News Blackhawks Team Notes

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Let’s Assess the Blackhawks’ Seth Jones Trade Tree

On July 23, 2021, the Chicago Blackhawks made a blockbuster trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chicago sent a package of picks with defenseman Adam Boqvist to the Columbus Blue Jackets for two picks and defenseman Seth Jones, who agreed to an eight-year contract that carries a $9.5M AAV.

At the time, the Blackhawks were trying to quickly turn their ship around, leaving their brief “rebuild” project in the dust in an effort to put together a competitive roster. They sold fans that Jones would be the long-term No. 1 defenseman they needed.

Almost four full years later, the Blackhawks are in a legitimate, full rebuild. Jones asked out and his request was granted, sending him to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and the Panthers’ first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The trade for Jones has been blasted by nearly everyone — including Jones, if we’re honest — and clearly did not achieve the objective of making the Blackhawks a more competitive team.

Now that Jones has been traded out of Chicago, let’s take a moment to step back and consider the full ramifications of the trade for the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and other teams that have since gotten involved.

The Seth Jones Trade Tree​

Columbus’ Trade Return​

• Cole Sillinger (No. 12 overall pick – 2021 NHL Draft) — Sillinger, 21, is already playing his fourth full professional season. Thru Tuesday, he has appeared in 274 games for the Blue Jackets, contributing 41 goals and 62 assists while rating a minus-64. He has one more year on his current contract at a $2.25M cap hit.

• Adam Boqvist — Boqvist, the 8th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, was the only NHL player involved in the trade at the time. He had appeared in 76 NHL games over two seasons for the Blackhawks at the time he was traded. Over the next three seasons, Boqvist appeared in 133 games for Columbus, producing 56 points while going minus-31. He signed with Florida as a free agent before the 2024-25 season and was claimed off waivers by the Islanders on Jan. 31.

• David Jiricek (No. 6 overall pick – 2022 NHL Draft) — Jiricek, a big, right-handed defenseman, appeared in 53 games over parts of three seasons with the Blue Jackets, posting 11 points and a minus-10. At the end of November, after failing to lock up an NHL roster spot in Columbus, the Blue Jackets traded him to Minnesota (with a 2025 fifth-round pick) for defenseman Daemon Hunt, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and third- and fourth-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

• Jake Bean — the Blue Jackets traded the second-round pick they received from the Blackhawks in the trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for Bean, a left-handed defenseman. Over three seasons, Bean appeared in 153 games and produced 44 points while being minus-17. He signed with Calgary as a free agent this past summer.

In the three seasons full seasons since the trade, the Blue Jackets have finished:

• 2021-22: 81 points (6th in the Metropolitan Division)
• 2022-23: 59 points (last)
• 2023-25: 66 points (last)

Blackhawks Current Assets​

• Spencer Knight — over this past weekend, the Blackhawks acquired Knight from the Florida Panthers for Jones. The 23-year-old goaltender was incredible in his first start for the Blackhawks. Every indication is that he will be the No. 1 netminder for the Hawks moving forward. He was originally the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

• Nolan Allan (No. 32 overall pick – 2021 NHL Draft) — Allan is in his second full professional season. He appeared in 43 games with the Blackhawks this season, registering 8 points and was minus-13. He is still developing and we should expect to see more of him in Chicago in the coming years.

• Dominic James (No. 173 overall pick – 2022 NHL Draft) — James is currently a senior at Minnesota-Duluth, where he’s the captain and a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee. He leads the team in scoring, is one of the better faceoff guys in NCAA hockey and is expected to sign his entry-level contract when his 2024-25 season ends.

• 2026 First-Round Pick (from Florida) — TBD

Seth Jones in Chicago​

During his three-plus seasons with the Blackhawks, Jones appeared in 259 games. He produced 146 points (32 goals, 114 assists) and was minus-108.

In three full seasons with Jones in Chicago, the Blackhawks finished:

• 2021-22: 68 points (7th in the Central Division)
• 2022-23: 59 points (last)
• 2023-25: 52 points (last)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-assess-the-blackhawks-seth-jones-trade-tree/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

The Ryan Donato Trade Market Just Got More Interesting (Twice)

A couple moves in the NHL that happened at almost the same time will have an impact on the trade market for Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato.

The first move was a three-team trade that involved the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. Here’s the breakdown:

• Trade 1: Boston Bruins trade Trent Frederic (50 percent salary retained) to New Jersey Devils in exchange for unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser.

• Trade 2: New Jersey trades Trent Frederic (50 percent salary retained) to Edmonton in exchange for unsigned draft choice Shane Lachance.

• Trade 3: Boston trades Max Jones and unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser to Edmonton in exchange for Max Wanner, St. Louis’ second-round pick in 2025 (owned by Edmonton) and Edmonton’s own fourth-round selection in 2026.

That move takes Frederic off the center market. He had been ranked higher on the list than Donato by most outlets.

The second move was a signing. The Montreal Canadiens signed center Jake Evans to a four-year extension. The deal carries a $2.85M cap hit.

Again, a relatively young center (28) comes off the market. Teams looking at Donato as a potential depth center now have two fewer options available.

Meanwhile, Donato scored his career-high 22nd goal and added his career-high 23rd assist last night. He has a $2M cap hit thru the end of the season.

Of course, the Blackhawks don’t have to trade Donato. They could extend him and keep him around as the bridge to the next generation of the team being ready to come up and contribute. Many fans would prefer that route. But he’s young, has a young family and might want to not only compete in the playoffs, but also cash in on his fantastic season on the UFA market this summer. If he wants to test the market, the Blackhawks should absolutely explore their options with his stock going up seemingly every day.

Also Read​

Post-Jones Blackhawks Trade Intel: Donato, Reichel, Mrázek, More

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...onato-trade-market-just-got-more-interesting/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Hug Watch, Physical Dach, Greene’s Ready, Moore Honored, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

It’s Wednesday, Blackhawks fans, which means it’s a game day — and healthy scratch/hug watch. The Ottawa Senators, who are likely buyers this year, are in town for an early start (remember: 6:30 puck drop tonight folks). I’m sure our German hockey fans out there are excited to watch Lukas Reichel face Tim Stützle… assuming Reichel’s in the lineup… (wink emoji).

• Don’t get it twisted: tonight’s a huge game for the Senators. Ottawa hasn’t qualified for the postseason since the 2016-17 season and find themselves right smack in the middle of hot wild card race in the Eastern Conference. They have a game in-hand on every other team in the picture — before tonight. Here’s how it stacks up from the NHL’s website:

• Colton Dach told me after the game on Monday that he wasn’t thrilled with his play in the first period. But as the game progressed — and became increasingly physical — he got more engaged and played better. He knows the role the Blackhawks want him to play at the NHL level, and he was good for the final 40 minutes. I’m intrigued that they’ve been getting him some run at center recently.

For the second straight game, Colton Dach delivers a massive reverse hit pic.twitter.com/Iua6frxCog

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) March 4, 2025

• Good read here from Ben Pope on Boston University center Ryan Greene. The Blackhawks tried to sign him last summer but, after two unsuccessful trips to the Frozen Four, he wanted to run it back for another chance at a national championship. He’s a co-captain at BU this season and he’s ready to be a pro after the Terriers’ season ends.

Blackhawks prospect Ryan Greene is grateful he decided to return for his junior year at BU. After it ends, he's ready to turn pro.

"I feel really good with where my game is. I’m playing some of the best hockey I’ve ever played."

New story: https://t.co/CyqTUP4VOL

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 4, 2025

• Some love for Blackhawks prospects on Tuesday. After a stellar final regular season weekend for Minnesota, Oliver Moore was named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week. He had four points (one goal, three assists), a plus-three rating and won 57.1 percent of his faceoffs (20-for-35).

Oliver Moore earns @B1GHockey 1st of the Week!

: https://t.co/4OzrrUH7w7 pic.twitter.com/qIzeYe7heX

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 4, 2025

• We got the hype video for North Dakota freshman center Sacha Boisvert from the Hobey Baker Award on Tuesday as well.

Sacha Boisvert is a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee! North Dakota fans, show your support for this standout forward by voting daily at https://t.co/CGEVafN9rB! #VoteForHobey @boisvertsacha @undmhockey @thenchc @drinkbodyarmor pic.twitter.com/lx1BHwYysa

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

• This is a really good column from my guy Dennis Bernstein for The Fourth Period about the state of the NHL. I enjoyed catching up with him in the press box at Wrigley Field before the Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve. Since then, he’s been all over North America covering the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Stadium Series and then back home in LA for their charity game. Really good perspective here as the league and players go back to the table to negotiate the next CBA.

