Blackhawks Team Notes

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Find out what's happening with the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Tuesday Morning Bag Skate, 2-11-25

This is your daily thread to talk about the latest hockey news. Where will Ryan Donato be after the trade deadline, next season? 3 scenarios (The Athletic) Teravainen moving from one underdog to another: Finland’s 4 Nations team (Sun-Times) 10 thoughts on the Blackhawks heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break (The Athletic) RECAPS: Blues 6, Blackhawks 5 (SCH) (Sun-Times)…

Source

Source: https://www.secondcityhockey.com/tuesday-morning-bag-skate-2-11-25/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Prospects Highlight New Top 100 Rankings

On Tuesday, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic released his mid-season updated top 100 drafted NHL prospects rankings. I’ll throw this breakdown in here right up front from Wheeler:

28 players from the 2024 draft, 32 from 2023, 29 from 2022, eight from 2021 and three from 2020. It’s made up of 69 forwards and 31 defensemen (of which 13 are lefties and 18 are righties).

The Blackhawks were tied with the Capitals for the most players on Wheeler’s list with seven. The top two overall players on his list are Montreal’s Ivan Demidov (because of course) and Minnesota’s Zeev Buium (who’s at Denver right now). But it doesn’t take long for the first Blackhawks prospect to arrive on the list.

Here are the Blackhawks prospects who made his list, where they ranked and some of what Wheeler had to say about each.

Make sure to click on Wheeler’s list to read the complete reports on the Blackhawks’ prospects and what he had to say about the other 93 drafted players who appeared.

No. 3 — Artyom Levshunov, RHD​

Part of Wheeler’s Comments:

Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes in a high-end defenseman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice). Though he was a little green defensively when he arrived in the USHL, he has made fast progress and has really figured it out over the last three years (which included becoming a top penalty killer with the Gamblers after not starting there two years ago, and leading the Spartans in time on ice last year). His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles. … I debated ranking him No. 2 here.

Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

27 — Frank Nazar, C/W​

Few prospects dash around the ice and make plays like Nazar does when he’s feeling it. He’s a threatening player from the hashmarks in because of his wrister, which he pops off his stick with sneaky power and precision thanks in large part to the balance he displays through his weight shift (he’s not a big, strong kid but he’s a tremendous athlete).

He’s got quick hands, which help him deftly adjust in traffic to get shots off under pressure. He flashes creativity throughout his game. He plays pucks into space extremely well, regularly executing through tight gaps in coverage. And he’s capable of being a hungry, driven player who consistently targets the middle lane and can get to wherever he needs to get to with his greatest asset — his skating. …

He moves and does things on the ice that few can and has upside as a top-six playmaker. The question is whether he has the jam/fire to stick as a center at 5-foot-9/10, or if he’ll have to play wing to play in the top six. I think the wing is more likely.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

28 — Kevin Korchinski, LHD​

I like his stick and his ability to use his feet to defend the rush and disrupt play (though he’s a better transition defender than a defensive-zone one). His hallmark has become his balance over his skates (an area that, astoundingly, was once a major concern before a growth spurt somehow straightened his posture out), allowing him to stay stick-on-stick through stops and starts with opposing carriers. …

There’s still some fine-tuning that needs to happen defensively, and he’s prone to the occasional brain cramp, but Korchinski doesn’t panic under pressure. He has made real progress making quicker decisions, he exits and enters the zone well, he controls play when he arrives there, he gaps up well in neutral ice, he sees it and handles it at an advanced level, he’s got shakes and shoulder fakes and his ceiling remains fairly high (as high as No. 3 D and PP1/2 QB, I think) as a result.

#Blackhawks Prospect Sam Rinzel On Areas of Improvement, the Hobey Baker, Turning Pro, Morehttps://t.co/qmylj2G9aP

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 10, 2025

54 — Sam Rinzel, RHD​

Rinzel’s appeal is all about the potential because it has always felt like he’s just scratching the surface, but some of that is really starting to be scratched now. He, like Nazar but even more so, found another level after returning from the World Juniors last season and hasn’t looked back, climbing a steep incline in his progression to become one of the top defensemen in college hockey as a sophomore this season. … You can see the tools and he’s starting to figure out how to deploy and utilize them in a more cohesive way. You can see his confidence building in real time as he starts to look like more than just his length and skating, too. He can really impact play when he’s reading the game well. …

The University of Minnesota has done an excellent job developing defensemen in recent years, he has already made some big improvements there, and I think that with one more year in college, he could emerge with real NHL aspirations as an interesting top-six defenseman with some real upside.

#Blackhawks Prospect Oliver Moore Talks Coaches, Winning, All-Around Play, Going Pro, More

cc @GopherHockey @usahockey https://t.co/7qhspVKNyr

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 11, 2025

64 — Oliver Moore, C/W​

His consistent game-to-game impact even when the points aren’t going in has always struck me as well (he rarely has a bad game and works and finds ways to involve himself and make things happen). Moore’s game is defined by his world-class skating ability (both in straight lines, where he turns defenders with ease out wide, in quick bursts from explosive stops and starts and rounding corners and winding up through his edges) and consistency of presence on the ice. He’s got gallops, cutbacks, crossovers, all of it. … He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them and his motor doesn’t stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next. …

But he just doesn’t seem to finish off plays around the slot or in all alone enough and that lack of finish despite the tools to do so and some pretty goals over the years on both dekes and shots, has become a bit of a constant, raising questions about his offensive upside in the NHL.

I don’t see much to nitpick in his tools or his approach, although he does need to think the game a little better with the puck at times. He has the ability to impose his will on games. But while his game is fast and tenacious, I think you’re more likely looking at a fast and determined third-liner.

79 — Sacha Boisvert, C​

Boisvert’s got the desired height and position on his side, room to fill out his once-wiry frame (which he already added a bunch of muscle to the last two summers; he still looks lean with further growth to come) and NHL skill and competitiveness. Intangibles come up a lot when you speak to people about him (he even dropped the gloves a few times last year, including in the playoffs). The skill includes a quick and accurate NHL-level release, good instincts on and off the puck, above-average feet (he’s a decent skater, even if a little upright in his stance), a developing power game and great feel with the puck on his stick both at speed and in slowing the game down (though a high grip and long stick can occasionally limit him with the puck so far out in front of his body). Add in his impressive work ethic and a two-way commitment and there’s a lot to like.

94 — Nick Lardis, LW​

Lardis is a standout skater and natural athlete (which is evident on the ice with his natural speed but also showed up when he led on-ice testing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in his draft year). He’s fast in straight lines and smooth weaving up ice through his carries. But he’s also got a dangerous curl-and-drag wrister, a one-timer that he trusts and regularly scores on (his one-timer from the flank and even closer to the goal line is a feared weapon in junior), good touch on the puck and on the power play, an innate ability to be opportunistic around the net and, because of his speed, a knack for winning races and getting to loose pucks. He’s on the smaller side for a winger (though he’s a very playable and fit 5-foot-11), and he’s not as engaged physically in battles as you’d hope a player with his speed would be, but his summer birthday gives him the benefit of a little more time to add more strength to his natural athleticism. …

I’d be eager to work with him to build around the quickness and top-flight speed to try to him into a middle-six scoring winger. Not all of the Blackhawks’ abundance of 5-foot-9/10/11, speedy forwards are going to be able to play on the same team, so that may work against him at some point when guys like Nazar and Moore are a higher priority, but he looks like more like a high second-rounder than a third-rounder these days.

Where the Blackhawks’ prospects fell in Wheeler’s prospect tiers:​

• Tier 2 — Levshunov
• Tier 4 — Nazar, Korchinski
• Tier 5 — Rinzel
• Tier 6 — Moore, Boisvert, Lardis

The top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2025 edition:
1. Ivan Demidov
2. Zeev Buium
3. Artyom Levshunov
4-100 (plus player tiers, scouting reports, a customizable user interface, and more) at @TheAthletic:https://t.co/MjnM7ENzWv pic.twitter.com/BHLU5lFlMQ

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 11, 2025

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...wks-prospects-highlight-new-top-100-rankings/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Fan Guide to the 4 Nations Face-Off

It’s Wednesday, Feb. 12 and there hasn’t been a Blackhawks game in (counts on fingers) too many days. But there will be professional hockey to watch tonight! The 4 Nations Face-Off begins this evening with Canada in action against Sweden.

Unfortunately for Blackhawks fans, there’s only one current Chicago player involved in the tournament. Teuvo Teräväinen is skating for Finland for a week.

The games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this week will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal. The tournament then shifts to TD Garden in Boston for games on Monday. The championship game will be played in Boston on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Here’s the game schedule and where to watch the games if you’re interested (times are Central, broadcast networks are just for the US audience).

Wednesday, Feb. 12
Canada vs. Sweden — 7 PM — TNT, truTV, MAX

Thursday, Feb. 13
United States vs. Finland — 7 PM — ESPN, ESPN+

Saturday, Feb. 15
Finland vs. Sweden — Noon — ABC, ESPN+
United States vs. Canada — 7 PM — ABC, ESPN+

Monday, Feb. 17
Canada vs. Finland — Noon — TNT, truTV, MAX
Sweden vs. United States — 7 PM — TNT, truTV, MAX

Thursday, Feb. 20
Championship game — 7 PM — ESPN, ESPN+

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/02/12/blackhawks-fan-guide-to-the-4-nations-face-off/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Incredible 4 Nations Start, Le Magnifique, GMKD Said Some Interesting Things, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Before we get into the fantastic hockey in Montreal last night, I’m going to start with some Blackhawks focused stuff because Scott Powers at The Athletic shared a terrific Q&A with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson on Wednesday. They talk about a lot of topics, from Connor Bedard‘s development to finding him a running mate and how they’re approaching spending money this summer and the draft. A couple items stood out to me.

• GMKD said they aren’t necessarily married to their top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. It will likely be in the top five overall at this point (they sit second in the lottery odds at the break). He told Powers they would be open to exploring something that might add an NHL player or a player who’s close to the NHL that they feel will help the overall program. Remember: they reportedly were open to trading this pick to move up and get Ivan Demidov at last summer’s draft.

• GMKD described his ideal identity for the team they’re building as “a relentless style of play with pace and compete.”

• He also said the Blackhawks are prepared to potentially bring in some college players when their seasons end. Which… would require available roster spots and ice time. So keep an eye on that between now and the trade deadline.

• Give this piece a read because there’s a lot more in there. Really good stuff.

Does Connor Bedard need a running mate? Could the Blackhawks’ top 2025 draft pick be a trade piece?

