry-level contract, something the 24-year-old center wants.

Kyle Davidson gives up draft rights to several players

Per Powers, the team gave up its draft rights to several players. As expected, Dominic James will not sign a deal with the Blackhawks.

“The Blackhawks officially relinquished their draft rights to Alex Pharand (fourth round, 2023), Marcel Marcel (fifth round, 2023), Milton Oscarson (sixth round, 2023) and Victor Stjernborg (fourth round, 2021) because they weren’t signed before the deadline on June 1,” Powers wrote. “Marcel has been on an AHL contract the past two seasons and could return to the Rockford IceHogs again next season.

“It also still sounds like Dominic James (sixth round, 2022) will not sign a contract with the Blackhawks and will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15.”

The situation with James is a little frustrating for the Blackhawks. Davidson offered him a “pretty (expletive) good opportunity,” but the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs standout wants to test the waters after scoring 14 goals and recording 16 assists in his final college season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks put Anders Sorensen in a tough position in December. He was asked to leave his job as the head coach of the Rockford IceHogs to take over an 8-16-2 Blackhawks team that had issues with veterans and young players jelling in Year 2 of the rebuild with 2023 first-round pick Connor Bedard.

Sorensen went 17-30-2 with Chicago to end the season. The Blackhawks ended the disappointing campaign on a high note, winning four of their final six games, including their last two games.

With the Blackhawks striking out on early coaching hires, it appeared like Sorensen had a legit chance to become the permanent head coach. However, general manager Kyle Davidson named former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill as Richardson’s replacement.

Anders Sorensen wanted the job

Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Sorensen admitted he was initially “disappointed” with the news but was excited that Chicago was going with Blashill if he didn’t get the job.

“It was honest and direct, and that’s all you can ask for,” Sörensen said of Davidson’s conversations during the hiring cycle. “Obviously, they made their decision there. For me, you obviously go in hoping for something. … But once Kyle told me that Jeff was the guy, obviously some disappointment first, but then, obviously, excitement when I heard who it was.

“What he stands for is something I really believe in. It made the decision a lot easier.

Sorensen believes in the Chicago Blackhawks’ youth

Sorensen chose to stay on as an assistant coach under Blashill’s staff. He likes the way Blashill is setting up the staff to be collaborative and give every coach a “voice.” Sorenson said he wanted to stay with Chicago because he believes that the youth can develop into a contender.

“I had a really strong belief in this group of players that we had, that we acquired, obviously, a lot through the draft,” Sörensen said. “These young players, I’ve seen them throughout the year in Rockford and Chicago, I really believed in this group of players. This made my decision to stay on board obviously a lot easier as well. I want to help see this through.”

Sorenson pointed to Chicago’s improvement towards the end of the season. He thinks it shows the promise of what the team can become.

Now it’s up to Blashill to help the Blackhawks take the next leap.

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The Chicago Blackhawks head coaching search this offseason was seen as the biggest thing to nail down, even though the draft and free agency will be vital as well. Luke Richardson was the organization’s bench boss for two and a half years before being let go in December.

Anders Sorensen stepped up to take over Richardson’s role on an interim basis, and was seen as a real option to take the full time gig not too long ago. Chicago had seen five other coaching vacancies be filled before theirs, but it appears that they are ready to make their decision official on the next leader of the franchise.

REPORT: Chicago Blackhawks to name Jeff Blashill as their head coach

Reports have surfaced that Blashill could be named the Blackhawks’ next head coach as soon as Thursday. The former Red Wings bench boss had met with general manager Kyle Davidson least week, and it looks like everything will be made official by the end of the week.

Blashill spent seven seasons as the lead man in Detroit, and he posted a 204-261-72 record in 537 games. He got a tough draw with his first head coaching job in the NHL, as the Red Wings were rebuilding for a handful of years while he was at the helm. All eyes will be on who Blashill has join his staff, as those hires will be equally as important moving forward.

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The Chicago Blackhawks’ roster will be a harder one to make out of camp this fall compared to the previous few seasons. General manager Kyle Davidson had the right idea in mind last summer when he brought in a handful of veterans in free agency to have more NHL-level talent ready to roll on opening night. This didn’t change where the team finished in the league standings from the previous year, as the Blackhawks ended the most recent campaign 31st in points.

One difference in the last two seasons is how this most recent one came to a close. More young talent in the organization’s prospect pool signed their entry-level contracts within the final five weeks of the season, and the energy immediately shifted on the ice. The pace in which the group played with the end the year was much different to what fans have been used to seeing over the past few years.

All of these entry-level deals will create for interesting optional battles in certain spots at camp this fall. A few young players could be on the cusp of making the roster to begin the season, and one of those guys was a 2020 third-round draft pick.

Landon Slaggert could start next season in Rockford

Landon Slaggert signed his entry-level contract toward the end of last season and played in 16 games at the NHL level. The forward collected his first career goal in that stretch to pair with three assists before entering his first full offseason as a professional. Slaggert began the fall in Rockford and spent most of the season down there. The Notre Dame product played in just 33 games with the Blackhawks this past season, and posted two goals to pair with his four assists.

Slaggert spent most of his NHL ice time this past year as a bottom-six forward, which is likely his ceiling as a pro. He didn’t contribute much in the scoring department, and even had a drought of over 20 games where he did not register a point. With the organization potentially bringing in more free agents to add to the team’s forward depth this summer, Slaggert will be in a tough position to make the opening night roster.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to figure out a role for Landon Slaggert

Slaggert played fine at the AHL level last season, and that might be the vision that the front office has for him down the road. He would serve as good depth in Rockford for the organization, and they would know what to expect from him if he is needed to come up in a pinch.

The 22-year-old is under contract with the Blackhawks through the 2026-27 season, so they still have a couple of years to come to a consensus of what they think he can do for them long term. Slaggert had 10 goals and 15 assists in 39 games for the Rockford IceHogs this past season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks’ front office will have plenty of options to pursue in the open market this summer if they want to be aggressive buyers. General manager Kyle Davidson made plenty of moves last summer in free agency to have more NHL-level talent ready to roll on opening night. The 2023-24 squad featured way too many AHL quality players and that showed with the team finishing 31st in the league in points.

Unfortunately for the organization, adding more depth ahead of this past season didn’t change their position in the standings. The Blackhawks finished 31st once again this past year, and landed the third overall pick in the draft that they will use to add another major piece to their rebuild.

Chicago still has some money to spend this summer, and their rebuild taking an extremely positive turn at the end of the most recent campaign could attract free agents to the Windy City. However, an original big time target for the franchise could be off the table after the offer sheet comp levels were officially announced for restricted free agents this offseason.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks won’t sign Matthew Knies

With how well Matthew Knies has performed in the regular season and playoffs over the past couple of years, he has earned himself a nice payday this summer. The left winger is a restricted free agent this offseason, and any team other than Toronto will need to cough up a lot of assets for his services.

Knies likely falls under the category of receiving a yearly salary ranging between $7.02 and $9.36 million this offseason. According to the offer sheet comp levels that were released earlier this week, that would require a team to give up a first, second, and third round draft pick to sign him as a restricted free agent. A team like the Blackhawks are not in a position to make a move this big, even though their prospect pool is already loaded with talent.

The Blackhawks will not be good enough next year to sacrifice a pick that at the very worst will be in the top-10 of what is already shaping up to be a stacked draft class next summer. There are other extremely strong players on the open market this summer that Chicago could make a push for without having to give up this much draft capital in the process.

Matthew Knies would be a game changer for the Chicago Blackhawks

In a world where the Blackhawks’ front office gets crazy aggressive and brings in Knies despite the price tag that comes with him, it would send a message to the league that Chicago is ready to kick things into a new gear. Knies would be a guy that could get the best out of young players like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar for a long time.

Knies just wrapped up his second full season at the NHL level, and he put the hockey world on notice with his play. The 22-year-old had 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 total regular season points in 78 games. The Maple Leafs are still in the playoffs, and Knies has been a major contributor in 10 games. He has five goals and two assists to go with his +1 plus/minus rating.

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It has been over a week since the NHL draft lottery took place, and the Chicago Blackhawks are already being thrown in trade rumors across the league. The organization entered the lottery with the second-best odds to land the top pick in the draft this year, but ultimately fell to the third spot after the Islanders won the number one overall selection with a 3.5% chance to do so.

Even though the organization didn’t get the result they wanted out of the lottery, the third overall pick will still be a huge part of their current rebuild. Chicago has made eight first round selections in the last three years, and they will make two more in June to add to their talented crop of young players.

A trade proposal between the Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres was put out into the hockey world on Monday, and this hypothetical move would impact Chicago’s rebuild massively.

Chicago Blackhawks in wild rumor for Bowen Byram and JJ Peterka

The trade rumor floated out between the Blackhawks and Sabres includes swapping first round picks and multiple players.

• Chicago Blackhawks receive: Bowen Byram, JJ Peterka, 2025 first-round pick (9th overall)
• Buffalo Sabres receive: Lukas Reichel, Nolan Allan, Laurent Brossoit, 2025 first-round pick (3rd overall)

Byram was a first round pick of the Avalanche in 2019 and had a solid first season in Buffalo this past year. The defenseman played in all 82 games for the Sabres and scored seven goals to pair with his 31 assists. Byram had a +11 plus/minus rating, proving that he can be impactful in a prominent role as a two-way blue liner. Adding him to the mix in Chicago would instantly give the Blackhawks one of the best top-four defensemen pairings in the league.

Peterka was a potential trade target for the Blackhawks at the deadline this past season when Buffalo was rumored to be taking calls on the young forward. He had another fantastic season with the Sabres, as he scored 27 goals and collected 41 assists in 77 games. Peterka would elevate the Blackhawks top-six forward group and allow for some of their key veterans to work into middle-six roles next season.

In terms of the players that Chicago would give up in this deal, it is an absolute no-brainer. Reichel could use a change of scenery, and Allan is already getting squeezed out of ice time on the blue line as it is. Brossoit has yet to play a game with the organization, and the Spencer Knight acquisition at the trade deadline doesn’t necessarily give him a path to time in the cage next season.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks likely wouldn’t do this deal

There are two logical reasons why this deal wouldn’t make it across the finish line. One being that Buffalo would be unloading two great talents and not getting much back in return in terms of NHL-ready guys. Depending on how they view Reichel and Allan, Chicago would likely need to offer more, or other young players if they wanted a package of Peterka and Byram.

Another reason would be the swapping of draft picks. While that is the only way this specific package would make any sort of sense for Buffalo, it is uncertain how much general manager Kyle Davidson is willing to move off the third pick. While they would be getting fantastic young talent for the future and right now, the third pick could still be a piece to the puzzle that they might not want to miss out on.

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Despite having a stronger looking top-six forward group entering the upcoming season, the Chicago Blackhawks could still be big players in the open market this summer. There were plenty of veterans on the opening night roster this past October, but a few of those guys got phased out of the lineup as the season went along. This was due to poor performance and multiple young pieces of the team’s future signing their entry-level contracts toward the end of the campaign.

The goal for general manager Kyle Davidson last summer was to create competition in camp and have more NHL caliber players on the roster from the jump this past season to get the team out of the league’s basement. Unfortunately, that didn’t go according to plan, as Chicago finished 31st in points for a second consecutive season. The group is expected to be held to higher standards this fall, as the young roster won a handful of games at the end of this past season that gave fans hope for the future.

Davidson and the rest of the front office could use the end of the year as momentum to attract some high quality free agents this summer. One of the forwards they could look to was a former trade candidate in 2023 of the Canucks before having back-to-back strong seasons in Vancouver.

Why Brock Boeser fits the Chicago Blackhawks

Brock Boeser has posted 65 goals in his last two season with the Canucks. This includes a 40-goal effort from the right winger in the 2023-24 campaign, just a summer after it was rumored that Vancouver was considering moving on from him due to needing to shed some salary. Boeser followed up his 40-goal campaign by having 25 goals and 25 assists in 75 regular season games this past year.

There is no doubt that Boeser is a legitimate top-line winger in the NHL, especially after what he has done the past two seasons. Even though the Blackhawks have some solid veterans in their top-six right now, there is no saying that they can’t go out and add more fire power to help out Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar even more. Boeser is 28-years-old and fits Chicago’s timeline well with their contending window hopefully set to open up in the next couple of seasons. If they could land the veteran on a four-year deal, there is a chance he would appear in a couple of playoff runs before his contract would be up.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks might miss out on Brock Boeser

Because of how well Boeser has played the last two seasons, he will be a hot commodity on the open market this summer. This isn’t to say that the Blackhawks won’t get him due to the competition they might face, but he could want to end up with a franchise that has a quicker path to winning. Even though things are looking up in Chicago, they are still a couple of years out from making the playoffs, and Boeser might not want to wait that long.

There is also a very real possibility that Boeser remains in Vancouver. He has spent all nine years of his career with the Canucks, and he may have zero interest in leaving based on where they are at as a franchise right now. Chicago should 100% be in play for Boeser this summer, but the competition to snag him will be extremely fierce across the league.

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There are multiple aspects of the Chicago Blackhawks summer that will be crucial to the positive swing that the rebuild took at the end of this past season. The head coaching hire is without a doubt the most important thing that the front office needs to take care of. Even though they have lost out on their rumored top candidate for the role in David Carle along with well-respected bench boss Mike Sullivan, there are still a handful of solid options on the market to be the team’s next leader.

The organization landed the third overall pick in the draft this summer on Monday through the draft lottery and that pick alone will give fans plenty of reason to be excited at the idea of adding another franchise cornerstone into the mix. Chicago also holds another first-rounder from Toronto and two second-round choices in the draft this year.

Despite general manager Kyle Davidson hitting free agency hard last summer by adding a slew of veterans into the fray for last year’s squad, he won’t ignore the open market in the coming months. There are arguably even stronger options in the forward department that could elevate this roster in the fall, and one of them is a hard working veteran who has seen success in his multiple stops across the league.

Why Jonathan Drouin would fit the Chicago Blackhawks plan

Jonathan Drouin would be a short term veteran addition to Chicago’s forward group and he would come at a friendly rate. He is currently on his second one-year contract with the Avalanche that is pay him $2.5 million this season. Drouin earned this deal after he posted 19 goals in 79 games with Colorado in the 2023-24 season, which was the second-most goals he scored in a campaign in his lengthy pro career.

Drouin could be another middle-six winger on this Blackhawks roster to create competition in camp this year among the younger players the see who will start the year out at the NHL level and who will begin the campaign in Rockford. This will be the toughest team to make in the last few years in Chicago, and Drouin would only add more fuel to that fire.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks might want to avoid Jonathan Drouin

A major knock on Drouin, if not the biggest is his ability to stay on the ice. While he played in all but three regular season games for Colorado in the 2023-24 campaign, he was hit with multiple injuries this most recent season. The veteran logged just 43 regular season games for the Avalanche, with his last contest before the playoffs being the April 2 showdown against the Blackhawks at the United Center.

In those 43 regular season games. Drouin scored 11 goals and had 26 assists for 37 total points. He returned to the lineup for Colorado’s first round playoff matchup with the Dallas Stars, where they lost the series in seven games. Drouin still posted solid numbers overall in his two years with the Avalanche, but he might not be the guy Chicago is looking for if he can’t consistently stay healthy.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are still searching for their next head coach to lead the franchise, with their vacancy officially adding another excited piece to the puzzle on Monday. The franchise secured the third overall pick in this summer’s draft, and general manager Kyle Davidson was pumped about the results of the lottery even though the team dropped a spot in order.

“I thought it was kind of exciting,” Davidson told the media. “The last couple years haven’t been necessarily like chalk, but teams close to the top of the odds have moved up or stayed the same, so it was kind of exciting from that standpoint. Third overall, we’re going to get a great player. I’m excited to head into meetings next week with our amateur group and start the process of nailing down where we want to line up the board and what it looks like. We stayed in good range where I think we’re going to be really excited with what we end up with.”

Another important part of the Blackhawks’ rebuild will join the organization on June 27 in Los Angeles, and it should be known by then who the next bench boss will be. Despite missing out on their top candidate, a new report has come out saying that Chicago pushed hard for him to be the next leader of the franchise.

The Chicago Blackhawks pushed hard for David Carle

A recent report from John Buccigross of ESPN stated that a team (Chicago) made an extremely enticing offer to David Carle of Denver University, but the young guru held off on making the leap to the NHL ranks this offseason. There is no secret that Carle was a top option in this cycle for many organizations with head coaching vacancies, with the Chicago Blackhawks being one of them. Carle agreed to a new contract to remain at Denver on Monday, proving that he does not plan on coaching at the NHL level anytime soon.

Carle has a 179-73-17 record in his time as the Denver head coach. He has led the program since 2018 and has a 12-2 NCAA tournament record in his tenure. Along with working at Denver, Carle was the head coach for the U.S. National Junior Team for the last two years. He helped them bring home the gold medal both years and announced that he will not return to the role next season.

The Chicago Blackhawks young core should attract candidates

Even though the Blackhawks missed out on the Carle and Mike Sullivan sweepstakes, there are still some attractive candidates out there like Rick Tocchet and Jay Woodcroft. What Chicago has built in their prospect pool has given fans something to look forward to and they even got to see some more first-round picks make their NHL debut this past season.

Six of the eight first-round selections in the last three drafts were with the team at some point this season, and the other two picks from that 2024 class are not too far behind. Everyone is hoping that Connor Bedard will take a massive step forward in his third NHL season after posting back-to-back 20-plus goal and 60-plus point campaigns to begin his career.

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All eyes have been on the Rockford IceHogs as some key Chicago Blackhawks prospects are with the club right now for the AHL playoffs. The NHL season ended on a positive note in the organization with an overtime victory on the road against the Senators in the final game of the campaign. It was Frank Nazar who netted the game winner on an assist from Connor Bedard.

The depth in the Blackhawks’ organization was very prominent this past season, as plenty of NHL debuts were made throughout the year. This was a complete flip from the 2023-24 campaign when Chicago had a handful of AHL-level players getting consistent ice time on a nightly basis. Despite general manager Kyle Davidson going out and bringing a good amount of veterans in free agency last summer, young talent made it to the NHL level after all.

These young faces ended up taking away some of the roster spots occupied by the new acquisitions from the summer and it is giving fans hope for the future. This team still has a few things that they need to get right before they are fully ready to compete, but this is the closest they have been to that status in quite some time. One of the young forwards down with the Rockford IceHogs for the AHL playoffs made an immediate impact upon his return to the team last week.

Colton Dach made an immediate impact for the Rockford IceHogs

Colton Dach was good to go for the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs after missing some time over the past month and a half due to injury. The 21-year-old scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the first game of the series against the Milwaukee Admirals to give the IceHogs another series lead. Rockford has yet to lose a game in the Calder Cup playoffs, as they swept the Chicago Wolves in the opening round and currently hold a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-five set with the Admirals entering Wednesday night’s matchup at home.

Especially because of his injury, it is important for Dach to play in as many games with Rockford as possible in the playoffs this year. He is among a handful of forwards in the organization that could be a key contributor down the road as a bottom-six forward and any ice time that he can get back this year is crucial for his development.

It won’t be easy for Colton Dach to make the Chicago Blackhawks

Dach made his NHL debut on January 3 and logged 25 games with the Blackhawks this past season. He had two goals and five assists while seemingly having a different role every other week. He got to play on the top line on occasion with Connor Bedard, while serving as a bottom-six guy toward the end of his stint prior to his injury.

It is known that this will not be an easy roster to make out of camp this year. All of the bottom-six forwards and fringe defensemen will be involved in intense positional battles, which is something that hasn’t happened in Chicago in a few years. Dach will be in the running to make the team, but he will need to stay healthy and earn his spot depending on who is brought in this offseason.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a good problem on their hands entering camp at the end of the summer in regards to their defensive group. They entered this past year with a handful of veterans on the blue line, but that has changed drastically heading into the offseason. Multiple defensemen in the organization under the age of 23 either made their NHL debuts this year or saw frequent ice time that forced a few veterans out of the lineup on a nightly basis.

The last three roster spots on the blue line will be fought for harder in camp at the end of the summer compared to previous seasons. Based on what the organization has at the NHL level right now and in Rockford, the fringe defensemen come at a much higher number than usual. This doesn’t include any marginal additions that general manager Kyle Davidson might make in free agency, which should be taken into account as well.

One of the Blackhawks’ former top draft choices looked solid in his first NHL action this past season, but it might not be enough to keep him around for the long haul.

Nolan Allan put together a solid shortened season in Chicago

Nolan Allan was Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft, as he went 32nd overall. He made the opening night roster in Utah back in October and had a lengthy stint with the team before he was sent down to Rockford at the end of February.

Allan logged 43 games at the NHL level this past season and collected his first career goal to go along with seven assists. The 21-year-old had a plus/minus rating of -13 and was noticed as one of the top rookie defensemen across the league at the quarter way mark of the campaign.

In his time with the IceHogs in the regular season, Allan played in 20 games. He posted two goals and four assists with a 0 plus/minus rating. Allan’s game remained consistent to close out the regular season and he’s a staple on Rockford’s blue line in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Nolan Allan’s path to consistent ice time will be difficult

With the Blackhawks having two left-shot defensive spots truly up for grabs in camp as of right now. Alex Vlasic has the top pair locked in and there is a solid chance that the front office brings in a veteran that will actually be worthy of playing time every night.

This leaves Allan competing for the last position (and the seventh defenseman on the roster) with the likes of Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser. There is no saying that Allan is not capable of winning one of the two potential openings on the roster to begin this upcoming season, but it will not be easy for him.

If the Blackhawks front office does not see a path for Allan down the road to be a consistent part of the future, trading him could certainly be a possibility. He offers plenty of upside and put together a solid stint at the NHL level before being sent down and he kept that momentum going in Rockford. The organization could look to flip him for a forward prospect who is in a similar situation of being involved in a position log jam for a change of scenery.

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The youth movement that made it to the Chicago Blackhawks roster toward the end of the season was exciting to watch, but select veterans put together solid years to keep the team afloat in the beginning. This year marked the first true crossover in the organization’s rebuild.

Last season consisted of mostly fringe NHL level players getting an opportunity with the Blackhawks to mix in with a handful of veterans and young talent. Fast forward to this most recent year where general manager Kyle Davidson made a surplus of free agent acquisitions in the offseason to have better depth overall within the organization. The expectations in Chicago were higher entering this most recent season than in years past, but it was still known that they were not going to be all that competitive.

With things going south for Chicago right around the time of their tough loss in the Winter Classic, the lineup was shuffled more frequently by interim head coach Anders Sorensen and it lead to a little more success. This came at a cost, as multiple veterans lost partial ice time with all of the young faces getting called up toward the end of the year. However, a few veterans enjoyed solid seasons in the Windy City. This includes a 2015 Stanley Cup Champion that was brought back as a big free agent signing last summer.

Teuvo Teravainen had a quietly good first season back in Chicago

Teuvo Teravainen agreed to a three-year deal with the Blackhawks last summer worth $5.4 million per season. He was the 18th overall pick of the franchise in the 2012 draft and was a member of the last Chicago team to hoist a Stanley Cup back in 2015.

After the 2015-16 season, Teravainen spent the next eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes where he scored over 20 goals in a year four different times. This includes his single-season high of 25 times that he lit the lamp a season prior to his return to Chicago.

Teravainen was the definition of consistent this past year. He played in all 82 games and was a top-six forward for most of them. The 30-year-old quietly put up a great scoring season, as he finished third on the team in points with 58, and second in assists with 43. He trailed only Connor Bedard in the assist department, who completed the season with 44 helpers. Teravainen and fellow veteran Tyler Bertuzzi got in a good grove with Frank Nazar toward the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see if that line stays intact heading into next year.

The Chicago Blackhawks can lean on Teravainen and others next year

Due to Teravainen’s consistent production and chemistry with other forwards in Chicago’s top six, the organization can continue to rely on him down the road. He is obviously being paid a good amount to fill this role and help the front office hit the salary floor, but he shouldn’t be in the same department as other veterans on the roster who might not be back next season.

Teravainen, Bertuzzi and Nick Foligno are veterans that should have guaranteed spots in the forward group moving into camp at the end of the summer. Everything else could be up for grabs between the younger players that just got their feet wet at the NHL level this season and a select few veterans who have been around for a couple of years.

