RSS Blackhawks Team Notes

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks at Blue Jackets — Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

The Blackhawks won’t play another game, as a team, for 22 days. They won’t practice again until Feb. 18 — two weeks away. But they took a loss against these same Blue Jackets late last week, and are fighting to get into the wild card picture. This isn’t a “get away game” for the Blackhawks. They need to follow up a strong performance against the Sharks with another one tonight to close the books on the pre-Olympic schedule on a high note.

Broadcast Info​

Puck Drop: 6:00 PM CT
TV / Streaming: CHSN
Radio: WGN 720 AM

Expected Lineups​

Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Nazar — Connor Bedard — Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teräväinen — Oliver Moore — André Burakovsky
Ryan Donato — Jason Dickinson — Ilya Mikheyev
Colton Dach — Nick Foligno — Landon Slaggert

Alex Vlasic — Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser — Sam Rinzel
Matt Grzelcyk — Connor Murphy

Spencer Knight
Arvid Söderblom

Columbus Blue Jackets

Mason Marchment – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Sean Monahan – Kent Johnson
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Dmitri Voronkov – Isac Lundestrom – Miles Wood

Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – Denton Mateychuk
Egor Zamula – Erik Gudbranson

Jet Greaves
Elvis Merzlikins

Injury Report​

Chicago Blackhawks​

• Shea Weber (retired) and Ryan Ellis (also retired) are out long term.

Columbus Blue Jackets

• Dante Fabbro is banged up. Brendan Smith is on IR.

What to Watch For​

• Foligno returns for what he said will be a “special” night in Columbus, where he was a captain. Should give the Blackhawks some juice tonight.

• These two teams just played on Friday. So… they should know what to expect. What changes of the past four days to impact a new outcome?

• This is the final game before the Olympic break. We’ll see if anybody looks like they’re headed straight to the airport for somewhere warmer than Columbus (or Chicago) sooner than others.

• Finish strong — the Blackhawks have competed with really good teams over the past couple weeks. They haven’t finished some of those games with a win. This is a chance to go away for a couple weeks with some positive vibes and momentum.

Get Caught Up​

Greene, Lafferty and Levshunov are the Blackhawks’ scratches tonight in Columbus. Foligno is officially back in.

This could also be the last game of Bedard and Nazar together on the first line. Blashill said Bedard will be ready to take faceoffs after the break, and Nazar will…

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 4, 2026

André Burakovsky's game has really dropped off. Over the last 12 games, he has zero goals and one assist. At 5v5 with him on the ice in that span, the Blackhawks have been outscored 13-3 and have an expected goals percentage of 34.97, per Natural Stat Trick.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 3, 2026

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...jackets-lineups-broadcast-info-game-thread-3/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks 0, Blue Jackets 4 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

This game got off to another slow start, but Columbus got on the board first when Zach Werenski Plinko’d a pass off Louis Crevier and then off Alex Vlasic‘s skate and into the net less than five minutes in. Things got worse for the Blackhawks around seven minutes in when Wyatt Kaiser needed help off the ice after his knee/ankle bent a direction that doesn’t feel good. When 20 minutes were done, the Blackhawks were down one defenseman and two goals on the scoreboard.

The Blackhawks got the game’s first power play in the second period with Danton Heinen in the box. It was another flat effort on the “advantage,” and Heinen extended the lead himself once he got out of the box. Three goals from Columbus defensemen, this one after another bad turnover. And then Colton Dach disappeared from the Blackhawks’ bench after getting hit behind the Columbus net. Chicago actually had a much better second period than the score would indicate, and trailed by three after 40 minutes.

The third period was chippy and the Blackhawks had more chances early, but couldn’t buy a goal. Even with more chances in the final 40 minutes, a three-goal deficit was too much. When Columbus scored into an empty net with 4:27 left in regulation, you could see the frustration on the ice as Tyler Bertuzzi whacked the cage with his stick.

pic.twitter.com/PZmil0048T

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) February 5, 2026

Star 1: Connor Bedard​

Thru two periods, Bedard had five of the Blackhawks’ 34 shot attempts in 15:33 on the ice. When Dach left the bench, he saw more shifts and was the most active skater for Chicago. He finished the night with seven shot attempts and over 22 minutes of ice time.

Moore feeds Bedard for a one-timer pic.twitter.com/1GkHY2iQyj

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) February 5, 2026

Star 2: Frank Nazar​

Thru two periods, Nazar had three of the Blackhawks’ 16 scoring chances in 12:10 on the ice. He was credited with a team-leading three shots on net and had two of Chicago’s six high danger chances. Nazar was credited with a team-high four shots on net and won five of ten faceoffs.

Star 3: Next Week’s Caddies​

The Blackhawks played like a team that was headed to the golf courses early and it cost them. Hopefully there are as many minuses on their scorecards as there were in tonight’s box score.

Key Takeaways​

• Sam Rinzel skated a heavy workload (team-high 25:42) and was better again tonight. He put three shots on net and was credited with three blocked shots and two hits. He looked like the guy that excited us at the end of last season, which bodes well for the home stretch after the Olympic break.

• With Kaiser out for most of the first period, Matt Grzelcyk skated 7:47 of the opening 20 minutes.

• The Blackhawks announced Kaiser was ruled out before the start of the second period.

• After getting out-shot 8-5 in the first period, the Blackhawks flipped the script and out-shot the Blue Jackets 9-5 in the second. It wasn’t until their third power play of the period that Chicago generated a few good looks, but the third was okay at least.

• The Blackhawks had a 22-13 shot attempt advantage and 5-1 high danger chance advantage in the second period but couldn’t put the puck in the net.

• Dach skated one shift in the second period; he did not return for the third.

• The Blackhawks killed the Blue Jackets’ only power play. So we’ve got that going for us…

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...s-0-blue-jackets-4-three-stars-key-takeaways/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Let’s Talk About Ryan Greene Being a Healthy Scratch By the Blackhawks on Wednesday

There was some conversation on social media before, during and after the Blackhawks’ ugly loss in Columbus because Ryan Greene was a healthy scratch.