As an aside, the joint press conference led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA boss chief Marty Walsh showcased a level of collaboration between the two sides I’ve never seen. I’ve sat through many of joint sessions but when the Commissioner got up and gave Walsh a playful hug my thought was, “Yeah, I don’t think that happened with Donald Fehr.” It’s a great sign for the game’s short time future as the prospects having CBA harmony continues strong.

Over the past month I've been in Montreal, Boston, Columbus and home in LA for events with different meanings.
Covered the game for a long time, while it can always improve, it's never been in a better place.
"Sometimes it's not about the fight, it's about growth."

My latest for…

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) March 4, 2025

• All of the feels at UBS Arena last night when Brock Nelson did the postgame interview after what might be his last game with the Islanders — his 900th career regular-season game, all with the same organization.

An emotional first star Brock Nelson discusses his @nyislanders big win over the league leading Jets and what it’s meant to wear an Islander jersey his entire career. #Isles | @Shannon_Hogan pic.twitter.com/hr3DyFhYgE

— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) March 5, 2025

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

• How about some Cubs prospect updates.

• The Bears made a trade to help their offensive line.

• The Bulls could have big time cap space in 2026.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...y-moore-honored-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks 3, Senators 4 (OT) — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

Another sloppy start put the Hawks behind the ball early when Brady Tkachuk got the Senators on the board early in the first. But the Blackhawks scored two goals 44 seconds apart — the second of which came on the power play — to quickly take a 2-1 lead. But, because we aren’t allowed to have nice things, the Hawks gave up that lead in 107 seconds. Ottawa out-shot the Hawks 10-5 in the first but the game was tied at two after 20 minutes.

The second period could have cured insomnia. The Blackhawks out-shot the Sens 8-7 but were out-scored 1-0. Ottawa took a 3-2 lead to the second intermission.

The Blackhawks tied the game early in the third period on a great play by Pat Maroon to set up Craig Smith. It felt like the Blackhawks were forcing the puck to Ryan Donato way too much in the third period — like they were trying to get him his third goal to finish off a hat trick with a multi-goal lead, except the game was tied… and he had only scored once.

After 60 minutes of hockey, the score was tied. The Senators had a 24-20 shot advantage. 46 seconds into OT Ottawa put the puck in the net but it was pretty clearly kicked in… but the call stood and the game ended. Wow.

Star 1: Ryan Donato​

Because, as of this writing, I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have (any?) to make Donato my first star, he gets it tonight. He scored his career-high 23rd goal tonight — another one at even strength. And his goal in the first period is the 100th of his NHL career!

#Blackhawks tie the game

Ryan Donato
Landon Slaggert

pic.twitter.com/h9WTqnE6SZ

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 6, 2025

Star(s) 2: Pat Maroon & Craig Smith​

I’m going with co-stars here because tonight may have been the last game for either/both of them with the Blackhawks as well. Maroon and Smith were brought in to give the Blackhawks come veteran leadership. Have the numbers been what fans wanted? Maybe not on the most basic level. But putting them on either wing of Lukas Reichel helped him find his game this season. So respect to the two veterans, who connected on this pretty goal to tie the game in the third period.

#Blackhawks tie the game at 3

Craig Smith
Pat Maroon

pic.twitter.com/qhWGxjumzc

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 6, 2025

Star 3: Ethan Del Mastro & Connor Murphy​

Your Blackhawks ice time leader thru two periods: Del Mastro (14:49). He skated a new career-high 21:22 in regulation. Murphy had a team-high three shots on goal at the end of the second period and was also credited with two hits in 14:43. I’m giving another co-star of the night because I think the Blackhawks might have a new top defensive pair for the rest of the regular season here.

Key Takeaways​

• Teuvo Teräväinen scored the Blackhawks’ second goal of the night. However, he was on the ice for both of Ottawa’s goals in the opening 20 minutes so he finished the period minus-two. He took a desperation penalty in the third period right after the Hawks tied the game as well. Here’s his power play goal.

#Blackhawks lead 2-1

Teuvo Teravainen (PPG)
Tyler Bertuzzi, Alex Vlasic

pic.twitter.com/CfwVfRI2s7

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 6, 2025

• The first period wasn’t great for Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier. They left Tkachuk all alone in front of the net for Ottawa’s first goal of the night.

• By the end of the second period, Crevier (10:07) was the lowest ice time on the blue line for Chicago. That was more than two minutes less than Wyatt Kaiser (12:18), who had a team-leading three hits thru two periods.

• The top forward line of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and Colton Dach played fast, but they were just off when they had chances to make a scoring play a few times.

• I’m once again totally cool with Andreas Athanasiou heading back to Rockford whenever somebody else is ready to play. He got stapled to the end of the bench and didn’t get on the ice in the third period at all.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ks-3-senators-4-ot-three-stars-key-takeaways/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Make an Interesting Roster Move on Trade Deadline Eve

Good news for the Blackhawks with the trade deadline looming on Friday. Nick Foligno was a full practice participant on Thursday and appears ready to rejoin the lineup against Utah at the United Center.

Interestingly, the Blackhawks assigned forward Andreas Athanasiou back to the IceHogs on Thursday afternoon.

NEWS : Blackhawks Assign Athanasiou to Rockford https://t.co/rSqvhBOK64

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 6, 2025

Athanasiou skated under seven minutes in the game on Wednesday night, and took only one, seven-second shift in the final 28 minutes of the game. It was pretty clear his game wasn’t NHL caliber during his recall.

So why is this interesting?

Jason Dickinson and Philipp Kurashev were both at practice on Thursday as well, and the hope is that one/both of them might return during the upcoming four-game road trip. But neither is ready to go for Friday night.

A game that happens after the trade deadline.

With Athanasiou back in Rockford, the Blackhawks remain at just 12 healthy forwards on the NHL roster. One would tend to think if there was a chance of someone being traded on Friday that the team would keep an extra body around Chicago just in case.

Keep in mind, however, that players need to be on the AHL roster at the time of the NHL trade deadline on Friday (2 PM CT) to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Blackhawks did not place anyone on waivers on Thursday and Athanasiou was the only player assigned. If a trade does happen, he may be back in time for the game.

Stay tuned…

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...nteresting-roster-move-on-trade-deadline-eve/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

What Deals Have the Blackhawks Made on the Trade Deadline Day Itself?

With the NHL’s 2025 Trade Deadline looming at 2 PM CT on Friday, March 7, sometimes it can be fun — or disastrous — to look back at what the Blackhawks have done on the trade deadline day itself. Lots of action happens before the trade deadline, but the deadline day itself can be a crazy flurry of trades.

As a public service, here are all of the trades the Blackhawks have consummated on the NHL’s trade deadline day since 1986. There are some big names in Blackhawks history — Tony Amonte, Chris Chelios — involved. And, as you get to the end, some potentially impactful young players who are starting to show their value in the NHL and prospects who might help the club in the future.

Blackhawks Trade Deadline History​

March 11, 1986 – Chicago traded F Tom McMurchy to Calgary for D Rik Wilson.

March 7, 1989 – Chicago traded a 5th round pick in the 1989 Draft (#90 – F Steve Young) to the NY Islanders for F Greg Gilbert.

March 6, 1990 – Chicago traded G Alain Chevrier to Pittsburgh for future considerations.

March 5, 1991 – Chicago traded F Mike McNeill and D Ryan McGill to Quebec for F Paul Gillis and F Daniel Vincelette.

March 21, 1994 – Chicago traded a 4th round pick in the 1994 Draft (#92 – Mike Dubinsky) to Vancouver for D Robert Dirk.

March 21, 1994 – Chicago traded a 3rd round pick in the 1995 Draft to Winnipeg for F Paul Ysebaert.

March 21, 1994 – Chicago traded F Kevin Todd to Los Angeles for a 4th round pick in the 1994 Draft (#85 – F Steve McLaren).

March 21, 1994 – Chicago traded F Stephane Matteau and F Brian Noonan to the NY Rangers for F Tony Amonte and the rights to F Matt Oates.

March 20, 1996 – Chicago traded F Patrick Poulin, D Igor Ulanov and Chicago’s 2nd round pick in the 1996 Draft to Tampa Bay for D Enrico Ciccone and Tampa’s 2nd round pick in the 1996 Draft.