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The Chicago Blackhawks future outlook in the cage got much stronger at the trade deadline just under two months ago. General manager Kyle Davidson found a trade partner for veteran blue liner Seth Jones in the Florida Panthers and Chicago fans were thrilled at the return that he fetched for the 30-year-old. Along with a first-round pick, the Blackhawks got Spencer Knight in return for Jones and it appears that Chicago now has their top netminder of the future.

The Blackhawks have struggled to find a top goaltender since Corey Crawford was in his prime and that had to change in order for the current rebuild to get kicked into a new gear. While Knight was fantastic to watch in his short time with the Blackhawks this season, there is no doubt that he is the front runner in the organization to control the net for the long haul. Despite Chicago having other top goaltending prospects in their pipeline, the trade didn’t change the mindset of their current starter in the AHL.

Drew Commesso spoke on his relationship with Spencer Knight

Drew Commesso has put together a strong season with the Rockford IceHogs and even made his NHL debut back in December. For the longest time, he was the prospect in the organization set to be the primary goaltender of the future, but it appears that those plans have changed. Despite the move for Knight, Commesso remains focused on the process to being his best every night. When he appeared on the CHGO Blackhawks podcast, he had nothing but great things to say about Knight and his future with the franchise.

“Honestly, I don’t adjust my mentality at all,” Commesso said. “It was something that was completely out of my control and I think I found out about it 15 minutes before my first game back from injury in the locker room. For me, I’ve just had a great mindset of just being present and controlling what I can.”

Commesso’s strong mentality on the situation could have a lot to do with the fact that him and Knight have a strong relationship based on their time together at the U.S. developmental program and having similar roots as east coast natives.

“Spence and I have a phenomenal relationship,” Commesso said. “He’s been such a great guy to me ever since I met him at the U.S. program when we were there together and I only have unbelievable things to say about him. I think we are really similar in a lot of ways and we view the game very similarly.”

With how today’s NHL operates, it’s more important now than ever to have two strong netminders on an active roster. Gone are the days of one goalie taking the net for a majority of the season (with a few exceptions across the league, of course). Chicago needs as much depth as possible and having both Knight and Commesso in their system should be seen as a good thing.

The Chicago Blackhawks could have a solid goaltending tandem

Knight made 15 starts after the Blackhawks acquired him in March and posted a 5-8-2 record with a 3.18 GAA and a .896 save percentage. The numbers don’t attest to how solid the 23-year-old was in the cage due to the inconsistent play in front of him down the stretch.

Commesso made one start and came off the bench once in his brief stint with the Blackhawks. In 39 regular season games with Rockford, he had a 18-15-6 record with a 2.54 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Commesso improved in all statistical categories from his first season in the AHL and he will lead the IceHogs into the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday night against the Chicago Wolves.

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The roster shift that the Chicago Blackhawks experienced in the 2024-25 was clear to see and it changed the team’s overall dynamic down the stretch. A much younger group took the ice in the final month of the campaign compared to the how the roster looked on opening night. More entry-level contracts were signed in the middle of the season, which resulted in much quicker play from a pace standard.

Six of the eight first round draft picks made by general manager Kyle Davidson over the past three years were on the roster at some point this season. There is much more help on the way as well, with Chicago holding two first round picks once again this year to pair with their two second round selections.

With the youth movement making it’s way to the NHL level in the Blackhawks organization, some veterans on the roster were impacted more than others. Whether this was through line changes or general ice time, things needed to be shuffled around the accommodate the new faces on the ice.

Anders Sorensen admits that certain players were frustrated

For a team that was loaded with veterans to begin the season back in October, this change might not have sat well with certain players on the roster. When interim head coach Anders Sorensen spoke with the media last week, he confirmed part of this belief to be true.

“There were bad stretches throughout the year, and there were different reasons for that, Sorensen told the media. “I think there’s a lot of undercurrent that people don’t know about, that goes behind [the scenes], that nobody’s going to talk about.”

This quote from the interim bench boss can be taken in two different directions. One of which could be as simple as frustration boiling over from veterans on the roster regarding the team’s poor play. As Sorensen mentioned, the growing pains from this group were very apparent, especially on the road. The Chicago Blackhawks only won 10 games away from the United Center this season, which included multiple painful losing streaks.

The other interpretation that many are taking away from this quote is that a few veterans that saw their roles change throughout the campaign were rubbed the wrong way by the youth movement joining the fray. With the exception of the Seth Jones trade with the Panthers and the Craig Smith/Petr Mrazek trade with the Red Wings, the Blackhawks mostly stood pat at the deadline this season.

Because of this, a few veterans both on the blue line and in the forward group lost ice time and even their spots in the lineup toward the end of the year. Even though this is the nature of the business, it’s still easy to see why some guys would be frustrated over this aspect of the season.

There will still be a steady veteran presence next season

Guys like Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev had career years for Chicago. While Mikheyev is under contract through next year, Donato is set to be a free agent. It will be up to the Blackhawks’ front office to take care of the the 30-goal scorer from this past year if they want him around for the next stage of this rebuild.

Captain Nick Foligno will be back next year and a few more important veterans under contract for multiple seasons like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen won’t be going anywhere either.

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Even though the Chicago Blackhawks’ season came to an end last week, there is still hockey to be played within the organization that means something. The Rockford IceHogs begin their quest for the Calder Cup in the AHL on Wednesday against the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. They finished the season with a 31-33-6-2 record and will get the final two games in this best-of-three series at home on Friday and Sunday of this week.

Plenty of Blackhawks prospects have spent at least part of the season down in the AHL, and a few were eligible to return to the Hogs for the playoffs. A notable name that began his season down in Rockford, who made a ton of noise at the end of the season in Chicago, is Frank Nazar. The former first-round draft pick netted a goal in the Blackhawks’ final three games of the campaign and was one of the top scoring rookies once the calendar flipped to 2025.

While Nazar isn’t with the IceHogs this week in their playoffs, two marquee defensemen were sent down to continue their seasons with the team.

Chicago Blackhawks’ blue liners are down in Rockford for the playoffs

Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski are playing in the Calder Cup playoffs this year after both blue liners spent most of their respective seasons with the team. Levshunov was the second overall pick of the 2024 draft and signed his entry-level deal last summer instead of returning to Michigan State for a second season of college hockey.

Before getting the call to spend the final 18 games of the season in the NHL, Levshunov logged 52 games with the IceHogs this year. The right-shot defenseman had five goals and 17 assists in AHL action this year to go with his 0 plus/minus rating. The Blackhawks’ coaching staff was really impressed with what Levshunov brought to the table and how much of an impact he made from the jump in his time at the NHL level this year.

In 18 games with the Blackhawks, he had six assists and a -13 plus/minus rating. Levshunov is still looking for his first NHL goal, and while his plus/minus mark was not outstanding, he earned a lot of ice time and even a spot on the power play unit early on in his stint with the team.

Kevin Korchinski will need to fight for his roster spot this summer

Korchinski needs more ice time this season badly, and the playoffs are a perfect opportunity for him to get more work in. After spending all of last season in the NHL because he didn’t have AHL eligibility in his contract, the top-ten draft pick in 2022 played 56 games with the IceHogs this year.

The 20-year-old’s AHL numbers weren’t bad by any stretch this season, as he had three goals, 24 helpers, and a -17 plus/minus rating. In his two stints with the Blackhawks this year, Korchinski looked more confident each time he stepped on the ice. Despite this, he is still very raw and needs to tighten up his game badly. With Chicago having depth in the defensive group this season, Korchinski was a healthy scratch multiple times.

This summer will be important for Korchinski, as it won’t be easy to crack the opening night roster out of camp this season. With other young left-shot defensemen like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan having stong seasons in the organization, Korchinski will need to stand out to avoid beginning another season in Rockford.

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The Chicago Blackhawks had a season that would take a toll on any general manager. The Blackhawks finished their schedule last week with a 25-46-11 record, the second worst in the NHL.

General manager Kyle Davidson chose to fire head coach Luke Richardson on Dec. 5 and appoint Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen as the Blackhawks’ interim head coach. Davidson made the risky move to make Mark Eaton the IceHogs’ head coach, even though he had no prior coaching experience.

Chicago Blackhawks’ GM had a health scare this season

Per Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune, Davidson told reporters last week that he dealt with a heart scare during the season. He was dealing with symptoms related to Tetralogy of Fallot.

“It was a challenging season for myself,” Davidson said. “I would say that’s mostly away from the rink. … New child, a heart surgery and going through that whole situation where … feeling the way I was feeling, finding out the news, going through the process of second, third opinions and doing that all while in between work. That’s not easy.

“I didn’t have heart surgery on my bingo card this year.”

Kyle Davidson had serious symptoms to deal with

Davidson had two open heart surgeries as an infant and another in 2019. Davidson had to replace a pulmonary valve in his heart during the season after dealing with serious side effects from the heart issue in late August and September.

“It’s a combination of palpitations, fatigue, inability to really do workouts that I would be able to do previously; shortness of breath, especially laying on my back,” Davidson said. “All kinds of things that are little signs along the way that something isn’t working especially well.”

Davidson spent time in the hospital in November for heart palpitations. He was able to have the valve replacement on Feb. 11.

Davidson had to balance his health and duties as GM of the Blackhawks through the winter. He wound up leaning heavily on associate general manager Norm Maciver and assistant GM Meghan Hunter.

Fortunately, he was able to persevere to the offseason. But there might not be as much rest during that time as Davidson would like, or need.

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This season marked the first for Nick Foligno as the Chicago Blackhawks’ captain, and it was the most important one of the organization’s current rebuild. Even though they finished in the same spot in the league standings as they did a year ago, the ending of this season was extremely exciting for the future. They hung around in games that they wouldn’t have been at the beginning of the campaign, and the youth movement made its presence known.

Seeing the first-round picks from the last few seasons sign their entry-level contracts and make their NHL debuts gave fans even more of a reason to tune into a team that was long out of the playoff race. The goal for next year for the Blackhawks should be to get out of the league’s basement, and their captain recognizes that.

Nick Foligno talks next steps for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks will have made a top-four draft pick in the first round for three straight years, regardless of how the lottery goes next month. While loading up the prospect pool with young and elite talent is never a bad thing, there comes a point where a shift is needed in the rebuild. Foligno knows that this team needs to flip a switch next season and that they have the pieces necessary to do so.

“The next step for our group is to get into a mindset to be a meaningful team,” Foligno said. It’s starts now to be highly motivated to be a part of this process. There’s a collective group now that gets to decide if they want to be a part of where we’re going”

This group likely consists of other veterans alongside Foligno who have multi-year contracts like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen. The young portion of the group should include Connor Bedard, Alex Vlasic and Frank Nazar among others who have made an impact this season.

The game in Montreal on Monday night against the Canadians was the first playoff-like atmosphere that this young group has played in together. Foligno saw it as a valuable experience and one that the team thrived in.

“That game in Montreal, I saw a collective mindset of handling ourselves with maturity,” Foligno said. “It’s those moments that get you really excited.”

The Blackhawks faught back down 2-0 early in that contest to defeat Montreal 4-3 in a shootout. Not only was this a tough road environment that showed them what playoff hockey will be like down the road, but they overcame a tough start to take down a relatively strong team.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ future is now, and Nick Foligno knows that

Foligno’s contract expires after next season, which marks his 20th in the NHL. He knows that the future is now for the Blackhawks organization and that it is almost time to pass the torch to the next generation.

“This is their team,” Foligno insisted. “As much as I’m the Captain, this is their team and I’m going to hand that off to them at some point.”

It will be interesting to see how many young faces can break camp and make the opening night roster this fall. There were plenty of debuts made this season, but with certain veterans returning to full health and a couple of free agent signings bound to happen, not every young player can be with the big club to begin the season. It will be tough to make this team next season, which is the first time someone can say that about the Blackhawks in quite some time.

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Monday and Tuesday mark the final two games of another disappointing season in this lengthy rebuild for the Chicago Blackhawks. The organization will finish 31st in the league standings for a second straight season, as they currently sit with a 23-46-11 record and 57 points. They will have the second best odds to win the draft lottery this year, with Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa being the top two prospects up for grabs this summer.

The Blackhawks have debuted a handful of young players in the organization’s prospect pipeline this season. Most of these have come within the last month or so, and a majority of them were first round draft choices. General manager Kyle Davidson has seen six of the eight first round picks he has made over the past three drafts play in the NHL this season, with the other two selections not far behind the rest.

When the Blackhawks take on the Canadians Monday evening in Montreal, two more individuals will be making their NHL debuts as the season comes to a close. Another Chicago forward prospect will get his shot with the big club, and the Canadians’ top draft pick last year who was almost a Blackhawk will get to see NHL ice for the first time.

The Chicago Blackhawks almost drafted Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov officially signed his entry level contract last week with the Canadians after many assumed he would remain in Russia for at least another season. The forward was the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, but it was rumored for quite a while that Chicago had serious interest in selecting him with the second overall pick. The Blackhawks ended up going with defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who was played well to begin his NHL career after making his debut last month.

Demidov making his debut against Chicago is ironic to say the least. He is coming off a strong season for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, where he has been for parts of the last three seasons. Demidov scored 19 goals and added 30 assists for 49 total points in his 65 games this year. Montreal is a win away from clinching a playoff spot, and they can do so in his debut at home this evening.

Ryan Greene will make his NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Greene was a second round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. The now 21-year-old has spent the last three seasons at Boston University after spending a couple of years with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Greene has improved in each of his three seasons at the collegiate level and earned a nod as one of the program’s co-captains for this past season.

The Terriers lost in the National Championship game against Western Michigan on Saturday night in a game that the Broncos dominated from start to finish. Greene didn’t waste any time signing his entry-level deal, as he agreed to terms with the Blackhawks on Sunday morning.

Greene will join Demidov in making his debut on Monday night at the Bell Centre. Based on scheduling this season, the forward will have to wait to make his United Center debut until next year. Greene had 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 40 games at Boston University this past season. He is seen as a bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks down the road and will certainly get a fair shot at making the team out of camp this summer. Greene’s leadership qualities that he brings to the table will help his case as well.

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The young defensive core that has made it up to the Chicago Blackhawks blue line this season has given fans plenty of optimism for the future. This season began with the team having a handful of veterans on the defensive side of things, but that has since taken a turn since the trade deadline.

General manager Kyle Davidson finding a trade partner for Seth Jones got the ball rolling for giving out more minutes to the young defensemen in the Blackhawks’ system. Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel have made their NHL debuts this year and already look the part as the top two right-shot blue liners of the future.

Another young defenseman who saw his game grow a ton at the NHL level this season will be going down to Rockford ahead of their playoff run.

Chicago Blackhawks send Ethan Del Mastro to Rockford

Del Mastro was officially sent down to Rockford on Friday prior to the Blackhawks’ final home game of the season on Saturday against the Jets. The 22-year-old will head back to the AHL to help the IceHogs in their quest for a Calder Cup this season.

The 2021 fourth round draft choice played in 24 games at the NHL level this season. Del Mastro finished the season with two goals and four assists while posting a -3 plus/minus rating. He was with the team for most of the campaign, but struggled to draw into the lineup consistently when more veterans were healthy and active. Del Mastro made his NHL debut a year ago, where he logged two total games at the end of the season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks collected a rare road victory on Thursday night following one of their hardest defeats of the season earlier on in the week. Despite this year’s team having similar results in the win column compared to a season ago, their style of play has drastically changed. The Blackhawks haven’t been getting blown out to the extent that they did last year and they are playing a much more physical brand of hockey.

Chicago did not get shut out for the first time all season until their loss in Colorado on March 10. This is way later than their first shutout in the 2023-24 campaign, which shows that their goal scoring efforts have improved with a couple of the veteran additions made last summer.

The squad has still gone through their handful of tougher losses this year, but that is expected with the number of roster changes that they experience on a weekly basis. This season will be seen as a shift in Chicago’s rebuild, as some first-round draft picks from the last couple of years have made their NHL debuts over the past month.

The Blackhawks bounced back nicely on Thursday in Boston after a rough loss two nights prior against the Penguins. The team’s captain believes their post-game conversations on Tuesday led to a better outcome in their final road game in the United States this year.

Chicago Blackhawks’ captain Nick Foligno believes meeting worked

Foligno made it known to the media after Thursday’s 5-2 victory in Boston that the team’s long meeting after the Pittsburgh game on Tuesday definitely had an impact on how they played.

“There was a more conscious effort for some guys to just dig it, respect the game,” Foligno said. 

The team’s 5-0 loss on Tuesday was just the second time they have been shut out all season. They allowed three goals in the third period, which was the real back breaker in the loss. Chicago trailed 1-0 after the first 20 minutes of play on Thursday before Foligno scored his 13th goal of the season in the second period. With the score knotted at one entering the third frame, the Blackhawks scored three goals in the span of 93 seconds to put the game out of reach.

With not many games left in the season, a spark was certainly needed to get this team across the finish line. Saturday marks the final home contest for Chicago, before they head to Canada to play two games next Monday and Tuesday.

Nick Foligno can impact the Chicago Blackhawks young core next year

Foligno is under contract through the end of next season, which gives him plenty of time to work with all of the young pieces that will be entering their first full NHL seasons in the fall. The veteran forward was named the 35th captain of the franchise over the summer after they went without a designated leader last year.

It is clear that Foligno can handle the room and be an aid to the coaching staff, which will be a huge selling point when general manager Kyle Davidson is conducting interviews for the new bench boss this summer. While Foligno doesn’t have much time left in his professional career, he has made it clear that Chicago is exactly where he wants to be.

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The Chicago Blackhawks young defensive core is beginning to take shape after they started this season with one of the older units in the NHL. It has been another rough year in the organization’s rebuild, but the promising performances from all of the young faces on the roster has given fans hope for the future. On the offensive side if things, Connor Bedard has lit the lamp 20 times for the second straight season.

Bedard has received some reinforcements in the forward group while getting help from the veterans brought in by general manager Kyle Davidson this past summer. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen have been consistent contributors in the top-six for the Blackhawks, and Ilya Mikheyev is quietly putting together the best season of his career on Bedard’s wing.

Unfortunately for Chicago’s front office, not every veteran signed over the summer panned out the way that they would have hoped for. One of the defenseman brought in on a multi-year deal has not played and over a month and his future with the franchise looks bleak.

TJ Brodie likely to be bought out by the Chicago Blackhawks

TJ Brodie hasn’t played in a game since the Blackhawks’ 6-3 win over Anaheim on March 1. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times posted on X that he believes that the 34-year-old will be bought out by the organization this summer. Brodie has struggled mightily this season when given ice time, with many fans showing frustration over the fact that he was drawing into the lineup ahead of youngsters like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan.

In 54 games this year, Brodie has two goals and eight assists to go with his rough -18 plus/minus rating. It doesn’t help that the Blackhawks are at the bottom of the league’s standings, but his plus/minus rating being the second-lowest among active defenseman on the team makes it difficult to justify him getting back into the lineup over certain younger blue liners.

Brodie signed a two-year contract this offseason worth $7.5 million. His $3.75 million cap hit next season would be an easy salary for Chicago to eat, as they need help getting to the salary floor and moving off Brodie would allow for them so start younger defensemen to begin the campaign.

The Chicago Blackhawks young defensive core has shown promise

Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel have made their NHL debuts on the Blackhawks blue line over the last month and have looked strong to begin their professional careers. Levshunov was the 2024 second overall pick and Rinzel went 25th overall in the 2022 draft. The pair will be the top-two right shot defensemen in Chicago for the foreseeable future, and someone like Brodie not drawing into the lineup has allowed for them to be on the active roster.

From the left side, Alex Vlasic leads the way in the group. The other two spots entering next season will be up for grabs, with a handful of players in competition to start the year in the NHL. Del Mastro, Allan, Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser are all options for the new head coach to choose from along with any veterans that the front office might sign in free agency this summer.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a solid blend of veterans and young talent on their roster to end another forgetful season in this long rebuild. General manager Kyle Davidson did his due diligence this past summer by bringing in more NHL-level talent in free agency with the hopes of getting the franchise out of the league’s basement in the standings.

While not much changed in the win column, the group has played a much better brand of hockey down the stretch to close out the campaign. The veterans that have remained with the team have done a nice job welcoming in all of the young pieces that have made their debuts this year. One of the oldest players in the league that is in his first and last year with the Blackhawks was nominated for an award on Wednesday morning.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Pat Maroon nominated for the Masterton Trophy

Pat Maroon announced last month that he will be retiring from hockey at the end of the season. The 36-year-old joined Chicago over the summer on a one-year contract and he will be playing in his final NHL game next Tuesday in Ottawa.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Maroon has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Blackhawks chapter of the PHWA. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out every year to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award is named in honor of Bill Masterton, who passed away from injuries he sustained in a game as a member of the Minnesota North Stars.

Maroon is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and has earned all of the recognition he has across the league. Everyone knows not to mess with him, as he is one of the top “goons” in the NHL. Despite his physical play-style, the man known as “Big Rig” is seen as one of the more respectful players in the game and this nomination is well-deserved.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a major offseason coming up with the top priority coming from behind the bench for the future of the franchise. Luke Richardson was relieved of his duties as head coach in December and was replaced by an interim candidate. Anders Sorensen was pulled up from Rockford to lead the team for the rest of the season and not much has changed in the win column since his tenure began.

Chicago will hold a top-four pick in this summer’s draft and the front office has money to spend if they want to pursue a top free agent on the open market like Mitch Marner. No matter what management does with their resources this offseason, it will all be for nothing if they can’t get this head coaching hire right.

An outside-the-box hire for the Blackhawks could very well be the best option available to them. It won’t be easy to take the best collegiate head coach in the country away from his current home, but Chicago might have the perfect situation for him to make the jump to the NHL.

David Carle would bring a winning mentality to Chicago

David Carle is the top college hockey coach in the nation right now, and he certainly has a future coaching in the NHL if he wants to make the leap. Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff thinks that it won’t be an easy task to get Carle to leave Denver University, but he believes that there is a world where the Blackhawks make sense as a potential landing spot for him.

“And then there’s David Carle, the winning machine, Marek wrote. “I’m told it would take a lot to get him to leave a great setup with Denver, but is there a team out there ready to make his accountant happy and bring in one of the best coaches in college hockey? Maybe a team loaded with young prospects. Could the Chicago Blackhawks make sense here?”

Carle has a 179-73-17 record in his time as the Denver head coach. He has led the program since 2018 and has a 12-2 NCAA tournament record in his tenure. Prior to being named the bench boss, Carle served as an assistant at Denver for two different stints and as an assistant for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.

The 35-year-old is a two-time NCAA champion, as he lead Denver to glory in 2022 and 2024. Carle won the NCHC tournament in 2024 as well, and has taken home two NCHC regular season titles. There is no denying the fact that Carle is a proven winner at a high level. Despite not having any NHL experience, a winning mentality travels and he would bring a different energy behind the Blackhawks bench that they haven’t had in years.

Top Chicago Blackhawks prospects have played under David Carle

Along with working at Denver, Carle was the head coach for the U.S. National Junior Team for the last two years. He helped them bring home the gold medal both years and got to work with a few Blackhawks prospects while doing so.

Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel all played under Carle in 2024 when the team won gold in Sweden. Moore remained with USA Hockey for the most recent tournament in Ottawa where they repeated as champs by defeating Finland in the gold medal game.

Carle winning at another high level only bolsters his head coaching resume and the fact that he accomplished what he did with USA Hockey while having Chicago prospects on the roster is a bonus. It will be tough for general manager Kyle Davidson to pitch Carle on leaving his great situation at Denver, but his track record is incredible enough to the point where he needs do all that he can to recruit another young name on the rise in the hockey world to come to the Windy City.

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Decisions need to be made on certain forwards in the Chicago Blackhawks current bottom-six with just five games remaining this season. There has been plenty of lineup shuffling made this season between the two head coaches that have led this team, but the top-six has been locked in for the last month.

The Blackhawks roster has only gotten younger since the March 7 trade deadline and that makes the outlook of next season’s group on opening night much different. The two main veteran additions that general manager Kyle Davidson made to the team last summer will be around next year, but not many other older players should have a guaranteed roster spot compared to previous years.