Part of the conversation online about the Greene move was a lot of people (rightfully) believing André Burakovsky has earned a night off. He has indeed been struggling lately, no doubt. And Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill admitted Burakovsky’s last ten games have left a lot to be desired.

Blashill admitted Burakovsky has struggled over the last 10 games but said he was the Blackhawks’ best player during the 10 games before that.

“He's got another level that he's gonna get to. He'll get back there.” https://t.co/lmhX7UFaGg

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 4, 2026

But let’s take a step back and, once again, recognize the point of the 2025-26 season for the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s about development. Burakovsky is a veteran who’s here to help the Hawks get to the salary floor. In a perfect world, he plays well enough to have some amount of trade value before the 2027 trade deadline.

Here’s the explanation given by Blashill for the decision to scratch Greene in the last game before the break:

“Greene has played good hockey for us, and he’s going to play good hockey again for us. He’s a good player. There are a couple of things we want him to correct. It gives him a chance to have urgency and make sure he’s making the corrections he needs to. He’ll get back out there when the break is over.”

Greene has emerged as an important piece of the Blackhawks’ immediate future. His versatility has been valuable for the Blackhawks; he’s played the wing on the top line and been an effective shut-down center who wins faceoffs as well. Like Artyom Levshunov, Greene taking a small step back to correct a few things serves the greater good long-term for the organization.

Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images

Greene’s Impact​

Blashill has been very complimentary of Greene’s game throughout this season. If you recall, there was a school of thought that Greene would start this season in Rockford like Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert did after their brief NHL introductions after signing their entry-level deals the year before. But a couple preseason injuries (and illness in between) suffered by Slaggert opened the door, and Greene has refused to give his spot in the lineup back since the start of the regular season.

According to MoneyPuck, the only Blackhawks forwards who have started a higher percentage of their shifts in the defensive zone than Greene (17.5) are Jason Dickinson (24) and Ilya Mikheyev (20.6). Only Dickinson (307) has taken more defensive zone faceoffs this season than Greene (292). And Greene has won 46.2 percent of those faceoffs — a good number for a first-year pro.

Greene has been a huge part of the Blackhawks’ penalty kill this season, which ranks No. 1 in the NHL (85.7 percent). The only Blackhawks forwards who have spent more gross ice time killing penalties than Greene are Mikheyev and Teuvo Teräväinen.

Entering the Olympic break, Greene has taken the same number of short-handed faceoffs (113) as Dickinson; they’re tied for the team lead and no other Blackhawk has taken more than 40 (Nick Foligno) short-handed faceoffs thus far. To that end, Greene has won 45.1 percent of his short-handed draws — better than Dickinson (40.7).

At some point the Blackhawks are going to move on from Dickinson, whose contract is up at the end of this season. Before this season began, we had some honest conversations about the Blackhawks’ organizational center depth and if it made sense to keep Dickinson around maybe for another year or two until guys like Greene, Sacha Boisvert, AJ Spellacy and others might show they’re ready to play down the middle in the NHL.

Now, given the way Greene has played thus far in his first professional season, it certainly appears the Blackhawks have an in-house replacement for Dickinson ready to roll whenever he leaves the organization.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2026/02/05/ryan-greene-healthy-scratch-blackhawks/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks College Prospects: Nestrašil’s Status? Gajan to Milan, Ranked Action

The Blackhawks won’t take the NHL ice again for four weeks, so we’ll have plenty of time to focus on prospects in the coming days. This weekend, college hockey continues to crank up the tempo as we get closer to conference tournaments and start talking about seeding for the road to the Frozen Four.

One prospect I’m interested to see if/how he’s available this weekend is Václav Nestrašil. He left UMass’ game on Sunday because of an upper-body injury (see below) and did not return to that game. Hopefully he’s okay and good to go for this weekend.

#Blackhawks prospect, Václav Nestrašil (#11) suffered an injury on this play on Sunday. He didn't return to the game. pic.twitter.com/KlL1V4nrzB

— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) February 3, 2026

Friday, Feb. 6​

No. 7 Providence at New Hampshire — 6 PM CT
No. 18 Maine Boston University — 6 PM
No. 19 UMass at UMass-Lowell — 6:15 PM
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth — 7:07 PM

Saturday, Feb. 7​

Vermont at No. 7 Providence — 6 PM
UMass-Lowell at No. 19 UMass — 6 PM
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth — 6:07 PM

Monday, Feb. 9​

Boston University vs No. 13 Boston College — 6:30 PM
Beanpot at TD Garden

Blackhawks College Prospects​

• Václav Nestrašil, F, UMass — 26 games, 11 goals, 12 assists, 69 shots on goal, 11 blocked shots
• Sacha Boisvert, C, Boston U. — 18 games, 3 goal, 11 assists, 37 shots on goal, 9 blocked shots
• John Mustard, F, Providence — 25 games, 10 goals, 9 assists, 94 shots on goal, 9 blocked shots
• Julius Sumpf, C, Providence — 25 games, 3 goal, 13 assists, 59 shots on goal, 17 blocked shots
• Adam Gajan, G, Minnesota-Duluth — 26 games, 15-11-0, .905 save pct, 2.29 GAA, 2 shutouts

Note: Gajan is headed to the Olympics.

Also Read​

Top NHL Draft Prospect Gavin McKenna Facing Felony Assault Charge (Report)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...strasils-status-gajan-to-milan-ranked-action/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Apparently the Blackhawks’ First-Round Pick From Florida is Top-10 Protected This Year

For a Friday morning to start the NHL’s Olympic break, it’s been an… interesting morning. And it all started when Frank Seravalli seemingly innocently tweeted the top of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery odds.