That and more in this Q&A with Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson https://t.co/MHxGyWHSvx

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 12, 2025

• I really hope you got a chance to watch the first night of the 4 Nations Face-Off last night because it was absolutely electric! From the opening ceremony (we’ll talk about that in a second) to a fabulous game that required overtime to be decided, this was everything anyone who loves hockey hoped it would be. Canada coughed up a 3-1 lead but escaped 4-3 in OT thanks to this snipe from Mitch Marner. The game was great hockey — legit best-on-best with high stakes. Love it!

MITCH MARNER!!!

He wins it for Canada in just an amazing overtime! #4Nations pic.twitter.com/lcXpPbkoBw

— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025

• A couple other thoughts from the game: first, when Canada scored less than one full minute into the game on a power play that went Connor McDavid to Sidney Crosby to — behind him, no-look, across the crease — Nathan MacKinnon to the back of the net I think the rest of the tournament collectively said “oh crap” because yeah. Secondly, when Canada went to their “nuclear option” in overtime and threw McDavid, MacKinnon and Cale Makar over the boards for some 3-on-3 action… again, good luck!

• Unfortunately, Canada head coach Jon Cooper confirmed after the game that Shea Theodore’s tournament is over because of injury. Canada will now have to skate their six remaining defensemen; they can’t add anyone to the roster unless they no longer have 18 healthy skaters available. Tough blow for the Canadians and awful night for Theodore.

• How about that opening ceremony! They bring out the captains for Finland, the US and Sweden with Teemu Selänne, Mike Richter and Daniel Alfredsson, respectively. Then the spotlight turns to the edge of the ice surface as Le Magnifique himself, Mario Lemieux, steps out to join Sidney Crosby on behalf of Canada. The Bell Centre lost it’s collective **** and I think many people watching at home did, too.

Montreal LOVES Mario Lemieux #4Nations

: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/5clMRIPyms

— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025

A warm welcome back to Montreal for Le Magnifique! pic.twitter.com/XJG6p768qN

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 13, 2025

• We’ll get our first look at Teuvo Teräväinen and Finland against the United States tonight at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The puck drops at 7 PM CT and the game will be on ESPN. It was photo day on Tuesday, so we got a glimpse of Teräväinen in uniform. When the Fins skated as a full team for the first time, he was on the fourth line Erik Haula and Joel Armia.

it's giving Four Nations pic.twitter.com/QRfBul6nOB

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 11, 2025

• Scott Wheeler followed his top 100 drafted skaters rankings with the top 20 drafted goalies on Wednesday. The Blackhawks do not have a goaltender on his list.

The top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects, 2025 edition:
1. Yaroslav Askarov
2. Jacob Fowler
3-20 (plus tiers, projections, and more) at @TheAthletic:https://t.co/4q0jDX994E pic.twitter.com/cAtX2q6PCD

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 12, 2025

• Hey, how about some Nick Lardis wallpaper for your favorite mobile device?

A couple milestones moments are on display in this week’s Wallpaper Wednesday!#BFD | #Blackhawks | #OHL pic.twitter.com/HAWHj8X9yi

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) February 12, 2025

• The LA Kings are hosting a charity event to benefit folks impacted by the wildfires. And the list of celebrities coming out is amazing.

The @LAKings, in partnership with the @NHL today announced the participant and appearance list for Skate For LA Strong, “A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.” Taking place @cryptocomarena on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. (PT), the event will be… pic.twitter.com/LVTdSj7YG4

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) February 12, 2025

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• The Cubs did not end up signing Alex Bregman after all. He went to Boston last night. Brett has thoughts on the Cubs “missing” out on another player this winter.

• Hey, the Bulls made some history last night.

• There’s one spot on the Bears’ offensive line they don’t have to fix this offseason.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...eresting-things-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Around the NHL: World Cup Coming Back, CBA Update, Timing Changes Coming? More

The NHL world is on pause for a couple weeks while we enjoy the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t news being made around the game. Indeed, there was some important news that came from the NHL/NHLPA press conference before the game on Wednesday night that’s notable.

The World Cup of Hockey is coming back, the CBA negotiations sound like they’re in a good place, there might be some changes to the clock during NHL games next season and more. Let’s get into it!

World Cup of Hockey returning in ’28​

This year’s 4 Nation Face-Off is the launching point for the NHL and NHLPA getting back into international best-on-best competition. They’ll participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy next year. And then in 2028, the World Cup of Hockey will return! Which is awesome and fun and all of that good stuff.

The new addition to the series will be fourth World Cup of Hockey (1996, 2004 and 2016). A bidding process for host cities and venues expected to open in the coming months. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the media before the start of the 4 Nations Face-Off the bidding will be open to cities in North America and Europe.

We previously learned the NHL and NHLPA will not be working with/thru the IIHF for the World Cup of Hockey in 2028… which means they could choose to bring Russia and Belarus back into the fold if the politics make that something that’s doable in three years. Bettman said there will be “at least eight teams” in this tournament, it will be held during the season, and they will be countries only — no Team North America and Team Europe.

According to the league’s release, the World Cup of Hockey 2028 will be played on NHL-sized rinks using NHL rules and officiated by NHL officials.

From the league’s release:

“International best-on-best competition is very important to our Players – representing their countries on the ice is in their DNA — and hockey fans love it,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Resuming Olympic participation next season and staging a World Cup of Hockey in February 2028 will provide expanded opportunity for more players to represent more nations in best-on-best competition. With this tournament – and the World Cup’s return to regular rotation – the NHL and NHLPA take a major step in our joint commitment to international hockey.”

Timing changes to NHL games?​

This caught my eye on Wednesday night during the first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off:

As mentioned earlier this week, the TV timeouts are 30 seconds longer in the 4 Nations. And the intermissions one minute shorter. it's something the NHL may do for the 2025-26 season

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 13, 2025

As far as the game experience goes, this would make the sprint for the bathrooms at the United Center a little more hectic. But I’m sure the players would be cool with having a little extra time during periods to collect themselves if the tradeoff is slightly shorter intermissions. We’ll see if/when the NHL makes this a permanent change to regular-season games.

CBA negotiations​

When Bettman spoke with the media on Wednesday he’s supremely confident the league and NHLPA will have a new Collective Bargaining Agreement sorted out well before the Sept. 2026 deadline. Which is awesome, because at this point in the larger sports world the NHL cannot afford another work stoppage.

We already found out the league and players have negotiated cap numbers for the next three years — with massive jumps. That’s a great sign that the ceiling and floor have been negotiated. One would have to think the biggest remaining hurdle will be a discussion of escrow. From there, the NHL appears to be in great shape.

Bettman on CBA talks, he anticipates the constant lines of communication and the relationship growth between the NHL/NHLPA leading to a deal at some point. Adds formal negotiations haven’t started yet. Walsh says it won’t be “too much longer” before talks shift to negotiations. https://t.co/5ldmZk99D9

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) February 12, 2025

As a reminder, Bettman has apparently already shared that he plans on retiring at some point. Respectfully, I hope the next CBA is strong enough and has enough term to it that this is the last time Bettman has to go to the negotiating table with the players. It would be a great final legacy piece if he can truly leave the game in a great place with the relationship between the league and players healthy and strong.

Odds & Ends​

• Defenseman Shea Theodore left Canada’s first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday night. After the game, Canada head coach Jon Cooper said his tournament is over because of the injury. On Thursday morning, the Golden Knights announced that he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

• Players participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off are reportedly getting an “appearance fee” and the winning team will split an additional chunk of money.

Sidney Crosby was awarded a new luxury watch – either Rolex or IWC – for being selected as player of the game.#NHLPA's Ron Hainsey cooked up the gift as a nice little touch for the players in each #4Nations game.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 13, 2025

• News broke on Wednesday that Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson has changed agents from Andrew Maloney to Judd Moldaver and Olivier Fortier of Wasserman. Dobson is a restricted three agent after this season and will likely be looking for a nice raise from his current $4M cap hit. He’s been a new name in trade rumors recently.

• At The Athletic, Scott Wheeler released his updated rankings of prospects for the 2025 NHL Draft on Thursday.

• The folks at NHL.com took a look at the top candidates for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Thursday. Blackhawks prospect and Minnesota defenseman Sam Rinzel is mentioned.

Top candidates for 2025 Hobey Baker Award as best player in NCAA https://t.co/xKEE0Gbf1p

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) February 13, 2025

• Sam Rosen is a legitimate gem and legend. This is his final season on the mic for the Rangers. They announced on Thursday that they’ll celebrate his iconic career on March 22.

SALUTE TO SAM.

Join us in celebrating a lifetime of memories as we honor legendary Rangers play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen on March 22: https://t.co/EF03nS1PaB pic.twitter.com/Qy6o3y1PrA

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 13, 2025

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...g-back-cba-update-timing-changes-coming-more/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

USA Blowout Win, Prospect Talk, Rockford Injuries, and Other Valentine’s Day Blackhawks Bullets

The United States blew the doors off of Finland last night in the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring six unanswered goals — four of which came in the third period. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk led the way with two goals each; Matthew was named the game’s No. 1 star. For Blackhawks fans, Teuvo Teräväinen was minus-one and skated only 10:34. His line with Erik Haula and Joel Armia didn’t get on the ice much.

Hung up at the stall for player of the game pic.twitter.com/fm13uLqG3Q

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 14, 2025

Here’s a fun fact:

21 years after Keith Tkachuk scored 4 goals and 5 points in a World Cup game in St. Paul vs. Russia, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk score 4 goals and 5 points in the 4 Nations in MTL.

USA leads 4 Nations with 3 points. Rivalry Saturday 2 days away: Sweden vs. Finland, USA vs. Canada

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 14, 2025

• How about some Blackhawks Valentine’s cards for that special someone? They dropped a few on Instagram!

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by Chicago Blackhawks (@nhlblackhawks)​

• There’s no 4 Nations Face-Off action tonight, but tomorrow we get all four teams in action. Canada vs. the USA hits in prime time on Saturday night. Can’t wait!

• Earlier this morning I dropped my updated full two-round 2025 NHL Mock Draft. And I had a change in the Blackhawks’ selection at No. 2 overall. Michael Misa is a player I’ve been watching this season as he puts up ridiculous numbers in the OHL. My personal preference is, if the Blackhawks stick at No. 2 and make the selection, they take one of Misa or Porter Martone. This round of my mock draft, I have Misa coming to Chicago this summer. Here’s a good read on his season thus far from Jared Brown for The Hockey News.

Michael Misa is the first CHL player to 100 points this season. He's on pace for one of the best seasons ever by an NHL draft-eligible prospect #2025NHLDraft

Read more about the incredible year Misa is having in my latest for @TheHockeyNews https://t.co/JGu6b8swHt

— Jared Brown (@JaredBrownn97) February 13, 2025

• Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers had Scott Wheeler on their podcast this week to talk about his perspective on the Blackhawks’ rebuild, pipeline and other stuff. Good listen here.