March 20, 1996 – Chicago traded a 4th round pick in the 1996 Draft to Winnipeg for F Ravil Gusmanov.

March 18, 1997 – Chicago traded F Ravil Gusmanov to Calgary for D Marc Hussey.

March 18, 1997 – Chicago traded F Mike Prokopec to Ottawa for F Denis Chasse, D Kevin Bolibruck and a 6th round pick in the 1998 Draft.

March 24, 1998 – Chicago traded D Ryan Risidore to the NY Rangers for F Ryan Vandenbussche.

March 23, 1999 – Chicago traded F Nelson Emerson to Ottawa for F Chris Murray.

March 23, 1999 – Chicago traded D Chris Chelios to Detroit for D Anders Eriksson, a 1st round pick in 1999 (#23 – D Steve McCarthy) and a 1st round pick in 2001 (#29 – G Adam Munro).

March 13, 2001 – Chicago traded F Dean McAmmond to Philadelphia for a 3rd round pick in the 2001 Draft (#88 – Nicolas Corbeil).

March 19, 2002 – Chicago traded D Jaroslav Spacek and a 2nd round pick in the 2003 Draft (#46 – F Dan Fritsche) to Columbus for D Lyle Odelein.

March 11, 2003 – Chicago traded F Steve Thomas to Anaheim for a 5th round pick in the 2003 Draft (#156 – F Alexei Ivanov).

March 11, 2003 – Chicago traded F Peter White to Philadelphia for future considerations.

March 11, 2003 – Chicago traded D Phil Housley to Toronto for a 9th round pick in 2003 (#282 – F Chris Porter) and a 4th round pick in 2004 (#123 – F Karel Hromas).

March 11, 2003 – Chicago traded F Sergei Berezin to Washington for a 4th round pick in the 2004 Draft (#120 – D Mitch Maunu).

March 9, 2004 – Chicago traded D Alexander Karpovtsev to the NY Islanders for a 4th round pick in the 2005 Draft (#108 – D Niklas Hjalmarsson).

March 9, 2006 – Chicago traded F Tyler Arnason to Ottawa for F Brandon Bochenski and a 2nd round pick in the 2006 Draft (#61 – D Simon Danis-Pepin).

March 9, 2006 – Chicago traded F Jim Dowd to Colorado for a 4th round pick in the 2006 Draft (#111 – D Korbinian Holzer).

March 9, 2006 – Chicago traded D Todd Simpson to Montreal for a 6th round pick in the 2006 Draft (#169 – F Chris Auger).

February 27, 2007 – Chicago traded F Karl Stewart and Florida’s 6th round pick in the 2008 Draft to Tampa Bay for F Nikita Alexeev.

February 26, 2008 – Chicago traded F Martin Lapointe to Ottawa for a 6th round pick in the 2008 Draft (#169 – F Ben Smith).

February 26, 2008 – Chicago traded F Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for F Andrew Ladd.

March 4, 2009 – Chicago traded D James Wisniewski and F Petr Kontiola to Anaheim for F Sami Pahlsson and D Logan Stephenson.

February 28, 2011 – Chicago traded F Ryan Potulny and a 2nd round pick in the 2011 Draft (#48 – Xavier Ouellet) to Ottawa for D Chris Campoli and a 7th round pick in 2012.

February 27, 2012 – Chicago traded D John Scott to the NY Rangers for a 5th round pick in the 2012 Draft (#149 – D Travis Brown).

February 27, 2012 – Chicago traded 2nd (#61 – Zach Sanford) and 3rd (#91 – J.C. Lipon) round picks in the 2013 Draft to Winnipeg for D Johnny Oduya.

April 3, 2013 – Chicago traded F Rob Flick to Boston for F Maxime Suave.

March 2, 2015 – Chicago traded F Ben Smith and Chicago’s 7th round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to San Jose for F Andrew Desjardins.

Feb. 29, 2016 – Chicago traded D Dennis Robertson to Carolina for G Drew MacIntyre.

March 1, 2017 – Chicago acquired F Kenton Hegelsen and a 7th round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft from Anaheim for forwards Sam Carrick and Spencer Abbott.

Feb. 26, 2018 – Chicago traded F Ryan Hartman and Chicago’s 5th round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft (#131 – Spencer Stastney) to Nashville for F Victor Ejdsell, Nashville’s 1st round pick (#27 – Nicolas Beaudin) and Nashville’s 4th round pick (120 – Philipp Kurashev) in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Feb. 26, 2018 – Chicago traded F Tommy Wingels to Boston for Boston’s 4th round pick (123 – Antti Saarela) in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Feb. 24, 2019 – Chicago traded F Matheson Iacopelli to LA for F Spencer Watson.

Feb. 24, 2020 – Chicago traded F Nathan Noel to Philadelphia for D TJ Brennan.

Feb. 24, 2020 – Chicago traded D Erik Gustafsson to Calgary for the Flames’ 3rd round pick (81 – Wyatt Kaiser) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Feb. 24, 2020 – in a 3-team trade, Chicago sent G Robin Lehner to Las Vegas (via Toronto) for G Malcolm Subban, D Slava Demin’s right and Pittsburgh’s 2nd round pick (46 – Drew Commesso) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

April 12, 2021 – Chicago traded F Matthew Highmore to Vancouver for F Adam Gaudette.

April 12, 2021 – Chicago traded D Carl Soderberg to Colorado for the rights to F Josh Dickinson and F Ryder Rolston.

April 12, 2021 – in a 3-team trade, Chicago traded F Mattias Janmark to Vegas for Vegas’ 2nd round pick (62 – F Colton Dach) in the 2021 NHL Draft and Vegas’ 3rd round pick (81 – F Samuel Savoie) in the 2022 NHL Draft.

April 12, 2021 – Chicago traded D Madison Bowey and Chicago’s 5th round pick (140 – Jonathan Myrenberg) in the 2021 NHL Draft to Vancouver for the Canucks’ 4th round pick (105 – D Ethan Del Mastro) in the 2021 NHL Draft.

March 21, 2022 – Chicago traded G Marc-André Fleury to Minnesota for Minnesota’s 2nd round pick (57 – Ryan Greene) in the 2022 NHL Draft.

March 21, 2022 – Chicago traded F Ryan Carpenter to Calgary for the Flames’ 5th round pick (138 – Joel Svensson) in the 2024 NHL Draft .

March 3, 2023 – Chicago traded future considerations to Los Angeles for forward Austin Wagner.

Related​

Kyle Davidson’s History as Chicago Blackhawks General Manager

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...khawks-made-on-the-trade-deadline-day-itself/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Acquire… Shea Weber?

For those of us who have been talking about how precisely the Blackhawks will get to the salary floor next year… we might have found our answer. And, yes, the Blackhawks are pulling out of the old Arizona Coyotes’ playbook… in a trade with the franchise-formerly-known-as the Coyotes.

The Blackhawks reportedly traded a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Utah Hockey Club for forwards Aku Räty, Victor Söderström and the remaining contract obligations of Shea Weber.

Yes, the Shea Weber who is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame can now be considered a Blackhawks legend. He has one more year on his contract with a $7,857,143 cap hit.

Räty, 23, was originally a fifth-round pick by Arizona in the 2019 NHL Draft. He has appeared in one NHL game. He’s an RFA this summer.

Söderström, 24, was the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He has appeared in 53 career NHL games and is currently playing in Sweden.

Whether either of these young players ever sniffs the NHL with the Blackhawks likely isn’t the point of this trade. It’s about using Weber’s contract to get cap compliant without being forced to spend bad money on bad contracts (read: room for more entry-level contracts on the NHL roster).

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/03/07/blackhawks-acquire-shea-weber/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks 4, Utah 3 (OT) — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

It only took 56 seconds for the Blackhawks to find themselves chasing a goal. Once again, they came out flat. Thankfully Utah struggled to handle the puck and get a clean shot on net for the first half of the period and Chicago’s goaltending kept the game close. Utah out-shot the Hawks 7-5 in the first period. The Blackhawks were not good.

It took almost ten full minutes in the second period for a second goal to be scored in the game, and it came from the Blackhawks. And then the next goal came from the Blackhawks. And then the next one. The next thing you know, the second period is over and the home team is leading 3-1 and dominated the last 11 minutes of the second period.

Unfortunately, Utah is on the fringe of the playoff picture because they’re a decent team and they pushed back in the third period. They got a second goal on a shot from John Marino that I don’t think Spencer Knight ever saw and then a third from Clayton Keller on a howitzer on the power play to tie the game at three.