#NHLDraft Lottery odds, at the Olympic break:

1. #Canucks – 25.1% at No. 1 overall
2. #stlblues – 13.6%
3. #NYR – 11.6%
4. #Flames – 9.5%
5. #GoJetsGo – 8.5%
6. #Blackhawks – 7.5%
7. #njdevils – 6.5%
8. #Smashville – 6.0%
9. #TheFutureIsTeal – 5%
10. #TimeToHunt (T10 protected)…

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 6, 2026

Huh? What’s that part at No. 10 where it says the Florida Panthers’ pick is top-10 protected?

Previously, nobody anywhere — including Seravalli — had reported anything more than one protection on the pick: as long as Florida owned their first-round pick in 2026 when the 2025 NHL Draft officially began, it went to Chicago. Now, Seravalli is seemingly “breaking” news about a trade that happened 11 months ago.

The Blackhawks have confirmed to me that he is indeed correct. The first-round pick the Panthers traded to the Blackhawks (with Spencer Knight) for Seth Jones does indeed carry top-10 protection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Back on Dec. 2, when the Blackhawks were playing in Vegas, there was a mention of the pick the Blackhawks will receive from Florida to complete the Jones trade being top-10 protected, but it kinda slid under the rug at that point. I tweeted something about it and there was nothing anywhere online that confirmed the protection.

But today’s now-confirmed reported from Seravalli has led to PuckPedia and other outlets updating their trade detail pages to reflect this information.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...k-from-florida-is-top-10-protected-this-year/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Rinzel to Rockford, Donato Good, Burakovsky Not, Jarvis Replaces Point, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Happy Friday, Blackhawks fans. Our first weekend without NHL hockey gives us a couple days to relax a bit before the Olympic tournament begins in Milan. Without a lot going on other than Blackhawks players traveling to wherever they’re spending time over the two weeks before they get back on the ice in Chicago, I thought I’d drop a couple notes on guys playing well/struggling and provide a schedule of games involving Blackhawks prospects if you need hockey in your life.

• The Blackhawks predictably assigned Sam Rinzel back to Rockford on Friday morning.

• Heading into the break, Ryan Donato’s been hot. In the last 14 games — during which he has three goals and four assists — Donato has the highest on-ice goals-for percentage for the Blackhawks at five-on-five (8 goals for, 5 against). Donato scored 31 goals last year, blowing away his previous career bests in almost every category. While he might not reach that mark again, he’s shown that he can be a strong scoring option for the Blackhawks — and has the versatility to play a number of roles.

• On the other end of the spectrum, the Blackhawks’ leading goal scorer has been quiet recently. Tyler Bertuzzi heads into the break with 25 goals in 54 games, on pace for his best season in the NHL. But he’s scored only once in his last 11 games.

• André Burakovsky got off to a good start this season, but the last two months have been tough. Since Dec. 1, Burakovsky has scored three goals and is minus-27 in 31 appearances. Since Dec. 1, Burakovsky ranks 13th on the Blackhawks in individual expected goals per 60 minutes (0.48) — behind a list that includes Dominic Toninato and Sam Lafferty (per Natural Stat Trick). More troubling: since Dec. 1, Burakovsky ranks 20th on the Blackhawks in shot attempts per 60 minutes. Connor Murphy rans 19th.

• Ben Pope dropped a brief notebook with some odds and ends that includes this quote from Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno about his approach to this year’s trade deadline:

“I haven’t even had a conversation with Kyle yet, but I don’t really want to, either. I do and I don’t. I kind of want to know that we’re going to stick with it and go for it.”

• In the OHL last night, AJ Spellacy scored his 11th goal of the season for Windsor. The Spitfires lost 5-4 in a shootout.

• It turns out Brayden Point will not be able to represent Canada in the Olympics. But… it won’t be Connor Bedard replacing him. Seth Jarvis was named a late replacement for Point on Thursday.

ROSTER UPDATE | Seth Jarvis has been added to 's Men's Olympic Team, replacing Brayden Point.

MISE À JOUR | Seth Jarvis s’ajoute à la formation de l’équipe olympique masculine du en remplacement de Brayden Point.#MilanoCortina2026 | @hockeymanitoba pic.twitter.com/2MWLrdviau

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) February 5, 2026

Blackhawks Prospect Watch​

Since we’ve got a few weeks without NHL games, I’m going to include a new section in our bullets until the NHL gets back on the ice. Here’s when Blackhawks prospects are playing tonight:

• AHL
  Iowa Wild at Rockford IceHogs — 7 PM CT

• NCAA
  No. 7 Providence at New Hampshire — 6 PM
  No. 18 Maine Boston University — 6 PM
  No. 19 UMass at UMass-Lowell — 6:15 PM
  No. 3 North Dakota at No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth — 7:07 PM

• OHL
  Guelph at Kitchener — 6 PM
  Windsor at Sudbury — 7:05 PM

• WHL
  Kamloops at Everett — 9:05 PM

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

Of Course Caleb Williams and DJ Moore Had the NFL’s Moment of the Year!https://t.co/DGlyRHytig

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 6, 2026

Javier Báez Was Suspended from the World Baseball Classic … Because of Weedhttps://t.co/a5eXjD0PIs

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 6, 2026

2026 NBA Draft: The Bulls Can’t Stop Trading for Seconds! So Who Should they Be Looking At?https://t.co/YxIej8ANLC

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 6, 2026

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-replaces-point-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Draft Pick Drama, McKenna Charges Dropped, Prospect Highlights, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Because it’s apparently all anyone could talk about on hockey social media — some with less maturity than others — we’ll just go ahead and start our Saturday with a couple more thoughts on the “news” that dropped Friday that the pick the Blackhawks will receive from the Florida Panthers as part of the Seth Jones trade carries top-ten protection.

Why wasn’t this a headline-grabbing nugget when the deal took place? For all of the same reason nobody’s losing sleep over the top-ten protection the Avs put on their 2026 first-round pick that’s now owned by the New York Islanders. When the deal took place, zero people on the planet thought the Panthers would have a top-ten pick. When the trade happened, the Cats were defending their championship — and they won a second straight. We didn’t anticipate the long list of significant injuries that would hit the Florida lineup this season sinking them to a spot where this is now an actual conversation.