The signings of Teuvo Teravinen and Tyler Bertuzzi have panned out well so far and they will be in the top-six on opening night next year based on how things stand right now. Those two and Nick Foligno will be the true veterans ready to roll next season, with Jason Dickinson being a likely candidate to stick around in Chicago as well.

One of the many young forwards on the current roster made a mistake on Friday’s one game road trip in the nation’s capital, but it hasn’t removed him from the lineup for the rest of the campaign.

Lukas Reichel’s mistake has not taken him out of the lineup

Lukas Reichel missed a mandatory team meeting on Friday morning prior to that evening’s road matchup against the Capitals. Because of this, interim head coach Anders Sorensen chose to scratch Reichel from the lineup in favor of Philipp Kurashev. It was later revealed that Reichel did not intend to miss the meeting, as he forgot his phone charger and it died while he was sleeping. His alarm never went off, which led to him not playing against Washington.

Lukas Reichel missed the Blackhawks meeting yesterday morning because he forgot his charger and his phone died while he was sleeping, so his alarm never went off.

It’ll be a funny story in a year, but “it definitely sucks missing a game.” He assured Anders it won’t happen again.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 5, 2025

Kurashev scored in place of Reichel in the 5-3 loss and many wondered if the lineup would change for the rest of the season because of that performance. Instead, Reichel drew back into the fray on Sunday at home against Pittsburgh and Pat Maroon was the odd man out of the forward group. Luckily for Reichel, the coaching staff has liked his style of play as of late enough to keep him involved with a chance to prove himself to management in the final five games.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a decision to make on Lukas Reichel

Reichel’s contract is not up at the end of the season, but that doesn’t mean his spot on the team is safe moving forward. The 22-year-old is owed $1.2 million next year and the Blackhawks front office wouldn’t have an issue either eating his salary or trying to trade him based on their current cap situation.

This season marks the most games that Reichel has played at the NHL level in his career. In 67 games, he has seven goals and 14 assists for 21 total points primarily working on the fourth line. Maroon and former Blackhawk Craig Smith were Reichel’s linemates for most of the season, with scoring chances not be presented much for the trio.

If the organization sees a future for Reichel in Chicago, they will need to put him in a better position to tap into his potential next year. However, this year could have been the last straw for management, and a change of scenery could be best for him down the road.

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The Chicago Blackhawks prospect pool has had a very strong season and that continued in the OHL playoffs over the weekend. With all eyes around the team being set at the youth movement taking over the NHL squad, it is still important to keep tabs on how the rest of the talent across the organization.

A handful of NHL debuts have been made over the last month and general manager Kyle Davidson has a fantastic hit rate on first round draft choices making it to the highest level. Six of Chicago’s eight first round picks from the 2022-2024 drafts are currently with the team and three of them have debuted this year.

The two who haven’t reached the NHL level yet should be making their debuts at the end of next season. Marek Vanacker and Sacha Boisvert tore it up at their respective amateur stops this season and will play one more year at that level before turning pro.

Two non-first round draft choices from the 2023 draft have had incredible seasons in the OHL, and they continued to perform well over the weekend on a big stage.

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak recorded a hat-trick

Martin Misiak was a second round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2023 draft. The forward went in the same draft as Connor Bedard and has spent the past two seasons with the Erie Otters. Misiak netted a hat-trick and added an assist in the Otters 6-3 playoff victory on Friday. The effort from Misiak eliminated the potential top pick in this summer’s draft, Michael Misa and the Saginaw Spirit.

Misiak finished his 60-game regular season with 23 goals and 36 assists (59 points). The 20-year-old had an uptick in production from his first season in Erie, as he had 47 total points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 60 games. Despite being a higher pick than other prospects in the pool, many people have overlooked Misiak’s future in the Blackhawks organization. It’s understandable for guys to get lost in the shuffle with how loaded the pool is, but Misiak has done more than enough to stand out.

His growth in the OHL and ability to score consistently makes him a candidate to serve as a middle-six winger for the team down the road. If the pool continues to get stronger and Misiak doesn’t appear to be in the long-term plans, he could make for an extremely solid trade chip for the front office.

Nick Lardis continued his legendary OHL season in a big way

Nick Lardis has put up on of the best seasons in OHL history in his second year as a Brantford Bulldog. He had 71 goals and 46 assists for 117 regular season points in 65 games. He collected a hat-trick to clinch a first-round series victory over the North Bay Battalion. Lardis finished with seven goals and two assists in the opening round and is primed to join the Blackhawks organization next season.

Lardis was a third-round draft choice in 2023, joining a loaded class with Bedard, Misiak and Oliver Moore. The winger has turned into a dynamic goal-scoring threat who possesses real potential to thrive at the NHL level. He did play a game in Rockford last season, and it is very clear that his last season in the OHL proves that he can be successful at the next level.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are down to their final five games of the season and only one of them will be played at the United Center over the next eight days. With Sunday’s win at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is likely that the team won’t drop below second-to-last in the league standings. This is the exact position that they finished a season ago in a draft lottery where the order did not change at all.

Chicago will hit the ice against the Penguins again on Tuesday, but this time it will be at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The theme for that game will be similar to that of the past month or so surrounding the Blackhawks youth movement. The overall vibe around the team and culture has appeared to have shifted as of late and the rebuild has taken on a whole new direction.

The Blackhawks front office has made eight first round draft choices from the 2022-2024 drafts and six of them are now playing at the NHL level. While there is still plenty of work to do from a development standpoint, general manager Kyle Davidson has done well with his decisions so far.

The last 2022 first round selection of the Blackhawks made his debut over a week ago and has already impressed the current coaching staff in his short stint at the highest level.

Chicago Blackhawks bench boss impressed by Sam Rinzel

Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has loved what he has seen from Sam Rinzel so far in just four games, and it’s easy to see why.

“He’s mature, Sorensen said. “We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck. He takes control in shifts, and you see it in Arty (Levshunov) as well. They want it, and they want to get after it. [The Penguins] have some guys on the other side that do the same thing with (Erik) Karlsson and (Kris) Letang. You see that.”

Having the top two right-shot defenseman having any type of comparisons to the likes of Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang has to make Blackhawk fans excited for the future. Rinzel collected his first NHL point in Sunday’s win over the Penguins on a secondary assists. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher also finished the game with a +2 plus/minus rating which is the best mark he has posted through four career games.

Sam Rinzel will anchor the Chicago Blackhawks blue line next year

Rinzel coming in and getting over 20 minutes of ice time from the jump to begin his career is a telling sign that the organization already has plenty of trust that he will be a marquee player down the road. The 20-year-old has already worked himself into quarterbacking the top power-play unit, with his offensively ceiling being through the roof.

The scoring chances that Rinzel has generated for himself and those around him in four games has been extremely noticeable and good results will follow as he prepares to enter his first full NHL season in the fall. For a guy seen as a “project” when taken with the 25th overall pick in 2022, things have panned out nicely so far for Rinzel in the Blackhawks organization.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are used to Patrick Kane putting on a show consistently, and that has remained the case during his time in Detroit. “Showtime” has 20 goals and 33 assists this season (53 points) in 65 games after posting 20 goals in his first campaign as a Red Wing a year ago.

This season is Kane’s first in Detroit where he will get the chance to play the full year. He signed with the team during last season while he was rehabbing from his hip-resurfacing surgery that he had on June 1, 2023. Kane also dealt with an upper-body injury last year, which limited his game activity even more with the Red Wings.

The number one overall pick of the 2007 draft kept a relatively clean bill of health throughout his time in Chicago, but the general wear and tear has taken a toll on him. No matter the circumstances, Kane has produced every season and hit a huge milestone last Friday.

Chicago Blackhawks franchise icon Patrick Kane picks up milestone

Kane now has the new record in the NHL for the most 20-goal seasons by a U.S. born player with 17. The winger accomplished this feat in the Red Wings’ 5-3 win against the Hurricanes on Friday. The only season where Kane did not hit the 20-goal mark was in the COVID-shortened season, when he scored 15 goals and collected 66 total points in 56 games.

The best two seasons of Kane’s career were both 100-point campaigns in 2015-16 and 2018-19. He netted 46 goals and had 60 assists in 2015-16 and brought home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP that season. In 2018-19, he had 44 goals and 66 helpers for 110 points in 81 games.

The fact that Kane picked up 20 goals in just 50 games a season ago is extremely impressive, and it speaks to how good he is. Chicago was lucky to have him dominate for as many years as he did, and the three Stanley Cups will always be linked to the superstar’s ability to take over any game.

The Chicago Blackhawks are picking up steam post-Patrick Kane

Despite being at the bottom of the league standings, the Blackhawks are beginning to turn a corner in the rebuild as the season comes to a close. Winning the 2023 draft lottery and selecting Connor Bedard certainly sped up the rebuild for general manager Kyle Davidson, but other pieces of the youth movement making their NHL debuts this year give plenty of optimism for the future.

Bedard has scored 20-plus goals in each of his first two seasons in the NHL, and it is clear that he is the next franchise cornerstone to follow in Kane’s footsteps. There is no doubt that these past few seasons have been extremely painful for fans to sit through, but knowing that the front office has done a good job so far establishing a core for the future gives a ton of hope for the next few seasons.

Along with Bedard, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore are expected to be mainstays in the forward unit for a long time. Other first-round picks last year in Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker will be up to help them soon, with other young faces in the prospect pool thriving at the amateur level.

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Not many people are talking about the fact that the Chicago Blackhawks’ biggest priority this offseason doesn’t involve an impact player joining the organization. While the front office will be hyper-focused on another important draft where the team holds multiple first-round draft choices, getting the right man behind the bench is massive for the young talent on the active roster.

The front office made the decision to relieve Luke Richardson of his duties as head coach in December and promoted Anders Soresensen from Rockford to serve as the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Chicago is looking for their first legitimate bench boss since three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville was fired in 2018.

There will be plenty of candidates that general manager Kyle Davidson reviews through the interview process this summer. An important aspect to this hire is all about how the candidates will impact the players on a daily basis like most coaches do. Having input from the team’s young core about what type of leader they are looking for should be taken into consideration as well.

Alex Vlasic gives his top traits for next Chicago Blackhawks head coach

Alex Vlasic is quickly becoming an established member of Chicago’s young defensive group despite being just 23 years old. He is currently in his second full NHL season and already knows exactly the type of leader this team needs entering next season.

“Me personally, I think most players would agree that you want a coach who is going to hold the team accountable for their play on the ice,” Vlasic said. “If you look across the league at the good teams, the good coaches, it kind of seems like that’s a trait that they all share.”

The Blackhawks have a history of sustained success that they have strayed away from over the last seven years or so. While not many individuals in the building were around for the last cup run, there are people around the team who know what it takes to get back to the top of the hockey world, and having a championship-caliber coach who holds his players accountable is a must.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a budding defensive core led by Vlasic

Vlasic acknowledges that some of the things that the current coaching staff does works for his development and would love for his film sessions to remain consistent no matter who takes over behind the bench.

“I like learning in a way where there’s a little bit of good and a little bit of bad,” Vlasic said. “If we are doing some video stuff, which we are really good at, the coaches will show a clip of you doing something not well or something that they want you to do. Then, there might be another time in the game where you do it well and they’ll reinforce the idea so you’re constantly thinking about it and you’re not just getting hammered with negativity.”

For a rebuilding team like the Blackhawks, not being driven down with constant negativity when reviewing film is valuable for the young pieces on the roster. Having a staff that will be patient with growth on the team while still holding each individual to a similar standard will be a balance that the new head coach will need to find quickly into camp this upcoming season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks coaching staff and front office have had a tough time deciding which defensemen to keep in the NHL on a nightly basis. The season began with the team having one of the league’s oldest defensive groups, but that has changed quickly over the last month. Trading Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick got the ball rolling on bringing up the youth movement of blue line prospects in Chicago’s system.

Artyom Levshunov was the first of the crop to make his debut on March 10 against the Avalance on the road. The 2024 number two overall pick has settled in nicely to life in the NHL but still has improvement that needs to be made in his game.

Sam Rinzel made his NHL debut this past Sunday at home against Utah. He’s a right-shit defenseman like Levshunov, and the pair project to be a part of Chicago’s top-four defensemen for nearly the next decade. Other youngsters like Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, and Wyatt Kaiser have impressed at times this season as they too are beginning to find their footing at the highest level.

Another young defenseman spent most of this season down in Rockford after beginning his professional career last year with the Blackhawks. Now that he had options in his contract this season, it made the most sense to have him develop his game in the AHL this season.

Anders Sorensen has seen strides in Kevin Korchinski’s game

Kevin Korchinski has had two brief stints in Chicago this season after playing 76 games as a rookie a year ago. The 2022 first-round pick has gained a ton of confidence, and interim head coach Anders Sorensen has seen that.

“He’s calmed down, quieted down a little bit defensively,” Sorensen said. “Still room for improvement, for sure. We want him to be able to utilize his positive attributes: his skating and his offensive abilities and finding more touches in those areas that we can get him involved. That’s the biggest thing.”

The new Blackhawks’ bench boss has worked with Korchinski at both levels this year, as he was Rockford’s head coach before replacing Luke Richardson in December. Korchinski doesn’t have a point in the 11 games he has played with the Blackhawks this season and currently has a -11 plus/minus rating.

Sorensen made Korchinski a healthy scratch for Wednesday night’s home contest against Colorado in favor of Del Mastro, which caught some by surprise. Chicago has so many young defensemen that need NHL minutes to show the front office what they have. It makes decisions like those tough, but it doesn’t reflect negatively on Korchinski as a prospect whatsoever.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to figure out Korchinski’s future soon

With Alex Vlasic, Levshunov, and Rinzel locked into the Blackhawks’ blue line for the foreseeable future, it only leaves three everyday spots up for grabs. Korchinski will have to compete with Del Mastro, Allan, Kaiser, and any other veterans that the front office brings in to stay in the NHL next year.

With next year’s right side likely being Levshunov, Rinzel, and Connor Murphy, it leaves four young guys and potential veterans competing for the two open spots on the left side. Korchinski will have to prove his game on both ends this summer and into camp, or he could be a trade chip further down the line for general manager Kyle Davidson.

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Connor Bedard scoring 20 goals in back-to-back seasons in his NHL career has put him in some good company throughout the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He joined Eddie Olczyk as the only other teenager in franchise history to have multiple 20-goal seasons before turning 20.

Bedard still sits at the 20-goal mark in the campaign with eight games left to play. Three of those contests will be at home, and one of them will take place Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche in a nationally televised battle on TNT.

The young phenom has 38 assists on the year to give him 58 points in 74 games, nearly matching his point total from his rookie season. A jaw injury that Bedard suffered in early-January of his Calder Trophy campaign had him miss 14 games, yet he still found a way to score 22 goals and collected 39 assists in 68 games.

Bedard has had his ups and downs this season, but he has still found a way to produce for a team that is currently in second-to-last place in the NHL with the hopes of securing the top pick in the draft. The rights to land Michael Misa of the Saginaw Sprit in the OHL as a running mate for Bedard is a possibility for Chicago, and it would take the team to new heights.

It is important to acknowledge all that Bedard has accomplished in the first two years of his career, no matter how rough things have been for the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He has been added to another group of well-respected players in franchise history with his 20-goal sophomore season.

Connor Bedard joins another list of Chicago Blackhawks icons

Bedard has officially joined Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Alex DeBrincat, and Artemi Panarin as the fifth Blackhawk in the last 20 years to start his career with consecutive 20-goal seasons.

︎ https://t.co/YLxnjdKQ5m

Connor Bedard joins Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin and Alex DeBrincat as the fifth Blackhawk in the last 20 years to start his career with consecutive 20-goal seasons. pic.twitter.com/yh04NkqOM3

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 26, 2025

Toews and Kane were the catalysts for Chicago’s dynasty in the 2010s. The two were inseparable throughout their times in the Windy City, and the new era of Blackhawks hockey without them around has a different vibe to get used to for fans.

Panarin and DeBrincat were great additions to the organization while they were looking to continue their deep playoff runs in the late 2010s. Neither one of them could achieve glory with the franchise, but both were electric to watch and complemented guys like Kane and Toews extremely well.

The sky is the limit for Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks’ roster continues to get younger and younger as the weeks move on this season. Six of the eight first-round draft picks made by general manager Kyle Davidson over the last three years have skated in the NHL this year, and more help is on the way over the next year.

This draft will be huge for the Blackhawks once again, with their top choice hopefully being a forward who can add to this budding young core. They also hold the Leafs’ first-round pick, which is just another throw at the dartboard.

If the front office can pull off a big free agent signing like Mitch Marner, things could take off quickly in this rebuild. The pieces are beginning to come together for Bedard to play freely in a way he hasn’t been able to before in his NHL career. This summer will be huge in taking that next step.

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After a plethora of free-agent signings this past summer, the Chicago Blackhawks brought out a much older lineup on opening night compared to previous years. General manager Kyle Davidson went out and added veterans to the roster in an attempt to get the team out of the league’s basement, but that hasn’t gone according to plan.

Sunday’s loss to the Utah Hockey Club locked in a top-five pick in the first round of June’s draft for Chicago. If the standings hold to form in the last three weeks of the year, the Blackhawks would once again finish second-to-last in the NHL like they did a season ago. This would move their draft pick to a guaranteed top-four selection with the hope of being in a position to draft OHL star forward Michael Misa.

With the team not seeing much improvement from a year ago, the front office has decided to ignite the youth movement with plenty of call-ups this year. Most recently, Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore signed their entry-level contracts and made their NHL debuts on Sunday. With all of these changes, the average age on the Blackhawks roster has taken a turn since opening night back in October.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ lineup change is drastic

The Chicago Blackhawks’ average age in their lineup has gone from the fifth oldest in the NHL to the fifth youngest in a matter of five months.

The Blackhawks began the season as the 5th-oldest team in the NHL

Entering tomorrow’s game they are the 5th-youngest team

Without looking it up, that has to be one of the biggest changes in league history right?

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) March 30, 2025

On Sunday, Chicago had 14 players under the age of 23 and four players under the age of 20 in their lineup. Plenty of this has to do with a handful of veterans that got shipped off ahead of the trade deadline this season, but credit needs to be given to the Blackhawks’ player development staff that has gotten these young players ready to go.

Moore brought up the locker room environment upon making his debut over the weekend and that he is in a comfortable place knowing that there are young guys around him going through the same motions.

“There’s a lot of college guys in here, a lot of guys around my age, and it’s really comforting to be around,” Moore said. “We have a lot in common; everything is in similar situations. Knowing where the Blackhawks are…we want to build this together. It’s a unique and special opportunity. You can just feel the excitement here.”

The excitement will be on full display to close out the season. Moore and Rinzel will be with the team for the final eight games of the campaign after their collegiate careers ended earlier than expected with Minnesota’s first-round exit in the NCAA tournament last Thursday.

Connor Bedard is set to lead the youth movement into next season

There is no doubt that Connor Bedard will remain the primary piece with this youth movement coming through in full force. Even though he is still just a teenager, being the number one overall pick in the 2023 draft adds that pressure for Bedard to be the franchise cornerstone that the team has needed since Patrick Kane was in his prime.

Six of the eight first round draft choices in the last three years for the Blackhawks are now with the team. 2024 first round picks Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker could be with the team at this time next year following their seasons at the amateur level.

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An unfortunate ending for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NCAA D1 men’s hockey tournament on Thursday night could benefit the Chicago Blackhawks. General manager Kyle Davidson spoke on the state of the team’s rebuild at the end of January and a major point of emphasis that he made was centered around plenty of the their prospects being in amateur hockey this season.

Among the top 10-15 prospects in the Chicago system, there is a pretty good split between guys playing at the collegiate level compared to those in juniors. The Blackhawks front office has done a good job stockpiling picks over the last few years and have made more than one first round selection in each of the last three drafts.

Barring any changes, the 2025 draft will make if four straight drafts where Chicago has multiple first round choices. In this stretch, they have made three picks to begin a draft twice, with those being in 2022 and 2024. There is no denying that the future is bright and management has allocated the right resources to try and create a special on ice product in Chicago again.

That Golden Gophers loss in overtime last night to UMass could get two pieces of the future to the NHL as early as next week depending on how fast Davidson wants to jump on this opportunity.

Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore could sign in days

Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore were both first round draft picks from the past few years. Rinzel was taken with the 25th overall selection in 2022 and Moore went 19th overall in 2023 in the same draft as franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard. Despite being drafted in different years, they each spent two years with the Golden Gophers and many have been saying that their entry-level deals would be inked as soon as their season came to a close.

Rinzel will hopefully be an anchor on the Blackhawks blue line for years to come and he played in 79 games across his two years at Minnesota. He saw an uptick in his goal scoring this past season as he found the back of the net 10 times and had 22 assists. Rinzel posted two goals and 26 helpers as a freshman and finished his first year of college hockey +23 plus/minus rating. He was on par with that number as a sophomore with his +20 plus/minus rating.

Moore had the exact number of points in each of his two seasons at the collegiate level. The forward had 12 goals and 21 assists this year for 33 points and nine goals to pair with his 24 assists that he had as a freshman. Moore will be a pivotal part of Chicago’s middle six down the road and the speed that he plays with will be very similar to the likes of Bedard and Frank Nazar.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to get moving with their young core

Chicago have the possibility of signing close to half a dozen entry-level deals before this season wraps up signifies that it’s time to ramp up this rebuild. The team has been hanging out at the bottom of the league’s standings for the past few seasons and the hope is that they can finally break free next year.

Bedard will be entering his third NHL season this fall and adding more young talent like Rinzel and Moore will only benefit him more as he looks to take his game to a new level. This draft will be extremely important for the Blackhawks front office along with trying to add a star like Mitch Marner in free agency this summer.

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Growth is the important thing to look at with the Chicago Blackhawks as the team enters the final stretch of the 2024-2025 season. Despite the front office not moving off every veteran piece possible, plenty of young faces have gotten their chances to play significant minutes in the final stretch of the regular season.

The growing pains for each young player have certainly been there, but the coaching staff has reached a point where playing guys that will be a part of the team’s future is more beneficial than playing veterans. General manager Kyle Davidson did his due diligence by bringing in a slew of established players in free agency, but the results did not follow.

The goal for the Blackhawks this season was to get out of the league’s basement this season and their veteran adds were not enough to get them out of that hole. While Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen have been good to have for Chicago’s middle six this year, the younger pieces on the roster have taken a bit more time to develop and the other veteran signings did not bring much to the table.

When looking on the defensive side of things with the current roster, young names are all over the blue line. Six defenseman on the active group are 23 or younger which is super promising for the future. The team’s second overall draft choice this past summer has now played in eight games since being called up nearly three weeks ago and has looked strong in a bigger role than what was originally expected of him.

Chicago Blackhawks more impressed by Artyom Levshunov

Artyom Levshunov made his NHL debut on March 10 against the Colorado Avalanche on the road. He has four assists while still searching for his first NHL goal. Two of those assists for Levshunov came in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Devils at the United Center. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has seen Levshunov’s progression in such a short time at the NHL level.

“His progression has been good in a lot of areas,” Sorensen said. “Is he perfect? No. But…the progression’s been good.”

Just by watching Levshunov play one can tell that he carries himself with confidence. He relies heavily on his technique and always right with his assignment on the defensive end. He has rarely been a step behind in his coverages and plays much older than his age and experience shows.

Levshunov spent last year playing his lone season of collegiate hockey at Michigan State and was with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL (United States Hockey League) the year prior. It’s impressive to see Levshunov’s game grow along with his ability to adapt playing at three different levels in as many seasons.

Artyom Levshunov has already cemented himself

Levshunov has already received major ice time on the Blackhawks blue line. He has logged over 20 minutes of play in six of the eight games that he has seen action in so far. The former Spartan is quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit and was with the empty-net man-advantage unit late in the game against New Jersey on Wednesday night.

It’s clear to see that the front office and coaching staff are in lockstep with giving Levshunov as many opportunities as possible to get his footing in the NHL before the season comes to a close.