And then Connor Bedard scored the overtime game-winner.

Star 1: Spencer Knight​

Knight is just really ****ing good at his job. He’s technically excellent and appears calm almost all the time. There just isn’t much nervous energy that’s visible thru a screen or from the stands/press box. In the first 25 or 30 minutes of this game, Utah had plenty of chances to take a better lead than one but couldn’t because Knight was that good. He stopped 34 of 37 in regulation — 30 of which came in the last 40 minutes.

Spencer Knight reaches out and SAVES A GOAL pic.twitter.com/urHURd6ukw

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) March 8, 2025

Star 2: Connor Bedard​

Wyatt Kaiser scored the goal, but Bedard made the play from start to finish. He took the puck away, almost scored himself — but didn’t quit on the play, won the puck back and found Kaiser for the deposit. The assist here is Bedard’s first point since the 4 Nations Face-Off break. He was really good in the second period. Bedard won 7 of 12 faceoffs in the first two periods as well.

#Blackhawks tie the game

Wyatt Kaiser
Connor Bedard

pic.twitter.com/aII2eWCGM9

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

Star 3: Frank Nazar​

I do love it when the next generation feels like it’s taking over! The line of Bedard, Nazar and Colton Dach had themselves a really good second period together. Nazar set up Dach at one point for a nice chance he couldn’t convert. With 5:30 left in the second period, Nazar was awarded a penalty shot and he made it count for his fifth of the season.

Penalty shot for Frank Nazar gives the #Blackhawks a 3-2 lead

pic.twitter.com/FfnvLhvyhq

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

Key Takeaways​

• How about the Datsyuk-ian hands on Ilya Mikheyev for his goal in the second period?

#Blackhawks have the lead!

Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato

pic.twitter.com/VpDrUy5vuI

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

• The only emotion from anything in red during the first period came from the guy who wasn’t traded on Friday. Ryan Donato put this huge hit on Michael Carcone, who decided they should fight. So they did.

Ryan Donato was ready to take on the entire Utah Hockey Club. pic.twitter.com/wFccgTiaVc

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 8, 2025

• At the end of the second period, Alex Vlasic and Ethan Del Mastro were credited with three blocked shots each. The rest of the Blackhawks roster: three blocked shots combined. They were both over 14 minutes of ice time as well.

• Alec Martinez left the ice briefly after getting hit in the face by a puck. He did return, though.

• The Blackhawks activated Philipp Kurashev off IR before the game but… he didn’t quite have it. Thru two periods, Kurashev had skated only 3:54 on five shifts.

• I really need the Blackhawks to get Vlasic away from Louis Crevier.

x

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...khawks-4-utah-3-ot-three-stars-key-takeaways/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks at Predators — Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

It’s the day after the trade deadline. For good or bad, the dust is settling around the NHL. And games still have to be played. And the Chicago Blackhawks get to play a back-to-back with a flight to Nashville overnight on the day or and immediately after the deadline.

Don’t look now, but the Blackhawks are playing some… fun, exciting, winning hockey. They’ve rolled off three wins in their last four games and things appear to be coming together. Tonight’s an important game for the Hawks to keep the vibes rolling… even if it might get Nashville a little closer the Blackhawks’ spot at No. 2 in the draft lottery.

Broadcast Info​

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM CT
TV / Streaming: Chicago Sports Network (if/where available)
Radio: WGN 720 AM

Expected Lineups​

Chicago Blackhawks

Colton Dach — Connor Bedard — Frank Nazar
Teuvo Teräväinen — Ryan Donato — Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert — Nick Foligno — Tyler Bertuzzi
Pat Maroon — Joe Veleno — Lukas Reichel

Alex Vlasic — Louis Crevier
Ethan Del Mastro — Connor Murphy
Wyatt Kaiser — Alec Martinez

Arvid Söderblom

Nashville Predators

Steven Stamkos — Ryan O’Reilly — Luke Evangelista
Filip Forsberg — Colton Sissons — Jonathan Marchessault
Jakb Vrana — Fedor Svechkov — Cole Smith
Kieffer Bellows — Michael McCarron — Zachary L’Heureux

Brady Skjei — Nick Blankenburg
Marc Del Gaizo — Spencer Stastney
Andreas Englund — Justin Barron

Justus Annunen

Injury Report​

Chicago Blackhawks​

• Laurent Brossoit (knee) and Jason Dickinson (ankle) are on IR.

Nashville Predators

• Roman Josi, Michael Bunting, Jeremy Lauzon and Adam Wilsby are on IR.

What to Watch For​

• Bedard’s slump is over. Lookout!

• Mikheyev scored a dirty goal last night. He continues to have flashes of ridiculous hands and pretty finishes.

• Both Blackhawks goaltenders have been good recently. Let’s see if the Hawks can keep the big energy from last night’s OT win.

Get Caught Up​

Frank Nazar scores on the penalty shot. pic.twitter.com/nubN6jJ9yu

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 8, 2025

#Blackhawks are now 3-0-1 without Seth Jones pic.twitter.com/Mt49PnGPy2

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

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...edators-lineups-broadcast-info-game-thread-5/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks 2, Predators 3 (OT) — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

A first period was played in this game, though you wouldn’t know it if you looked at the Blackhawks’ side of the box score. Chicago was credited with a whopping six shots on net in the opening 20 minutes; Nashville put 17 shots on net.

The Blackhawks got off to a much better start in the second period and an excellent shift from the kid line of Colton Dach, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar ended with an Alex Vlasic shot finding its way thru traffic into the net to give the Blackhawks a lead. That lead lasted a whole seconds before Steve Stamkos scored from his office on the power play. Ten minutes later, Stamkos scored again to give Nashville the lead.

With a little more than 15 minutes left in regulation the Blackhawks put the puck in the net, but… the Preds challenged the Hawks were offside on the play — and they were correct. The Blackhawks never went away and they were able to tie the game with 7:38 left in regulation.

In the overtime, the Blackhawks had a couple young forwards get caught on the ice for too long and the second cost them. Stamkos finished his hat trick with Nazar stuck on the ice for an 80-second shift and the Blackhawks take only one point with them to Denver.

Star 1: Arvid Söderblom​

The Preds had a 9-2 advantage in high danger chances at the end of the first period but didn’t have anything to show for it because Söderblom was fabulous in the first. He didn’t have much of a chance on the Stamkos power play goal in the second and Nick Foligno personally delivered the second one with a terrible turnover. He stopped 25 of 27 thru 40 minutes. Söderblom stopped 37 of 39 in regulation.

Star(s) 2: The Kid Line​

Once again tonight, the line of Dach-Bedard-Nazar was noticeable. They made things happen to set up the Blackhawks’ first goal and had a couple other shifts in the second period that created opportunities. Nazar and Dach also drew penalties in the second period.

#Blackhawks are on the board in Nashville

Alex Vlasic
Connor Bedard, Colton Dach

pic.twitter.com/6X8jOClNSC

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 9, 2025

Star 3: Ilya Mikheyev​

Bedard told me on Friday night that Mikheyev has scored some “sick goals” this season. He scored another one on Saturday night — he’s quietly one of the hottest Blackhawks right now. Mikheyev is up to 14 goals this season.

#Blackhawks tie the game!

Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato, Connor Murphy

No review this time

pic.twitter.com/GNHZuYqWJj

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 9, 2025

Key Takeaways​

• Joe Veleno made his Blackhawks debut after being acquired before the trade deadline on Friday. There wasn’t a morning skate, so he met the guys when he got to the rink and took the warm up. His first period was pretty impressive considering that: 3:53 TOI, one shot on net, won one of two faceoffs, one blocked shots and team-high two hits.

• Foligno was struggling with the puck tonight. He snapped his stick after a couple turnovers in the worst spot possible led to Stamkos’ second goal.

• The Blackhawks got three power plays in the second period. The first two were okay. The third was not.

• Louis Crevier was pretty clearly the sixth defenseman in the group tonight, but he was more active without the puck than he has been in some recent games. He was credited with two blocked shots and a team-leading five hits in 10:13 thru two periods.

• There were 40 faceoffs in the first 40 minutes of the game. Teuvo Teräväinen (7 of 18) and Foligno (5 of 11) took the overwhelming majority of the draws. Ryan Donato didn’t take a single faceoff in the game.