NEW POWERS & LAZ: @scottcwheeler joined @MarkLazerus and me to discuss his pipeline rankings, whether he thinks the Blackhawks' rebuild is on track and the development of Nick Lardis, Sam Rinzel and others.

Listen here: https://t.co/KMLK4Is0KE

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 13, 2025

• The Rockford IceHogs announced a few medical updates on Thursday that aren’t ideal. Colton Dach (right hip flexor strain) will miss 7-10 days and goaltender Drew Commesso (right ankle sprain) will miss 1-2 weeks.

• Good weekend slate for the IceHogs with home games on Friday and Saturday night. How about $2 beer tonight? And then Bryan Bickell goes into their Ring of Honor on Saturday night!

Celebrate Valentine's, Galentine's or $2 Beer Night (we don't judge) with us this Friday

Puck drop is at 7 PM at the @BMOCenter. Pro tip: keep an eye on ya girl when Hammy's around!!#GoHogs

🎟: https://t.co/dFXRGRB16U pic.twitter.com/Ag3isgwqHo

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 12, 2025

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• A deep dive into starting pitcher rankings not so kind to the Cubs.

• Jordan Brand celebrated the 40th anniversary of Air Jordan 1 with an insane drone show.

• The Jets officially dumped Aaron Rodgers on Friday. What a shame.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-and-other-valentines-day-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Hat Tricks for Lardis and Vanacker, More Prospect Goals, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

I would absolutely love to have a whole lot of exciting, earth-shattering Blackhawks content for you on a Saturday morning but… they haven’t played in a full week. However, tonight we get the big one: USA vs Canada in Montreal with the top spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off on the line. It’s on ABC and ESPN+ and the puck drops shortly after 7 PM CT. I can’t wait!

Now let’s just jump straight into some prospect highlights!

• Nick Lardis remains en fuego. He scored the first two goals for Brantford last night and finished another hat trick in the third period. Lardis also had an assist on the Bulldogs’ ninth (yes, I said ninth) goal of the evening for a four-point effort.

Another for #Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis for @BulldogsOHL

pic.twitter.com/Ybz0Tnw3Cq

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 15, 2025

Make that two goals on Friday night for Nick Lardis for @BulldogsOHL #Blackhawks

pic.twitter.com/bud5cH5obm

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 15, 2025

HAT TRICK for #Blackhawks prospect
Nick Lardis for @BulldogsOHL

pic.twitter.com/y4xV0TTLpZ

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 15, 2025

• After Lardis scored twice to start the game, Marek Vanacker scored the next two goals for Brantford. The two Blackhawks prospects had four goals in the first period! Vanacker picked up an assist in the second period on Brantford’s sixth goal and scored his third goal of the night to give the Bulldogs an even 10 on the night. Like Lardis, he had a four-point evening. Here are his first and third goals of the night.

VANACKER ON THE POWER PLAY

A perfect net front pass by #NHLDraft prospect Jake O'Brien goes right on the tape of @NHLBlackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker who scores his 15th goal of the season to put the @BulldogsOHL up 3-0!#OHL | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/NsFWlk6UUC

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 15, 2025

HAT TRICK for #Blaclhawks prospect Marek Vanacker for @BulldogsOHL

pic.twitter.com/yvc10Zv7Bf

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 15, 2025

• In the college ranks, Providence put four on the board in the first period at home to take a 4-1 lead to the first intermission. Ryan Greene had the Terriers’ only goal in the first on the power play.

JAMES ON THE POWER PLAY!! pic.twitter.com/Tbs2MIoECm

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) February 15, 2025

• In the same game, John Mustard scored Providence’s fifth goal early in the third period and Taige Harding scored into the empty net inside the final 80 seconds.

• Dominic James scored his 11th of the season for Minnesota-Duluth

JAMES ON THE POWER PLAY!! pic.twitter.com/Tbs2MIoECm

— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) February 15, 2025

• One other NHL note from Friday: the Dallas Stars announced a two-year extension for Sam Steel that carries a $2.1M cap hit.

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• Of course the Cubs’ hot new prospect starts Spring Training… hurt…

• Only three NBA teams are worth more than the Chicago Bulls.

• The Bears are reportedly hiring an O-Line coach from Oregon State.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-prospect-goals-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2025 NHL Mock Draft: Mid-February Full Two-Round Projections

Since the NHL is taking a couple weeks off in the middle of February for the 4 Nations Face-Off, why not take advantage of no Blackhawks games to chase and update our full two-round 2025 mock draft!

With the calendar flipping to 2025, we’re getting an increasing number of draft rankings and projections from folks who spend a great deal of time digging into take and profiles. Lots of things change from one outlet to another, but we consider the most reputable ones when looking at where players might hear their names called when the 2025 NHL Draft takes place.

For the draft order, I’m using the NHL standings in reverse order of point percentage at the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Let’s get into it! Here’s our updated, full two-round 2025 NHL mock draft!

2025 NHL Mock Draft — First Round​

1. San Jose Sharks — Matthew Schaefer, LHD
6-2, 183
Shoots: Left

Schaefer is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, and he would be a great addition to the Sharks’ pipeline. If San Jose ends up with the first selection, this is a no-brainer.

2. Chicago Blackhawks — Michael Misa, LW
6-1, 184
Shoots: Left

This is when the no-brainer part ends. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson was open to trading this pick last year when he tried to move up to get Ivan Demidov, and he recently said he isn’t married to making this selection. If he does, and Schaefer is the first name called, he’ll have three very good forwards to choose from when he calls in the pick. I’ve been on the Porter Martone bandwagon for a long time but Misa is putting up historic numbers in the OHL this season. Misa has 102 points (46 goals, 56 assists) in just 48 games entering Thursday. He might be the sniper the Blackhawks want to run with Connor Bedard — if they make the pick here.

3. Nashville Predators — James Hagens, C
5-11, 170
Shoots: Left

Barry Trotz has long coveted top centers, and he can grab one with Hagens available here in our mock draft. Hagens has had a very good freshman collegiate season.

4. Buffalo Sabres — Porter Martone, RW
6-3, 208
Shoots: Right

Buffalo already has some big players on their NHL roster and Martone plays with an edge. I could still see him being the Blackhawks’ preference at No. 2 because of his size, but he won’t slide out of the top four.

5. Seattle Kraken — Caleb Desnoyers, C
6-1, 178
Shoots: Left

Desnoyers has been climbing rankings over the past couple months and feels like he’s establishing himself as the top prospect in the next tier after the top four are off the board.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins — Victor Eklund, RW
5-11, 161
Shoots: Right

Eklund is a solid all-around forward who could go anywhere between 5-12. Pittsburgh needs to rebuild at some point and could go in a number of directions if they’re in the top ten in June.

7. Philadelphia Flyers — Roger McQueen, C
6-5, 197
Shoots: Right

The Flyers taking a 6-5 center? Yeah, that sounds like a perfect Philly move. McQueen could go as high as No. 5 in this draft.

8. Montreal Canadiens — Anton Frondell, C
6-0, 196
Shoots: Right

Another team that has young pieces and is looking to add depth, Frondell to Montreal is likely a best player available scenario for the Habs.

9. St. Louis Blues — Jackson Smith, LHD
6-3, 195
Shoots: Left

The Blues need to add young depth on their blue line. After Schaefer, the conversation turns to players like Smith, Radim Mrtka and a few others. Smith appears to be the next guy on most lists and he has the right size and skillset for St. Louis.

10. Anaheim Ducks — Radim Mrtka, RHD
6-6, 207
Shoots: Right

I’ve been on Mrtka to Anaheim with them picking anywhere between 5 and 12 thus far. They need a big right-shot defenseman and he does that. This is a good spot for him in the draft, too.

11. Utah Hockey Club — Jake O’Brien, C
6-2, 172
Shoots: Right

O’Brien is a center with some size who is having a very good season in the OHL. Utah could go a number of directions here but taking a good piece down the middle makes sense.

12. New York Islanders — Cameron Reid, LHD
6-0, 175
Shoots: Left

The Islanders are reportedly shopping Noah Dobson and could be a franchise in transition by the time the draft comes around. Reid’s stock has been climbing because he’s a point producer on the blue line.

13. Boston Bruins — Carter Bear, LW
6-0, 179
Shoots: Left

Bears to the Bruins? It makes their throwback jerseys work so well it feels ordained. But he’s a legit prospect in the 9-15 range and would be a good fit in Boston.

14. Vancouver Canucks (from NYR) — Brady Martin, C
6-0, 178
Shoots: Right

The Canucks moved JT Miller already and might have a few more players leave town by the time the draft arrives. Martin is a center with decent size who would be a good addition to their pipeline.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets — Lynden Lakovic, LW
6-4 , 190
Shoots: Left

The Blue Jackets hope to be picking later than this after making the playoffs. They have some good size up front already, and putting Lakovic with the likes of Adam Fantilli up front could make them more imposing.

16. Montreal Canadiens (from CGY) — Logan Hensler, RHD
6-2, 192
Shoots: Right

Montreal’s second pick of the first round adds a good right-shot defenseman to their pipeline here.

17. Ottawa Senators — Malcolm Spence, LW
6-1, 203
Shoots: Left

Now we’re starting to get into the next tier of forwards in our mock draft. Spence’s rankings are all over the place, depending on the outlet. He has decent size. If Ottawa wants to go for it and get into the playoffs, this pick might change hands.

18. Detroit Red Wings — Justin Carbonneau, RW
6-1, 191
Shoots: Right

Same deal here: if Detroit needs to make a big move before the deadline, this pick might change owners before the deadline. Carbonneau is a solid forward who would improve their pipeline, however.

19. Vancouver Canucks — Blake Fiddler, RHD
6-4, 207
Shoots: Right

The son of Vernon Fiddler is a big right-shot defenseman who would be a nice addition to the Canucks’ organizational depth. They need to add some depth on the back end.

20. Philadelphia Flyers (from COL) — Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD
6-1, 196
Shoots: Left

The Flyers have a handful of picks in the first two rounds, so they’ll probably be in best player available mode throughout. Aitcheson is a good defenseman with decent size and would be a nice add for Philly.

21. Calgary Flames (from NJ) — Cameron Schmidt, RW
5-8, 152
Shoots: Right

Schmidt is small but he can score, which is why his name comes up into the early teens in some mock drafts. Calgary also has a few picks to add volume to their pipeline in our mock draft.

22. Nashville Predators (from TB) — William Moore, C
6-2, 161
Shoots: Left

The Preds have three picks in the first round and I have them taking a center with their first two. Moore is a nice center with good size.