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With the Chicago Blackhawks remaining stagnant in second-to-last place in the NHL with less than a month to go on the season, it’s easy to see why constant change would be a theme for the squad. Trying to find new solutions to get the team in the win column more frequently to close out the year has been what interim head coach Anders Sorensen has been all over as of late.

The organization has plenty of young talent that has reached the NHL level this year, but the difficulty for the coaching staff has been finding the right combinations to make things run as smoothly as possible. Based on how everything has gone throughout the campaign, none of the lines have worked consistently for the Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks have had too many line changes this year

There was a point in the season where Chicago brought out different looking forward lines in 36 consecutive games. While it’s completely understandable for things to be shaken up in order to find consistent success, there can be such thing as too much shuffling. The biggest challenge has been trying to figure out which veterans to pair with franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard.

Frank Nazar has seen tremendous growth in his game since the calendar turned to 2025. One constant thing that the Blackhawks coaching staff has tried to do with making the lines down the stretch is to have him and Bedard be together at all times.

The latest combination for Nazar and Bedard has been putting veteran Ryan Donato on their wing. The three haven’t spent much time together this season, but Donato’s scoring success in a career year throughout the season could make the transition seamless. The veteran has 25 goals and 30 assists through 70 games this season.

Getting guys like Nazar and Bedard in rhythm is more important than anything. It is good that the coaching staff has settled on the idea that them playing together is a good thing, but the third member of their line needs to stay as consistent as possible heading into the last 10 games of the season. If both youngsters can get on a scoring roll to close out the year, it would provide a ton of positive momentum heading into the summer toward each of their training regiments back home.

These line changes have been apparent no matter who is coaching

Regardless of who has been calling the shots behind the bench this year, these line changes haven’t stopped at any moment. Luke Richardson was arguably worse with staying consistent with keeping certain forwards together and that didn’t make things easy with him being a defensive minded head coach.

While Sorensen has jumbled up the lines a fair share of times as well, his changes have been more consistent with who is playing together. While not all three guys on each line have remained the same throughout his tenure as the interim head coach, he has at least tried to keep players paired up as much as possible. He has also done a good job at keeping other young guys besides Bedard and Nazar in the fold while giving them opportunities in bigger roles.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office is continuing to shuffle up their defensive core with 10 games remaining this season. Injury problems on offensive and defensive units hasn’t made things easy on general manager Kyle Davidson when piecing together the roster to close out the campaign, but the depth in Rockford makes things much more manageable.

A few veterans have fallen victim to the injury bug this year, with the most notable being Jason Dickinson. The 29-year-old forward is out for the season with a wrist injury and will finish his third season as a Blackhawk playing in only 59 games.

Chicago had one more call up spot to use of their four after the trade deadline, and the origination made the move on Thursday that many fans had been anticipating for weeks.

Chicago Blackhawks call up Kevin Korchinski

Per reports, Korchinski will return to Chicago for his second stint of the campaign. The 2022 first round draft choice has played in nine games at the NHL level this year and has yet to record a point. Korchinski has spent most of this season down in Rockford after he logged 76 games with the Blackhawks a year ago in his rookie campaign.

Korchinski had five goals and 10 assists last year to pair with his brutal -39 plus/minus rating. The front office knew that they had to give the young blue liner a stronger opportunity to develop thus year and him finally being eligible to play in the AHL was the perfect scenario.

Korchinski will join another young defenseman who he played a lot with in Rockford. Artyom Levshunov has been impressive thus far since making his NHL debut a couple of weeks ago and he’ll potentially get a shot to work with Korchinski more in a Chicago sweater.

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On Dec. 5, the Chicago Blackhawks made a pivotal decision for the organization’s future when they fired head coach Luke Richardson after only scoring 18 points in the first 26 games of the regular season. (He finished with a 57-118-5 record with the Blackhawks.)

General manager Kyle Davidson chose to promote Anders Sorensen from head coach of the Rockford IceHogs to the interim coaching job for the Blackhawks. Sorensen compiled a 117-89-7 record during his four seasons with the IceHogs.

With Rockford suddenly needing a head coach to help develop young talent for the organization, Davidson moved Mark Eaton from his position as the Blackhawks’ assistant manager of player development to the interim head coach of the IceHogs.

The former NHL player had no previous coaching experience before taking over for Rockford, another odd leadership decision in a year full of questionable leadership choices.

Kyle Davidson trusted in Mark Eaton

Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Davidson gave Eaton the job because he trusted Eaton would ensure IceHogs players were developed properly.

“To have someone that was so intimately involved and intimately understanding of the day-to-day in Rockford, that was something that was important to make sure there was some continuity for those players, because we did feel like they were on such a good track,” Davidson said.

“Mark being a highly capable person and really smart, and he didn’t have any coaching experience going into that spot, but I had no doubt that he would be able to handle it and be able to make that transition seamless and continue the positive strides that our players have made there this year.”

The transition wasn’t without turbulence. The IceHogs dropped their first two games under Eaton. But they have a 19-18-1 overall record under his leadership this season and are in the hunt for the postseason.

Chicago Blackhawks: Eaton is learning on the fly

Eaton says he’s had to rely on his assistant coaches to help him navigate his new role as a head coach.

“Part of me feels bad, like they’ve had to teach me some things because in development you’re dealing more with the individuals and the kind of the habits within their game and what they need to do individually to be successful,” Eaton said. “Whereas coaching, it’s a lot about the team and systems, the different scenarios within a game that I hadn’t thought about since my playing days.

“And even in my playing days, I knew what my job was as a defenseman, but I didn’t know what F1 on the forecheck or trackers needed to do or what other positions’ responsibilities were. So that’s kind of what I’ve been learning on the fly.”

Eaton entered the NHL undrafted and became the only player to come from Delaware. He played with the Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Islanders.

While winning a good goal for the IceHogs, how they can develop into Blackhawks playmakers is a more important goal. By promoting Eaton as head coach, Davidson committed to improving the Blackhawks roster in future seasons.

The IceHogs next play Manitoba Moose on Friday. They have 10 games left in the regular season and are in fifth place in the Central Division with a 27-27-6 overall record.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have changed their forward lines for almost every game this season, but their special teams have stayed consistent. Through 71 games, the team is ranked ninth in the league in penalty kill percentage with an 81.7% mark. In an even more impressive fashion, their 25.5% success rate on the power-play ranks eighth in the NHL.

For a team that has had struggles finding the back of the net at times this season, the Blackhawks are taking care of business in man-advantage situations is good to see. Keeping the two power-play groups balanced has certainly been a challenge for whoever has been behind the bench this season.

An issue with having a roster that lacks a ton of top end talent is figuring which middle-six forwards should crack the power-play units. Clearly these decisions have worked out well for Chicago this year, but there should be one switch made between the two lines to close out the season that would be extremely beneficial for one of their promising young forwards.

The Chicago Blackhawks need Frank Nazar on the top power-play unit

Despite not collecting a point in his last five games, Frank Nazar deserves an opportunity to skate with the top power-play unit to finish the season. He has shown glimpses of upside since being called up in December and his numbers on the campaign could see a huge bump if he’s on the primary man-advantage group.

Nazar has six goals and 10 assists on the season in 42 games played. He made his NHL debut at the tail end of last season and scored his first career goal on his first career shot in a home tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. The highlight goal for Nazar this season was a penalty-shot that he buried against Utah in what eventually became an overtime victory at home.

It’s understandable for someone to lead the second power-play line and to keep things somewhat balanced, but Nazar has proven himself to be a piece that can help out Connor Bedard and others in a big way on the top line. There are plenty of veterans on the team this year that could switch places with Nazar on the man advantage for the last handful of games.

Frank Nazar has proven to be a complete player this season

Nazar had a nice scoring stretch from mid-January to mid-February that put him toward at the top amongst all rookies in scoring in that span of time. His entire season numbers don’t tell the story on how consistent of a presence he has been in the Blackhawks lineup. The former first round draft choice is a pivotal part of the Blackhawks future and his 200-foot game has put the hockey community on notice this year.

Many have commented on a nightly basis how strong Nazar is as a two-way forward and that his complete style of play makes him on of the best guys on the ice every game. The constant lineup shuffling hasn’t helped him when looking at his total scoring numbers on the season, but him doing all of the little things right proves that the production will come in his first full NHL season next year.

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Injuries to certain veterans have been a major season story for the Chicago Blackhawks, and their position in the standings reflects that. Many guys have missed a week or so, with captain Nick Foligno being out on multiple occasions.

Chicago is a bit banged up heading into their Wednesday night home tilt against the New Jersey Devils, as Jason Dickinson, Alec Martinez, and Colton Dach were all missing from practice on Tuesday. Some injury news came from interim head coach Anders Sorensen at the end of practice that officially ends a veteran forward’s season.

Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Jason Dickinson is out for the year

Sorensen made it brief when confirming that Dickinson will miss the rest of the season due to a wrist injury.

Chicago interim head coach Anders Sorensen said Jason Dickinson is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury. #Blackhawks

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 25, 2025

It was just last week when Dickinson told the media how frustrated he was with his play this season, and he will unfortunately not be able to right the ship in the final 11 games. The 29-year-old finishes his third season in a Blackhawk sweater playing in 59 games. He scored seven goals and collected nine assists for a total of 16 points.

Dickinson played in all 82 games for Chicago a season ago and scored 22 times, a single-season high in his career. He agreed to a two-year contract extension during his career year, so he is on the hook for $4.25 million next season.

Luckily for the Blackhawks, they are not in a position where they need to shed cap. While it looks like Dickinson’s 2023-24 season might have been his peak as a professional, the organization will still need his veteran presence and strong two-way game to help the youth movement coming through next season.

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Ryan Donato remaining a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization after the trade deadline two weeks ago was a puzzling move to people across the hockey world. Based on how he played through the first week of March, it was assumed that Chicago would at least receive a second-round draft choice in exchange for Donato’s services.

The biggest move of the deadline for the Blackhawks featured a staple on the blue line in Seth Jones being moved to the Florida Panthers for netminder Spencer Knight and a first-round draft choice. Fans were over the moon when the front office pulled this deal off, but they couldn’t find the right match for Donato’s expiring contract.

It is rumored that the Blackhawks did not get a better offer than a third-round pick for Donato, which led to general manager Kyle Davidson holding onto the 28-year-old forward. It was in the same rumor that revealed what Donato’s extension offer was from Chicago prior to the deadline.

The offer was for three years with a $4 million cap hit per season for the veteran. He clearly did not accept the offer, so it puts him and the Blackhawks in an interesting situation with the offseason looming.

What keeping Ryan Donato means for the Chicago Blackhawks

Donato netted two goals in Chicago’s 7-4 win on Sunday at home against the Flyers. He now has 25 goals on the season to go with his 28 assists for a total of 53 points in 69 games. Prior to this season, Donato’s single-season high in goals were the 16 that he scored with the Seattle Kraken in the 2021-22 campaign.

The 28 helpers are also a single-season high for the former second-round pick of the Boston Bruins, as he is having a career year at the perfect time in his career. He has been a force on both ends for the Blackhawks and his leadership has been massive for the younger forwards on the roster.

With the front office electing to hold onto Donato after the deadline, the pressure is on them to get a deal across the finish line to keep him around after this season. If he wasn’t a fan of the original offer put across by Kyle Davidson, they’ll likely have to either take a year off the deal or add another on with the current salary proposed if they aren’t willing to offer him more money.

Why Ryan Donato can be around for the Chicago Blackhawks next run

The way Donato plays the game is perfect for any contending team in the NHL. On a squad looking to win the Stanley cup, he slots in well as a bottom-six forward who plays with an edge at all times. A concern on Chicago’s end for keeping Donato around is the obvious regression he is bound for next season. He is extremely unlikely to be near 30 goals again and his salary won’t reflect how is performing on the ice.

However, if Chicago has him when they are looking to make a playoff push in the next two or three years, it could be a different story. If they don’t always have to rely on Donato to score consistently and play his role on the third or fourth line, they could be golden.

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March has been an interesting month of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks as the team is reaching the home stretch of the campaign. They currently sit with a 21-41-9 record through 71 games and their 51 points put them in second-to-last place in the entire league. The Blackhawks are just four points above the Sharks and they are only two teams eliminated from playoff contention prior to Monday’s action.

A major issue with last year’s Blackhawks squad was their inability to put pucks in the net on a consistent basis. Similar problems became apparent at the beginning of this season, but things have taken a turn over the last month or so.

Despite Chicago having another lengthy losing streak at seven games, the team found ways to score when they wouldn’t have done so a year ago. The 3-0 loss on March 10 in Colorado was the first time that the Blackhawks have been shutout all season, which shows major improvement for them.

The team has only won five games since February 7, but three of them have featured high levels of production that offer optimism for fans down the road.

The Chicago Blackhawks have scored 6 or more goals in 3 of last 5 wins

Three of the Chicago Blackhawks last five wins have seen the team score six or more goals. This includes Sunday’s 7-4 win at home against the Flyers which marks the most goals scored in a game by Chicago this season. It was a 3-3 game after the first period, but netminder Spencer Knight locked in and only let one more by him in the last two periods of play.

Connor Bedard notched his 20th goal of the season as the final goal in the opening period. It wasn’t the lone point that the former number one overall pick collected on the afternoon, but it was Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi who were the stars of the show.

Donato scored twice in the second period and now has 25 goals on the season. Bertuzzi scored in the second as well and had two assists, earning the first star of the game. 2025 has been brutal for the Blackhawks, but these few victories where goals came in bunches is good to see for the guys that will be back with the organization next season.

This is good momentum for the Chicago Blackhawks to finish the year

If Chicago can string together another few games like this before the season comes to a close, the culture will only improve inside the locker room heading into the summer. The Seth Jones trade appears to have created a shift of the dressing room dynamic based on recent results, and keeping Donato around could have been a positive impact in that department as well.

This campaign will go down as one that was filled with all types of droughts when it’s all said and done. Many are hoping this will be the last time that the franchise is praying for the lottery balls to bounce their way at the beginning of May. The future is bright and Chicago and fans would love to look back at this season as a small road bump in a successful rebuild very soon.

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Following Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Chicago Blackhawks were officially eliminated from contention for the postseason. At 20-40-9, the Blackhawks have the second-worst record in the NHL, only better than the San Jose Sharks (18-42-9).

Amid a disastrous season for Chicago in Connor Bedard’s second season with the team, many fans are calling for general manager Kyle Davidson to be fired. Davidson has held the role of GM since he became the interim GM in October of 2021.

Davidson led the “tank” to land Bedard, but he’s been slow in rebuilding the team around the young centre. Bedard has regressed in several areas this season.

Kyle Davidson is another young face in the crowd

Per Tracey Myers of NHL.com, Bedard sees Davidson as another young face in the organization trying to build a winner.

“Yeah, we have a good relationship,” Bedard said of Davidson. “It’s cool. He’s a younger GM (36) and we’re a younger team. We have a lot of guys coming in basically the same time as him. He’s really easy to talk to and I think we’re all trying to grow together and take those next steps, and having that relationship is important.”

Bedard went on a cold streak in March (three points in eight games) that saw his frustrations boil over into receiving misconduct penalties in two straight games. He’s scored goals off of power plays in two consecutive outings, though fellow Chicago centre Jason Dickinson wasn’t impressed amid mounting losses.

Bedard said he needs to “get rid of” stretches where he isn’t scoring points, as he understands the Blackhawks expect him to produce. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft leads Chicago with 54 points this season.

Connor Bedard: Chicago Blackhawks aren’t focused on results

With the Blackhawks out of playoff contention, Bedard’s goal isn’t to be as “focused on results” as having fun in the final few weeks.

“I know what I’m trying to do right now is not be so focused on results and just know we’re young, we’re trying to get better and just have fun,” Bedard said. “It’s a great group of guys and we have, what, three weeks left? So just have fun, enjoy it and do the best you can. Obviously you’re trying to win every game, and you want to win, but we’re going to try to play the best we can.”

Bedard believes the team can improve if the players on the team get better.

While improved players would make the Blackhawks a better team, Bedard also needs Davidson to put better talent around him.

The Blackhawks travel to play the St Louis Blues on Saturday at the Enterprise Center.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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Production has dipped for a handful of veterans on the Chicago Blackhawks this season after they found ways to score early and often a year ago. This is a major reason why the team sits with a with a 20-40-9 record through 69 games this year and is positioned in second-to-last place in the entire NHL. The Blackhawks have lost their last six games, so the locker room morale is not high whatsoever right now.

Injuries have gotten to the older group on the current roster this season. It has been a plus to see the younger players on the roster keep a clean bill of health after Connor Bedard missed 14 games in his rookie season last year with a jaw injury.

One of Chicago’s veteran forwards who had a breakthrough season last year has struggled to stay on the ice this season. His ankle injury doesn’t help his case, but he has still been frustrated with how things have been going as of late.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson is frustrated

Jason Dickinson has seven goals and nine assists in 58 games this year. A former first-round pick who is known for his solid two-way play, he had a goal-scoring surge while playing in all 82 games a year ago. Dickinson found the back of the net 22 times last year and had 13 helpers got a Blackhawks squad that earned the second pick in the draft. The 29-year-old acknowledges his struggles this season and knows he needs to be better.

“[I’m] not contributing, and it’s driving me nuts, Dickinson said. “I expect a lot more of myself, and it’s increasingly frustrating.”

Dickinson has missed time this year with an ankle injury which required him to go on IR last month. Along with his personal shortcomings this season, the veteran made it known that this team needs to do whatever it takes to win games because how they are doing things right now is not working.

“Winning hockey games is a hell of a lot more fun than this,” Dickinson said. “I don’t care how we have to do it, I just want to win.”

A very frustrated Jason Dickinson tonight

“Winning hockey games is a hell of a lot more fun than this. I don’t care how we have to do it, I just want to win.” pic.twitter.com/PXs8lhYJck

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) March 19, 2025

Dickinson likely speaks for the other veterans on the team who have been around for the rough times in Chicago the last handful of years. This will be the third straight season where the organization is praying for the lottery balls to bounce their way and the fourth consecutive year having more than one first-round draft choice.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a decision to make with Jason Dickinson

Dickinson agreed to a two-year contract extension last season that will pay him $4.25 million per year until the end of next season. Despite his poor play in 2025, it would be hard to see the Blackhawks front office move off Dickinson this summer. His value would be lower and who knows what the market would look like across the league.

An obvious reason why moving Dickinson as soon as possible would be for the youth movement that will only infiltrate Chicago’s roster more over the next year. However, there is something to be said about the presence he has as a leader in the locker room right now. Because the Blackhawks need to hit the cap floor and Dickinson is capable of much more, trading him away this summer should not be in the cards for Kyle Davidson.

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With how everything has gone on the ice for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, it is important for fans to have their sights set on the future now more than ever. The front office has made multiple first round draft picks in each of the last three years and are set to do so again this summer.

This year’s trade deadline was a huge step for the rebuild, with Seth Jones and Taylor Hall being sent away in separate deals. Hall brought back the organization’s own third-round pick in this summer’s draft in a three-team deal with the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jones was the big fish off the board ahead of the deadline as he was sent to the Florida Panthers for a massive haul. General manager Kyle Davidson was able to get a first round pick and young netminder Spencer Knight for the veteran blue liner. The deal is already looking solid for the Blackhawks, as Knight has shown plenty of promise in the cage and Jones is struggling mightily in five-on-five action with the Panthers.

The most piece to the entire puzzle that Chicago needs to keep happy is Connor Bedard. He is the face of the franchise right now and down the road, so he needs to feel that this team is trending in the right direction to succeed relatively soon. It’s safe to say that Bedard is more than content with how things are looking for his future in the Windy City after his sit down interview with Chicago Sports Network analyst Tony Granato aired on Thursday night.

Connor Bedard is excited about the Chicago Blackhawks growing core

One key point that Bedard brought up in the interview was how he is looking forward to continuing his growth with the team’s young core along with the prospects that haven’t yet reached the NHL.

“It’s a cool feeling when I look back and know that I am a part of that and get to grow with these guys,” Bedard said. 

"It's a cool feeling when I look back and know that I am a part of that and get to grow with these guys."@TonyGranato sat down with Connor Bedard and talked how the young star feels about the future of the #Blackhawks.#ChicagoLead pic.twitter.com/2U3saUdpTS

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) March 20, 2025

A current guy that has taken strides with Bedard on the ice is Frank Nazar. The two have been paired together on the same line most of the time since February rolled around and their games compliment each other well. Nazar plays the best 200-foot game on the Blackhawks roster right now and is the only guy who can keep up with Bedard’s pace on a nightly basis.

Other young forwards that have played well out of Chicago’s prospect pool this season at the amateur level are Sacha Boisvert, Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis. There is a possibility that Lardis and Moore are both up at the NHL level at some point next season, where Boisvert will have to wait another year before signing his entry-level deal.

Connor Bedard loves the city of Chicago

Plenty of fans have been worried about Bedard’s love for Chicago and him potentially not wanting to stick around beyond his entry-level contract. The 19-year-old put those worries to rest later on in the interview.

“I love playing here,” Bedard said. “I love being in this city.”

"I love playing here. I love being in this city."

Connor Bedard on playing in Chicago and his message to #Blackhawks fans as he sat down with @TonyGranato. pic.twitter.com/lTK5ascOgR

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) March 21, 2025

Bedard clearly sees the vision of what this franchise can be in just a couple of short years and he already knows what to expect at the United Center for every home game. If the fans are showing up as they are when the team is playing this poorly, he knows how exciting the city will be when the Blackhawks are chasing Stanley Cups again.

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Connor Bedard has found ways to produce for the Chicago Blackhawks in his second NHL season despite many factors holding him back from going off this year. He currently sits with 18 goals and 35 assists (53 points) in 68 games this year.

The team is currently locked in for a top-four draft selection if the season were to end today. While this upcoming draft class is loaded, this is not the situation that the Blackhawks front office wanted to be in this year. General manager Kyle Davidson’s offseason acquisitions were not enough to get them out of the league’s basement and there will be pressure this summer to make moves to get this franchise over the hump.

While the season hasn’t gone according to plan, Bedard has put himself in the same discussion as his childhood idol in a certain stat.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard joins good company

Bedard joins Sidney Crosby as the only two players in the last 35 years with 40 goals and 70 assists before turning 20-years-old. The pair are also alone in eclipsing 100 total points before turning 20.

Bedard Crosby

Over 100 points before turning 21! pic.twitter.com/8SujAgOrMk

— ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2025

Bedard will play more games in his second NHL season as opposed to his rookie campaign after he missed 14 games due to a jaw injury. Even though he missed time last year, the phenom found a way to win the Calder Trophy by posting 22 goals and 39 assists (61 points) in 68 games.

The former number-one overall pick has received plenty of criticism from the national media in regards to his two scoring slumps this year, but people also need to realize that he is still a teenager playing on a bottom-of-the-barrel team in the NHL.

There is an argument to be made on Bedard falling victim to the sophomore slump concept, but there’s reason to believe that the lack of talent around him doesn’t help his case either. With this summer shaping up to be a big one for the Blackhawks organization, only time will tell if Bedard will get the help he needs moving forward.

Connor Bedard is primed for a big season next year

Plenty of folks like to compare Bedard to the great Patrick Kane when analyzing their careers early on. While the Blackhawks won’t be in a position to contend for a cup like they were when Kaner’s third season rolled around, it should be the standard that the on-ice product will look drastically different next year.

Kane found the back of the net 30 times in his third year while having 58 assists. His 88 total points that season were the most he had in a single year for the first eight seasons in his career before he posted 106 in the 2015-16 campaign.

Other young stars like Kane had noticeable jumps in their game when the third year of their careers arrived, so it’s easy to have an optimistic mindset that the same will be true for the Bedard. The new franchise cornerstone in Chicago could have more points this season, but his 13-game goalless stretch in the fall and his recent seven-game point drought have put him in this position.

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One of Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson’s bigger offseason moves was bringing in veteran winger Tyler Bertuzzi on a four-year, $22 million deal. Bertuzzi, 30, is making $5.5 million AAV and is signed through the 2027-2028 season.

While his overall scoring numbers do not look horrific, 17 goals with 17 assists, equating to 34 total points, he has hit a massive goal scoring drought that is not ideal for a $5.5 million AAV player.