• Wholly agree with Charlie’s take here. Dach got the extra penalty (the Hawks killed it) and I’m usually not a big fan of fighting after a clean hit (and this was clean) but I like the statement this makes.

Don’t mind at all that Colton Dach jumped in to defend Frank Nazar even though the hit was clean and he got slapped with an extra roughing penalty. Playing the long game by setting a culture. Rebuilding team showing unity. #Blackhawks https://t.co/wIJRLnkCol

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 9, 2025

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...s-2-predators-3-ot-three-stars-key-takeaways/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Recall Top Prospect Artyom Levshunov

The Blackhawks have three games remaining on their current road trip, the next of which is in Denver on Monday night. After the trade deadline passed, it appeared the Blackhawks had their roster fairly well set until college players’ seasons end in the coming weeks.

That might not be the case, however.

On Sunday morning, the Blackhawks had top prospect Artyom Levshunov on the NHL roster on their website and mobile app. After that was pointed out on Twitter, his name was removed. But then he showed up on the AHL transaction register later on Sunday.

And then the team made it official:

ARTY PARTY ALERT@Enterprise | ➡︎ https://t.co/ARQB7Y3ZHk pic.twitter.com/v7m7OWMgis

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 9, 2025

Multiple outlets are reporting that Levshunov is expected to make his NHL debut in the coming days, possibly in Denver on Monday night.

The Blackhawks already called Levshunov up earlier this season, but without the intention of playing him in NHL games. That was for practices during the AHL All-Star break while the Blackhawks had some room on the schedule.

Levshunov being recalled at this point is interesting for a few reasons.

Levshunov, 19, has appeared in 50 games for the IceHogs this season. The Blackhawks play Monday in Denver, Thursday in San Jose and Saturday in Vancouver. Rockford doesn’t play again until Friday, but play Friday, Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend.

We can debate if he’s ready for the NHL yet or not, but this might be to get Levshunov a few games before the college players sign. He’s shown dramatic improvement since the start of the season — which was delayed for him because of a foot injury. One would think the Blackhawks wouldn’t make room for Levshunov and Sam Rinzel (both right-handed defensemen) at the same time in the NHL.

However, the Blackhawks already have seven defensemen on the NHL roster. TJ Brodie was a healthy scratch on Saturday night (again). And it didn’t appear any of the six dressed defensemen were injured in the game in Nashville. So… who else is an odd-man out with Brodie if/when Levshunov makes his debut?

Finally, the Blackhawks have technically already called up Ethan Del Mastro and Colton Dach since the deadline. NHL teams are only allowed four non-emergency call-ups between the trade deadline and the end of the regular season. This represents the third. (Note: college players signing do not count as “call-ups” in this capacity.)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/03/09/blackhawks-recalling-artyom-levshunov/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Toews’ Comeback Bid, Levshunov Excitement, Future Blue Line, B1G Upset, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Big piece to kick off our Monday mornings from Mark Lazerus over at The Athletic. He chatted with Jonathan Toews about his desire to get back into the NHL — this is a sincere comeback bid from the longest tenured captain in the history of the Blackhawks. There’s a lot in this piece from Lazerus so I highly recommend reading it. But this quote really jumped at me because I could hear it in Toews’ voice. He wants to go out on his terms with absolute certainty that he gave everything he had to the game. And the way it ended when his contract expired didn’t do that for him (or the fans).

“I’m not satisfied the way things ended in Chicago,” Toews told The Athletic. “It’s not about proving anything. It’s just that there’s something left in the tank and I want to explore that. I want to go have fun, have a blast, play with passion. But at the same time, I still have some high-level hockey left. I want to be able to step away from the game having said that I’ve given it my all. And I still think there’s something left to give.”

Yes, Jonathan Toews is serious about a comeback bid.

"I still think there’s something left to give."

My exclusive interview with the globetrotting Toews: https://t.co/0uebMVBN9Q pic.twitter.com/C7vZoQcr1H

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 10, 2025

• The Blackhawks didn’t practice on Sunday after back-to-back games but they did stir our attention with a mid-day recall of top prospect Artyom Levshunov. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft will join the team in Denver today. We’ll see if tonight’s the night for his debut against a really good, fast Avalanche team or if they get him a practice or two before inserting him for the third and fourth games on the trip in San Jose and Vancouver, respectively.

• A couple thoughts on this call-up: I’m interested to see where he lines up and who spends the most time on the ice with him. Is it Alex Vlasic? Alec Martinez? I think there’s obviously a future-looking hope that Vlasic-Levshunov becomes a thing (and then maybe we eventually see Ethan Del Mastro with Sam Rinzel? Kevin Korchinski with Nolan Allan? Sign me up!) but for starters, the good news is the Blackhawks have a few veterans who could skate with the 19-year-old to get him acclimated to the NHL.

Artyom Levshunov has improved immensely in Rockford this season, and now he'll get an NHL taste with the Blackhawks.

"He’s starting to ingrain some of the pro habits into his game."

Updated story with insights from Mark Eaton: https://t.co/zzZQTlgrJ9

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 9, 2025

• A few people on social media commented about if this is somehow a slight of Korchinski that Levshunov got the call here. I don’t think it is. And I don’t think Korchinski has done anything to negatively impact his stock in the organization. The Blackhawks have some room on the right side of the blue line right now with Seth Jones gone and likely want to get Levshunov a taste (like they did last year with Del Mastro) so they can collectively assess where he’s at and what he needs to work on to be ready for full-time NHL duty.

• A quick reminder of the ages of some of the defensemen currently on the Blackhawks’ NHL roster:

Alex Vlasic — 23
Louis Crevier — 23
Wyatt Kaiser — 22
Ethan Del Mastro — 22
Artyom Levshunov — 19

• A reminder that the trade deadline can be incredibly hard on guys who get moved: Joe Veleno spent more time in airports or on a plane than he did sleeping between flying to Washington with the Red Wings and playing for the Blackhawks in Nashville.

Joe Veleno's last few days:
Thu night: Detroit Washington
Fri: traded from Red Wings to Blackhawks
Fri night: Washington Detroit (delayed 4 hours)
Sat morning: Detroit Nashville
Sat: Hawks debut
Sat night: Nashville Denverhttps://t.co/mpqkukF1qr

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 9, 2025

• Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel had the two assists on Minnesota’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to Notre Dame on Sunday evening. That means the Gophers’ Big Ten tournament is over. They should be safe for a bid to the NCAA tournament but this is a disappointing result.

• Jack Pridham scored this nice power play goal for Kitchener on Sunday. He added the primary assist on the game-winning goal as the Rangers beat Guelph 4-3.

PRIDHAM EXTENDS THE LEAD@NHLBlackhawks prospect Jack Pridham finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play on the power play, extending the @OHLRangers lead to three!#OHL | @CHLHockey | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/GeUGRpI4UW

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 9, 2025

• Tough news here for the Utah Hockey Club. Connor Ingram is stepping away for treatment in the Player Assistance Program. He shared that his mother passed away last year and he’s struggled to get everything together since. I can relate to that. Friday’s trade deadline was the first anniversary of my dad passing away. It was a really hard day to stay focused on hockey… but I was glad to have hockey to take my mind off things as much as it could. Here’s hoping Ingram can find the peace he needs to return strong.

Connor Ingram (@utahhockeyclub) to receive care from NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. https://t.co/4UEuQYGbQN pic.twitter.com/qW6BLWaYeW

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 9, 2025

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• Why were no Cubs talking to Kyle Tucker on Sunday?

• Sunday got crazy in the NFL with trades hitting all over the place. Oh, and Josh Allen got PAID.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-line-b1g-upset-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks at Avalanche — Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

The Blackhawks will have a new name in the lineup tonight. Artyom Levshunov, the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, will make his NHL debut in Denver against a tough Avalanche team. Frankly, neither of these teams look like they did the last time they faced each other (a 3-1 Blackhawks win on Jan. 8). For some reference, Taylor Hall played 16 minutes for the Hawks in their last meeting.

Colorado got busy at the deadline and added a couple really good centers in Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle. They’ve added Martin Necas and Jack Drury since the last meeting as well. The Blackhawks big addition is Spencer Knight in net.

Big watch tonight: Nathan MacKinnon comes into the game with 999 career regular-season points.