If the Panthers somehow end up with a pick in the top ten overall in 2026, the Blackhawks would then get Florida’s unprotected first-round pick in 2027. Which would then push the first-round pick the Panthers traded to Boston for Brad Marchand back to 2028.

Does this somehow make the Jones trade bad? It shouldn’t to rational people. The Blackhawks got a young No. 1 goalie and a first-round pick for a guy who didn’t want to be in Chicago — and had control of the situation thanks to his contract carrying The Bowman Special (a no-move clause). The Blackhawks still did incredibly well in the trade. And, frankly, I still expect the Panthers’ pick to be outside the top ten overall when the dust settles in June.

• Earlier this morning I dropped a full two-round 2026 NHL Mock Draft to start your weekend and Olympic break. I noted that local authorities were dropping the felony charges against Gavin McKenna. I didn’t think there would be a huge influence on his draft stock — certainly not much more than his less-than-expected production in the Big Ten has already had.

BREAKING UPDATE | Prosecutors in Centre County say they will be withdrawing the felony aggravated assault charge against Penn State's star hockey player Gavin McKenna.https://t.co/ana1PIzTcb pic.twitter.com/wZYORkx7Rp

— 6 News (@WJACTV) February 6, 2026

• Scott Powers at The Athletic wrote about some draft thoughts and scenarios after the “news” of the Panthers’ pick dropped. Interestingly, he says the Blackhawks weren’t likely to pick McKenna before he dealt with the local police last weekend. I’ve heard the same.

The Florida Panthers' first-round pick is top-10 protected, as @frank_seravalli reported.

So what happens if the Panthers do pick that early? That and more about the Blackhawks' 2026 draft possibilities https://t.co/N224JzBCv9

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 6, 2026

• Some good thoughts here from Matt Grzelcyk on the youngsters on the Blackhawks’ blue line from Ben Pope.

When Matt Grzelcyk thinks back to his Bruins rookie year, he realizes: "I probably still didn’t really know how to take care of my body yet. I thought I did."

He also realizes his young Blackhawks teammates are in the same boat now.

New story: https://t.co/7VwsLruq9k

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 6, 2026

• Julius Sumpf had one assist as Providence beat New Hampshire 6-1.

• Václav Nestrašil did not play for UMass last night. He’s still dealing with an upper-body injury suffered last weekend.

• In the WHL, Kamloops lost 6-3 but Nathan Behm scored his 29th goal of the year.

Friday night from #Blackhawks prospect Nathan Behm for @blazerhockey

pic.twitter.com/JWkxbZUadT

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 7, 2026

• In the OHL last night, AJ Spellacy had one assist and won 8 of 12 faceoffs as Windsor beat Sudbury 5-2.

• Jack Pridham scored the first goal of the night and later added an assist for another multi-point game as Kitchener rolled to a 6-2 win. Pridham’s 65 points now lead the Rangers and are third in the OHL.

Friday night from #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham for @OHLRangers

pic.twitter.com/4h8Ib0Acpm

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 7, 2026

Blackhawks Prospect Watch​

• AHL
  Rockford IceHogs at Milwaukee — 6 PM CT

• NCAA
  Vermont at No. 7 Providence — 6 PM
  UMass-Lowell at No. 19 UMass — 6 PM

• OHL
  Brantford at Ottawa — 2 PM
  Kitchener at Niagara — 7 PM

• WHL
  Kamloops at Vancouver — 9 PM

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

• Grading the 2026 Arturas Karnisovas Trade Deadline Experience

• How about some love for Bears rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo?

• The Cubs defense once again projects to be outstanding

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

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2026 NHL Mock Draft: Full Two-Round Olympics Edition

The NHL has reached its dead period, taking most of the month of February off so players can represent their countries in the Winter Olympics. So what better time to take a step back and run a fresh 2026 NHL Mock Draft?

Only this time, let’s project two full rounds!

As a reminder, there are only 31 picks in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Ottawa forfeited their first-round pick because of the Evgenii Dadonov trade.

Note: In light of news on Friday that the Florida Panthers’ first-round pick the Blackhawks acquired in the Seth Jones trade is top-ten protected, I am going to leave it in the Blackhawks’ possession for this mock draft even though the Panthers are tenth in the draft order. Florida is only .010 from being in 12th in the order and have more regulation wins (23) than the Kings (14) and Flyers (18) as of Feb. 5.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

2026 NHL Mock Draft — First Round​

1. Vancouver Canucks — Ivar Stenberg, RW, Frölunda (SHL)​

Stenberg’s stock is up after a stellar performance at the World Junior Championship. He’s been in the conversation for the top overall pick for a while now and he certainly looks the part of a franchise pillar based on this performance against international talent.

2. St. Louis Blues — Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)​

Verhoeff didn’t play as big of a role as some hoped/expected at the World Juniors, but he performed okay. What he’s going in the NCAA ranks is the basis for him being in the mix to be the top overall pick. He’s a big (6-4, 212) right-handed defenseman who the Blues could build their blue line around for the future.

3. New York Rangers — Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)​

On Friday, local prosecutors withdrew the felony aggravated assault charge against McKenna from his fight last weekend. Unless he somehow ended up spending time in jail, I don’t think this was going to hurt his draft stock more than the questions about his play as a freshman in the Big Ten. McKenna has been better since the World Juniors. The talent is there. Is he a lock to go No. 1? I don’t think so. But does he fall out of the top five? I can’t imagine that many GMs pass on him.

4. Winnipeg Jets — Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)​

Malhotra might be the one guy who could make McKenna the third forward selected in June. The son of a long-time NHL player, he checks most of the boxes for a future captain for a franchise. He’s going to make a GM somewhere look incredibly smart. Winnipeg needs to get younger soon. Malhotra might be in line to be their next captain.