Scott Powers of the Athletic pointed out that after Saturday night’s game in Vancouver that Bertuzzi has not recorded a goal in his last 20 games. He also mentioned that the team is being outscored 16-6 with him on the ice in 5-on-5 over that span. His last goal was on January 20^th against the Carolina Hurricanes, basically two months ago. Since then, he’s recorded just seven points and no goals with a -12 +/-.

Tyler Bertuzzi hasn't scored in the last 20 games now. The Blackhawks have been outscored 16-6 with him on the ice at 5v5 in that time.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 16, 2025

Tyler Bertuzzi’s expectations with the Blackhawks

While not expected to be a star-like difference maker, the hope was to have a consistent physical winger who could post 20-25 goals and 40-50 points on the season in Bertuzzi. Point total expectation can be a bit tricky being on a non-contender, though Bertuzzi did post back-to-back 21 goal and 45+ point seasons in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 on some bad Detroit Red Wings teams.

As mentioned before, just looking at his goals and points numbers, he appears to be on pace for a typical Bertuzzi season. His 82-game average is roughly 23 goals, 29 assists, and 51 points; somewhat similar 82-game average production of a player like Brandon Saad. Tyler Bertuzzi can still get to or around those numbers by season’s end…if he gets back into gear. There are 15 games left this season.

What is interesting is that Bertuzzi has had some stretches this season with the Blackhawks where he’s been valuable. From mid-December through mid-January he had a 20-game stretch in which he posted 12 goals and five assists (17 points). That stretch has accounted for roughly 70% of Bertuzzi’s goals this season.

Can we call the Tyler Bertuzzi signing a bust?

Can Bertuzzi’s value be written off after this season? It’s tempting to say that the signing has been a bust so far, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out.

There are three seasons left on his deal and a trade (note he has a modified NTC) or contract buyout are the options to part ways. Lack of consistency could lead to Bertuzzi’s time in Chicago being cut short, and there’s also the concern over his stamina with past injuries taking a toll on him. That said, he should also not be completely thrown aside just yet after this bad stretch.

As frustrating as it’s been, ideally he gets back on track and can be a valuable asset in Chicago. It could also benefit him next season with better coaching, more consistent lines, and better talent around him. While he needs to produce more, it has not been the best situation to play in with a rebuilding team with constant line shuffling and an interim head coach from the AHL.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office swung a couple of significant trades before the deadline this season while keeping an important veteran that most thought they would move off. Ryan Donato remained with the franchise after the deadline after it was reported that Chicago did not receive a higher offer than a third-round draft choice for his services.

Taylor Hall was shipped to Carolina in a three-team deal back in January that involved Mikko Rantanen going to the Hurricanes and Martin Necas to the Avalanche. Chicago got their own third round pick in 2025 as the return for Hall, but it was the next big trade that truly shook up the organization in a major way.

Veteran defenseman and Alternate Captain Seth Jones was dealt to the Florida Panthers less than a week before the deadline. The Blackhawks front office got an eye-popping return for Jones in young netminder Spencer Knight and a future first-round pick. To make matters even better for Chicago, they only have to pay $2.5 million of Jones’ $9.5 million dollar salary moving forward.

Jones had been consistent piece in the Blackhawks’ defensive plans throughout his time in the Windy City, but his play to begin his tenure in Florida shows that Chicago might be better off down the road.

The Chicago Blackhawks have won the Seth Jones deal so far

Jones hasn’t been as productive as the Panthers would have liked him to be so far on either end of the ice. On the defensive side, things have not been pretty for the veteran in five on five play.

The Florida Panthers have been outscored 6-1 with Seth Jones on the ice in 5v5 in his first seven games. He has a 41.61 expected goals percentage.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 17, 2025

The 30-year-old was originally the second right-shot defenseman upon his arrival in Florida, but that quickly changed after Aaron Ekblad was suspended for 20 games  for violating the league’s PED policy. Jones being elevated to the top pairing has certainly hurt the Panthers more than it has helped them, which makes the trade look even stronger for the Blackhawks.

The departure of Jones has allowed for defensemen of the future to come up and get plenty of NHL ice time on a more consistent basis. Wyatt Kaiser has been playing some of his best hockey over the past few weeks and Ethan Del Mastro has been drawing into the lineup every game which is great to see. Most notably, the call-up of last year’s number two overall pick, Artyom Levshunov, was the biggest move made by the front office due to the Jones trade.

All of the Chicago Blackhawks draft capital can be used differently

With this deal, the Blackhawks will have held multiple first round picks in every draft spanning from 2022 through 2026. While it is good to have a stockpile of picks when looking to build a roster for the future, something might have to change with Chicago’s draft capital.

The team’s prospect pool is already crowded as it is, and the front office could use their surplus of picks to change that. Kyle Davidson can finally start pushing his chips forward with these assets by dealing them for established NHL pieces that are on the younger side.

They were a potential suitor for Buffalo’s JJ Peterka at the deadline when it was known that the Sabres could look to ship him out. Chicago has more than enough ammo to pursue Peterka or players similar to him this offseason with their assets if they choose to go down that road.

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Friday marked a big day for the Chicago Blackhawks in their attempt to take advantage of a major sellers market of the 2025 trade deadline. Ryan Donato was the biggest piece that the Blackhawks had to offer heading into the deadline, with his rumored asking price being as high as a first-round draft pick.

Chicago brought a plethora of veterans to the table in the trade market this year, as they moved Seth Jones and Taylor Hall in separate deals. The front office came into Friday with big ambitions to swing multiple deals and they were able to pull one off with the Detroit Red Wings.

Chicago Blackhawks deal Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith to Detroit

Insider Frank Seravalli first reported the deal that sees two veterans stay in the Midwest. It will be Mrazek’s second stint with Detroit, as he began his career with Detroit in 2012 before being dealt to the Flyers in 2017. The netminder signed a two-year contract extension with Chicago last year, and it’s impressive that Kyle Davidson found a taker to eat the $4.25 million Mrazek is set to make next season.

Smith inked a one-year deal with the Blackhawks this past summer and had nine goals to go with his seven assists in 40 games this year. He was a mainstay on Chicago’s fourth line when healthy, and he will look to play a similar role on a Red Wings squad right in the middle of the Wild Card race down the stretch.

The Blackhawks are receiving former first round pick Joe Veleno in this deal. Veleno is a center that has five goals and five assists in 56 games this year. He is coming off a 12-goal campaign a year ago in which he played in 80 contests for the Wings. Veleno is under contract through next year for just north of $2 million, so Chicago comes out of this trade helping out there cap situation while grabbing another forward with potential for their group beyond this season.

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With just over 24 hours until the NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks front office has an extremely tough decision on their hands. Ryan Donato has been a staple in the lineup this season and has put up a career year with his contract up at the end of the campaign. He has 23 goals and 23 assists in 60 games this season, both of which are his career highs in a single year.

Chicago is in no position to compete for a wild card spot this season with six weeks left to go. If anything, they are only worrying about their draft position for what should be another exciting class this summer. Because of this, any veteran player of value (like Donato) needs to be under full consideration for a trade.

If the Blackhawks were on the fence about dealing Donato at any point this week, a trade made on Wednesday between Seattle and Tampa Bay could sway their decision.

Ryan Donato could bring the Chicago Blackhawks a haul

The Lightning brought back an old friend and added another huge piece for their playoff run on Wednesday in a deal with the Kraken. They acquired Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand along with a 2026 Conditional 5th round pick. Seattle’s return was shocking, as they netted two first round picks (2026 + 2027) a 2025 third rounder via Toronto and Mikey Eyssimont.

Trade details:

To #GoBolts:
Yanni Gourde
Oliver Bjorkstrand
2026 SEA 5th Round Pick

To #SeaKraken:
2026 TBL 1st Round Pick
2027 TBL 1st Round Pick
2025 TOR 2nd Round Pick
Mikey Eyssimont

Tampa Bay’s next first round pick is in 2028.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 5, 2025

Even though the Kraken gave up two big players in this trade, getting two first rounders is huge. The Blackhawks front office could look to take advantage of this with Donato. He has outscored Gourde and Bjorkstrand this season and it’s not even remotely close. A first rounder for Donato’s services is definitely in the cards for the Blackhawks if they choose to move on from him.

At this point, it’s all about general manager Kyle Davidson finding the right trade partner for the exact package that he is looking for. Trades across the league like this Tampa Bay one have taken some potential suitors off the table for the Blackhawks, but a team like the Senators could be interested in adding Donato to their top nine for the stretch run.

The Chicago Blackhawks could look to keep Ryan Donato

Whenever a player is having a season like Donato is, there will always be a camp that votes to keep him around even longer. The veteran is 29-years-old and his value will probably never be higher, but his impact for the team on the ice this season is something the front office might want to see more of moving forward.

Donato has been as reliable as can be this season he provides another way to put pucks in the net for a line that does not include Connor Bedard. He could be a guy that the coaching staff wants to have around the youth movement that will continue to come through over the course of the next two seasons.

One could also make the argument that if the Blackhawks love Donato so much, they can still trade him and then bring him back by overpaying him this summer. There is no doubt that Donato has been extremely important to this struggling organization over the last year and a half, but the decision to move on from him by tomorrow to benefit both parties should not be a difficult one.

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Ryan Donato is not the only Chicago Blackhawks veteran forward that has picked up trade interest ahead of the deadline on Friday. The franchise has already made two big moves since the calendar flipped to 2025, with the latest being a trade that sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers.

Chicago scored quite the return for Jones by getting their potential goaltender of the future in Spencer Knight along with a future first round draft choice. Taylor Hall was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes as a part of a three-team trade with the Avalanche on January 23. The Blackhawks got their own 2025 third round pick in the deal while retaining some of Rantanen’s salary as a third party broker.

Donato would be the third splash trade that Chicago would make this season, but there are other moves that could go through with before Friday’s deadline that would still make sense as well.

Pat Maroon could be a guy the Chicago Blackhawks trade

Maroon was brought to Chicago on a one-year deal this past summer worth $1.3 million. Known as a hard-hitting veteran, Maroon has provided the Blackhawks with a much needed physical presence that they lacked last season. Despite this year’s team having similar results in the standings to last season’s squad, they are playing a much faster and physical game with guys like Maroon contributing to that shift.

Maroon has the exact same goal and assist totals through 56 games this year than he did a season ago. He currently has four goals and 12 assists to go with his 90 hits this year. He has been a consistent guy on the fourth line and has added to the leadership group in the locker room well.

The 36-year-old has won three Stanley Cups and has been dealt at the deadline plenty of times, including last season when he was moved from the Wild to the Bruins. As a deadline candidate for contending teams, Maroon would bring a physical game with strong leadership skills and a winning mindset no matter where he goes.

Chicago could very well hang onto Maroon, but his expiring contract warrants them listening to any calls they might receive for his services. Realistically, Chicago wouldn’t receive more than a fifth round draft choice for him if they chose to send him away.

The Chicago Blackhawks should field offers for Craig Smith

Smith has been a pleasant surprise from the crop of free agents that general manager Kyle Davidson brought in this past summer. He inked a one-year deal worth $1 million after playing in 75 games for the Dallas Stars a season ago. Smith has lit the lamp nine times this year with the Blackhawks to go along with his seven assists in 40 games. His latest goal came on Wednesday night in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Senators on a sweet set-up from Maroon.

Similar to Maroon, Smith has been on the fourth line this season and they both have tried their hand at mentoring their young line mate, Lukas Reichel. Smith brings a physical side to his game that isn’t as drastic as Maroon, but he can still lay the boom when needed. He would bring back a pick to the Blackhawks that Maroon would in a deal, so Chicago will go through the same process when evaluating his future.

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Even though the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t playing for anything important in the last month of the six weeks of the season, there are still meaningful things that need to be sorted out. Seeing more young faces draw into the lineup on a daily basis is good to see as the organization looks toward the fall.

A big issue with Chicago’s forward group this season regardless of who is acting as head coach has been the constant line shuffling. This is tough especially for franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard, who more often than not has not been able to find his footing this season due to playing with different combinations of wingers every night.

One fellow young forward has been playing on Bedard’s wing for the past few weeks and it appears that interim head coach Anders Sorensen plans to keep the two together for the rest of the campaign. Chemistry is everything for a phenom like Bedard, and nothing else matters if he can garner a connection with wingers that allow him to be the best version of himself every night.

Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard need to stay together

Frank Nazar has put together a solid season since being called up in December. In 33 games this season, the 21-year-old has four goals and 10 assists. Nazar’s season numbers don’t tell the whole story though, as he has been one of the top rookie scorers since mid-January.

The former Michigan Wolverine plays the best 200-foot game on the Blackhawks right now, which is why he works so well with Bedard. Nazar’s aggressiveness on both ends creates more avenues for Bedard to be creative in generating chances for himself and the rest of the line. While Bedard is currently in another scoring drought, he and Nazar are looking more fluid together as the games go on.

The connection between these two is very apparent and it helps that they play at a similar speed. Bedard’s biggest issue with line mates in his rookie season were that he played at a speed well above them. Having a guy like Nazar on his wing helps him in the fact that they will likely be in the exact places that they need one another to be in at the right time.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a few choices for their top line

With Bedard and Nazar locked in for the rest of the year, the next thing to keep an eye on is who joins them. Landon Slaggert has gotten most of the action on the opposite wing of Nazar since he got paired with Bedard, but there are a couple other options that could be explored in the last six weeks of the campaign.

Colton Dach started Wednesday night’s game against Ottawa on the top line before Slaggert began rotating in as early as the second period. A veteran on the squad to keep an eye on as well to jump up to the top line is Tyler Bertuzzi. The first year Blackhawk had a good scoring stretch with Bedard around the holidays and the coaching staff could look to tap into that again if the 19-year-old’s scoring drought continues.

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The Chicago Blackhawks prospect pool has been playing unbelievable at their respective amateur spots this season and the hockey world has taken notice. Insider Scott Wheeler had Chicago’s prospect pool ranked fourth in his last set of rankings, with several players inside his top 100 overall.

Many of the bigger prospects that general manager Kyle Davidson has drafted over the past few summers are beginning to make their way toward Rockford and Chicago. Fans are eager to see the next era of Blackhawks hockey and the even got a taste of it on Monday night when new netminder Spencer Knight put on a show in the team’s 5-1 win over the Kings.

Goal scoring will be at the forefront for Chicago in free agency and the draft once again this summer. While they have great scoring and playmaking ability in the pipeline, franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard needs all the help he can get as soon as possible. Frank Nazar has been an excellent addition to the squad and he by far plays the best 200-foot game on most nights.

The hockey world has been put on watch with a Blackhawks forward prospect in the OHL. Nick Lardis has been playing out of his mind this season for the Brantford Bulldogs and it’s only a matter of time before Blackhawk fans are chanting his name at the United Center.

NHL insider boasts about Chicago Blackhawks’ Nick Lardis

Insider Frank Seravalli joined the Blackhawks Countdown Live pregame show last week and mentioned Lardis and the season that he is having in the OHL right now.

“He’s a guy that you can get excited about if you’re a Hawks fan,” Seravalli said. 

"He's a guy that you get excited about if you're a Hawks fan." @frank_seravalli joined #Blackhawks Countdown Live to talk about Nick Lardis and the special year he's having in the OHL. pic.twitter.com/Mq9ZS6rEHb

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) February 28, 2025

Based on the eye-popping numbers that Lardis has posted this season, it’s hard to not be jumping for joy if you are a Blackhawks fan. In his second season with Brantford, he has 66 goals (yes 66) and 42 assists for a grand total of 108 points in 58 games. Lardis is on pace to finish the campaign with 75 goals and 48 assists (123 points) in 68 games.

What Lardis has been able to do this year is nothing short of incredible. He has been atop of the OHL in scoring along with the potential top pick in the 2025 draft, Michael Misa. There is a real possibility that Chicago will have the chance to select Misa this June, which would be unreal to say the least.

One of the craziest stats from Lardis this season in the OHL is unheard. The 19-year-old has seven hattricks this year and had a 17 game goal stretch at one point. Lardis has 14 game-winning goals this year and already has Brantford’s all-time franchise record in points and goals in a single season.

Nick Lardis could make an impact as soon as next year

Lardis officially signed his three-year entry level contract with the Blackhawks last April. Based on his play this season, he will certainly be around the organization next year. The only question is where Lardis will reside after finishing out this season with the Bulldogs.

While it seems like a no-brainer to plug him straight into the NHL lineup right away, it’s worth noting that his young age shows that there really is no rush to have him there if the front office doesn’t think he is ready for it. Even though Bedard and company could use any type of scoring help they can get, it shouldn’t come at the cost of hurting a players’ development. The time will come where Lardis gets to show off at the United Center on a nightly basis, it’s just a matter of when rather than if.

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The future of the blue line for the Chicago Blackhawks is as bright as ever despite the team trading away Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. General manager Kyle Davidson has done a good job over the past few drafts bringing in defensemen that have projected well for the team’s future. While many of them are still playing at the amateur level, that will soon change.

A few younger faces that are featured in the future of the team’s defensive core are already at the NHL level. Alex Vlasic earned himself a contract extension a season ago and appears to be a top-pair guy for the foreseeable future. Ethan Del Mastro has benefitted from minutes over the past two weeks and has looked much more confident because of that. He lit the lamp for the first time in his career last Thursday against Las Vegas and he scored again on Monday at home against the Kings.

Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski have bounced around between the AHL and Chicago this year. Allan has gotten much more run at the NHL level, but is currently in Rockford. He was a first round pick of the Blackhawks in 2021 and has showed promise when given chances with the big club this season. Korchinski was a top-ten pick in the 2022 draft and it is perceived that he will be a full-time member of the team next season.

Multiple high draft picks have gone toward the blue line over the past handful of seasons, but upgrading the right defenseman slot became a priority as of late. A project prospect of the Blackhawks has turned heads at the collegiate level and will become well known to fans in the near future.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Sam Rinzel compared to Brock Faber

Sam Rinzel was a first round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. Taken 25th overall in a trade up for Chicago that also came with veteran goaltender Petr Mrazek, the youngster was seen as a developmental piece at the time. Things are going well for him at the collegiate level and insiders are taking notice. Frank Seravalli of the DFO Rundown Podcast had high praise for Rinzel.

“They (Chicago) have elite pieces in their pipeline,” Seravalli said. “Sam Rinzel, I think, is the next Brock Faber.”

Anytime someone is put in the same sentence as Brock Faber, it’s worth paying attention to. Faber is 22-years-old and like Rinzel, played his college hockey at Minnesota. The current Minnesota Wild defenseman played for Team USA in the Four Nations tournament and is seen as one of the brightest young players in the NHL today.

Rinzel is currently in the running for the Hobey Baker award, given to the best collegiate hockey player in the country every single year. He has posted nine goals and 18 assists in 36 games while having a plus/minus rating of +12.

Chicago Blackhawks fans could see Sam Rinzel very soon

With Rinzel currently in his second season with the Golden Gophers and him making the leap to signing his entry level deal at the end of the year isn’t unheard of. If this comes to fruition it could be very similar to what young forward Frank Nazar did a season ago. Nazar signed with Chicago following his campaign at the University of Michigan with three games to go in the regular season. After playing in those games with the Blackhawks, he began this year down in Rockford before he got called up in December.

Whether Rinzel is with the team to begin next season or not, it appears that the swing that the front office took on him almost three years ago could pay off. Have a right side of him and 2024 number two overall pick Artyom Levshunov is fun thought for fans. Pairing those two with Korchinski and Vlasic would be a recipe for success as the top four blue liners for the teams’ next big playoff run.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office has plenty of assets to work with in trade talks this work with more young players being made available across the league. Moving Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a big trade on Saturday was exactly what the team needed to further move the rebuild in the right direction.

Even though the team could look to trade away veterans Ryan Donato and Petr Mrazek this week, the idea of adding to the young core is not off the table either. The Blackhawks have the assets to make an aggressive push at a young star and now is probably the best time for them to do so.

With a plethora of young goal scorers potentially available on the trade market this week, the Blackhawks need to do whatever they can to get Connor Bedard some immediate help before other big name prospects within the organization sign their entry level deals. This could also be a big summer for Chicago with the pending free agent class, but nothing there is a given so a chance to improve the roster at the deadline will be on their minds at all times this week.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks should have interest in JJ Peterka

JJ Peterka was a second round draft choice of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2020 draft. He is a 23-year-old winger from Munich, Germany who signed his entry level contract at the end of the 2021-22 season. NHL insider Frank Seravalli listed Peterka as a new trade candidate this week and that Buffalo is receiving plenty of calls for him.

“Peterka hits the Trade Targets like a wrecking ball, a 23-year-old first line winger with tons of untapped potential still,” Seravalli wrote. “Sources say any team calling Buffalo has been met with resistance on Peterka, but the volume of calls has increased, and the amount of chatter around the league is growing louder. So why is he on the board? The Sabres haven’t done anything to shake up their team yet. He has significant value. He’s a pending RFA who will need a new contract, and oh by the way, he will potentially be an offer sheet target this summer.”

Seravalli’s reasoning for Peterka potentially being on the move makes a ton of sense on Buffalo’s end and it should be something that the Blackhawks get involved in as soon as the Sabres ease up on their “resistance” in trade talks surrounding him. He played in all 82 games for Buffalo a season ago and had 28 goals to pair with his 22 assists.

Peterka has picked up right where he left off a season ago and he already has more helpers in the campaign. Through 56 games, he has 17 goals and 28 assists and is more than on his way to have the most points in a season in his young career. He won’t be cheap for the Blackhawks front office by any means, but Peterka’s potential is worth whatever Buffalo is asking. Another playmaker alongside Bedard is never a bad thing in Chicago’s situation, and having a known commodity on the ice with the young phenom would be huge.

Why landing JJ Peterka will be difficult for the Chicago Blackhawks

Based on his value and production, Peterka will not come easy for Kyle Davidson’s group. There will be plenty of potential suitors knocking on Buffalo’s door to acquire him and it’s hard to say that the Blackhawks will offer Buffalo exactly what they are looking for.

It’s also worth noting that the Sabres may never back off on their resistance to move Peterka. If they really like him as much as they say they do and are willing to match whatever offer is thrown his way this summer, they could very easily hang onto him and roll with the punches.

Peterka would be an incredible get for the Blackhawks and he might be their most realistic young option to pick up on the trade market this week. Unlike other potential deals for Chicago, this one could actually be in their control in terms of what they bring to the table as long as Buffalo is willing to tango.

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The massive Seth Jones trade on Saturday night with the Florida Panthers could be the first of a few major moves that the Chicago Blackhawks make this week. Taylor Hall was the first domino to fall back in January in the three team trade that involved Mikko Rantanen going from the Avalanche to the Hurricanes.

While Ryan Donato and Petr Mrazek could be on the move this week, the idea of Chicago’s front office going out and bringing in a young piece for the future is being floated around. The Blackhawks getting another first round pick in the Jones trade just gives them that much more ammo to make a move for one of the promising young players rumored to be available on the trade market.

Quinton Byfield’s name has been tossed around in mock trade packages to the Blackhawks. Ironically enough, many of those proposed trades involved Rantanen once again. With Carolina unsure if he will re-sign with the team this summer, they could try to move off him while they can still net a return for his services. Chicago would once again be a third team in the mix with a deal like this, and a player like Byfield would be a massive get for the franchise.

Why the Chicago Blackhawks should pursue Quinton Byfield

Byfield was the second overall draft choice of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 draft. The center played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL and he signed his entry-level deal at the end of the 2020-21 season. Byfield played in 80 games for the Kings a season ago and scored 20 goals while picking up 35 assists. So far this season, he has 11 goals and 23 assists in 58 games.

Chicago should be all over Byfield if they are lucky enough to talk with the Kings about him. While his career numbers don’t totally jump off the page, his potential is extremely high. Byfield is still just 22-years-old and his size is something that the Blackhawks need desperately. He stands in at six-foot-five and weighs 225 pounds, possessing a combination of scoring and size that Chicago does not have a lot of in their prospect pool.

Why Quinton Byfield would be a hard get for the Chicago Blackhawks

In order to land Byfield, the Blackhawks need to bank on things falling their way that are not in their control. Los Angeles has been linked as the most likely spot for Rantanen to go if Carolina decides to move him. However, if a contract is offered his way that he can’t resist, the idea of this three team in transaction would be off altogether.