23. Los Angeles Kings — Braeden Cootes, C
6-0, 183
Shoots: Right

Cootes is the best player available here for the Kings. They might look to help the right side of their blue line down the road at some point in this draft, but not yet.

24. Chicago Blackhawks (from TOR) — Jack Nesbitt, C
6-4, 185
Shoots: Left

The Blackhawks are getting plenty of looks at Nesbitt this season; he plays with AJ Spellacy in Windsor. Adding another big center would be ideal for the future.

25. Calgary Flames (from FLA) — Ben Kindel, C
5-10, 176
Shoots: Left

A second pick quickly for the Flames adds another undersize forward who can add to the offense.

26. Carolina Hurricanes — Joshua Ravensbergen, G
6-5, 195

Carolina has long needed an answer in net, and the best goalie prospect — the only one with a first-round grade — is available. We’re back at no-brainer territory here.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets (from MIN) — Henry Brzustewicz, RHD
6-1, 194
Shoots: Right

The Blue Jackets added a big forward with their first pick in the first round, so they take a nice right-handed defenseman here. I think Brzustewicz sneaks into the end of the first round.

28. Nashville Predators (from VGK) — Cullen Potter, C
5-9, 168
Shoots: Left

Potter is a great skater who’s playing college hockey this season. He likely projects as a wing because of his size. More offense in Nashville.

29. San Jose Sharks (from DAL) — Jack Murtagh, C
6-0, 185
Shoots: Left

A second pick in the first round for the Sharks — added in a recent trade with Dallas — gives them the opportunity to pick a forward to help their collection of talent up front.

30. Philadelphia Flyers (from EDM) — Ivan Ryabkin, C
6-0, 170
Shoots: Left

Philly makes another pick in the first round and takes an intriguing Russian prospect.

31. Winnipeg Jets — Bill Zonnon, LW
6-2, 190
Shoots: Left

The Jets might lose Nikolaj Ehlers this summer. Zonnon wouldn’t replace him immediately, but he would be a good addition to their pipeline. If the Jets are drafting here, it means they lost in the Stanley Cup Final.

32. Washington Capitals — Cole Reschny, C
5-10, 187
Shoots: Left

If the Caps pick 32nd they’re having another parade for Ovi. Reschny is a good forward with some versatility in his game. Again, this is the best player available in our mock draft.

2025 NHL Mock Draft — Second Round​

33. San Jose — Nathan Behm, RW
34. Chicago — Milton Gästrin, C
35. Nashville — Charlie Trethewey, RHD
36. Buffalo — Shane Vansaghi, RW
37. Seattle — Ben Kevan, F
38. Montreal (from PIT) — Jakob Ihs Wozniak, RW
39. Philadelphia — Simon Wang, LHD
40. Montreal — Sascha Boumedienne, LHD
41. Edmonton (from STL) — Peyton Kettles, RHD
42. Philadelphia (from ANA) — Luca Romano, C
43. Tampa Bay (from UT) — Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, LHD
44. NY Islanders — Eric Nilson, C
45. Washington (from BOS) — Pytor Andreyanov, G
46. Colorado (from NYR) — Alexei Medvedev, G
47. Philadelphia (from CBJ) — Carter Amico, RHD
48. Philadelphia (from CGY) — Eddie Genborg, F
49. Ottawa — Cole McKinney, C
50. Detroit — Zachary Morin, LW
51. Vancouver — Jack Ivankovic, G
52. Calgary (from COL) — Kristian Epperson, LW
53. New Jersey — Petteri Rimpinen, G
54. Nashville (from TB) — Ethan Czata, C
55. Tampa Bay (from LAK) — David Bedkowski, RHD
56. Utah (from TOR) — Gutsav Hillstrom, C
57. Toronto (from FLA) — Max Psenicka, RHD
58. Colorado (from CAR) — Vojtech Cihar, LW
59. Minnesota — Viktor Klingsell, LW
60. Nashville (from VGK) — Kurban Limatov, LHD
61. Chicago (from DAL) — Will Horcoff, C
62. New Jersey (from EDM) — Artyom Vilchinsky, LHD
63. New Jersey (from WPG) — Adam Benak, C
64. Washington — Tomas Pobezal, C

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...raft-mid-february-full-two-round-projections/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Incredible 4 Nations Action, Fights! USA! Tkachuks, Prospect Highlights, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

It’s been a while since the Blackhawks played in emotionally charged, meaningful hockey. It had been a decade since the US and Canada faced each other in an international best-on-best tournament. The good people at Disney opted to put the 4 Nations Face-Off on ABC in prime time last night, and lemme tell you the viewing audience got their money’s worthy.

With all due respect to the hot garbage the NBA had on TNT last night for their All-Star Skills Challenge, based on what I saw on Twitter most people were locked in on the hockey. There were athletes from other sports like (maybe future Cub?) Justin Turner tweeting about it. You know why it captivated the audience? It was awesome! 59 minutes and 50 seconds of electric, incredibly good, physical hockey. The first ten seconds of the game?

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA OPEN UP THEIR FOUR NATIONS GAME WITH THREE FIGHTS IN THE FIRST NINE SECONDS! pic.twitter.com/Y7fLhccJ5K

— The Sports Place (@offsportsplace) February 16, 2025

• And why do we love hockey? Brandon Hagel was out of his weight class throwing hands with Matthew Tkachuk last night. Brady Tkachuk told Sam Bennett it was go time and he wasn’t even on the ice — but he jumped the boards to make sure it happened. And JT Miller dropped his gloves and just wanted for a Canadian to turn the dance music on — and he was way out of his weight class and got his lunch fed to him pretty good. And their teammates loved it. The fans loved it. Montreal was totally up for grabs and the game was nine seconds old.

"I'm not backing down from him."

Brandon Hagel speaks with @sportsnetkyle about his fight with Matthew Tkachuk and how he thought the first period went. #4Nations pic.twitter.com/0Q3FmjSrWu

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 16, 2025

• Brady Tkachuk kept blowing people up. This was the hit of the night.

Brady Tkachuk smashes Drew Doughty into the boards!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canada #USA pic.twitter.com/pqQVYYf6v6

— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) February 16, 2025

• Unfortunately, Matthew Tkachuk got dinged up and tapped out of the third period. It’s okay, though. The US still beat Canada in regulation and clinched a spot in the championship game no matter what happens on Monday.

Matthew Tkachuk tells the coaching staff he isn't good to go. pic.twitter.com/u0r4OXaZry

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 16, 2025

• The first game on Saturday was also spectacular. Finland beat Sweden in overtime, which means the three teams other than the USA are all tied with two points as they head to Boston for the penultimate day of the tournament. The US will play Sweden and Canada gets Finland. One of those three teams will face the Americans for the championship.

• Will Canada get someone to change their citizenship before the 2026 Winter Olympics? Will they convince Marc-André Fleury to come out of retirement next year to save them? Because Jordan Binnington ain’t it, folks. He hasn’t been good in this tournament.

• Before we jump into some highlights, the Big Ten Network produced a nice featured on Blackhawks prospects and Minnesota teammates Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel.

Minnesota natives Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel are living out their childhood dreams together skating for @GopherHockey. As two first round draft picks to the @NHLBlackhawks, the Gopher duo looks forward to the possibility of being teammates for years to come.

This is Oliver… pic.twitter.com/wHHbmZWkzL

— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 15, 2025

• You know what’s just lovely for the folks who worked hard to produce that piece? When Moore scores a big goal in the game that night! Minnesota and Michigan tied 2-2. Moore won 13 of 24 faceoffs with this goal in the game. Rinzel blocked two shots and put three on net.

Saturday night from #Blackhawks prospect Oliver Moore for @GopherHockey

pic.twitter.com/5Cs07ntwdD

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 16, 2025

• Minnesota-Duluth tied Arizona State last night, too. Dominic James won 13 of 21 faceoffs and put four shots on net in the game.

• The first of the two games featuring Blackhawks prospects on both sides last night saw Boston University beat Providence 3-0. None of the Blackhawks’ prospects had a point in the game. Ryan Greene won 7 of 20 faceoffs. John Mustard was credited with five shots on goal for Providence.

• The other college game with Blackhawks prospects on both teams saw Aidan Thompson pick up an assist for Denver but North Dakota won the game. Sacha Boisvert did not dress for UND because of an injury, however. We’ll keep an eye on that situation.

• In the OHL, Alex Pharand had an assist for Sudbury but they got buried by Saginaw 8-3. If you read my new mock draft this week, the new name I had going to the Blackhawks at No. 2 overall, Michael Misa, had a had trick for the Spirit in the game. He now has 50 goals — joining Nick Lardis as the only OHL skaters to reach 50 — and is still the only OHL skater to have 100 points. Misa has 106 points in 50 games.

• Since I brought up Lardis, he was part of history on Friday night when three Brantford Bulldogs had a hat trick in the same game. That hadn’t happened in the OHL in more than 30 years! Here are the postgame comments from the other Blackhawks prospect who had a hat trick in that game, Marek Vanacker.

Tonight's post game availability brought to you by @TheDawgcastpod #BFD | #OHL | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/xyRKIAgP8C

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) February 15, 2025

• Finally, Bryan Bickell was inducted into the IceHogs Ring of Honor last night. Congrats to a wonderful man who played a role in some of the great moments in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s hoping he continues to fight hard.

An emotional Bryan Bickell takes the mic on the ice after messages from teammates Andrew Shaw and Corey Crawford on the video board.

Don’t worry he got some quick chirps in too pic.twitter.com/7PM6ZD7VOy

— Dana Grey (@DanaGrey0) February 16, 2025

MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter

• At the NBA’s all-star events last night, their “generational talent” — Victor Wembanyama — and Chris Paul were disqualified from the Skills Competition for cheating. Again, this is why NHL Hockey >>> NBA Basketball.

• Hey we got some good news on Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw’s oblique issue!

• The Jaguars are bringing in Ian Cunningham for a second interview for their GM position.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...pect-highlights-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

BN Blackhawks Top 20 Prospect Rankings: Mid-February Update

It’s been a little less than a month since we took stock of the Blackhawks’ prospect pipeline but it’s been a busy time. Chicago’s pool was ranked fourth in the NHL by Scott Wheeler at The Athletic. The Blackhawks have five (5) prospects nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. They have the AHL All-Star Classic MVP in the fold. And they claim the first 50-goal scorer in the CHL this season.

And we’re also seeing really strong early returns from young players like Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan on the NHL roster. It’s a good time to keep our eyes on the future of the Blackhawks.