Broadcast Info​

Puck Drop: 8:00 PM CT
TV / Streaming: Chicago Sports Network+ (if/where available)
Radio: WGN 720 AM

Expected Lineups​

Chicago Blackhawks

Colton Dach — Connor Bedard — Jason Dickinson
Teuvo Teräväinen — Ryan Donato — Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert — Frank Nazar — Nick Foligno
Tyler Bertuzzi — Joe Veleno — Lukas Reichel

Alex Vlasic — Wyatt Kaiser
Ethan Del Mastro — Connor Murphy
Alec Martinez — Artyom Levshunov

Spencer Knight

Colorado Avalanche

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Jonathan Drouin — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Joel Kiviranta — Charlie Coyle — Ross Colton
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Ryan Lindgren — Josh Manson
Samuel Girard — Sam Malinksi

Mackenzie Blackwood

Injury Report​

Chicago Blackhawks​

• Laurent Brossoit (knee) is the only player left on IR.

Colorado Avalanche

• Gabriel Landeskog and Tucker Poolman are on IR.

What to Watch For​

• Love me an NHL debut and Levshunov gets the bright lights tonight.

• Bedard has three points in his last two games. And yet, the coaches are breaking that line up and re-inserting Dickinson with Bedard. He should be able to help with faceoffs against a very good Colorado team. We’ll see how long the opening lines stick together.

• Keep an eye on Mikheyev tonight. His speed is going to be critical, probably against MacKinnon.

Get Caught Up​

Sorensen explains why Levshunov is debuting against Colorado rather than San Jose:

“Let’s get after it, right? This is the NHL. If you want to play in the NHL, you’ve got to play the best.”

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 10, 2025

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...alanche-lineups-broadcast-info-game-thread-5/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Levshunov’s Debut, Bulldogs in Buffalo, Rantanen Drama, Ekblad Suspended, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

There is going to be a portion of the Blackhawks fan base that will likely never get over the organ-I-zation taking Artyom Levshunov second overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. The addiction to the idea that the Blackhawks could have taken an offensive threat the caliber of Ivan Demidov will be too tempting for some folks forever. But the comps were there to tell us Levshunov was not only worthy of the pick, but could be a huge part of the next wave of success for the Blackhawks.

We didn’t get to see Levhunov in the prospect showcase games or training camp or preseason games because of a foot injury, which sucked because everyone wanted to see him perform. Because of the late start, his learning curve got more scrutinized. But he’s made great strides all season. And that’s why the Blackhawks liked him. He’s gone from Belarus to the USHL to the NCAA to the AHL and, now, the NHL in such a short amount of time it’s remarkable.

And he did not look out of place jumping into the Blackhawks’ lineup last night — even if he skated a heavier workload than the coaches would have probably preferred because of an early injury on the blue line.

ARTY ROOKIE LAP JUST DROPPED pic.twitter.com/rs3Iv5O9Ok

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 11, 2025​

• Levshunov finished second on the team behind only Connor Bedard in shots on goal and shot attempts last night. When he got on the power play, the instincts we’ve heard so much about showed up. When he attacks, you notice him. I like how he approached the net before firing this shot on the power play last night. It’s a heavy shot, and a little traffic in front of the goaltender is going to eventually make this hell for the opposition.

Excellent power-play shift by Artyom Levshunov, who has not been timid in his NHL debut. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/zrNZVCM4EH

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 11, 2025​

• For those wondering how the Blackhawks graded last night, here’s the card. I will note a couple things when looking at the grades below.

#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Chicago Blackhawks on 2025-03-10 #Blackhawks

[image or embed]

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards.com) March 10, 2025 at 10:48 PM

• First, I thought Ethan Del Mastro played a good game last night despite the card. With the Blackhawks’ blue line in a blender for two-thirds of the game because of the Alec Martinez injury, he spent 5:34 on the ice at 5-on-5 against Nathan MacKinnon. And he did that with differing partners. When you see Connor Murphy at the top of the list, keep in mind that he and Del Mastro spent 11:34 together at even strength last night.

• Secondly, last night was a tough draw for Jason Dickinson. After missing more than a full month because of an ankle sprain — something that takes time to get the wheels fully back — he had to come back at altitude in Denver. Add to that the fact that he spent six minutes on the ice at even strength against the MacKinnon line with Bedard and Colton Dach. Hard assignment all around.

• Finally, I thought last night was one of the best games Wyatt Kaiser has played in the NHL to date. And he started the game playing his off-side.

• For those wondering if Levshunov played well enough to stick around for the rest of the regular season: I doubted it before the game for a number of reasons. His play made that possibility a little more intriguing (though having two defensemen in the press box isn’t ideal). But Ben Pope pointed this out in his postgame notes, and it’s incredibly important because Levshunov is still 19:

Levshunov certainly will remain in the lineup Thursday at the Sharks and Saturday at the Canucks. But his stint with the Hawks probably will be capped at nine games or fewer because that will ensure the official start of his three-year, entry-level contract “slides” to next season.

• Because a few people asked this on social media: the Blackhawks were able to call up Levshunov without someone needing to go down because the 23-man roster limit expires at the trade deadline. As long as a team can stay under the cap ceiling, you can have as many guys on the NHL roster as you would like.

• ESPN gave the Blackhawks a B+ for their work before the trade deadline.

• The Brantford Bulldogs were treated to an NHL game as a team last night. Their new co-owner, Oilers forward Zach Hyman, grabbed a suite in Buffalo so the boys could watch the game. Of course the TV networks needed to talk to record-breaking Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis. Good stuff here.

Here’s @NHLBlackhawks prospect Nick Lardis as the @BulldogsOHL catch owner Zach Hyman and the @EdmontonOilers in action in Buffalo tonight! https://t.co/KIIeZZ3x3i pic.twitter.com/xv67M1jel8

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 11, 2025​

• I was going to include this in my bullets on Monday but the interview with Jonathan Toews got top billing. This is an outstanding read for those who have interest in the whole Mikko Rantanen situation between Carolina, Dallas and Colorado over the past couple months. Highly recommend.

Inside the Mikko Rantanen sweepstakes and an Avalanche-Stars arms race on a playoff collision course. Chatting with fellow GMs Jim Nill and Chris MacFarland. My latest for ⁦@TheAthletic⁩ https://t.co/HUDoRpOYBq

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 10, 2025

• And then this buzzsaw hit: Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the media that Rantenen is the first player he’s experienced as the head coach of the Canes that didn’t want to be there. Period. Brind’Amour said Rantanen walked in and told them “there are four teams I want to play for and Carolina isn’t one of them.” What an absolute debacle for the front office in Carolina! Martin Necas said as much a couple weeks ago. They probably should have had that conversation before making a blockbuster trade.

Brind’Amour revealed there were 4 teams Rantanen said he’d “play for.” Dallas was clearly one. I believe Florida and Vegas were two others. That leaves one more. https://t.co/Kwja8q4vFl

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 10, 2025​

• Aaron Ekblad, whose contract expires at the end of this season, was suspended 20 games by the NHL for violating the league’s substance policy. Ekblad admitted he took something he shouldn’t have in the statement below. This is significant because the 20-game suspension comes with 18 games remaining in the Panthers’ regular season. Yes, he will have to sit the first two games of the playoffs as well. Seth Jones: your table is ready!

Through the @NHLPA, Aaron Ekblad releases the following statement: pic.twitter.com/L8cCL59Hzd

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 10, 2025​

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

• The Bears did work in free agency yesterday. Holy cow! Here’s what analysts said about their new center.

• Shout out to Rule 5 Draft pick Gage Workman, who worked had and earned a spot with the Cubs.

• Bad news for the Bulls: Josh Giddey left the game hurt last night.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...kblad-suspended-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Captain Nick Foligno Said the Quiet Part Out Loud

The Blackhawks were shutout for the first time this season last night, but it didn’t feel like a hopeless 3-0 loss. The Hawks dressed 10 skaters who were 23 or younger, including Artyom Levshunov in his NHL debut at 19, and they hung in there with one of the best teams in the NHL.

The game marked the first regulation loss since the Blackhawks traded Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, a fact that has not been lost on fans or media members. They haven’t had the horses every night to win games, but they’ve competed.

After the game, Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno was asked about the spirit or the team in recent games. And he was as subtle as a brick to the junk. For the sake of reading it cleanly, I’m going to just post the comments from Ben Pope on whatever portion of Twitter was working last night.