There is no doubt that the Blackhawks have the resources to bring in a player like Byfield for their future. Having multiple first round picks for the next couple of drafts and a handful of movable prospects in their pool, it wouldn’t be the most improbable thing on Kyle Davidson’s part to swing a deal for Byfield.

Based on who else is available on the trade block right now, Chicago will have a better chance at facilitating a trade for a different young player that could be a huge part of their future. It’s worth noting that Byfield could be their best guy to land if he is made available, so they should be monitoring that situation all week long.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office shook things up in a big way when they swung a massive trade with the Florida Panthers over the weekend. Seth Jones was shipped out along with a draft pick in exchange for highly touted young goaltender Spencer Knight and a future first-round draft pick.

Chicago should be extremely active this week leading into the March 7 trade deadline. The biggest name left on the roster that is expected to be moved is veteran forward Ryan Donato. The hope is that general manager Kyle Davidson can land a second-round pick or better for Donato depending on his market.

The Jones trade could lead to another veteran being sent away based on Chicago’s return for the defenseman. The team is currently dealing with a goaltender log jam, which is never a bad issue to have by any means. However, based on how their current goalie tandem has played out this season, the primary netminder from a year ago should be traded this week.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to trade Petr Mrazek

Mrazek was a mainstay in the cage for the Blackhawks a season ago when they badly needed a veteran to shoulder the load. He appeared in 56 games while starting in 53 of them in his second season in the Windy City. Mrazek posted a 3.05 GAA and .908 save percentage, his best mark since the 2020-21 campaign.

The 33-year-old earned himself a two-year contract extension during last season that will pay him $4.25 million per season until the end of next year. The deal made sense for both parties at the time, but Mrazek has not necessarily held up his end of the bargain this year. His GAA shot up to a 3.46 ad his save percentage is back under .900 at .890.

With three goalies on the active roster at the moment and having veteran Laurant Brossoit under contract through next year makes it seem like Mrazek will be the odd man out when it’s all said and done. Knight was situated in the starters crease at practice on Monday and Arvid Soderblom was on the opposite side of the ice meaning that Mrazek will not dress for the home tilt against the Kings.

Spencer Knight is in the starter’s crease so good chance he starts tonight vs Kings.

Soderblom is in the other crease and Mrazek is the odd man out. https://t.co/ls8SS5QtwA

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 3, 2025

The Blackhawks just need Mrazek out for whatever they can get at this point. There isn’t a spot for him on the team anymore and they could really use the money off their books for the big free agency class to come this summer. If a team looking to make the playoffs sees value in having veteran goaltending depth at a cheap price in the trade market, Chicago could get some calls on Mrazek.

The goaltending future is bright for the Chicago Blackhawks

This situation that Chicago currently has is mainly difficult because of how well Arvid Soderblom has played this season. He was originally supposed to be a placeholder until Brossoit came back from injury, but he has instead carved out a nice role for himself to the point that sending him back to Rockford would be a mistake.

The Blackhawks could have something brewing here with a young goaltending tandem of Soderblom and Knight. What happens with Brossoit is up in the air, but the youth movement for Chicago has extended to the crease and that offers plenty of optimism for the future.

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Reports confirm that the Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick per hockey insider Frank Seravalli.

The Blackhawks didn’t have all of the leverage when they made the deal to trade the 30-year-old defensive star. Chicago was always going to have to decide between taking on some of Jones’ salary or giving up draft capital to complete a trade and hasten the team’s rebuild.

The Blackhawks are eating some of Jones’ contract.

Chicago will retain just $2.5 million for Jones over the next five seasons. Jones was signed through the 2029-2030 season at a $9.5 million AAV and was the highest-paid player on the team. According to puckpedia.com the Blackhawks now have $20,806,549 in cap space.

Trade details, per sources:

To #TimeToHunt:
D Seth Jones
2026 4th Round Pick

To #Blackhawks:
2026 1st Round Pick
G Spencer Knight#Blackhawks retain $2.5 million on Jones for next 5 seasons.

Pick slides to 2027 if Florida doesn’t have 2026.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 2, 2025

Trading Seth Jones is best for both sides

The dealing of Jones does not come as a surprise, considering it was made public that he was seeking a trade with the deadline looming. While Jones had his moments as a Blackhawk, including being named an NHL All-Star in 2022-2023, it had been up and down for him lately in Chicago and it seems like parting ways is best for both sides.

Jones was quoted by The Athletic saying, “I think my timeline might be different than Kyle [Davidson] and Norm’s [Maciver] and the Blackhawks.” He also added he wanted to play “meaningful” games going forward and that it was nothing personal against the Blackhawks organization.

This was essentially a divorce.

While Jones has had some rough moments this season, he still is not an overall bad player and still can be a good defenseman for the Panthers. It will help that he is playing on a legit team looking to defend their Stanley Cup title. The Blackhawks can focus further on youth and using the cap they cleared in the upcoming seasons.

How Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson fared in this deal

It seems like Davidson got himself a pretty nice deal for a contract that is pretty rough and a guy who wanted out. Having a team eat much of that 9.5 million AAV over the next five years for a 30-year-old defenseman is what stands out the most. The Blackhawks were not in cap trouble, but getting a nice hunk of that money off the books further helps future flexibility.

Having what is likely a late first-rounder and a young goaltender feels like a solid sweetener for the Blackhawks. Knight, 23, despite his youth has played in 80 NHL games (70 starts) and sports a career 2.76 GAA and .906 save percentage. At age 19 in 2021 he played in two playoff games and sported a .933 save percentage over both contests. Potential future goaltender? Now is the time to find out.

Even Pete Blackburn from the What Chaos! hockey podcast said, “Unreal work from the Blackhawks” on X. The overall opinion on the trade seems favorable to the Blackhawks considering the money and circumstances of Jones in Chicago.

One of Stan Bowman’s last big moves exits

With this move, another one of the few remaining veteran pieces from the Stan Bowman era departs. After Bowman acquired him back in 2021 in what seemed like a reasonable deal, he immediately gave Jones an eight-year, $76 million extension which even for a good player like Jones seemed ludicrous.

This was one of the last major moves he made before his dismissal in October of 2021 due to the 2010 sexual assault scandal.

There are a handful of players who were acquired by Bowman left on the team, but most were drafted or acquired towards the end of his tenure and have come up to the NHL over the past few years. Connor Murphy and Tuevo Teravainen are two notables on the team that were acquired by Bowman and played in the NHL long before his dismissal in 2021.

Onward Davidson and the Blackhawks go, as well as Jones. Good luck to him.

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Despite the 2024-25 season being one filled with disappointment for the Chicago Blackhawks, some good things have come from the group as the year has gone along. The team showed plenty of fight in Thursday night’s 7-5 loss on the road against the Golden Knights. They trailed 5-1 after the first period but found a way to cut the game to just a one-goal deficit in the third period before Vegas put the game away in the final few minutes.

Chicago has now dropped their last five contests and all four games coming out of the Four Nations break dating back to last weekend. With the March 7 trade deadline on the horizon, the team could look completely different in a week from now.

When the youth movement has gotten their opportunities with the big club this season, it has been worth watching. Frank Nazar has been on a tear over the past month and he even notched two assists in the high scoring loss on Thursday. Per usual, Connor Bedard is always must-watch TV when he is on the ice. Despite a second NHL season that hasn’t totally gone according to plan, the 19-year-old phenom has made major strides in a pivotal part of his game this year.

Connor Bedard has improved in the faceoff circle

Except for a rough month of November, Bedard has seen his numbers in the faceoff circle improve each month of this season. His 50% win rate in February is by far the best month he has had taking faceoffs in his NHL career, which is a massive victory.

Connor Bedard’s faceoff percentage broken down by month:

October: 31.2%
November: 25%
December: 35.5%
January: 37.7%
February: 50%

— Backyard Marty (@BackyardMarty) February 26, 2025

The big debate surrounding Bedard since he began his time in the NHL was in regards to his face-off struggles. If the former number one overall pick would not have figured it out in the dot, the thought of kicking him out of the wing was a realistic possibility.

The issue with moving Bedard to a winger spot would be the lack of space he would have in five-on-five play. The best part about him centering a line is that he can control the offensive and he has way more room to be creative with the puck on his stick. With Bedard appearing to have figured out his face-off struggles for the time being, this is a conversation that the Blackhawks front office can avoid for the foreseeable future.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to help Connor Bedard moving forward

With Bedard putting his game together more and more as his second season has progressed, the immediate scoring help next to him needs to be the top priority for Chicago this summer. General manager Kyle Davidson brought in plenty of veterans last summer in hopes that they would spark a change in the trajectory of the organization, but those plans have fallen flat.

This summer has a strong free agent class in store for the Blackhawks to attack, with another important top draft pick on the table as well. A few members of Chicago’s prospect pool like Oliver Moore could sign their entry-level contracts following their collegiate seasons, which would be extremely helpful for Bedard as well. While the future remains bright for the Blackhawks, keeping the present in mind is just as important to get the team out of the league’s basement next season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks’ struggles continued on Tuesday in their 2-1 loss on the road against the Utah Hockey Club. Prior to Thursday night’s game in Las Vegas, Chicago sits in last place in the Central division with 41 points and a 17-34-7 record. If the season ended today, the Blackhawks would finish in second-to-last place in the entire league and would have a guaranteed top-four pick in the draft.

Praying for ping pong balls to bounce their way has become a yearly tradition in the Blackhawks organization and it’s something the front office should not get comfortable with. It’s been two years since Chicago won the Connor Bedard lottery and many are hoping 2025 will be the last year that they are in serious consideration for winning the top draft choice.

Despite most of the organizations’ promising prospects playing at the amateur level right now, the future and buzz around the Blackhawks remains extremely bright. That doesn’t help things at the NHL level in the meantime, as the team is having trouble treading water with just over two months left in the regular season.

Seth Jones rips Chicago Blackhawks season after loss

A few key veterans for the Blackhawks have voiced their frustrations with the team’s poor performance this season. After Tuesday’s tough one-goal loss, alternate captain Seth Jones had some words to say on the team’s lack of progression throughout the campaign.

“We’re the exact same team right now as we were game 1. It’s pretty evident out there,” Jones said. We haven’t made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows.”

Even though this appears to be harsh from the team’s top defensemen, there is some truth to the statement. Only some of the veterans that general manager Kyle Davidson brought in via free agency this past offseason have been consistent contributors and select young players have taken a few steps forward.

Bedard’s goal-scoring drought in November was another frustrating stretch for the Blackhawks and their fans, as he is one of the few reasons that people will tune in most nights. Some more goal scoring help should be on the way for Bedard toward the end of this year and by the beginning of next season, but he’ll just have to manage with what is around him right now for the time being.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a decision to make with Seth Jones

With the trade deadline looming on March 7, the Blackhawks organization has a key decision to make with Jones. The veteran has five years remaining on his massive contract that pays him $9.5 million per season, but contending teams have shown interest in acquiring his services.

While there is more urgency from Jones’ camp to get a deal done, there are incentives for Chicago to want to get a deal done here as well. Even if they have to eat some of Jones’ salary moving forward, the front office would get even more cap relief that they can use in a huge free agency this summer. Also, it gives the the young blue liners within the organization a chance to get consistent NHL ice time to close out this season and beyond.

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With the NHL trade deadline just over a week away on March 7, time is ticking for the Chicago Blackhawks to try and swing a deal involving veteran defenseman Seth Jones. The 30-year-old has been attempting to work out a deal with the Blackhawks front office but has acknowledged that money will be the biggest factor in getting a trade across the finish line.

If the Blackhawks are willing to eat some money in the Jones contract or can find a third-party broker to make a deal work, they will have a few suitors willing to bring in the former first-round draft choice of the Nashville Predators.

Regardless of who comes calling, Chicago needs to make sure they manage the money of Jones’ deal correctly and they get young assets back who are ready to play at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Based on the early rumored teams that are interested in Jones, Kyle Davidson could eye up a couple of interest forwards as a part of the return in a deal.

Mavrik Bourque should be a guy for the Chicago Blackhawks to watch

The Dallas Stars have been the hottest team in the Jones trade rumors, and a guy like Mavrik Bourque would be a good place to start for Chicago in negotiations. The 23-year-old was the 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Stars and this season marks his first real opportunity in the NHL. Through 51 games, Bourque has eight goals and 10 assists for a Dallas squad that is currently in second place in the Central division.

Bourque was an over-point-per-game player in the AHL last season with the Texas Stars. He had 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists), in 71 games. His time lighting the world on fire as a dynamic scorer for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL earned him a spot in the first round of his draft class, and he kept his worth in a big way based on his performance in the AHL last year.

Due to the log jam of forwards on a very strong Stars team, Bourque hasn’t gotten the chance to show off what he is fully capable of. This makes him an obvious trade candidate for a team that will be looking to upgrade at the blue line before making a run at the Stanley Cup. Bourque also provides some value in the face-off circle, which is something the Chicago Blackhawks desperately need.

Mackie Samoskevich needs to be an option for the Chicago

Similar to Bourque, Mackie Samoskevich is getting his first real chance in the NHL this year. In 49 games, the winger has eight goals and nine assists after playing in just seven contests a season ago. Samoskevich was a first-round selection of Florida as the 24th overall pick in 2021.

The 22-year-old attended the University of Michigan and had a fantastic final season in Ann Arbor. In the 2022-23 campaign, he was an over-point-per-game player, having 20 goals and 23 assists (43 points) in 39 games. Even though he made his NHL debut a year ago, Samoskevich made his name known at the AHL level. With the Charlotte Checkers, he had 22 goals and 32 assists (54 points) in 62 games last year.

For Chicago, they have acquired enough draft capital at the last few deadlines. The front office needs to start prioritizing the idea of bringing in established players who are ready for NHL ice time from the jump. Bourque and Samoskevich both fit that mold and would be solid centerpieces in trade packages if the Chicago Blackhawks talk shop with Florida or Dallas.

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More updates continue to come out regarding a potential trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Seth Jones leading up to the March 7 deadline. The front office has already made one move well before the deadline when they shipped out Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes as a part of a three-team trade on January 23.

The rumors between the Blackhawks and Seth Jones looking to find a trade partner over the last couple of weeks have been very real. Jones is currently in the second season of the seven year extension he signed in Chicago after being traded from Columbus in the 2021 offseason.

For the sake of getting at least some of Jones’ $9.5 million salary per year off of their books, the Blackhawks are hoping to swing a deal with the 30-year-old defensemen. There should be a couple of suitors interested in Jones as the deadline looms, but a new report reveals that there might be less urgency on the Chicago front office than it originally seemed.

NHL insider gives an interesting update on a Seth Jones trade

NHL insider Elliotte Freidman talked all things related to the trade deadline in the latest episode of his podcast, 32 thoughts. He revealed a new detail about the Blackhawks and their willingness to move Jones. It appears that more pressure currently sits on Jones and his camp rather than Chicago’s front office.

“I think the Hawks have indicated that if it doesn’t work, I don’t think they have a problem with keeping him,” Friedman said. “This sounds like it’s more Jones driven, than Blackhawks driven.”

Jones had mentioned repeatedly that he would like to play for a winner and even though he has a lot of years left on his deal, he knows that his best years at the NHL level are numbered. A good amount of contending teams should have interest in Jones, especially if the Blackhawks can eat some of his salary or a third party broker is found.

Chicago’s front office might not have the same sense of urgency that Jones has to get a deal done, but they should at the very least be taking the phone calls they receive as seriously as possible. With the team hoping to get a near NHL ready talent as the center piece of a package for Jones, there could be some very enticing pieces out in the trade market for them to pursue.

The Chicago Blackhawks era with Seth Jones was a massive failure

There is no doubt that the Seth Jones led defensive era in Chicago has been a complete disaster. The former Blue Jacket was a Stan Bowman acquisition right before the 2021 draft and his contract has been the one thing that has held this team back over the last couple of seasons.

Jones’ production has been perfectly fine in his time as a Blackhawk, but he isn’t worth the near $10 million a season that he is set to make for the next half decade. The sooner a deal can be made, the better it will be for both parties. Jones will get the opportunity to play for a contender, and Chicago will have a chance to play more of their young defensemen while getting some salary cap space back for the upcoming offseason.

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The Chicago Blackhawks fell in both of their games over the weekend out of the Four Nations break against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs. Neither game was particularly close, and Chicago could not get into a rhythm offensively regardless of what lines were on the ice.

Chicago remains second-to-last in the entire league after the weekend with 41 points and a 17-33-7 record. The team is four points ahead of the last place San Jose Sharks and if they season ended today the Blackhawks would be guaranteed a top-four draft choice in June.

The youth and veteran blend on this Chicago squad is different from the previous two seasons. Having some of the young core from the rebuild join 19-year-old phenom Connor Bedard is good for the long-term outlook of the team. Frank Nazar picked up an assist in Sunday’s home loss to Toronto, adding to the solid run he has been on since January 18. 

One key veteran forward is currently out for the Blackhawks, and his presence has been missed out of the break on both sides of the ice.

The Chicago Blackhawks are missing Jason Dickinson big time

Jason Dickinson was officially placed on injury reserve on Saturday with an ankle injury. He is expected to miss the next two-to-three weeks at the very least, but there hasn’t been a confirmed date where the team hopes he’ll be back on the ice.

The 29-year-old is in his third season with the Blackhawks and he hasn’t had the scoring touch that he had a season ago. Dickinson currently has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points his 53 games played this year. He broke out a season ago by scoring 22 goals and having 13 helpers in all 82 games for the Blackhawks. His goal total last year was the most he’s posted in a single season in his career.

Even though Dickinson has struggled to score this season, his defensive presence remains one of the biggest factors of his game. Chicago doesn’t have many forwards that play a full 200-foot game and that’s what the former first round pick brings to the table.

Dickinson received votes for the Selke Trophy a season ago, given to the best two-way forward in the league. These multi-goal losses hurt that much more for the Blackhawks knowing that a player of Dickinson’s caliber wasn’t in the lineup to make a difference.

Jason Dickinson might be a bigger part of the future in Chicago

Dickinson is currently in the first season of a two-year extension he signed with Chicago last January worth $8.5 million in total. Despite him being set to hit the open market after next season, the Blackhawks might want to consider keeping the veteran around on another short-term contract. While the prospect pool continues to progress through the amateur ranks, having key veterans that can occupy the bottom six forward spots down the road is important for the organization to have.

Based on how Dickinson is trending, his next deal will likely be worth less than what he’s getting paid by Chicago right now. This is another reason why having him return on a one or two year deal after next season could make all of the sense in the world for general manager Kyle Davidson.

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The young core at the NHL level right now for the Chicago Blackhawks will remain the primary focus for the front office after the Four Nations break. Entering Sunday night’s game against the Maple Leafs, the team has 41 points on the season with a 17-32-7 record. They are four points ahead of the San Jose Sharks who are last in the league and would have a guaranteed top-three pick in the draft if the season ended today.

Kyle Davidson’s plan to rebuild this roster has taken plenty of time and the fans have certainly grown frustrated over sitting in the league’s basement. A majority of the Blackhawks prospect pool is playing at the amateur level right now, meaning most of them are at least one or two years away from reaching the NHL at the earliest.

Some impressive strides have been made by the pieces of this developing core that have joined Connor Bedard this season. Even though more new faces are on the defensive side of things this season, a forward who was called up for his second stint with the franchise in December has made his presence known over the past month.

Frank Nazar is heating up for the Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Nazar is ahead of the pack in scoring among his rookie counterparts in the NHL over the last month. The former Michigan Wolverine has three goals and five assists in 11 games since January 18 which ties him for the most points by a rookie in that stretch in the league with eight.

Since Jan. 18, Frank Nazar has eight points (3G, 5A) in 11 games, tying him for the most among NHL rookies in that span.

https://t.co/g0XySqQzmn pic.twitter.com/7BSB9JwpaV

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 23, 2025

In his 27 games with the Blackhawks this season, Nazar has four goals and seven helpers. He scored his first career NHL goal last year in his first game. Nazar was a highly decorated collegiate player in his time at Michigan as he was a point-per-game guy last season.

The Chicago Blackhawks will rely on Frank Nazar heavily

Nazar was the 13th overall draft choice of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. The pick was acquired in the Kirby Dach trade with the Montreal Canadians, and the Blackhawks look like early winners in that transaction at the moment. Nazar went back to Michigan for his Sophomore season last year due to an injury he sustained as a Freshman that limited him to seven games in 2022.

Based on how high he was drafted, the label of Nazar being a top-six forward for the organization down the road makes plenty of sense. His draft class was the true beginning of the full-scale rebuild in Chicago as he was taken in the first round along with defensemen Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel.

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There is no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks and veteran defenseman Seth Jones are lookin to mutually part ways at this year’s NHL trade deadline. He signed an an eight-year, $76 million dollar deal with the Blackhawks after being acquired by the team in 2021. Money will be the toughest part of moving the 30-year-old, as he is owed $9.5 million per season over the course of the next five years.

The Blackhawks have already shipped out one of their veterans this season and it’s been nearly a month since they did so. After spending a year and a half with the franchise, Taylor Hall was sent to Carolina as a part of a three team trading involving the Colorado Avalanche on January 23. Chicago received their own third round draft choice in the 2025 draft as a return for the forward, while retaining part of star goal-scorer Mikko Rantanen’s salary for the rest of the season.

There should be multiple suitors for Jones if the Blackhawks can make things work financially. Plenty of signs point to the right-shot defenseman being on his way out of the Windy City, but nothing is for certain until everything gets across the finish line with terms in a deal.

Seth Jones acknowledges the rough stretches he has been a part of

Jones mentioned the rough stretch of the rebuild that the Blackhawks organization has being going through for most of his time in Chicago with the media on Friday.

“I’ve been here the last four years, through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen in a while, Jones said. “I think things are moving up and moving forward, but my timeline might be different than Kyle and Norm’s and the Blackhawks’. It’s nothing against anybody; I’m not holding it against anybody, what they decided to do here. But sometimes it’s not in everyone’s plans.”

The dark times that Jones talks about haven’t been seen in Chicago from a hockey standpoint since the early 2000s. The team has held top picks in the draft over the past couple of seasons, and are in a prime position to land a guaranteed top-five choice in this summer’s draft.

It’s easy to say that the basement is a place where the Blackhawks and their fans have gotten used to over the last handful of years. While the prospect pool that the organization holds gives strong promise toward the future, something needs to be done entering next year to get out of the bottom three spots in the league.

The Chicago Blackhawks front office has urgency in these trade talks

With a big free agency class on the horizon this summer, Kyle Davidson and his team know how important it is to get as much money off the books as possible. The same report from Jones’ comments with the media on Friday also said that the idea of this trade possibility has been “thrown around” for a little while now and they want to “push the needle” toward getting a deal done.

Not only would a Jones trade give Chicago even more cap relief, it would also provide the young defensemen in the organization to get consistent NHL minutes. Ethan Del Mastro has been bouncing back and forth between the AHL and Chicago this season, so he could reap the benefits of a deal being made here. 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov might also get a shot to make his NHL debut near the end of the season as well if the front office can find a good enough trade offer for Jones.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to be quieter at this year’s trade deadline compared to previous seasons, but that doesn’t mean moves won’t be made by the front office in the coming weeks. Despite the fact that the organization should be involved in taking swings at the big free agents this offseason, there are some expiring contracts on their books and overpaid veterans that don’t serve as a big of a purpose with the team as originally hoped.

Taylor Hall was the first trade chip to be dealt out just under a month ago. The veteran forward was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three team trade with the Colorado Avalanche where Chicago received their own third round draft choice in return.

The other experienced forward who is a trade target for contending teams at the deadline off the Blackhawks roster is Ryan Donato. A second year Blackhawk, Donato already has the most goals in a single season in his entire career (19) in 53 games so far this season. The front office could be on the fence about moving Donato, but his expiring contract might trump anything else at the end of the day.

Another well-respected veteran in Chicago doesn’t have his contract expiring anytime soon, but his name is continuously swirling in trade rumors. The latest report on the defensemen is that he is working directly with the Blackhawks front office to potentially facilitate a deal prior to the March 7 deadline.