5. Calgary Flames — Chase Reid, RHD, Soo (OHL)​

Reid’s stock has seen a meteoric rise over the past year; he was passed over by USA Hockey for the U18 roster, and now he’s making a case to be one of the top defensemen taken in the 2026 NHL Draft. His performance at the World Juniors should help his stock rise even further. The Flames moved Rasmus Andersson already, and could use their next right-handed defenseman to build their blue line around.

6. Chicago Blackhawks — Tynan Lawrence, C, Muskegon (USHL)​

If the top five of our mock draft proves to be how the top of the 2026 NHL Draft plays out, the Blackhawks could be the most fascinating team in the draft. Lawrence is a really good prospect who I’m comfortable is good value for Chicago in this spot, even if his numbers since making the mid-season jump to Boston University have been underwhelming. But the intrigue comes with the next line of defensemen on the board, and what some of the offers might be to trade up to get one of them.

7. New Jersey Devils — Alberts Šmits, LHD, Jukurit (Liiga)​

Šmits is a big-time helium prospect in the draft class right now. He’s got the size (6-3, 205) that scouts love and has been producing better than many anticipated. He was very good at the World Juniors as well. The Latvian defenseman, who will play for his country at the Olympics, could be the second player playing overseas to come off the board.

8. Nashville Predators — Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)​

Nashville should have a new general manager by the time the draft arrives, so who knows what they’ll be doing?!? Carels was the hot name heading into the World Juniors after standing out in the first game of the CHL USA Prospect Challenge. He has ideal size (6-2, 194) and is averaging better than a point-per-game with Prince Albert to start the season. The defense group in this draft is really good and we will likely see a run on the blue line in the top ten picks.

9. San Jose Sharks — Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)​

The Sharks have a lot of good, young forwards on their current NHL roster. They also love the potential of Sam Dickinson on their back end. If Rudolph (6-1, 194) and Dickinson (6-3, 200) becomes a pair San Jose can run with for big minutes in the future, that’s a foundation to building a solid blue line.

10. Chicago Blackhawks (from FLA) — Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)​

The Blackhawks already have a strong collection of prospects coming. What they don’t have a lot of is size that could impact their top six forward mix. The Hawks have seen plenty of Belchetz this season; he’s a teammate of Chicago prospect AJ Spellacy with Windsor. Belchetz is a legit power forward with size (6-5, 227) who can score.

And, frankly, if the Panthers make this pick I think it’s still Belchetz.

11. Los Angeles Kings — Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)​

Suvanto had a terrific World Juniors, and that performance could see him moving up the board. He’s got great size already (6-3, 209), is young (September 2008 birthday) and is a left-handed shot at center. The Kings just landed Artemi Panarin for the next two seasons and have plenty of veteran wingers. But they already traded Phillip Danault this season and Anže Kopitar is retiring. They need centers. This is the right value and makes sense based on organizational need.

12. Philadephia Flyers — Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)​

This is pretty much the best player available and a need for the Flyers. When they basically gave Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for Jamie Drysdale, they brought back an injury-prone defensemen who was overdrafted. That’s been a bust for them. Which means they need a top-pair right-handed defensemen. Lin’s a puck mover who could be that guy for them for a long time.

13. Washington Capitals — Viggo Björck, C, Djurgårdens (SHL)​

Björck is a polarizing prospect because of his size. The skill and talent are there to make him dangerous, but he’s a haircut under 5-10 and listed at only 172 pounds, which has some scouts questioning about his projection to the next levels in North America. His performance at the World Juniors likely elevates him back into talk about being a top-ten pick.

14. San Jose Sharks (from EDM) — Juho Piiparinen, RHD, Tappara (Liiga)​

Yeah, I’ve got the Sharks taking two right-handed defensemen. At this point, that’s their biggest need as an organization. But it also happens to work out that there’s an argument for the defensemen I have them selecting in this mock draft being the best player available as well. Piiparinen (6-3, 205) brings more size to the Sharks’ back end.

15. Boston Bruins (from TOR) — Ilya Morozov, C, Miami (OH) University (NCAA)​

The Bruins could use center depth. Right now, Morozov is one of the most fascinating prospects in this class. He wasn’t rated highly going into the season, but he’s been really good in all situations at the college level as a pre-draft teenager with really good size (6-3, 205). Feels like a good fit for the Bruins’ first of two picks in the first round of our mock draft.

16. Utah Mammoth — Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 U18 (U18 Region)​

Gustafsson has good size (6-4, 198) and is an August 2008 birthday. The Mammoth have a really nice collection of young forwards already, but depth on the blue line has been a struggle for them over the past two years. Gustafsson probably doesn’t impact their NHL defense group immediately, but there’s a lot to like in a guy with his size.

17. Seattle Kraken — Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough (OHL)​

Novotný left Kobylice, Czechia to play in the OHL this season to help improve his draft stock. He’s doing that quite well, averaging better than a point per game with Peterborough. He was very good at the World Juniors as well, and his stock is likely up after that performance. Novotný was also part of the CHL squad in the CHL USA Prospect Challenge games.

18. Anaheim Ducks — Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)​

Hemming (6-4, 198) is a name to circle for the 2026 NHL Draft. All sorts of off-ice issues meant he didn’t have a hockey home until the middle of the season, when he was finally cleared to join Boston College. Since jumping onto the college ice, he’s shown flashes of being a potentially elite power forward. I could see Hemming going anywhere between the 9-12 range and the early 20s, depending on how the rest of his season plays out.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets — Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)​

There are two blue line prospects in this draft who will be fascinating to track in the coming months: Lin and Villeneuve. Both have the skill and production to warrant a high pick, but they’re both under six-feet tall. And, in the case of Villeneuve, being listed under 160 pounds also doesn’t help. But he’s been compared to Lane Hutson and plays a feisty game.

20. New York Islanders — JP Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops (WHL)​

The Islanders picked first overall last year and went defense — to great success. They’re now in a playoff race, which means their pick is sliding down the first round. Hurlbert is putting up enormous numbers in the WHL. There are some questions about his skating and size, which could cost him a few spots in the draft. But the Isles could use a scorer, and Hurlbert is certainly that.