Note: I am graduating Slaggert with Nazar from our list. They’re in the NHL and proving every night that they’re up to stay. Because he’s been in the NHL as long as he has, Allan is staying out of our prospect rankings but I’m re-inserting Wyatt Kaiser this month. Del Mastro is going to remain among our prospect consideration, however, as he and Allan rotate on the bottom defensive pair (for now).

It’s a power play party in the 3rd https://t.co/wgzlzdXIRh pic.twitter.com/4zXyI9jqpM

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 12, 2025

1. Artyom Levshunov, RHD​

6-2, 208
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 1st round (No. 2 overall) — 2024 NHL Draft
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
2024-25 Stats: 41 games, 4 goals, 12 assists, 119 shots on goal, 1 game-winning goal,

Levshunov’s season got off to a late start because of the foot injury he suffered training this summer, but he’s starting to pick up momentum. Scott Wheeler at The Athletic recently ranked him third among all drafted NHL prospects, and noted he could have ranked him second. We need to remember Levshunov doesn’t turn 20 until late-October. He’s still learning, but his ceiling is still incredibly high.

2. Kevin Korchinski, LHD​

6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 7) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Ottawa in A. DeBrincat trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 AHL Stats: 37 games, 2 goals, 17 assists, 60 shots on goal, 1 game-winning goal
2024-25 NHL Stats: 9 games, 16:46 ATOI

After spending all of last year in the NHL, Korchinski headed to Rockford to continue his development this season. Every indication is that he’s making good strides in his game. He was named the MVP of the AHL All-Star Classic and got called-up for nine games with the Blackhawks.

With skill, poise, and a game-changing presence, Sam Rinzel is a name to watch in the race for the Hobey Baker Award. Vote for your favorite nominee daily by heading to https://t.co/CGEVafN9rB. @rinzelsam @b1ghockey @gopherhockey @drinkbodyarmor pic.twitter.com/QCvtUXLLv4

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) February 4, 2025

3. Sam Rinzel, RHD​

6-5, 180
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 1st round (No. 25) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Toronto in Mrazek trade)
2024-25 Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA — Big Ten)
2024-25 Stats: 30 games, 9 goals 16 assists, 74 shots on goal, 25 blocks

Rinzel has emerged as one of the most dangerous defensemen in college hockey this season as a sophomore at Minnesota. He’s spent time filling out his frame, which was needed. But he’s also developed his game into a more well-rounded defender. I spoke with him about his development recently. I fully expect him to sign his entry-level contract whenever Minnesota’s season ends (hopefully with a national championship).

another angle of Nick Lardis’ 50th for @BulldogsOHL #Blackhawks

pic.twitter.com/9W00gxsJXS

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2025

4. Nick Lardis, RW​

5-11, 165
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 67) — 2023 NHL Draft
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Brantford (OHL)
2024-25 Stats: 50 games, 52 goals, 34 assists, 288 shots on net, 9 game-winning goals

Entering Wednesday’s action, Lardis led the OHL in goals, shots on net and power play goals (18). He leads the entire CHL in goals and is having the best offensive season by a Blackhawks prospect in junior since Alex DeBrincat. He’s an excellent skater who has absolutely no problem letting it fly (he has 59 more shots on net than any other player in the OHL). He’s already signed his ELC and will make the move to Rockford next year.

Oliver Moore's 6th of the year finds its way through! pic.twitter.com/jBj8TGDn8J

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) January 25, 2025

5. Oliver Moore, C/LW​

5-11, 194
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 19 overall) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from TB in the Brandon Hagel trade)
2024-25 Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA — Big Ten)
2024-25 Stats: 28 games, 7 goal, 16 assists, 78 shots on goal, 49.4 FO%

Moore is one of the best skaters in the game at any level, anywhere. His speed is ridiculous, but he isn’t just a straight-line guy. He plays a good, responsible game in all zones and has been used against other teams’ best players by both Minnesota and USA Hockey at the World Juniors. He was part of the group that became the first ever repeat champions at the WJC for the US. I spoke with him about his development this season earlier this week.

#Blackhawks prospect Sacha Boisvert scores the overtime winner for North Dakota. pic.twitter.com/cVS9ArGK37

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 12, 2025

6. Sacha Boisvert, C​

6-2, 180
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 18) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Islanders in pick swap)
2024-25 Team: North Dakota (NCHC)
2024-25 Stats: 23 games, 9 goal, 9 assists, 59 shots on goal, 3 GWG

Boisvert was named a nominee for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as a true freshman and has been among the offensive leaders at North Dakota all season — strong indications that the Blackhawks got a good one in the first round this past summer. He has good size up the middle and plays a strong game between the circles. There’s a lot to like about his future.

Roman Kantserov's best season continues!

5-game point streak, 16 PTS in 18 GP (15 PTS in 53 GP last season). pic.twitter.com/cVI0eJSuyd

— KHL (@khl_eng) December 23, 2024

7. Roman Kantserov, RW​

5-9, 176
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 44) — 2023 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from OTT in Zaitsev trade)
2024-25 Team: Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)
2024-25 Stats: 32 games, 12 goals, 15 assists

Kantersov’s season got off to a late start because of offseason shoulder surgery but he’s been really good since jumping into the KHL as a young player (turned 20 on Sept. 20). He isn’t a big guy by any means, but he’s putting up strong numbers for his age in that league. His contract in Russia runs thru the 2025-26 season, so hopefully we’ll see him on this side of the pond after that.

Our top ranked power play at it again!#BFD | #Blackhawks | #OHL https://t.co/QkwlZSHutV pic.twitter.com/tHlYiEg6NJ

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) February 9, 2025

8. Marek Vanacker, LW​

6-1, 178
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 1st round (No. 27) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Carolina in pick swap)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Brantford (OHL)
2024-25 Stats: 29 games, 14 goals, 10 assists, 81 shots on net, 1 short-handed goal, 3 power play goals

Vanacker also got a late start to his season because of offseason shoulder surgery, but he’s been heating up lately. He’s climbing towards being a point-per-game player (seven goals in his last seven games entering Wednesday’s action) and has contributed on both special teams as well as at even strength. The headlines in Brantford are going to Lardis’ production this season, but Vanacker is a very good forward with good size and, again, can absolutely fly. I really like his ceiling as a potential top-six contributor some day.

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

9. Ethan Del Mastro, LHD​

6-4, 210
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 4th round (No. 105) — 2021 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Vancouver in M. Bowey trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Teams: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 AHL Stats: 39 games, 8 assists, 31 shots on goal
2024-25 NHL Stats: 9 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 28 hits

Del Mastro got the call up to Chicago recently and looked good on the third pair. He’s a physical defenseman who can skate and takes away space well. He’s still learning how to use his frame against professionals, but he looks like a guy who could have a nice career as a PK guy on the third pair.

Colton Dach getting his grit back with Rockford: pic.twitter.com/TFmXoyyVfF

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 8, 2025

10. Colton Dach, LW​

6-4, 198
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 62) — 2021 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Vegas in pick swap)
SIGNED
2024-25 Teams: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 AHL Stats: 32 games, 12 goals, 14 assists, 2 game-winning goals, 80 shots on net
2024-25 NHL Stats: 9 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 28 hits

At the moment, Dach is the biggest power forward in the Blackhawks’ system playing professionally. He got a taste of the NHL before the 4 Nations Face-Off break and did a nice job playing physically. The Blackhawks want him to do that more consistently (on every shift). His offensive numbers are climbing in Rockford and I’m sure he’ll be back in the NHL soon.

11. Ryan Greene, C​

6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 57) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Minnesota in MA Fleury trade)
2024-25 Team: Boston University (Hockey East)
2024-25 Stats: 27 games, 11 goals 15 assists, 67 shots on goal, 55.6 FO%, 2 game-winning goals

Greene, a co-captain at BU this season, continues to be an excellent faceoff guy and has raised his offensive game this season as well. He has good size at the dot and is an excellent skater. Like so many Blackhawks prospects, he’s getting work on both special teams as he works on his development. He is one of the five Blackhawks prospects who were named nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The Hawks wanted to sign him last summer and I expect him to turn pro whenever the Terriers’ season ends (again, hopefully after a long postseason).

AJ Spellacy with a #BestOfOHL game-winner

The @NHLBlackhawks prospect stepped up for the @SpitsHockey, wiring the go-ahead goal while shorthanded to complete the comeback London on #OHLDay #OHLxMilkUP | @OntarioDairy | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/F9a8rl9rin

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 3, 2025

12. AJ Spellacy, C​

6-3, 204
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 72) — 2024 NHL Draft* (pick acq. from Ottawa in DeBrincat trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Windsor (OHL)
2024-25 Stats: 47 games, 13 goals, 15 assists, 120 shots on goal, 1 GWG, 2 short-handed goals

Spellacy took the Chicago hockey conversation by storm during training camp with his speed and physical play. I spoke with him about his season in Windsor earlier this week. He, too, is being used on both special teams and has been excellent on the penalty kill. He signed his entry-level contract in January and told me he hopes to make the Blackhawks’ roster in the fall. He’s big, physical and can fly.

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

13. Wyatt Kaiser, LHD​

6-0, 172
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 81) — 2020 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Calgary in E. Gustafsson trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Teams: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 AHL Stats: 11 games, 2 assists, 14 shots on net
2024-25 NHL Stats: 35 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, 17:39 ATOI, 63 blocked shots

Kaiser spent most of the season with the Blackhawks before heading back to Rockford to play more minutes. He’s a bottom pair defenseman who skates well and blocks shots; he contributed on the PK in Chicago and will likely do that when he comes back up. The big question is how/where Kaiser fits into the long-term plan on the left side of the blue line with so many good young players on the cusp of the NHL right now.

Aidan Thompson has been dialed in all season, making plays that turn heads and change games. Now he’s in the running for college hockey’s top honor. Vote daily at https://t.co/CGEVafN9rB @aiden_thompson7 @du_hockey @thenchc @drinkbodyarmor pic.twitter.com/GIzFTLL3Uw

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) February 5, 2025

14. Aidan Thompson, C/LW​

5-11, 180
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 90) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Calgary in N. Zadorov trade)
2024-25 Team: University of Denver (NCHC)
2024-25 Stats: 28 games, 16 goals, 19 assists, 112 shots on goal, 6 PPG

Thompson made the move from checking center to top-line wing this season and his offense has taken off. He’s been among the national leaders all season and is one of the Blackhawks’ five nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Trophy. He shares an agent with Nazar and Craig Smith and I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned pro whenever Denver’s season comes to an end (maybe with a repeat national championship?). He’s another really good skater who is likely a depth player at the next level.