For emphasis, let me just grab this one part in case you missed it:

Sometimes when you make hard decisions, they end up benefiting the group. ​

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...in-nick-foligno-said-the-quiet-part-out-loud/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Davidson’s Heart, Knight’s Arrival, Bedard Perspective, Trade Chips? and Other Blackhawks Bullets

I want to start with a good conversation we’ve had here and there in this space throughout this season and it came up again in the comments of my rankings of the Blackhawks’ top prospects on Tuesday morning. The Blackhawks have a lot of good, young defensemen and many of them are either in the NHL already (even if only temporarily with Artyom Levshunov this season) or should be close to ready/in the NHL next year. So how do we sort out the depth chart eventually?

Some decisions on the depth on the blue line might come sooner than later for a couple of the guys currently on the NHL roster. Wyatt Kaiser and Louis Crevier are headed to restricted free agency this summer. Both players have been up and down between Rockford and Chicago this season, but have been serviceable players for the Blackhawks and continue to develop. Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times noted that one/both of them could become trade pieces this coming summer if the Hawks look to go that route to improve their NHL roster more significantly.

Last summer, Davidson’s quantity-over-quality approach to free agency (after striking out on dream signing Jake Guentzel) failed decisively. This summer, focusing on the trade market and packaging ‘‘future assets’’ — picks, prospects and/or young pros — for needle-moving NHL players might be a smarter approach.

It will be interesting to see how both Kaiser and Crevier help their stock — both with the Blackhawks and as potential trade pieces — between now and the end of the regular season.

Wyatt Kaiser is one of many young Blackhawks defensemen who have stepped up this month.

But where will they all fit into the Hawks' 2025-26 defensive depth chart? There are more NHL-ready guys than spots — which could lead to trades.

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

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 11, 2025​

• The Blackhawks released the latest episode of their Every Shift series on Youtube on Tuesday. Wow. It opens with news that Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson had heart surgery during the 4 Nations Face-Off break — while negotiating the Seth Jones trade with Florida. Really good 22 minutes of viewing here leading up to the deadline.

• I’m going to put this in bold because there are still GMKD doubters and haters out there in the Blackhawks fandom:

Kyle Davidson had one option to trade an overpaid distraction before the deadline, had heart surgery less than one month before the cutoff and STILL negotiated a deal that not only got rid of said distraction but got back a 23-year-old No. 1 goaltender and a first-round pick.

• Executive of the decade?

• The guy the Blackhawks got in the Jones trade, goaltender Spencer Knight, has been a revelation in net. Since arriving, Knight has stopped 95 of 101 shots against in three games (two of which have gone to overtime — in large part because of his play). He has a .941 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average for the Blackhawks thus far. But his personal heater goes back to the end of his time in Florida. You can now sort goalies by the last 10 games on MoneyPuck, and Knight has the best Goals Saved Above Expected in the entire NHL over that stretch.

• We watched Nathan MacKinnon reach 1,000 career points against the Blackhawks on Monday night. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft has been a superstar for years; he’s undeniably one of the best players in the game today. But he wasn’t always a lock for 100 points. Indeed, he put only 63 points on the board in 146 games combined over his first two seasons in the NHL. Mark Lazerus at The Athletic wrote a really good piece that I consider mandatory reading for Blackhawks fans with perspective from MacKinnon on the start of Connor Bedard‘s career.

I had a great chat with Nathan MacKinnon yesterday about the start of his career. He really put Connor Bedard's first two years in perspective.

"He’s close to a point a game. I’d have killed for that when I was 19. I had, like, 30 points."

New story: https://t.co/HtVi6n8J8A

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 11, 2025​

• In the OHL last night, Sudbury beat Brampton 8-6. Blackhawks prospect Alex Pharand had two assists for the victors.

• Windsor scored the first five goals (yes, five) in the first period and finished with a 7-5 win against Erie. On the winning side, AJ Spellacy scored a goal for the Spitfires. Martin Misiak had an assist for the Otters in the losing effort. And, somehow, defenseman Ty Henry was plus-two in the game for Erie.

• In the college ranks, Blackhawks prospect Sacha Boisvert was named to the NCHC’s All-Rookie team on Tuesday afternoon.

Congrats to Sacha Boisvert on earning a unanimous selection to the NCHC All-Rookie Team!

RELEASE: https://t.co/6Cv09RhyUq#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/Gufq2onreQ

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) March 11, 2025​

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

• Let’s dream about what a potential Kyle Tucker extension might look like for the Cubs.

• The Bears signed a long snapper!

• Who are the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten tournament?

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ive-trade-chips-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks College Prospects Collecting Conference Honors

College hockey conference tournaments get rolling across the country this weekend (the Big Ten started last weekend). Which means it’s time for conference to hand out their individual hardware for their regular season performances. And, so far, Blackhawks prospects are collecting pretty well.

Hockey East will announce their 2024-25 All-Star Teams on Friday morning. I’ll come back and update this when those are out there. I would think Ryan Greene has a great chance to see his name somewhere as a Hobey Baker Award nominee and co-captain at Boston University. Providence forward John Mustard was not named to Hockey East’s All-Rookie Team, unfortunately.

Big Ten Blackhawks​

The Big Ten announced the finalists for its conference awards as well. Blackhawks prospect and Minnesota defenseman Sam Rinzel is one of the three finalists for the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Rinzel produced 10 goals and 21 assists in 39 games this season for the Gophers, who are at home waiting to learn their seed/location for the NCAA tournament after a premature exit from the Big Ten conference tournament. He was also named a Hobey Baker Award nominee.

#Gophers have been named finalists for the 2024-25 @B1GHockey Awards!

Player of the Year – Jimmy Snuggerud
Defensive Player of the Year – Sam Rinzel

Release: https://t.co/ANUL34ZgF2 pic.twitter.com/2UDQFZUmDH

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 12, 2025
​

Blackhawks in the NCHC​

The NCHC announced its three All-Conference Teams for the 2024-2025 season. I was a little surprised that only one Blackhawks prospect in the conference was named (and not to the first team).

Denver forward Aidan Thompson was named Second Team All-NCHC; he was the top vote-getter on the Second Team with six first-team votes (55 points). He had a terrific regular season, posting career bests 17 goals and 29 assists in 36 games playing primarily on the wing. Thompson’s 1.28 points per game were second to his teammate, Jack Devine, in the conference.

I was disappointed by the omission of Minnesota-Duluth center Dominic James from the list. The Bulldogs’ captain produced 28 points in 33 games. He was named the NCHC Player of the Week twice this season.

North Dakota center Sacha Boisvert, who was unanimously named to the conference’s All-Freshman team, finished sixth in the conference with 16 goals. He was not named to any of the teams.

Thompson, James and Boisvert were all nominees for the Hobey Baker as well.

Leading NCHC freshmen with both 11 goals in conference play and 16 goals overall…@UNDmhockey's Sacha Boisvert is a unanimous member of the 2024-25 #NCHChockey All-Rookie Team!

: https://t.co/Kn1pCvFo4c#UNDproud // @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/7ATyPRPcf2

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) March 12, 2025
​

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...llege-prospects-collecting-conference-honors/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Mock Draft Roundup: Comparing First Round Predictions

With the Blackhawks playing the Sharks tonight, it’s a lovely day to think about the 2025 NHL Draft. It appears the two teams with the top odds of winning the lottery last year are headed right back to the same spots in the process again this year. Ideal? No. Bad? Not necessarily.

There are four or five (depending on who you read/listen to/trust) players at the top of this draft who could be nice additions to an NHL roster in the near future. The 2025 NHL Draft hasn’t been touted as an exceptionally high-end draft, but there’s quality and depth.

I dropped an updated two-round mock draft for your consideration yesterday. Though the hockey landscape hasn’t been flooded with mock drafts quite yet, there are a few that came out relatively recently that are worth comparing to ours. And the Blackhawks making two picks in the first round certainly adds to the conversation again this year when we compare mock drafts.

The mock drafts considered in this roundup are:

• Bleacher Nation (March 12)
• Daily Faceoff (Steven Ellis — March 11)
• NHL.com (Adam Kimelman, Mike G. Morreale — Feb. 20)

In each of these mock drafts, the Blackhawks’ own pick is the second overall selection in the order. The Blackhawks also own Toronto’s pick in the first round, and where that falls in the draft order varies. I will note what number in the first round each mock had the Blackhawks’ second pick with the players selected and offer some thoughts. I’ll also come back with some thoughts in the player I had the Blackhawks selecting with the Toronto pick.

Links embedded in the player names are to their profiles at EliteProspects.