21. Calgary Flames (from VGK) — Elton Hermansson, W, MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)​

Hermansson was dominant at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored six goals with five assists in six games for Sweden. This would be a nice offensive addition to the Flames’ pipeline up front after they went defense at the top of our mock draft.

22. Boston Bruins — Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)​

Shilov left Russia before the 2024-25 season and has been really good in his stops on North America thus far. He’s committed to Boston University for next season. There’s decent size (6-1, 181) and great production here for the Bruins to consider adding to their system. Boston went with a big center earlier in our mock draft.

23. Buffalo Sabres — Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw (OHL)​

Klepov, a late-June birthday, got off to a great start in the OHL this season, passing all of his 59-game numbers in 24 appearances to start this year. Klepov is committed to Michigan State for the 2026-27 season.

24. Detroit Red Wings — Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgårdens (SHL)​

I have seen some analysts who question if Nordmark has the motor to be a first-round pick. I’ve seen others still ranking him in the early- to mid-teens. The talent is there without question. And a general manager somewhere is going to see this being too rich to pass on at this point in the draft. Detroit’s deep enough right now that they can take a swing here inour mock draft.

25. Pittsburgh Penguins — Wyatt Cullen, RW, USNTDP​

Yes, the son of long-time NHLer Matt Cullen. Wyatt is committed to play at Minnesota next year and he’s got a lot of helium in his draft stock right now. He’s a new name in the first round of our mock drafts thus far this season. The Penguins etched Matt’s name on the Stanley Cup twice, and could get a sneaky really good player here in the later stages of the first round.

26. Montreal Canadiens — William Håkansson, LHD, Luleå (SHL)​

Håkansson is an older prospect (October 2007 birthday) but has good size (6-4, 207) on the back end. The Habs picking this late means they’ve done well this year. Adding a big body on the back end could serve them will in the Eastern Conference into the future.

27. Vancouver Canucks (from MIN) — Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara (OHL)​

Scouts don’t agree much on Roobroeck. He’s been ranked anywhere between No. 4 and 27 overall recently, which is interesting. One thing the scouts can agree on: he’s a massive center (6-4, 216). And those tend to trend favorably around draft time. A worthy gamble for the surprising Canucks with their second pick in our mock draft.

28. Carolina Hurricanes (from DAL) — Alexander Command, C, Örebro U20 (U20 Nationell)​

The Hurricanes traded their first-round pick, but got one back from Dallas in the Mikko Rantanen trade. In this mock draft, those transactions move their pick up one slot in the first round. Command is an intriguing center who plays the game the way the Canes like it. He had decent size (6-1, 185) down the middle as well.

29. New York Rangers (from CAR) — Mathis Preston, RW, Spokane (WHL)​

Preston’s a tough prospect to slot in a mock draft because scouts seem to be torn on his ceiling. His stock seems to be sliding a bit, but not out of the first round. If he was bigger (5-11, 168), he might be a top-15 pick with more certainty. The Rangers are rebuilding now, officially, so they might have more than just the two picks in the first round of this mock draft when the real event takes place in June.

30. Seattle Kraken (from TBD) — Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec Remparts (QMJHL)​

Another new name in the first round of our mock draft, Dagenais is a big center (6-4, 196) whose stock has been rising lately. The Kraken went with a skilled winger earlier in the first round of this mock draft, so size at center makes sense here. A combination of Novotný and Dagenais makes this a big win for Seattle as they try to finally start taking big steps forward as an organization.

31. New York Islanders (from COL) — Adam Goljer, RHD, HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)​

How about a big (6-3, 194) right-handed defenseman to potentially pair with Matthew Schaefer? Once you get to this stage of the draft, teams feel a little more comfortable taking lottery tickets that fit a team need. Goljer has good size, fills a need for the Islanders in the coming years and has the upside to make this worth a shot with their second pick in the first round.

2026 NHL Mock Draft — Second Round​

32. Vancouver Canucks — Giorgos Pantelas, RHD
33. Columbus Blue Jackets (from STL) — Liam Ruck, RW
34. Utah Mammoth (from NYR) — Alessandro Di Iorio, C
35. Pittsburgh Penguins (from WPG) — Brooks Rogowski, C
36. Calgary Flames — Tomas Chrenko, C
37. Chicago Blackhawks — Nikita Shcherbakov, LHD
38. New Jersey Devils — Simas Ignatavicius, C
39. Nashville Predators — Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW
40. Vancouver Canucks (from SJ) — Jaxon Cover, LW
41. Florida Panthers — Tobias Trejbal, G
42. Los Angeles Kings — Jakub Vaněček, LHD
43. Philadelphia Flyers — Jack Hextall, C
44. Florida Panthers (from WSH) — Ryder Cali, C
45. Edmonton Oilers — Axel Elofsson, RHD
46. Utah Mammoth (from OTT) — Casey Mutryn, C
47. Chicago Blackhawks (from TOR) — Landon Amrhein, RW
48. Utah Mammoth — Vladimir Dravecky, RHD
49. Seattle Kraken — Gleb Pugachyov, LW
50. Anaheim Ducks — Pierce Mbuyi, LW
51. Los Angeles Kings (from CBJ) — Beckham Edwards, C
52. Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI) — Adam Valentini, C
53. Vegas Golden Knights — Charlie Morrison, LHD
54. Boston Bruins — Ben MacBeath, LHD
55. Ottawa Senators (from BUF) — Lars Steiner, C
56. Detroit Red Wings — Victor Plante, LW
57. Pittsburgh Penguins — Yaroslav Fedoseyev, RHD
58. Montreal Canadiens — Chase Harrington, LW
59. Nashville Predators (from MIN) — Braidy Wassilyn, LW
60. Dallas Stars — Luke Schairer, RHD
61. New York Rangers (from CAR) — Oscar Holmertz, C
62. Tampa Bay Lightning — Vilho Vanhalto, RW
63. San Jose Sharks (from COL) — Tomas Galvas, LHD