How about a second on the night for #Blackhawks prospect & @UMDMensHockey captain Dominic James?

pic.twitter.com/lhy1STFhLZ

— Tab Bamford (@The1Tab) October 26, 2024

15. Dominic James, C​

6-0, 190
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 6th round (No. 173) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Columbus in S. Jones trade)
2024-25 Team: Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
2024-25 Stats: 25 games, 10 goals, 11 assists, 76 shots on goal, 22 blocks, 53.0 FO%

James is a fantastic skater with terrific speed (sounds common here, right?) who plays a strong defensive game, as evidenced by his 22 blocked shots as a collegiate center. He is also a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee and is the captain at Minnesota-Duluth this season. James’ offense has improved this season and he’s another contract candidate when the Bulldogs’ season ends.

#Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham with a sweet move for the shootout winner! https://t.co/omwULbqlJa pic.twitter.com/gPbYU4RjlC

— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) February 1, 2025

16. Jack Pridham, RW​

6-2, 185
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 92) — 2024 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: West Kelowna (BCHL): 12 games, 5 goals, 5 assists
2024-25 Stats: Kitchener (OHL): 34 games, 17 goals, 20 assists, 135 shots on goal, 5 game-winning goals

Pridham, who is committed to play at Boston University next year, is one of the players who has really benefitted from the changes in NCAA rules that allow CHL players to go to college. He’s been tremendous for Kitchener this season and on fire lately. He has good size and is another great skater. He’ll get time to develop at BU but he’s really opened a lot of eyes this season in the OHL.

Ladies and gentlemen….
Samuel Savoie pic.twitter.com/akm5zwWKbT

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) December 28, 2024

17. Samuel Savoie, LW​

5-10, 189
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 81) — 2022 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Vegas in pick swap)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
2024-25 Stats: 45 games, 5 goals, 8 assists, 69 shots on goal

Savoie continues to draw the Andrew Shaw comparisons with his size and physical play. He’s a buzzsaw on the ice who enjoys contact and makes things happen in the corners. He hasn’t been called up to the NHL yet, but that might not be far away. He’s a bottom-six guy who will bring a ton of energy to the ice.

#Blackhawks prospect John Mustard with his 6th goal of the season! #GoFriarspic.twitter.com/YFx1H1wjLe

— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) February 2, 2025

18. John Mustard, C/W​

6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 3rd round (No. 67) — 2024 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: Providence (Hockey East)
2024-25 Stats: 28 games, 6 goal, 11 assist, 86 shots on goal

Mustard is having a very good true freshman season on a ranked Providence squad. He has no problem getting the puck on net and was one of the best skaters in the 2024 draft class. His speed and shot will be an asset in the future. The Blackhawks will give him time to continue his development, but he’s off to a strong start in college this season.

#Blackhawks prospect Alex Pharand with his 16th goal of the season! #HowlYeahpic.twitter.com/SlBA5XtkNP

— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) February 1, 2025

19. Alex Pharand, C/W​

6-3, 192
Shoots:
Acquired: 4th round (No. 99) — 2023 NHL Draft
2024-25 Team: Sudbury (OHL)
2024-25 Stats: 47 games, 16 goals, 32 assists, 113 shots on goal

Pharand has really elevated his game in recent weeks for Sudbury. He’s now above a point-per-game pace and has better size than many realize. He’s likely a depth guy at the next level(s) who can help on both special teams. It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to take part in the prospect showcase or training camp in the fall because I would have liked to see him skate with the other guys.

20. Drew Commesso, G​

6-2, 180
Acquired: 2nd round (No. 46) — 2020 NHL Draft* (pick acquired from Vegas in M. Subban trade)
SIGNED
2024-25 Team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
2024-25 Stats (AHL): 23 games, 8-12-2, .896 save pct, 2.95 GAA, 2 shutouts
2024-25 Stats (NHL): 2 games (1 start), .846 save pct.

Commesso made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks earlier this season. His numbers aren’t going to blow you away as a second-year pro, but I’ll remind everyone that Corey Crawford appeared in 255 AHL games before he was a full-time NHL player. He’s improving as the season progresses and will get as much time as he needs to be ready for a full-time call-up.

Honorable Mention​

Cole Guttman, C
Gavin Hayes, W
Dmitry Kuzmin, LHD*
Martin Mišiak, C/W
Taige Harding, LHD
Adam Gajan, G
Ilya Safonov, C
Paul Ludwinski, C
Milton Oscarson, C
Joel Svensson, RW
Jiri Felcman, C

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...top-20-prospect-rankings-mid-february-update/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Let’s Compare Some Recent Blackhawks Prospect Ranking Updates

Over the years as I consider the Blackhawks’ top prospects and we converse about various rankings that come out, I like to occasionally consolidate lists that come out for the sake of comparing. Different analysts and writers have varying opinions of how they view the Blackhawks pipeline.

At this stage in the Blackhawks’ rebuild, this feels like an even more important time to consider how folks view the overall depth of the system and the trajectory of the top prospects. Scott Wheeler recently ranked the Blackhawks’ pipeline fourth in the entire NHL, which is great to see.

For this exercise I’m considering three recent rankings of the Blackhawks’ top prospects:

• Bleacher Nation (Feb. 13)
• Chicago Sun-Times — Ben Pope (Feb. 16)
• The Athletic — Scott Wheeler (Feb. 5)

Note: Wheeler ranked Frank Nazar second on his list. Pope and I graduated Nazar from our most recent rankings. Because he graduated from two lists, I skipped him and Wheeler’s top 15 became 14. But feel free to pencil Nazar into the 2 line mentally.

BN	Pope	Wheeler
1	Levshunov	Levshunov	Levshunov
2	Korchinski	Korchinski	Korchinski
3	Rinzel	Rinzel	Rinzel
4	Lardis	Moore	Boisvert
5	Moore	Kantserov	Moore
6	Boisvert	Lardis	Vanacker
7	Kantserov	Boisvert	Lardis
8	Vanacker	Vanacker	Kantserov
9	Del Mastro	Del Mastro	Del Mastro
10	Dach	Dach	Dach
11	Greene	Savoie	Greene
12	Spellacy	Greene	Commesso
13	Kaiser	Kaiser	Spellacy
14	Thompson	Commesso	Mustard
15	James	Hayes
16	Pridham	Thompson
17	Savoie	Spellacy
18	Mustard	Pridham
19	Pharand	Mustard
20	Commesso	James

• Pope included the following prospects as honorable mention: Martin Misiak, Paul Ludwinski, Adam Gajan, Alex Pharand, Taige Harding, Ilya Safonov.

I think the first thing that popped when looking at these three lists side-by-side was the agreement (excluding Nazar from Wheeler’s) in the top three overall. We all agree on the players in the top ten overall, even if the order mixes up a bit between 4 and 8.

We all had Ethan Del Mastro and Colton Dach in the same position (9 and 10, respectively) on our lists. And Ryan Greene was at 11 by myself and Wheeler and 12 for Pope.

Pope and I both had Jack Pridham on our lists; he’s having a terrific season after making the jump to the OHL after the NCAA ruled CHL players could go to college. I think he’s going to be a helium prospect in the next cycle of rankings at the end of the season and this coming summer. He has nice size and is another terrific skater who’s headed to Boston University next year.

Does someone stand out to you in any of these three ranking lists? Or how they compare? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...e-recent-blackhawks-prospect-ranking-updates/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

HUGE 4 Nations Success, Prospect Rankings, a Lost Generation, More Goals, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Let’s start the party on this beautiful Monday morning with the eyeballs that were on the incredible USA-Canada game at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night. Richard Deitsch at The Athletic gave us the numbers and some perspective on a huge night for hockey.

ESPN said on Sunday that the United States’ 3-1 win over Canada on a rock ’em sock ’em Saturday night in Montreal averaged 4.4 million viewers. Viewership peaked with 5.2 million viewers in the 10:45 quarter hour. That’s the the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final hockey telecast since a Blue Jackets-Bruins playoff game on NBC in 2019 that averaged 4.5 million.

Deitsch adds that, across all of the NHL’s US television partners, NHL playoff games last year averaged 1.54 million viewers, per Sports Business Journal. Let’s also add the perspective that the game was going up against NBA All-Star Weekend events, including the Slam Dunk Contest. An enormous night with a truly great hockey game makes this event a fabulous success for the game and the league as a whole.



My big question now: if the USA and Canada run it back with the championship on the line Tuesday night… without any NBA All-Star events or Valentine’s Day plans potentially impacting the numbers, how big could the 4 Nations Face-Off event really be for the NHL?

We can’t argue that the players don’t care about this event. And now we’ve got numbers that tell us even casual sports fans are getting hooked on the games. Absolutely love all of it!

• The United States has already clinched a berth in the championship game with two regulation wins. But the other three teams are all tied with two points in the standings heading into tonight’s action. A lot is on the line with two games today, starting at noon Central with Canada looking for redemption.

Canada vs. Finland — Noon — TNT, truTV, MAX
Sweden vs. United States — 7 PM — TNT, truTV, MAX

• I wanted to spotlight this great story from Mark Lazerus at The Athletic from last week. The NHL hasn’t participated in the Winter Olympics since 2014, which means a generation of the best players in the world have never — and might never — get a chance at playing in the Games. Really good read here.

“You’re confident … you’re going to stay healthy and stay elite and be at the top of the league. You think you have another chance. Then all of a sudden, it’s 2025 and you realize you don’t have another chance.”

On the lost generation of NHL Olympians: https://t.co/DqwUR5Tahs

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 11, 2025

• This weekend, Ben Pope dropped his updated midseason prospect rankings for the Blackhawks. He ranked 20 players and tossed in six honorable mentions. I’ll let you check out his list at the Sun-Times for his full write-up but I plan on doing some breakdown work on how his list, ours and Scott Wheeler’s for The Athletic differ later today. Stay tuned…

It’s time for a midseason update to the Blackhawks’ prospect rankings.

Frank Nazar has graduated out, Sam Rinzel has surged into the top three and Artyom Levshunov continues to hold the top spot: https://t.co/286GxW4ByQ

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 16, 2025

• There were only two games in the OHL on Sunday but the Blackhawks’ prospects made an impact in both. Marek Vanacker picked up an assist and Nick Lardis scored his 56th goal of the season as Brantford edged Niagara 5-4. Vanacker now has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) in his last six games. Lardis has scored a goal in 15 consecutive games! He has 24 goals in those 15 games.

#BFD | #Blackhawks | #OHL https://t.co/u6a5ANAWAn pic.twitter.com/lRJrtqDRFZ

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) February 16, 2025

• In the other OHL game of the day, Kitchener beat Ottawa 5-1. Jack Pridham had one goal and one assist in the game. Pridham has points in 10 of his last 12 games with six goals and eight assists in those 10 games.