Blackhawks pick at No. 2 overall​

• Michael Misa, C/LW — Misa is not the unanimous selection by all three writers other than me. Here’s what they had to say about Misa:

Ellis: “Misa has spent most of the season at center, but many scouts preferred him on the wing, like he played for most of last year. So, could you imagine him alongside Connor Bedard? Misa is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the CHL and is on track for one of the most impressive goal-scoring draft campaigns that we’ve seen out of the OHL in quite some time. The big thing here is his ability to take over a shift – there isn’t another player in this draft I’d trust more to go out and win a game.“

Kimelman: “The Blackhawks can continue to build depth through the middle of the ice with Misa (6-1, 184), who has earned comparisons to John Tavares for his high-end skill and hockey IQ. Misa leads all Canadian Hockey League players with 110 points (53 goals, 57 assists) in 52 games, and he’s done it with strong skating, vision and creativity in the offensive zone.“

• Porter Martone, RW — if the Blackhawks end up picking third, Martone would be my guy right now. I had mocked him to the Blackhawks earlier in the season because I like his Tkachuk-like approach to the game. Morreale at NHL.com still has him going to the Blackhawks at No. 2 overall.

Morreale: “The right-handed power forward (6-3, 208) also has an exceptional scoring touch, leading Brampton with 84 points (28 goals, 56 assists) in 45 games while serving as captain. Chicago needs a powerful skater capable of creating space for center Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Martone had 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in seven games and was captain for gold-medal winning Canada at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.“

Blackhawks selection with Toronto’s pick​

• No. 27 — Bill Zonnon, LW (Daily Faceoff)

Ellis: “I do wonder if the Hawks will keep this pick or trade it to bring in some help for 2025-26. But if not, I like Zonnon. He’s very energetic, a tremendous playmaker and is looking more comfortable as a shooter, too. He’s physical, smart and is an excellent passer who can do some dangerous things with the puck. When he has the puck, he makes things happen in open space. Without it, he creates space for his teammates and he gets himself to the net.“

• No. 24 — Milton Gästrin, C (NHL)

Morreale: “Gästrin (6-0, 185) is considered a playmaker with good speed, compete level and intelligence. The 17-year-old, who can play center or left wing, has 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 32 games in Sweden’s junior league.“

• No. 24 — Joshua Ravensbergen, G (NHL)

Kimelman: “The Blackhawks have made 38 selections in the past four drafts and have used one of them on a goalie: Adam Gajan in the second round (No. 35) in 2023. With four picks in the top two rounds this year, this could be the right spot to select the top-rated goalie in this draft class. Ravensbergen (6-5, 190) has the size NHL teams love. He’s athletic, willing to challenge shooters and has a quick glove. He reads plays well and can go post-to-post quickly. Ravensbergen has a 2.94 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 41 games.“

My Thoughts​

I’ll start with the last one because obviously things have changed for the Blackhawks since the NHL.com mock draft. With the Spencer Knight acquisition, the entire pipeline picture has changed between the pipes for the Blackhawks. Every indication now is that the Hawks will look to keep Arvid Söderblom around until Drew Commesso is ready for NHL duty, but the 23-year-old Knight is the clear No. 1 on the depth chart for the foreseeable future.

I really like Gästrin as an option for the Blackhawks; I mocked him to Chicago at the start of the second round at No. 34 overall. He fits the profile of what the Blackhawks look for in a prospect: defensively responsible, good size, excellent skater with offensive upside.

I had Zonnon coming off the board to Washington at No. 32 to close out the first round. He’s got good size (6-2, 190) and is a playmaking who’s wearing an A for Rouyn-Noranda in the QMJHL. I wouldn’t be mad if this was the pick.

With all of that being said, I’ll echo again what Ellis wrote to open his thoughts on the Blackhawks’ second pick in the first round: will Chicago keep this pick, or will it be dealt?

My Blackhawks pick — Their mock drafts​

In my mock draft I have the Blackhawks selecting Windsor center Jack Nesbitt at No. 27 overall. Ellis has Nesbitt coming off the board to Washington at No. 32 overall and wrote this about the prospect:

Windsor has been a powerhouse in the OHL this year, and Nesbitt is a big reason why. The 6-foot-4 center is smart, plays a two-way game and has plenty of skill to boot, too. He’s good on the man advantage, has a powerful shot and is a solid skater for his size.

Kimelman has Nesbitt going 23rd overall to the Flyers. Here’s part of what he wrote about the prospect:

Nesbitt skates well and has a frame that looks capable of holding more muscle. If he can fill out without losing the elusiveness and speed he has playing with the puck, he projects to be a top-six option.

A big body who skates well and is a potential top-six center is how I identified him as well. The fact the Blackhawks have seen a lot of him on the same roster as AJ Spellacy makes this feel like a possible Marek Vanacker scouting opportunity for the Blackhawks with a second pick in the first round (Vanacker was/is a teammate of Nick Lardis).

If the Blackhawks had Nesbitt, Spellacy and Sacha Boisvert as three of their center options — not to mention Ryan Greene, Dominic James — that’s a really good, deep list to consider moving forward. Nesbitt, Spellacy and Boisvert are all big, tough players.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/03/13/blackhawks-mock-draft-roundup/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks 2, Sharks 4 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

After talking about how excited we all were to see the young players on display in San Jose on Thursday night, it took less than four minutes for a couple rookies to impact the scoreboard. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, it was Macklin Celebrini setting up Will Smith for the game’s first goal. Making matters worse, it looked like the only Blackhawks’ line that got off the bus on time was Slaggert-Nazar-Foligno. At the end of 20 minutes, the Sharks had a two-goal lead and had out-shot the Blackhawks 10-6 (shot attempts were 25-14).

Following that lifeless first period, the Blackhawks sent their best line from the opening frame out to start the second. And they produced a goal just ten seconds into the period to cut the lead in half — and it came from one of the young Blackhawks. Two early power plays for the Sharks converted into a second goal from Collin Graf and the lead was back to two in the middle of the second. After a surprising fight, the Blackhawks immediately cut the lead back down to one.

The game remained at that score and the skating was pretty even. With 10:50 left in regulation, the officials hit Connor Bedard with a 10-minute misconduct penalty for “abuse of officials” — though nothing we saw indicated he did anything more than point out that he was clearly tripped and didn’t get a call (in the same game Celebrini got two calls). Before Bedard could get out of the box inside the final minute, Tyler Toffoli scored into the empty net.

Star 1: Frank Nazar​

He was the only guy in white who looked like he wanted to win this game for about 28 minutes. Nazar was flying all over the ice, taking shots and forcing turnovers with his speed on the forecheck.

#Blackhawks are on the board

Frank Nazar
Wyatt Kaiser, Nick Foligno

pic.twitter.com/pVEHAUDZxY

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 14, 2025

Star 2: Ilya Mikheyev​

MIkheyev’s speed continues to play and his offense has risen to the occasion. He scored his 12th even-strength goal since the start of December off a gorgeous pass from Ryan Donato.

#Blackhawks cut the lead to one (again)

Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen

pic.twitter.com/Qb8fJfdrWa

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 14, 2025

Star 3: Jason Dickinson​

Dickinson was called for cross-checking Celebrini in the second period and the Sharks didn’t like the play. When he came out for the faceoff of his next shift, apparently Barclay Goodrow asked him to dance. Dickinson not only accepted the invite, but wow did he handle his business! Dickinson won 5 of a team-high 9 faceoffs thru two periods and finished winning 7 of 12 draws in the game.

A long tilt by Jason Dickinson and Barclay Goodrow after Dickinson "hit" Macklin Celebrini earlier in the period. Dickinson wins this won pic.twitter.com/QcDZpUZBVR

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) March 14, 2025

Key Takeaways​

• Colton Dach had seven hits in 8:48 of ice time thru two periods.

• Bedard skated a team-high (at any position) 7:55 in the first period. He wasn’t able to generate a shot attempt in that time, however. The coaches finally woke up and put Bedard with Nazar and Dach about two-thirds of the way thru the second period — and they immediately had a really strong shift. They stayed together in the third until Bedard picked up the ghost penalty.

• Donato was credited with a team-high three shots on goal thru two periods. Nazar, Nick Foligno and Connor Murphy were credited with two each. His assist on the Mikheyev goal was an all-around great play.

• I thought Wyatt Kaiser had another really good night. He picked up an assist on Nazar’s goal and blocked a couple shots. When he’s skating with confidence he’s a different defender. He’s been doing a lot of that lately.

• They noted on the broadcast that four of the five youngest players in the NHL were skating in this game.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ckhawks-2-sharks-4-three-stars-key-takeaways/