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...l-mock-draft-full-two-round-olympics-edition/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

A Russian Roster, Plenty of Prospect Highlights, CAA Done in Nashville, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

We’re still waiting for the men’s hockey schedule at the Olympic Games to begin, so we’ll have to settle for watching the Super Bowl this evening. But let’s start our Sunday with a fun read from The Athletic in which they put together a hypothetical roster for a Russian team in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Obviously Russia is still banned, so we don’t have an actual roster to discuss. But they didn’t just grab the best names in their own minds. They asked a legit Russian icon — Igor Larionov — to make his Russian roster. And it includes some high praise for current Blackhawk forward Ilya Mikheyev, who Larionov has on his Russian roster:

“He’s a PK guy, he’s got work ethic, I have a lot of respect for guys with that work ethic and determination,’’ Larionov said. “He’s paid his dues. He would be a reliable guy on any line.’’

With ⁦@domluszczyszyn⁩ for ⁦@TheAthletic⁩, what would a Russia men’s hockey team look like had they been in Milan? We asked HHOFer Igor Larionov to pick what that roster could have looked like https://t.co/OBDyXvX7uW

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 7, 2026

• While I love the way they put this roster together, I do wonder if a player who isn’t currently in the NHL — specifically Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov — would have a shot at making this roster. One has to think his numbers in the KHL would make him a consideration.

• A request as we dig deeper into mock draft and prospect evaluation season: don’t base your entire opinion of a player on what stats you can see on HockeyDB. Goal and assist totals don’t tell you everything about a player. And yet, that’s what some fans are going to exclusively base their opinions on.

• In the WHL last night, Nathan Behm scored this goal and added an assist in a 5-0 win for Kamloops. He wakes up on Sunday morning with 73 points, which ranks third in the league. This is Behm’s 30th goal of the year.

Saturday night from #Blackhawks prospect Bathan Behm for @blazerhockey

pic.twitter.com/7utrfX88GJ

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2026

• In the college ranks, John Mustard scored his 11th goal of the year for Providence last night.

Saturday night from #Blackhawks prospect John Mustard for @FriarsHockey

pic.twitter.com/77tnYukfE2

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2026

• Guess who remains the hottest of all Blackhawks prospects? Yup, Kitchener forward Jack Pridham. He scored twice on the power play last night. Pridham wakes up on Sunday morning tied for second in the OHL with 67 points, alone in second in goals with 34 — now only one behind fellow Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker — and his 12 power play goals are tied for second with two skaters (including Vanacker). Here are his two goals from Saturday night.

Saturday night power play No. 1 from #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham for @OHLRangers

pic.twitter.com/BCVvKxCg0R

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2026

Saturday night power play No. 2 from #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham for @OHLRangers

pic.twitter.com/sdYSsnnU5o

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2026

• The IceHogs picked up a strong 3-1 win in Milwaukee that saw 136 penalty minutes handed out to the two teams! Here’s Rockford’s third goal: Sam Rinzel to Kevin Korchinski to Nick Lardis to the back of the net.

Saturday night from #Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis for @goicehogs

pic.twitter.com/MgBPQodOY6

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 8, 2026

• Not surprisingly, CAA has backed out of their brief relationship with the Nashville Predators. They won’t be working with them in their search for a new general manager any longer. The conflict of interest was undeniable as a significant player rep agency.

Blackhawks Prospect Watch​

• The Rockford IceHogs and the AHL are off this entire week for the All-Star break. The IceHogs are back on the ice next Saturday when they host Milwaukee. The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic is in Rockford, however.

• OHL
  Brantford at Kingston — 1:05 PM
  Windsor at Sault Ste. Marie — 1:07 PM

• Good read here on Blackhawks prospect Adam Gajan representing his country in the Olympics. The Games begin for the men this week.

UMD's Adam Gajan Chases Olympic Dream … Only Current NCAA Player on a Roster This Time – https://t.co/Yrtvg4SRx8 @UMDMensHockey pic.twitter.com/K4H3O57nKZ

— College Hockey News (@chnews) February 7, 2026

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

• The Bears are promoting Press Taylor to Offensive Coordinator

• Mac McClung is joining Matas Buzelis at All-Star Weekend — but neither is in the Dunk Contest

• Is Austin Booker ready to take on more meaningful snaps in 2026?

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ne-in-nashville-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2026 NHL Draft: Every Team’s Lottery Odds at the Olympic Break

It’s a good time to hit the reset button now that we’ve got a few weeks off from NHL games. And one of the subjects we’ll undoubtedly talk about a lot this month is the 2026 NHL Draft.

I dropped an updated, full two-round 2026 NHL Mock Draft on Saturday morning.

In that look ahead to the 2026 NHL Draft, I left the tenth overall pick in the possession of the Chicago Blackhawks. Why did I not give it back to the Florida Panthers (since it has top-ten protection)? Because the Panthers would a) need to finish in the top ten, and/or b) have the draft lottery influence their pick being inside (or outside) the top ten.

As you can see from the table below, the likelihood that a team from No. 11 down moves up into the top ten is incredibly small — even if the New York Islanders pulled off the stunning win in the draft lottery last year.

Here are the current odds of the eligible teams selecting at each slot in the top half of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Source: Tankathon

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...very-teams-lottery-odds-at-the-olympic-break/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2026 Winter Olympics Preview: Early Lineups, Schedules, Early Thoughts

The men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics gets going on Thursday, which is exciting. Players have moved into their rooms and there have been some practices, which give us an early look at how the coaches might line things up when the pucks drop to start things for real.

Let’s get into it with some of those early lineups and schedules for teams we’re going to be watching in the coming weeks. The Olympics are exciting — if they come anywhere close to the 4 Nations Face-Off, this should be one helluva dance.