He wasn't going to miss from there twice#RTown | #BattleBuilt pic.twitter.com/ktQraNhiDB

— Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) February 16, 2025

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• How about some Shōta Imanaga versus Kevin Alcántara action from Spring Training?!?

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...tion-more-goals-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

USA-Canada Rematch on Deck, Back at Practice, Lardis Scores AGAIN, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

So we’re getting what we all want: the US and Canada are going to run it back on Thursday night with the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on the line. Canada put the hammer down yesterday for about 56 minutes and then Jordan Binnington happened and Finland got to within 4-3 before an empty net goal closed the books.

The result of that game meant the second game of the day had no real significant; Sweden was out and the US, which was already playing down a few, was just trying to get thru the night in one piece. Auston Matthews didn’t play because he was sick, Matthew Tkachuk didn’t play because of a lower body injury that took him out of the third period against Canada and Charlie McAvoy was out because of injury. We learned later that McAvoy was admitted to the hospital with an upper-body issue. Then Brady Tkachuk got hurt during the game and didn’t return so… yeah. The Americans need a couple days to get a full roster ready for the title match.

Brady Tkachuk has headed to the room after going hard into the net. pic.twitter.com/Qdt8Iw91sq

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 18, 2025

• Teuvo Teräväinen didn’t play for Finland yesterday. We’ll see when he gets back to Chicago and joins the team how he feels about his 4 Nations experience.

• The Blackhawks will practice this afternoon in Chicago. While the 4 Nations Face-Off has been an absolutely incredible, successful experiment over the past couple weeks, it will be nice to have Blackhawks hockey back on the ice. The Hawks are back in the saddle with games on both Saturday (in Columbus) and home on Sunday (vs. Toronto).

• We’ll keep an eye on the transaction registers today but I expect Ethan Del Mastro to get called back up to Chicago before the weekend. Rockford doesn’t play again until Friday.

• How about a Sam Savoie power play goal? The IceHogs beat Iowa 4-2 last night. Artyom Levshunov had two assists in the game and, don’t look now, but Andreas Athanasiou has eight goals in the AHL now.

20-year-old Samuel Savoie scored on the man advantage as the Rockford IceHogs defeated the Iowa Wild 4-2.

The IceHogs have been hovering around the .500 mark in the AHL, but should continue to get better with all the young talent they have#Blackhawks
pic.twitter.com/uDHvgiylHa

— Maritime Hockey (@HockeyMaritime) February 18, 2025

• A couple notable performances in the OHL yesterday from Blackhawks prospects. Jack Pridham scored his 19th goal of the season on the power play for Kitchener, but the Rangers lost the game 5-3.

Misal digs, Prids snipes #RTown | #BattleBuilt pic.twitter.com/lYCMjsawe4

— Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) February 17, 2025

• Alex Pharand had an assist for Sudbury in a 7-6 loss to Guelph.

• Brantford beat Soo 8-6 yesterday and Nick Lardis went ahead and had himself an afternoon. He scored his 57th goal of the season and then added four (4) assists for a five-point game. He’s up to 96 points on the season.

Guess who scored again @NHLBlackhawks prospect Nick Lardis scores his 57th goal of the season on the power play to tie it up for the @BulldogsOHL! Lardis has now scored goals in 16 straight games, racking up a total of 25 in that stretch #OHL | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/gr5JeqQHHK

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 17, 2025

• Marek Vanacker also had an assist in the game. With the win, Brantford clinched a playoff berth. Congrats!

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• Hey the Cubs signed a pitcher (to a minor league deal, sorry).

• By keeping Nikola Vucevic past the trade deadline, the Bulls are running the risk of history repeating itself.

• What are the Bears going to do at center?

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...is-scores-again-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Not Alone in Disappointment with 2019 NHL Draft (But There’s a Silver Lining)

Earlier this week I wrote about how the 2020 NHL Draft class is intriguing as we look ahead to the Blackhawks’ future. The Blackhawks last few draft classes under the previous regime left the cupboard with some pieces to build with, which is good for the rebuild.

But the 2019 NHL Draft has not worked out nearly as well as most NHL teams would have hoped. That isn’t unique to the Chicago Blackhawks by any means.

Here’s the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft in order. Players who are with a different organization than the one who called their name at the draft are in italics.

1. New Jersey — Jack Hughes
2. NY Rangers — Kaapo Kakko
3. BLACKHAWKS — Kirby Dach
4. Colorado — Bowen Byram
5. Los Angeles — Alex Turcotte
6. Detroit — Moritz Seider
7. Buffalo — Dylan Cozens
8. Edmonton — Philip Broberg*
9. Anaheim — Trevor Zegras
10. Vancouver — Vasili Podkolzin
11. Arizona — Victor Soderstrom
12. Minnesota — Matthew Boldy
13. Florida — Spencer Knight
14. Philadelphia — Cam York
15. Montreal — Cole Caufield
16. Colorado — Alex Newhook
17. Vegas — Peyton Krebs
18. Dallas — Thomas Harley
19. Ottawa — Lassi Thomson**
20. Winnipeg — Ville Heinola
21. Pittsburgh — Samuel Poulin
22. Los Angeles — Tobias Bjornfot
23. NY Islanders — Simon Holmstrom
24. Nashville — Philip Tomasino
25. Washington — Connor McMichael
26. Calgary — Jakob Pelletier
27. Tampa Bay — Nolan Foote
28. Carolina — Ryan Suzuki
29. Anaheim — Brayden Tracey
30. Boston — John Beecher
31. Buffalo — Ryan Johnson
    * – Broberg signed an offer sheet with St. Louis
    ** – Thomson was claimed off waivers twice, ending up back in Ottawa

I’ll throw in that the second pick of the second round, forward Arthur Kaliyev, has also been traded. Which means 12 of the first 33 picks in the 2019 NHL Draft are now with a different organization than the one that selected them in 2019. And Tracey, the 29th overall pick, has appeared in just one NHL game to date.

If you wander thru trade rumors and speculation, you’ll see Zegras and Cozens mentioned frequently these days as well. So the number of first-round picks who changed teams could climb even further before the end of this season.

That’s not ideal.

However… ​

Overall, the Blackhawks’ 2019 draft class has been a disappointment. They drafted six players, and only two have appeared in NHL games to date.

However, one of those two players appears to be a potential cornerstone player for the future. The Blackhawks selected Alex Vlasic in the second round (No. 43 overall).

In a perfect world, you’d love to see a team draft multiple contributors in every class. But that’s not reality. If a team can find one top-four defensemen and/or one top-six forward in a draft, that’s a win. If you can find a top-pair defenseman in the second round, that’s great. To date, only five defensemen from the 2019 NHL Draft have appeared in more regular-season games than Vlasic. And four of those are first round picks.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-in-disappointment-with-2019-nhl-draft-class/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Back in Chicago, Hobey Baker Update, Sunday Change, Hull Had CTE, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Hey, Blackhawks fans! We have a little actual Blackhawks hockey to talk about on this fine, crisp, chilly Wednesday morning. The Blackhawks practiced in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon as they get back from their break during the 4 Nations Face-Off. It was a pretty tough practice to get back into the grind. They’ll be back on the ice today and Friday before heading to Columbus for their game on Saturday to start the home stretch of the 2024-25 season.

Roster updates from Tuesday:

• Ethan Del Mastro was recalled from Rockford.
• Jason Dickinson will miss 2-3 more weeks with his high ankle sprain.
• TJ Brodie wasn’t at practice because of a family matter. He is expected back today.
• Louis Crevier (concussion) was at practice and is “possible” for Saturday night’s game.

we’re soooooooooooooooooo back pic.twitter.com/8qbGlideJg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 18, 2025

• Solid out-of-the-break story here from Ben Pope on Frank Nazar. Nazar, Landon Slaggert and Nolan Allan weren’t sent back to Rockford over the break — a good sign they’re viewed as NHL players now. Which is great. The break came exactly half-way thru what would be Nazar’s first “full” professional season in the NHL.

Frank Nazar was the first Blackhawks player on the ice today. With 26 NHL games played and 27 to go this season, he feels much more comfortable.

"[This break was] perfect, right down the middle, so I know what I’m getting into."

New story: https://t.co/r0zvmInPNa

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 18, 2025

• We got an update on voting for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award last night. The good news: Blackhawks prospect Ryan Greene is now second in the fan vote. The bad news: there are four other Blackhawks prospects whose names aren’t in the top ten still. Do what you do, Blackhawks fans. Get Sacha Boisvert, Sam Rinzel, Dominic James, and Aidan Thompson up there.

Current Standings. Keep voting daily at https://t.co/CGEVafN9rB. pic.twitter.com/KEq5j33yR1

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) February 18, 2025

• A quick update for your viewing plans on Sunday if you aren’t able to personally attend the first game at the United Center in 16 days: the game is no longer on CHSN. The game has been moved to ESPN+ and will also be available via Hulu and Disney+.

The Maple Leafs-#Blackhawks game at 6 pm CT Sunday will now air on ESPN+, DISNEY+ and HULU. It had been scheduled for CHSN. Mike Monaco and Ryan Callahan have the call.

— Jeff Agrest # (@JeffAgrest) February 18, 2025

• If you’re a season ticket member, renewal info for next year has started arriving in email inboxes this week. Yes, prices are going up — but not by much, according to the team.

The Blackhawks capped the amount of 300-level season tickets sold this season. That is expected again for next season. Prices vary in the 300s, but I was told the average is consistent with the 1% increase.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 18, 2025

• The “1901 Project” the Blackhawks and Bulls are working on to overhaul the area immediately surrounding the United Center got a big OK from a City Council committee on Tuesday.

A $7 billion plan to redevelop 55 acres around the United Center in the city’s west side Garfield Park neighborhood takes another step toward approval. https://t.co/JPdfNLpA7j

— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) February 19, 2025

• Bobby Hull was posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Good story here from Frank Seravalli.

Two-time Hart Trophy winner Bobby Hull posthumously diagnosed with CTE, the most prominent player to date afflicted with disease that stems only from repeated blows to the head.

Story:https://t.co/gaHRY6hjJK

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 19, 2025

• A quick hitter on the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night: Charlie McAvoy is out (we knew that) and we learned he’s considered week-to-week. We heard yesterday that Quinn Hughes is in the mix to be the extra defenseman; he was supposed to be on the roster originally but was scratched because of a nagging injury and replaced before the games began. If the US has another injury/illness on the blue line, Quinn can join his brother Jack in Boston. But that would be a wild travel plan because Quinn practiced with the Canucks on Tuesday… in Vancouver. Let’s see how this plays out.

Sources: USA defenseman Charlie McAvoy is week-to-week for #NHLBruins after procedure to clean out infection on Tuesday.