Seth Jones is working with the Chicago Blackhawks in seeking a trade

Seth Jones is still on the hook in Chicago for five more years following this season. He signed an an eight-year, $76 million dollar deal with the Blackhawks after being acquired by the team in 2021. Jones acknowledges that money will be the hardest thing to get a trade over the finish line, as he is owed $9.5 million per year for the next five seasons.

“I would like to give myself a chance to win in my career. I know that the money is not an easy thing to move, and that’s what we’re figuring out,” Jones said. 

A team like the Dallas Stars comes to mind when looking at a potential trade partner for the 30-year-old. They made a move for a veteran right shot defenseman at last years trade deadline in Chris Tanev, and they could look to do the same thing a season later.

The Chicago Blackhawks future benefits from a Seth Jones trade

Moving Jones off the current roster would help Chicago’s defensive core of the future take shape sooner. Artyom Levshunov is currently developing in the AHL, but there is no saying that the number two overall pick of last summer’s draft can’t get a run with the Blackhawks before the season comes to a close.

Other young defensemen like Ethan Del Mastro have been taxied between Rockford and Chicago all season long. These players could have more chances to stick in the NHL as well if Jones is no longer with the organization.

Chicago should be in on Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen in free agency this offseason for the sake of giving Connor Bedard so immediate scoring assistance. Either player will cost decent chunk of change in the open market, and getting at least some of Jones’ deal off the books as soon as possible could help the front office swing a solid contract offer for an impact piece this summer.

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The upcoming offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks will yet again be another crucial one in the organization’s lengthy rebuild. Similar to the past three summers, the front office will be making more than one selection in the first round of the draft if everything holds true to form. General manager Kyle Davidson is confident on the current state of the rebuild despite the results not being there at the NHL level.

Connor Bedard needs as much help as possible on the offensive side of things this summer as he’s preparing for his third season in the NHL. The prospect pool that the Blackhawks have is stellar and is ranked high compared to the rest of the league, but immediate assistance for the young phenom is needed sooner rather than later.

The free agency cycle this summer has a couple of big forwards on the board that the Blackhawks’ front office should be all in on. Not only could either one of these players serve as instant help for the young core right now, but they could be pivotal pieces to the team’s next cup run as well.

Mitch Marner makes plenty of sense for the Chicago Blackhawks

Mitch Marner has spent all nine seasons of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is in the middle of the final year of his six-year, $65 million dollar deal he was given by the Leafs entering the 2019-2020 season and his future there is up in the air.

Entering the Four Nations break, Marner has 16 goals and 55 assists on the season for 71 points through 54 games. He missed 13 games last year due to injury, but still found the back of the net 26 times to pair with his 54 assists. The previous two seasons saw Marner score more than 30 goals each year, with the 35 in 2021-2022 being his career high.

Marner has shown that he can consistently find ways to score along with helping out his teammates more often than not. He would perfectly compliment Bedard and even if he commands the $10 million he has made per year over the last six seasons, it is well within Chicago’s budget to send an offer like that his way.

Mikko Rantanen would take the Chicago Blackhawks to the next level

Rantanen was shipped off the Carolina in a deal involving the Blackhawks as a third-party broker at the end of January. Chicago sent Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes along with the former Avalanche star in the deal and they are paying over $4 million of Rantanen’s salary to finish the season.

The 2015 first-round pick has 26 goals so far this season in 55 games. He put the hockey world on notice with 55 goals in the 2022-23 campaign and followed it up a season later with 42 tallies. Colorado knew they weren’t going to be able to pay Rantenan’s new contract this offseason, so they got ahead of the game by swinging a deal to reset their books beyond this year.

Rantanen would certainly be the strongest of the two free-agent candidates here, but he will come at a much steeper price. The 28-year-old could demand north of $13 million per season when negotiating a deal this offseason and while he might be worth every penny, Chicago will be cautious when navigating his free agency saga.

The Chicago Blackhawks would be in fantastic shape if they could sign Marner or Rantanen this summer. Knowing that they will be in a great position to land a highly coveted forward in the draft is a strong thing to keep in the front office’s back pocket, but they certainly should take a chance at going after a premier goal-scoring free agent as well.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have seen some turnover over the last few weeks after Taylor Hall was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third round draft pick. With the youngsters in the organization getting a chance to prove themselves at the NHL level, more opportunities will be made for players down in Rockford to get their turn as the season progresses.

General manager Kyle Davidson spoke with the media last week and was confident on the current state of the team’s rebuild with the calendar turning to 2025. Most of the franchise’s top names in their prospect pool are playing at the amateur level and are just scratching the surface of what they can be in the future.

Another big piece of Chicago’s rebuild will get a taste of being in the show this week. The number two overall pick of the 2024 draft, Artyom Levshunov has been called up from Rockford, per reports. The former Michigan State Spartan signed his entry level deal right off the bat and has been developing in the AHL all season. His first NHL chance will be interesting compared to other call-ups that players receive, but it will still be massive for his overall development.

Artyom Levshunov’s first Chicago Blackhawks’ stint will be different

Despite Levshunov getting the call, he won’t be playing in any NHL games. Davidson stated that the AHL All-Star break gives the young defensemen a good chance to run with the big club before heading back to Rockford.

“With the AHL currently in their All-Star break, we felt this would be a good opportunity for Arty’s development to come and get some NHL-level practice experience, something he was not able to do during training camp this season due to injury,” Davidson said. “While we don’t expect him to see any game action during his recall, we’re confident the experience will be a positive one fir Arty as he continues on his development path.”

The fact that the Blackhawks front office thinks highly enough of the 19-year-old to give him this call is good to see for fans. In 38 games with the IceHogs this season, Levshunov has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points to along with his plus/minus of -5.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have struggled to find a long-term option in net since Corey Crawford left the team after the 2020 season. Crawford helped Chicago win two Stanley Cups and will forever go down as one of the more successful netminders in franchise history thanks to his efforts throughout the team’s dynasty run. Nearly five years after his departure, veteran Petr Mrazek has been the closest thing that the Blackhawks have had to a consistent presence in the cage during this massive rebuild.

General manager Kyle Davidson has added goaltenders through the draft over the past few seasons in attempt to give the Blackhawks a chance at catching lightning in a bottle with a guy who could be the anchor for their next Stanley Cup run. The two recent selections have been second-rounders in the 2023 and 2020 drafts.

Adam Gajan was taken in 2023 and is currently having a rough go at it in his first collegiate season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The 2020 pick was Drew Commesso who made his NHL debut earlier this season. Although his numbers in Rockford this year have been up and down, the front office remains hopeful that he can be a pivot piece of a goaltending tandem down the road.

An answer for the goalie position in Chicago might have been a piece that has been with the team all along. A guy who wasn’t supposed to see any NHL action this year unless an injury came about has been impressive and could have a spot with the Blackhawks for much longer than originally anticipated.

Arvid Soderblom is turning heads for the Chicago Blackhawks

Arvid Soderblom had a brutal 2023-2024 season. The undrafted free agent finished the season with a 3.92 GAA mark and a .879 save percentage in 32 games played. Because of these numbers, the front office went out and signed Laurent Brossoit in free agency from the Winnipeg Jets.

Brossoit has yet to play in a game for Chicago yet due to needing multiple surgeries, which placed Soderblom onto the opening night roster. This is exactly what the Blackhawks were looking to avoid, as Soderblom getting time in the AHL to refine his game appeared to be what was best for his future.

Despite a rocky start, Soderblom has turned things around as of late and is putting together the best season of his young NHL career. He already has two more wins this year than he had all of last season, and his GAA mark is better than it has ever been. Soderblom has a 2.89 GAA mark with a .909 save percentage in 23 games played. The 25-year-old has been in the cage for the two biggest road wins of the season, one of which was on Tuesday against the Lightning.

The future could now have Arvid Soderblom in the fold

With the circumstances of Chicago struggling mightily this season, Soderblom’s turnaround has been a fun bright spot. If he is having success with the product on the ice, his game could be taken to a whole new level when the entire defensive core is locked in at the NHL level.

With the tandem of Mrazek and Soderblom competing relatively well right no, it makes things difficult for Davidson and his staff when Brossoit is finally ready to get back into action. Having trouble picking which goaltenders to keep is a good issue to have, and it’s one that the Blackhawks haven’t had to deal with in quite some time.

If Commesso of Gajan can develop into something special, a tandem of them with Soderblom could be in the cards for Chicago when they are looking to make a deep playoff run in the coming years.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have been playing a much better brand of hockey over the last couple of weeks. They have officially climbed their way out of last place in the league for the time being, just leading the Sharks by one point in the standings.

Most of the recent success from Chicago is thanks to strong goaltending and the young pieces on the roster coming through in big ways. Many fans have been frustrated with how long the team’s rebuild is taking, but general manager Kyle Davidson addressed the media on Monday and the current state of how he thinks things are going in this long process.

With most of the Blackhawks prospect pool currently playing amateur hockey, the focus for the young players currently in the NHL is more important than ever. While it is good to have the future of the franchise begin to take over the roster, having a veteran presence in the locker room should not go away. A former member of the Blackhawks dynasty will be available on the open market and it might make sense for the front office to pursue him.

Brandon Saad is coming off a solid season in St. Louis

Saad was in the middle of his fourth season with the Blues before being let go by the organization on Thursday. The 32-year-old had just seven goals and nine assists in 43 games for St. Louis this season, and their front office felt that his play wasn’t worth keeping him around anymore.

The Saadfather finished last year playing all 82 games for the Blues and produced well. He had 26 goals and 16 assists for a total of 42 points after finding the back of the net 19 times in the previous season. Saad is known for playing a strong two-way game with an ability to create chaos at the front of the cage. He isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty and that trait in his game has not gone away with age.

The Chicago Blackhawks could use a veteran like Brandon Saad

Saad won two Stanley Cups in Chicago during the team’s dynasty from 2010-2015. He was a member of the 2013 and 2015 squads and was a part of the NHL all-rookie team in 2013. Saad’s best season as a Blackhawk came the year after their last cup in 2016. He scored 31 goals to go along with 22 assists in the lone all-star season of his career.

Even though there are already a few veterans in the locker room, Saad brings familiarity with the franchise to the table. He could fill the leadership shoes that Taylor Hall held before he was traded away to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round draft pick.

Saad could use a bigger role in Chicago to rebuild his value for a contending team next season, assuming that a deal for him would cover just the rest of this season. One thing that could hold Chicago back from making this move is that it could block younger guys in Rockford from coming up this season.

Landon Slaggert was called up from the AHL to take Hall’s roster spot and he scored a goal in his first game of the campaign against Tampa Bay. If the organization believes there are enough veterans in the locker room and they want the young players to get more NHL ice time, Saad might not make sense for them at this time.

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The Chicago Blackhawks enter play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night with the second-lowest point total in the NHL. Through 49 games, the team has a 15-29-5 and 35 points, just one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

It hasn’t been the season that the fanbase and those around the organization had originally anticipated that it would be. While the Blackhawks weren’t supposed to be in the hunt for a playoff spot, hanging out in the league’s basement for another season wasn’t the main expectation.

Despite the struggles, the plan in place is still one that the organization has the highest belief in. What Chicago has in their prospect pool is special, it’s just all about playing the waiting game and giving these young players time to develop before hitting NHL ice. General manager Kyle Davidson went into further depth on where the rebuild stands right now in a press conference held on Monday.

Kyle Davidson provided a statement on the state of the rebuild

Davidson acknowledged the fact that this season of Chicago Blackhawks hockey has been a disappointing one. The ups and downs have been apparent, and having to fire head coach Luke Richardson wasn’t apart of the plan. Either way, his vision remains locked in on the future and what the front office has done in the past few drafts.

“In terms of a rebuild and building up through our young players, a lot of the players are still in amateur hockey, so we’re not out of that,” Davidson said. “We can’t lose sight of that. Did I expect us to be better than second last? I did. But that doesn’t at all mean that I’m concerned about the bigger picture here, about the bigger process at play here in terms of where we’re headed and how good this group and this young group coming up can be. That hasn’t changed at all.”

Despite the down year, Davidson remains positive about what Chicago has internally. If anything, he is in a better place mentally about the trajectory of the franchise now than over the summer.

“I’m probably more optimistic having seen the years our young players are having throughout the organization,” he said. I’m probably more optimistic now than I was in the summer in that respect.

Davidson’s second first round draft choice that he made over the summer likely is a major part of that optimism. Sacha Boisvert is enjoying a successful freshman season at the University of North Dakota after being selected 18th overall in the draft.

Boisvert has nine goals and nine assists through 23 games in his first season of collegiate hockey. After averaging over one point per game in the USHL last year, the 18-year-old has adjusted well to NCAA competition. The hope for Boisvert is that he can center one of the top two lines in Chicago for a very long time.

The Chicago Blackhawks prospect pool is just getting started

Along with Boisvert, the Chicago Blackhawks have other prospects that are thriving. Forward Nick Lardis is another fantastic player that has been lighting up the OHL this year. A third round pick in 2023, Lardis has 41 goals and 31 assists (72 points) in just 42 games this season. The 19-year-old was the first player in the OHL to hit the 40 goal mark this season and he has done so with ease.

Oliver Moore is showing tremendous strides in his second season at the University of Minnesota and should be signing his NHL entry level contract relatively soon.

On the defensive side of things, Artyom Levshunov is currently developing nicely in Rockford. The number two overall pick in the 2024 draft is playing well with his frame and has been seeing plenty of opportunities to get better everyday. Sam Rinzel is working on his game along with Moore at Minnesota. The 2022 first round pick has 25 points in 28 with the Gophers and has been a shutdown guy defensively. His offensive uptick elevates his ceiling as to what he could be at the NHL level.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are already looking ahead to the March 7 trade deadline with some options to deal off their current roster. Two early candidates are forwards Ryan Donato and Taylor Hall. Both veteran forwards are on expiring contracts when the season comes to a close, and with the Blackhawks currently sitting tied for last in the entire league in points it makes sense to trade them away for the right price.

There are multiple veterans on the squad that don’t appear to be heading anywhere in March, regardless of the success that they are having this year. It is important for the front office to keep some consistent pieces around Connor Bedard and the rest of Chicago’s young blossoming core. A late rumor has a key member of Chicago’s defensive group in trade talks.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Seth Jones is in trade talks

Despite being on a massive contract with plenty of control, the Spittin Chiclets podcast has reason to believe that Seth Jones is a name being tossed around in trade rumors. Jones has played in 31 games this season and has four goals and 16 assists to go along with his plus/minus rating of -11.

“Teams apparently are calling,” Ryan Whitney said. “Dallas is one of the teams being thrown out there.”

When Whitney asked co-host Paul Bissonnette about his thought regarding Jones on a team like the Stars, he brought up a parallel to a pervious deadline move in the NHL.

“I think that Seth Jones on a team (like the Stars), considering when (Chris) Tanev went to Dallas, everything he provided for them, I’m not saying Jones is him, but I will say from watching games he’s been in this year he looked a lot more fluid than in year’s past,” Bissonnette said.

Tanev was shipped to Dallas from Calgary last season after playing in 56 games with the Flames. The now 35-year-old was exactly what he Stars needed to close out the season. He served as a veteran right-defenseman who didn’t put up gaudy numbers, but stayed consistent and did the job that was asked of him without taking too many mistakes.

Jones could serve a similar purpose on a team like Dallas, but his contract means that he would be more than just a short-term option. The Stars would have to keep Jones around for another five seasons and likely pay a good amount of his $9.5 million salary per year.

The yearly salary will be a big issue for Chicago and getting any deal for Jones over the finish line. The team will have to pick up at least half of his salary per season to make something work, and even then they might not get the return that they are looking for.

A Seth Jones trade would pave the way for a new wave of defensemen

Dealing Jones away would officially open the flood gates for the future defensive core in Chicago. Alex Vlasic is just the tip of the iceberg when to comes to seeing what the franchise has in store on the back end down the road. 2024 first round draft pick Artyom Levshunov is currently developing in Rockford and looks to be a future star in the making based on his build.

Sam Rinzel has been making waves this season at Minnesota, giving Blackhawk fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the right side defense for years to come. Along with these three, Nolan Allen is putting together a fine first season in the NHL, and Ethan Del Mastro just called up from Rockford on Thursday to return to the NHL for the first time this season.

If the Blackhawks can find a trade for Jones that makes sense in terms of finances and the return for the 30-year-old, there is no reason to not go through with it if you are general manager Kyle Davidson.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have not been in a position to buy at the trade deadline in quite some time. Based on the decision that the front office made to rebuild once the 2021 season got off to a poor start, that is the position they have been in ever since.

Trading away Patrick Kane in 2022 was a sign to the fanbase that this team would be tough to watch for a little while. When looking at the grand scheme of the things, the Blackhawks haven’t been competitive since 2017. This doesn’t include the bubble series in 2020 when they knocked the Oilers out of the different style of the playoffs that season. Based on how things are trending this year, Chicago should be in a position to sell once again.

Report indicates the Chicago Blackhawks trade deadline plans

Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported what most believed to be true in the fact that Chicago will be sellers at the deadline this year. However, she threw in an extra tidbit of information that should catch the attention of fans.

“The Blackhawks will once again be trade deadline sellers, but GM Kyle Davidson feels less pressure to get 1st round picks in return this year,” Kaplan says. 

When looking at the Blackhawks roster, there aren’t many pieces that Davidson would likely be willing to move that would net a first round draft choice. However, this notion that he doesn’t feel pressure to get a selection of that magnitude can infer what his intentions are at the deadline. While the assets Chicago could move won’t bring back a first rounder, this mindset from Davidson could show that he might not be willing to part with players just because they are on expiring contracts.

For the team currently sitting in dead last place of the entire league, it is usually a given that any players on an expiring deal will be moved. However, the Blackhawks already have a surplus of draft picks moving forward and they have held a boatload of selections over the past few seasons.

While many believe that there can never be too many draft picks and prospects within an organization, there is truly a limit for Chicago on how many young assets they should have. If they move off expiring deals every year in this rebuild just to do so, there won’t be a consistent on-ice product and it won’t allow for the young cornerstones on the roster to fully develop the way that they should.

There are two prime candidates for the Chicago Blackhawks to trade

If Chicago decides to make any moves at the deadline this year, two veteran forwards are obvious candidates for trades. Ryan Donato and Taylor Hall are in the boat of having their deals with the club run out after this season. Chicago signed Donato last summer, and acquired Hall alongside current captain, Nick Foligno in a trade with Boston last year.

Donato is having himself a fine season so far through 42 games. The 28-year-old has 13 goals and 11 assists in his second season as a Blackhawk. He already has one more goal this year than all of last season and has settled in nicely in Chicago’s top six. Donato would make a great addition to a contender and should bring back a third or fourth round draft choice to the Blackhawks.

Hall has been a consistent contributor for the Chicago Blackhawks in his second year with the team. He has eight goals and 14 assists through 43 games after having his last season cut short due to a torn ACL. The former number one overall pick has been around the league and a contender would know exactly what they are getting in him. He is healthy and brings a winning pedigree to the table when given the opportunity to play on a team moving in the right direction.

Neither one of these players would bring a first round pick back to Chicago, but the front office will certainly take calls on them as the trade deadline nears. While keeping veteran forwards like these guys around Connor Bedard is important, Davidson needs to do what is best for the franchise moving forward. He won’t make a trade just to make one, but he also will not pass on a deal that makes sense for the team’s future.

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The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated at home against the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-2. The loss marks the sixth time that the team hasn’t come out on top in their last seven games. Prior to this skid, the Chicago Blackhawks had won three contests in a row for the first time since February of 2023.

Chicago Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen was extremely unhappy with the loss

Sorensen was none too pleased with how the team showed up to play on Sunday afternoon at the United Center. After a poor showing in the Winter Classic, the squad came out and played very well in 4-2 victory over Montreal at home on Friday night. However, it appears that things retracted back to what the fans have been used to seeing all season on Sunday.

“Today, it was evident the puck management” was to blame, Sorensen said, “We were off to a good start and then our puck management was not good at all. Unacceptable. Then we get stuck in our own zone because we’re tired and we can’t get out…. Nothing good comes out of that.”

The team has certainly shown signs of sloppy play throughout the campaign. They wouldn’t be in last place across the entire league at the moment if things didn’t go south so frequently. Despite the rough stretches, overall offensive production from key players is something that the team has not lacked.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Connor Bedard have turned it up a notch as of late, which has kept fans interested in the club as the calendar turns to 2025. Bertuzzi has a goal in four of his last five games and now leads the team with 14 on the season. This is the first season of a four year deal that Bertuzzi inked with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer.

Bedard leads the way in points for the team with 35 in 40 games. The phenom has a point in seven straight games and could easily hit the 25 goal mark despite going on a 12 game goal scoring drought. It is important that despite the outcome of each game, Bedard remains a focal point in their scoring efforts moving forward.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of time on home ice throughout January

The team is back in action on Wednesday at the United Center against the Avalanche before hitting the road for another Original 6 battle with Detroit on Friday. Out of the team’s 13 games in January, nine of them will be played in Chicago.

For a team that is struggling as much as the Chicago Blackhawks are, having some consistency in the schedule one way or another is a good thing. Being able to get in a solid rhythm at home in the month of January could set the the stage for an easier end to the season.

Fans have learned from the past few years that seasons feel even longer when the team is having a hard time finding success on a nightly basis. With another big draft coming up this summer and a head coaching search that will have a lot riding on it, the Chicago Blackhawks have enough inspiration to play their best brand of hockey with just over half of the season remaining.

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Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson had a busy Monday morning. With free agency open at 11 a.m. CT today, a flurry of signings started to pour in around the NHL. The Blackhawks have already made a splash by agreeing to terms with a number of impact veterans, including winger Tyler Bertuzzi, defenseman Alec Martinez, and winger Pat Maroon. These moves instantly improve the roster and add veteran leadership to a primarily young team.

Chicago Blackhawks agree to terms with Tyler Bertuzzi

The Blackhawks are signing Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year deal with a $5.5 million AAV (average annual value), per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Bertuzzi, 29, was drafted by the Detroit Redwings in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He projects as a top-six forward and has a gritty style of play, often being an agitator. This can be a good thing for young phenom Connor Bedard. With Nick Foligno already taking Bedard under his wing last season, the addition of another forward who will make the opposition think twice before taking a run at the Hawks’ skill players is a good move.

Bertuzzi spent six full seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Boston Bruins in 2023. He would only finish that season plus the postseason in Boston before signing a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played last year. In 80 games last year, Bertuzzi recorded 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists). He has scored 20+ goals in four of his eight seasons, with his best season coming in 2021-22 when he tallied 30 goals and 32 assists for Detroit.

Veteran Alec Martinez adds veteran leadership to Blackhawks blue line

Within a few hours of the Bertuzzi news breaking, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that the Blackhawks added defenseman Alec Martinez on a one-year, $4 million deal. The 36-year-old is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion, including two with the Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014) and one with the Vegas Golden Knights (2023). Martinez was a fourth-round pick by the Kings in the 2007 NHL Draft. He spent 11 seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to Vegas in 2020.

Defenseman Alec Martinez will sign a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, per @TSNBobMcKenzie pic.twitter.com/JOIJ4iMBs6

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 1, 2024

Blackhawks fans may have a bitter taste in their mouths regarding Martinez from a decade ago in 2014. This stems from when he sealed the Kings’ victory over the Hawks in OT of Game 7 of the Western Conference Final, sending them to the Stanley Cup Final.

But Blackhawks fans should soon put those memories to rest if Martinez can be the leader and depth piece they desire on defense. Martinez averaged 19:03 of ice time in 55 games last season with Vegas, and his career ATOI (average time on ice) is a respectable 19:24. Martinez is also a slap shot magnet, blocking 100+ shots in a season nine times in his 15-year career. He led the league in blocked shots in 2020-21 (168) and 2022-23 (244). He also had more blocked shots (57) than anyone in the 2023 playoffs.  With youngsters Korchinski, Vlasic, and now Levshunov looking like the future core of this defense, Martinez can be a valuable mentor on the ice.