Plus details on Quinn Hughes' status with USA roster ahead of Thursday's clash. Story:https://t.co/YoXb05Cp0h

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 19, 2025

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• The Cubs made if officially official: Shōta Imanaga will start the season opener in Japan.

• The Bulls gave us a sweet behind-the-scenes look at Matas Buzelis’ All-Star Weekend.

• Luis did some math gymnastics to show us how the Bears can create some additional cap space.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ge-hull-had-cte-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Report: Seth Jones, Blackhawks Discussing Trade Options

I know lots of fans have been begging to read this headline for any number of reasons, but here we are. Seth Jones and the Blackhawks have been talking about the possibility of him being traded.

In a new report from Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday, Jones openly talks about wanting to win — and the reality that it might not be in Chicago that he gets that opportunity.

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

“If it happens, it happens. Obviously, while I’m here with the Blackhawks, they have my full effort [and] full attention to this team to try to get this team better.”

Jones’ name has circulated recently in trade rumors. David Pagnotta at The Fourth Period reported back in mid-January that the Blackhawks are “open to trading Jones.” But it ain’t gonna be easy, folks.

Pope is quick to point out that Jones has not formally requested a trade. He has a no-move clause on top of a $9.5M cap hit that runs thru the 2029-30 season, making any trade involving Jones one that would be incredibly tricky.

There is always the whole salary retention route, but carrying money a non-roster asset for five more years — especially when, right now, an organization can only retain on three deals per season — makes that a tough proposition to calculate as well. The Blackhawks helped broker the trade of Mikko Rantanen earlier this season by eating salary as a third-party but that was only thru the end of this current season. It’s highly unlikely a team would be willing to help broker a deal that carries dead money for five years without being significantly compensated.

The Jones Market​

There are other realities we need to own at this point as well.

The first important reality is that Jones is a better defenseman and has more value than most Blackhawks fans are able or willing to acknowledge. He’s 30, eats big minutes and is a right-shot defenseman. Those don’t grow on trees. And Jones is having his best offensive season since joining the Blackhawks. His 1.7 points/60 minutes is his highest since his 57-point season in 2017-18 in Columbus.

The other: last time the Blackhawks traded a player to get the contract off the books they included Teuvo Teräväinen to move Bryan Bickell. Lots of people are worried the Blackhawks will have to include a top prospect or young player to “dump” his contract. To be absolutely clear here: the Blackhawks do not need to move Jones’ contract. They are not in a cap ceiling situation right now and likely won’t be for a few years; they’re just starting to matriculate prospects to the NHL level on entry-level contracts and that should continue into the next 3-5 years. Frankly, the Blackhawks could use a big ticket contract or two on the books.

Will a trade happen before the March 7 trade deadline? It’s possible — maybe a stretch, but it is possible. Before/during the draft this summer? More likely. But this is the first time Jones has openly talked about the potential of moving on from Chicago. And that’s notable.

NEW: Seth Jones says he's talking with the Blackhawks about the possibility of a trade.

"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."

Full story: https://t.co/p9tFU5e6QU

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 19, 2025

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...th-jones-blackhawks-discussing-trade-options/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

4 Nations Finale, Dean Recovering, Forward Depth, FA Perspective, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

THE REMATCH IS TONIGHT! The Blackhawks don’t play for another couple days but the hockey world — hopefully most of the sports world — will be tuned into the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tonight in Boston as we get another helping of the USA vs. Canada.

Big time however… I know there’s been a lot of buzz about Quinn Hughes potentially joining the USA roster. We learned on Wednesday that he has not been medically cleared and will not fly across the continent to make an attempt to play. But there are still some banged up guys and an illness in the room for the Americans, so Tage Thompson and Brett Pesce have been invited to be available on Thursday just in case. Again: they can’t play unless the US doesn’t have enough skaters to fill a lineup. But they’re going to be in some kinda EBUG situation until the final lineup is turned in.

Quick story on USA inviting #sabrehood Tage Thompson and #njdevils Brett Pesce to Boston ahead of the championship against Canada

And the rules / landscape surrounding their potential participation:https://t.co/J3Sz78vN1l

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 19, 2025

• Good stuff here from Mark Lazerus about the Blackhawks who are hoping to be in position to represent their countries in future events. Could Connor Bedard or Alex Vlasic play their way into consideration for the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Connor Bedard in a Team Canada sweater? Alex Vlasic donning the red, white and blue?

They sure hope so. The 4-Nations drama has whetted the Blackhawks' appetite for the 2026 Olympics and beyond.

Story:https://t.co/pqgM0OKTiu

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 19, 2025

• Some positive news from the Blackhawks’ practice on Wednesday. Assistant coach Kevin Dean was on the bench, but his voice was still clearly heard by those on the ice. He missed the last couple games before the break because he had surgery for prostate cancer. Dean can’t quite get back on the ice yet but he’s in good spirits and is back around the team. We’re all obviously hoping for a speedy, full, healthy recovery for him.

• On Wednesday, interim head coach Anders Sorensen said defenseman Louis Crevier has passed all of his concussion tests and he’s ready to go. He was a full participant in practice. We’ll wait to see what the lineup looks like for Saturday and Sunday, but it’s interesting the Blackhawks have eight defensemen on the active roster right now and only 12 forwards…

• What was interesting to me at practice yesterday was the lineup they were able to skate. I mentioned only having 12 active forwards on the NHL roster. Teuvo Teräväinen wasn’t at practice; he’s still out after playing at the 4 Nations Face-Off (it’s fine — he’s healthy) but at least one forward had to double-shift throughout practice because they only had 11 forwards available. Colton Dach is still out for the IceHogs (right hip flexor strain) and hasn’t returned to game action yet; he was out 7-10 days as of Feb. 13. With the Blackhawks playing 10 games in 16 days after the break, and many of them being on the road, will they bring a forward up before heading to Columbus this weekend?

• If the Blackhawks do bring up a forward, I would look at either Cole Guttman or Joey Anderson to get the call. Anderson’s a known commodity who could slide into a third-line role until Jason Dickinson returns and has been a 13th forward in the NHL before. Guttman would give the Blackhawks another option at center and he’s been very good in Rockford this season.

• In case you missed it yesterday afternoon, Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times reported Seth Jones is discussing potential trade options with the Blackhawks.

Report: Seth Jones, #Blackhawks Discussing Trade Options https://t.co/TcdXTxvl0k

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 19, 2025

• This is a really good perspective on how Carolina could/should negotiate a deal with Mikko Rantanen this coming summer. He suggests the Canes offer 8 x $12.5M with a ceiling of a $13M AAV before the trade deadline. If Rantanen wants to go over that number, “I would be hammering the phones to see what the return might be to trade Rantanen (and his $4.625M cap hit) at the deadline.”

• I’ve said this before: if Rantanen (and/or Mitch Marner) hit the open market and don’t limit their options to immediate Cup contenders, their numbers could be $14.5-16M per. And, with where the cap ceiling is headed, I’m okay with that.

New

Former #RaiseUp Capologist Aaron Schwartz walks through a Rantanen contract:

Surveying the market
What comparables he'd use
What his offer to Rantanen would be
His contract expectation

Read insight from someone who was just in the chair!https://t.co/qryycu0uMk

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) February 19, 2025

• Finally, incredibly sad news from Pittsburgh last night. Mike Lange, the iconic voice of the Penguins, passed away at 76. He’s one of the voices, like Pat Foley in Chicago, that multiple generations of fans will forever associate with their favorite players’ highlights — and some of the great moments in the history of the franchise. RIP.

All 5 of Mike Lange’s Stanley Cup Champion calls with the Pittsburgh Penguins

A play-by-play legend and icon of the broadcasting business pic.twitter.com/IKMpyqKv1T

— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) February 20, 2025

MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter

• What’s the latest on the Cubs hosting the MLB All-Star Game?

• Lonzo Ball talked about signing his extension with the Bulls.

• Caleb Williams and The Punky QB got together for a fabulous video for Topps.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-fa-perspective-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Connor McDavid Wins the 4 Nations Face-Off for Canada!

I will comfortably say the 4 Nations Face-Off was a massive win for the NHL and the game of hockey as a whole. The entire tournament was spectacular, from start to finish.

The finish: overtime. In Boston. And it was Connor McDavid getting his championship moment with a point-blank snipe that ended a magnificent game.

CONNOR MCDAVID WINS IT FOR CANADA (-105 ML) IN OVERTIME pic.twitter.com/b6FFgp0iC0

— br_betting (@br_betting) February 21, 2025

The United States got goals from Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. Canada’s two goals in regulation came from Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett. MacKinnon was named the MVP of the tournament.

But the goal everyone will remember is the one that closed the books on this exciting experiment that took the NHL’s would-be all-star break and dragged fans into the game across the continent.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...david-wins-the-4-nations-face-off-for-canada/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Yeah, Seth Jones Has Requested a Trade From the Blackhawks

After Ben Pope’s story broke on Wednesday afternoon in which Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones admitted he is exploring trade options with the front office, he was surrounded by cameras on Friday after practice looking for some additional insight.

He answered the questions, and made it clear that he wants out of Chicago.

“I’ve been here the last four years through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen for a while. I think things are moving up, they are moving forward. But I think my timeline might be different than Kyle (Davidson) and Norm’s (Maciver) and the Blackhawks. There’s nothing against anybody. I’m not holding it against anybody what they decided to do here. Sometimes it’s not in everyone’s plans.

“Obviously, this is my fourth year here. I’m not going to go through the whole process when I signed. Just where I’m at, you know, 30 years old, I still have some good years ahead. I want to hope to maybe be in a situation where I’m competing for a Stanley Cup, at least playing some meaningful games in May and hopefully June. That’s where I am right now. Discussions with the agent and stuff like that have been going on. Obviously, there’s a lot of moving parts to something like this. But it is what it is, kind of, right now.”

Jones said he and his agent, Pat Brisson, are trying to “push the needle a little bit more” right now, which is why he went public with the desire to play elsewhere earlier this week. But he wouldn’t commit to having to be out before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline because he knows his cap hit isn’t going to make a trade easy to make work.

“If it happens in the next two weeks, then it happens. If it’s this summer or later on, it is what it is. Obviously, I have a full no-movement and I do control it. At the same time, we only control so much.”

Jones said he just wants to be in the playoffs every year and have a chance to play on a bigger stage with a legit shot at winning a Stanley Cup — sooner than it might happen with the Blackhawks.

We’ll see if the Blackhawks can make this happen before the deadline…

Also Read​

Potential Seth Jones Landing Spots (IF the Blackhawks Can Move Him In Season)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...es-has-requested-a-trade-from-the-blackhawks/