Three-time Stanley Cup Champion Pat Maroon signs with Blackhawks

Alec Martinez wasn’t the only three-time Stanley Cup Champion the Hawks acquired today. Pat Maroon has been acquired on a one-year deal worth $1.3 million, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli. Maroon, 36, was selected in the sixth-round of the 2007 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.  Maroon is the definition of a role-player. The Blackhawks will be the eighth NHL team Maroon has played for, but he is known as a winner wherever he goes.

Not only did he win three Stanley Cups, but he did it in three consecutive seasons, and with two different teams. He won his first in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, then again in 2020 and 2021, this time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Furthermore, Maroon has been in the playoffs in 10 of his 13 seasons in the league, amassing an impressive 163 postseason games played.

Big Rig is a Blackhawk pic.twitter.com/k85hV5VRw9

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 1, 2024

In the midst of a rebuild, the Chicago Blackhawks were aggresive to open NHL Free Agency today, adding valuable veteran assets to help guide a young core. And the Blackhawks aren’t done either, as they continue to make additions as the day progresses. One other notable reported addition is former Chicago Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen. What a day already for Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks. October can’t come fast enough.

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Blackhawks Associate GM Jeff Greenberg was named new General Manager of the Detroit Tigers

Lost in the middle of the Chicago Cubs fighting for a playoff spot along with the Chicago Bears playing defense off-the-field, the Chicago Blackhawks have quietly taken a back seat to all the noise in the city. As they gear up for a new season, one that’ll usher in a new era following the departure of long-time captain Jonathan Toews, general manager Kyle Davidson will be in search of some help in the front office.

The Tigers have named Jeff Greenberg as the 20th General Manager in club history, as announced by President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris. pic.twitter.com/7pI4eJ64IN

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 21, 2023

The Detroit Tigers named former Blackhawks’ Associate GM Jeff Greenberg as their new general manager Thursday, succeeding former Tigers’ GM Al Avila, who was fired back in August last year. The announcement ends over a decade-long association for Greenberg and Chicago sports, as he previously spent eleven seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs’ front office prior to his time with the ‘Hawks. It’ll also reunite him with Tigers’ president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who worked for the Cubs from 2012 to 2018.

Greenberg released the following statement after the announcement was made:

“I appreciate what Danny Wirtz, Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks organization have done for me and my family. We will forever be thankful for the opportunity I was provided with the organization. I know the club is on the right path to success with the leadership they have in place and the vision they are building for the future. I look forward to this new challenge and the Blackhawks will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Blackhawks are Looking Forward to the Future of the Franchise

HAT TRICK CONNOR BEDARD pic.twitter.com/ltdmshwdPp

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 17, 2023

Greenberg leaves an organization where he played a key part in Kyle Davidson’s plan to completely overhaul the team’s analytics department. Long considered behind the curve in that category, the Blackhawks now have the largest analytics departments in the NHL today. Coupled with the team drafting once-in-a-generation prospect Connor Bedard at No. 1, there’s reason for optimism on the ice again.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ preseason kicks off September 28 at home against the St. Louis Blues. They’ll travel to Pittsburgh and take on the Penguins for the regular season opener October 10.

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Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson says development is the focus for the 2023-2024 campaign

Kyle Davidson only wants one thing for the Blackhawks this season, development.

The Hawks have a major number of new young prospects, some of whom will be spending time in Rockford this season. Others will take to the ice in the United Center this October.

The Chicago GM spoke to the media on Tuesday morning and talked about the team’s goals and hopes for this upcoming NHL season.

“We just want to see players improve,” Davidson said, “take that next step and show us that they can be part of this in a significant way moving forward.”

Continuing to see development in players like Lucas Reichel is something to watch for this season. The 21-year-old appeared in 23 games for the Blackhawks last season. Chicago was in no rush to make Reichel a full-time player last year. But this year is different.

Kyle Davidson made it clear that Reichel will be a staple in the team this season.

“Lukas Reichel did everything we asked of him last year in terms of the little things we asked him to improve on, to the point at the end of the year — and as we walk into training camp this year — he’s an NHL ready player,” Davidson said. “Those are the steps you want your young players to take.”

Reichel, registered 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 23 appearances with the Blackhawks last season after recording only one point in 11 games the year prior. Last season it was clear he was getting better and better with each call up.

Reichel is just one example among a number of young players who look to develop or continue developing into long term Blackhawks.

Davidson had a message to send to the fans about the future of the franchise.

“There’s also a lot to be excited about and we’re going to filter in some very exciting young players this year that’ll give fans an eye to the future,” Davidson said.

“Again, this is a journey, but we’re progressing along that journey right now and some of the young players that we’ll see in training camp and that we’ll see in the regular season this year will give an eye and a sneak peek to where we’re going on that journey. So I think there’s a lot to be excited about both at the NHL level and outside and we’re making progress very positive progress.”

A rebuild takes time and patience to pull off successfully. The Blackhawks have one of the brightest futures in the NHL. And Kyle from Chicago seems like the man who can harness that future.

You may also check Samuel Savoie sustains serious injury and Bears fans react to verified report of major raid at Soldier Field

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With a broad range of moves made earlier in July, the Chicago Blackhawks roster is poised to show their chemistry amongst the new-look team with a grand entrance on the upcoming season’s horizon. Most importantly, all eyes will be on this team for a good part of the beginning of the season as well.

The chemistry among the Chicago Blackhawks will start with key players such as Connor Bedard.

Because of an interesting roster generated in the rebuild by GM Kyle Davidson, who is doing his best to ensure that this team is successful in the long-run in short-time. Given that this is still a young team, with a handful of veterans, that will complement the roster nicely in a manner that everyone can learn from each other.

Connor Bedard will lead the way for the Blackhawks team, but the forwards acquired to play with him and the ones already available on the roster will be the X-factor for the Chicago Blackhawks’ chemistry, because of the skill and speed of the roster itself that will be ready to compete.

This team is primed to play at an elite level but will have difficulties at certain parts of the regular season, which may determine if the Chicago Blackhawks are playoff bound or not. Provided that the GM has options to work with to tweak the roster a bit more or try to acquire more depth players for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

How the roster will perform with the moves made by the Chicago Blackhawks management?

One point is clear, that management has taken a gamble with certain moves made thus far, and what else will transpire from here is a treat the fans will be in for. The best part of a rebuild is when a team attracts star players in the league and the Chicago Blackhawks are not far from that feat.

What players would be interested in coming is an interesting question, depending on who is available and what kind of game they bring to the table, considering the Blackhawks team needs to make a few more upgrades to the roster to compete hard.

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The third and fourth-line depth of the Chicago Blackhawks will be observed as a go-to model for toughness, skating accordingly to the game, and most importantly scoring goals at a mid-to-consistent level. How the chemistry unfolds will be determined by the gameplay of the bottom-six forwards, especially the third line, in my opinion, however, the fourth line should pick up their gameplay in a quick manner.

What does the third and fourth-line depth bring to the Chicago Blackhawks?

With the first to third line still being juggled around, it will be interesting to see who will cut what position and how the team performs till the quarter mark of the season. The fourth-line, however, seems to be set in stone with forwards, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry.

Mind you, most of the players on the roster are flexible to play in any area of the game, coming off Stanley Cup performances, and most importantly having that playoff experience under their belt. It will help with the young guns of the team and mature them as players without having to worry about costly mistakes.

This will be a test for the General Manager Kyle Davidson and for the Chicago Blackhawks team in general, because of the work left to do with the line-up. Acquiring certain players, who will make an impact on the team, seems to be the most important aspect of the Blackhawk’s management.

This would secure a run at the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs race and give the team a dreaded approach toward the league.

How will the third and fourth-line depth adapt to the coaching?

With the coaching ability of Luke Richardson, including his intelligence of the game of hockey, working with the forwards and maintaining a good relationship will not be a problem for the team.

Richardson did mention that he wanted to work on the defensive aspect of the team and after last year’s observation through the stretch, it seems the team may have a new gameplay of sort to work on the offensive front of the game.

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Connor Hellebuyck would be a great fit for the Chicago Blackhawks.

So far this offseason, the Chicago Blackhawks management did a good job securing a playoff-worthy team, GM Kyle Davidson was not shy about acquiring key pieces that would help build around forward Connor Bedard. But, what if, the GM is not finished at this point or for the remainder of the summer? The Chicago Blackhawks still have a void to fill and that is in the crease with two aging goaltenders, and that’s where goaltender Connor Hellebuyck comes into play.

Hellebuyck will be a free agent next summer, but as an RFA, he has expressed to his team that he does not plan to re-sign with the Winnipeg Jets and this is where GM Kyle Davidson can make a move to secure his goaltending woes with a trade for the star netminder.

Who is Connor Hellebuyck?

Connor Hellebuyck is an all-star goaltender and also a Vezina trophy winner with approximately ten years in the NHL under his belt. He is an incredibly talented goaltender that had brought life to the Winnipeg Jets team, but now is looking to move on to a contending team that will help him raise the Stanley Cup.

This would also be a good fit for the Chicago Blackhawks, because of the win-now type mentality the team is going with at this point, not to mention the implications it would have down the stretch. Including going the distance in the post-season.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a good fit.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a rebuilding team, however, with a set of all-star players, who also possess significant playoff experience, Hellebuyck would be the best addition to the team and a nice surprise during the upcoming season.

With all the rumors going around the league, the Blackhawks will have to make a splash to compete in the post-season next year and have the right package to acquire the star netminder who will lead the team.

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A transformation that will bring back the golden era for the Chicago Blackhawks and its fanbase.

Ever since the Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery Pick, which is the number one pick overall, the growing need to compete has taken shape in the city of Chicago. Waiting anxiously for the draft the fans are in for a treat during the day and possibly into the evening, taking a wild guess as to who or what players the Blackhawks team will acquire and draft to the ailing lineup, with a brand new transformation.

This is the spectacle every fan dreams of, watching the GM of the team make moves according to the coaching style and the need for chemistry within the team to compete in an elite manner. The need for the Blackhawks team is far from finished and the basic need to win now is the goal for the team and its fans.

With the team’s transformation, we can expect more blockbuster moves that will give the fanbase a lesson in figures and most importantly a way to cheer on the team like the golden era.

As known the first pick, which is expected to be forward Connor Bedard, will be ready to lace up his skates and put on a show, with the help of forwards Taylor Hall and Andreas Athanasiou on the first line. Will be a show that we can expect will be played out dramatically with the guidance of the head coach, Luke Richardson, and his coaching staff.

Where does GM Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks team go from here?

Signing forward Nick Foligno to a one-year contract will bring the leadership and veteran experience to the lineup, but will he remain a Chicago Blackhawk come the trade deadline which will be another interesting aspect to watch and plan for the team itself.

In my opinion, GM Kyle Davidson will try his best to utilize his current prospects in the farm league, the majority of them being defensemen, and try to balance out the team’s need for youth and experience at the time.

Bringing in Taylor Hall, as I previously mentioned in an article, will give rookie forward Connor Bedard the leverage of adjusting to the NHL and process the gameplay he needs to understand to play. Being a first overall pick himself, when Hall was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, and then asserted his gameplay up another notch with the Boston Bruins.

The importance of Bedard is that compared to the likes of Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane, where he learned from and perfected his game is the reason he is the key piece to this ever-so-crucial rebuild for the Chicago Blackhawks team’s transformation in general.

To think, the team will have new faces and be ready for springtime is the exciting part of this ever-so-important rebuild, which the general manager has done wonderfully in my opinion thus far, will give the fanbase that sparks to run wild.

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The Chicago Blackhawks take charge of the last three games with a winning effort.

Hello all. Going through a somewhat complex year, we the fans have been in a treat of a whirlwind of competitive action from the Chicago Blackhawks this month as they have won three-in-a-row, against two high-percentage teams and one team struggling to make the playoffs.

From the heroics of Patrick Kane, and Cole Guttman, and a complete team effort from the Blackhawks lineup, this has been in my opinion a defining moment for the team this month, because of the tenacious year the team has faced. Not to mention the notion that this is a good team, but not enough in the tank to go on a run, without certain adjustments to the formation, such as acquiring strong forwards or helping the defensive core, and most importantly securing a top-notch goaltender.

But the test runs the organization managed to pull off this year did show promising signs for the future and the veteran leadership that the team currently possesses without losing out on quality players. As I reiterate, the two iconic stars of the team Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews were targets of unfair trade talk this year due to their team’s current position in the standings, especially in the league.

From what I have observed from the team, they can compete day in and day out, but also, know how to play the game according, which was not a headache for coach Kyle Davidson. Because of injuries and the rookies getting primed for larger roles next season, the coaching staff has done a wonderful job preparing for the future.

Recapping the last two games for the Chicago Blackhawks.

To recap the last two games. The first one against the Toronto Maple Leafs had its dose of entertainment and good ole hockey with many goals scored. The good defensive effort by the Blackhawks, with excellent give and go.

With the Los Vegas Golden Knights, it was a tough game to watch, with a complete offensive effort and onslaught from both teams. Both did their best to grind out the win, but the Blackhawks managed to pull out another.

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Chicago Blackhawks general manager, Kyle Davidson minces no word about the future of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews with the franchise

The Chicago Blackhawks officially kicked off training camp, Wednesday ahead of the 2022-23 National Hockey League season, with general manager Kyle Davidson and head coach Luke Richardson speaking to the media before Thursday’s first on-ice session.

In his chat, Davidson alluded to the fact that the organization has not been involved in any discussion about trading star Patrick Kane and captain Jonathan Toews.

“We’re not anywhere near that point,” the general manager hinted at of possibility of parting ways with the pending unrestricted free agents.

Kyle Davidson said the team has had no intention or discussion to trade Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews and that neither player had any intention of asking to be traded. If that changes, they'll cross that bridge when they come to it.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 21, 2022

Kane and Toews are entering the final season of their respective eight-year contracts signed in 2014. The three-time Stanley Cup champion players have identical $10.5 million cap hits for the Chicago Blackhawks, who finished in seventh place in the Central Division last season and have qualified for the playoffs just once since 2017.

Toews, 34, said in July that a potential multi-season rebuilding process “doesn’t sound appealing to me at all.”

Kane, 33, recorded team-leading totals in assists (66) and points (92) in 78 games last season.

A former Hart Trophy recipient as the league’s MVP, Kane has 1,180 points (430 goals, 750 assists) in 1,107 career games since the Chicago Blackhawks selected him with the top overall pick of the 2007 NHL Draft.

Toews totaled 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in 71 games last season.

A former Selke Trophy recipient as the league’s top defensive forward, Toews has 852 points (357 goals, 495 assists) in 1,014 career games since the Blackhawks selected him with the third overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft.

The team play their their first game of the season against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, October 12th at Ball Arena in Denver. The home opener is Friday, October 21st against the Detroit Red Wings.

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The Chicago Blackhawks add a key piece to their defense this week

The Chicago Blackhawks’ are attempting to boost their defense bysigning free agent defenseman Jack Johnson to their lineup on a one-year contract worth $950,000.

The team itself is looking to more of a heavy veteran presence training the young group of core players that are good prospects on the team, but initially giving them a chance to learn in a more broader term of play, providing them ample amount of a chance to excel in a manner that relates to the game.

The guidance brought by the veterans at this point will thrive the game for the rookies and sophomores to say the least, because of the nature and award winning championship attributes most veteran players bring to the table.

For the most part, this stabilizes the defense system at most for the team and brings up the credibility of the defensive game the Blackhawks’ are trying to run with in general, not to mention the leadership quality that these players have with them.

How the Defensive unit will shape up at the beginning of the season.

To be more specific, the defense system was the strongest attribute to this team entering the offseason and general manager Kyle Davidson has found a method to solidify his stance on the defensive structure to the team’s need.

From the aspect of working on the frontline of the lineup, however, it is doubtful that any move will be made in that part or acquisition to say. Until the trade deadline of course, due to the reason that more offensive players will be available at that time with a whole new cap space scenario to look at.

Will the Defensive unit lineup take charge of the team’s needs in general?

This team will have it’s ups and downs and for the most part in one’s opinion it is looking promising for the team to build on the future from the past in an incredibly nifty way.

Given the recent history of the Blackhawks’, it is safe to say that the future will be introduced by the past and that the torch will be passed, by none other than player’s such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Who will remain Chicago Blackhawks in one’s opinion, until the end of their respective championship careers.

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The Chicago Blackhawks rebuild is in full-swing, but will the new acquisitions be around to see it through and beyond?

From the minute Kyle Davidson assumed the role as General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, he’s been anything but shy about enacting a rebuild. Even as the interim GM, he immediately dropped the hammer, relieving three-fourths of the coaching staff in Jeremy Colliton, Sheldon Brookbank, and Tomas Mittell.

Heads have only continued to roll, including former third-overall pick Kirby Dach and rising superstar Alex Debrincat, who were both jettisoned this off-season; in addition to Brandon Hagel, who was jettisoned at the trade deadline. Davidson is not only rebuilding the Chicago Blackhawks – he is completely stripping the team down to the studs with a ruthless and methodical precision.

If young players like Debrincat, Dach, and Hagel were expendable, will any of the new acquisitions actually survive the Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuild?

Seth Jones

Davidson has been lightning-quick to erase the moves of his predecessor Stan Bowman, but the acquisition of Seth Jones is one he will have to accept for the foreseeable future. Jones’ eight-year, 9.5 million dollar per year contract will begin this season, posing a huge roadblock in moving him anytime soon.

Although Jones had an up-and-down inaugural season as a Blackhawk, he still managed 51 points in 78 games on an extremely bad hockey club. His defense overall was suspect, but between his first year with a new team, a scandal-rocking accusation by Kyle Beach that rattled the entire organization, a GM and a coaching change early in the season, and the subsequent unraveling of the entire team around him, it’s understandable for any player to struggle as Jones did.

Regardless, Jones is a number-one defenseman who is only in his late-twenties. He can defend against an opponent’s top players, run a first-unit power play, kill penalties, and absorb close to thirty minutes per game. Assuming the Blackhawks rebuild takes no longer than 5 years, he is definitely a piece that should still be here when the Hawks return to relevance.

Max Domi

The acquisition of Max Domi not only ruffled some feathers, but it was also puzzling, at least initially. Domi has a history of controversies, both on and off the ice. He’s an energy player that feeds off emotion and crosses the line at times. Gritty players are always nice to have on any team, but his 3-million price tag seemed a bit steep, even on a rebuilding team. It was also curious why a team like the Blackhawks would want a player like Domi, who seems better suited for a role on a playoff contending team.

Evidently, it was Domi who immediately requested that his agent contact the Blackhawks. After Luke Richardson was announced as the head coach, Domi jumped at the opportunity of a reunion, having spent time with him previously with the Montreal Canadiens. Domi had two of the best seasons of his career under Richardson, including his highest-point and goal-total season in 2019 (72 points, 28 goals).

Although Domi does have the potential to put up respectable numbers season by season, he will most likely be moved before the Blackhawks rebuild is completed, if not sooner. Davidson may very well try to flip him at the trade deadline this year. Domi will be a nice player to have on a rebuilding team for one year, but signing him long-term doesn’t make much sense, as his on-ice worth can only be maximized on a deep team.

Andreas Athanasiou

Andreas Athanasiou has had a 30-goal/50+ point season in his career, but has been on downslide the last three seasons. At 28 years of age, he’s young, has decent size (6’2, 190 lbs.) and speed, plays center, and can score. Although he isn’t exactly “old,” he’s at that age where, in developmental terms, he is what he is at this point.

Athanasiou makes sense for the Hawks in the very short-term, especially in the wake of Dylan Strome’s departure. Strome is arguably the better player, but Athanasiou will serve as his replacement next year. He is a player who is serviceable in the top-six/third-line center role on a shallow team and has enough skill to at least have the potential for success with the right line-mates; but like Domi, he doesn’t make sense beyond this year, let alone beyond three to five years of a rebuild.

Peter Mrazek and Alex Stalock

The current goalie situation has never looked as bleak as it does for the Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban both failed to solidify themselves as viable NHL goalies; as did Anton Forsberg and Colin Delia. The position has not only been overlooked for so long, but horribly mismanaged by ex-GM Stan Bowman. Davidson will have to address the position from scratch, but in the meantime, Peter Mrazek and Alex Stalock will have to do.

At 35 and 30 respectively, it’s impossible to see either goalie in the Hawks’ future outside of the next couple years. They are both placeholders, which is fine. Even on a rebuilding team, competent goaltending is a must, which Mrazek provides. He’s a veteran who can serve as a mentor for young goalie prospects in the system who may see time this year, such as Drew Commesso and Arvid Soderblom.

Conclusion:

Out of all the new acquisitions, Seth Jones is the only player who has a shot of surviving this rebuild, based on both his albatross contract and his playing ability. He deserves the benefit of the doubt after just one bad season in his inaugural year, where everything that could go wrong did within the organization.

Even if Max Domi has a productive season, it’s logical to assume that Davidson would rather flip him at the deadline than retain him beyond this year. His physicality and grit will come in handy on a young rebuilding team, but he doesn’t make much sense beyond the short-term. Athanasiou, Mrazek, and Stalock will also be long-gone before the rebuild is ever completed, even in a best-case scenario of a three-year rebuild.

If these new acquisitions tell us anything, it’s that this year will truly be a throw-away year for the Blackhawks. There will be a time when new acquisitions actually serve to improve the team, but with the exception of Jones, these acquisitions will only serve to ice a competent-at-best NHL team next season.

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Blackhawks Off-season rebuild continues with a few surprises along the way.

As the course of the NHL off-season sits at a stand still, with a few surprises along the way, hearing about the news that Eddie Olczyk has left the Chicago Blackhawks team broadcast for the Seattle Kraken. Not to mention the questionable trades made by the general manager Kyle Davidson, according to many of the fanbase here in Chicago, and the rash of draft picks made by the manager and his team that has made an everlasting impression.

I would be wary to say that this team is far from falling from grace, defending this remark with reports that the returns from the draft was in fact a positive, solid solution.

The fact that the rebuild in nature was definitely the standard from what was required in order to stabilize the team from the drama from the past year and given the fact that the team was in such chaos, before Kyle Davidson took over, tells the fans that the course of action still remains at bay here.

The off-season is showing promise and could provide a glimpse into the 2022/2023 season.

With an opinion that positively remains optimistic in regards to the Blackhawks, one questions how will the players deliver in the presence of the coaching staff, with the coach stressing that he solely wants to focus on the defensive aspect and let the forwards get creative with the offensive strike, unless their is a trick up there sleeve.

Given the opportunity presented to many of the new additions to the team, it gives them the opportunity to either re-represent themselves in orderly fashion and give them a fresh start to grow and compete in nature to regain the hockey spirit and for the rookies, this would be the moment to grasp the chance to become an all-star level caliber player like that would be able to take the Blackhawks team deep into the playoffs and possibly succeed.

For many that may be a while to come, for some it maybe Christmas come March and the best thing to observe and wait upon at the moment is the next available signing the general manager makes or the trade that will define the team and it’s need by far to say the least.

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Luke Richardson’s style of game play will be at close to watch

Luke Richardson was once a defenseman in the NHL, many moon’s ago, and this may perhaps fit into the system general manager Kyle Davidson is building on to work into his Chicago Blackhawk’s team at this point.

His ability to take his players and navigate them on ice and help them adjust to the opposing team’s offense is quite remarkable, making it difficult to play against in the defensive end that will be a task many will be looking forward to observing, setting a lasting impact towards the players.

let’s be fair though however.

Richardson, has a well-solidified reputation with many players and staff, so his attributes will make the most of his coaching style with he says will be an up-tempo level of play, and hopefully give the team that added level of confidence once lacked for scoring goals and known for playing poorly.

Luke Richardson’s demeanor going into this upcoming is to heavily focus on the defensive core and broad on the offensive part of the end,

As described, he knows how to implement a shut-down defense style of play, which would help compliment Seth Jones game towards leading the rookies into developing their own. Not to mention a decisive and distinct eye for picking out players that will have a special game or will be that break out player in general as well.

The most important factor coming out of the developmental camp is that the prospects are looking promising than ever and the team chemistry without playing is starting to shape up. When the team does in fact does hit the ice, and we get to see first hand how they perform, it is a unique opportunity to watch how a unique rebuild takes place.

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