I’m going to limit my previews to the three countries Blackhawks fans are most likely watching: the United States, Canada and Finland (because of Teuvo Teräväinen). As a reminder, Blackhawks prospect Adam Gajan is on the roster and will serve as a backup netminder for Team Slovakia.

Teams can dress 13 forwards and 7 defensemen in the Olympics.

Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Team USA​

Here are the USA lines from practice as reported by Kyle Bukauskas on Monday morning (our time):

Brady Tkachuk — Jack Eichel — Matthew Tkachuk
Jake Guentzel — Auston Matthews — Matt Boldy
Kyle Connor — Dylan Larkin — Tage Thompson
JT Miller — Brock Nelson — Jack Hughes
Vinnie Trocheck — Clayton Keller

Quinn Hughes — Charlie McAvoy
Jaccob Slavin — Brock Faber
Jake Sanderson — Zach Werenski
Jackson Lacombe — Noah Hanifin

Connor Hellebuyck

So, the US is going big on their top line. There’s speed and scoring everywhere; Jack Hughes as a fourth-line player speaks to the depth the Americans have in the tournament. We’ll see if these are the lines that roll out in the first game for the US.

The Americans’ blue line is good, top to bottom. And the goaltending is their biggest advantage over other teams in the tournament — especially Canada.

USA Schedule​

• Thursday, Feb. 12 — vs Latvia — 2:10 PM CT
• Saturday, Feb. 14 — vs. Denmark — 2:10 PM
• Sunday, Feb. 15 — vs. Germany — 2:10 PM

The three preliminary games for the USA will air on USA Network.

Team Canada​

Here are Canada’s lines from practice on Sunday as reported by Mark Masters:

Macklin Celebrini – Connor McDavid – Tom Wilson
Brad Marchand – Nathan MacKinnon – Nick Suzuki
Mark Stone – Sidney Crosby – Mitch Marner
Brandon Hagel – Bo Horvat – Sam Reinhart
Seth Jarvis — Sam Bennett

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Morrissey – Colton Parayko
Thomas Harley – Drew Doughty
Shea Theodore – Travis Sanheim

Good luck in goal!

One big difference that sticks out immediately for me: Canada has one defensive tandem — Cale Makar and Devon Toews — that plays together in Colorado, and they’re sticking together at the Olympics. Right now, the US is breaking up Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber. I recognize Hughes and Faber haven’t been together nearly as long as Makar and Toews, but chemistry on the blue line can be incredibly valuable.

The fact that Crosby is their third-line center is your indication that this team is stacked up front. That top line with Wilson riding shotgun with McDavid and Celebrini is a fascinating one to watch.

Canada Schedule​

• Thursday, Feb. 12 — vs. Czechia — 9:40 AM CT
• Friday, Feb. 13 — vs. Switzerland — 2:10 PM
• Sunday, Feb. 15 — vs. France — 9:40 AM

Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Team Finland​

Here are the lines from Finland’s first practice (from Konsta Kiviniemi):

Mikael Granlund – Roope Hintz – Mikko Rantanen
Artturi Lehkonen – Sebastian Aho – Teuvo Teräväinen
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Kaapo Kakko / Oliver Kapanen
Joel Armia – Erik Haula – Eeli Tolvanen
Joel Kiviranta

Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen
Olli Määttä – Henri Jokiharju
Niko Mikkola – Rasmus Ristolainen
Mikko Lehtonen – Nikolas Matinpalo

Jusse Saros

Again, the top pair for Finland is a couple teammates in Dallas. This is an older team, but they’re going to be defensively sound and hard to play against. I’m interested to see what they do with Kakko up front. But the top six looks really good here. Lundell has been excellent for the Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup runs. In the forward group, Finland has multiple players from Colorado, Dallas, Seattle and Florida. And Aho and Teräväinen spent plenty of time together in Carolina.

Finland Schedule​

• Wednesday, Feb. 11 — vs. Slovakia — 9:40 AM CT
• Friday, Feb. 13 — vs. Sweden — 5:10 AM
• Saturday, Feb. 14 — vs. Italy — 9:40 AM

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...eview-early-lineups-schedules-early-thoughts/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Beanpot Night in Boston, CHL Leaderboards, Super Bowl Fashion, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The Super Bowl is now in the books, which means we’re going to see more photos of baseball players reporting to their various spring training facilities — images that give us hope that a thaw is coming outside and there are warmer days on the near horizon. But we’re here to talk about Blackhawks hockey. So let’s do that.

Except… there is no Blackhawks hockey again for a few more weeks. In fact, we’re still waiting a couple more days for the men’s games to begin at the Winter Olympics. And the AHL is on its all-star break right now. So… yeah. Yay hockey!

A few links from the weekend here in case you missed it with the whole football thing happening yesterday:

• I dropped a full two-round 2026 NHL Mock Draft.

• I also updated the odds of teams to win the NHL Draft Lottery.

• This morning we looked at what the Dallas Stars are looking to add before the deadline — and how the Blackhawks might be an ideal trade partner.

• Good read here from Ben Pope looking at some of the good and the bad from the Blackhawks’ season thus far.

With 57 games played and 25 to go, the Blackhawks are on pace for a 15-point improvement on last season.

New story breaking down the most encouraging and discouraging trends of the season so far: https://t.co/sZRcfKIWQR

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 8, 2026

• The only game for Blackhawks prospects tonight is the 300th edition of the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue. Sacha Boisvert and Boston University will face Boston College in the championship game of the Beanpot. Should be electric at TD Garden tonight! The game will be broadcast on NHL Network and puck drops shortly after 6:30 PM CT.

• How about some leaderboard watching with the Blackhawks’ prospects in juniors? Marek Vanacker is still clinging to the OHL goal race lead, now just one goal ahead of fellow Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham. Pridham is now inching closer to the league’s point lead as well.

• In the WHL, Nathan Behm continues to impress. He leads all Blackhawks CHL prospects with 73 points thru a busy weekend. He’s ten back of his teammate (and 2026 draft-eligible) forward JP Hurlbert. Behm has scored 30 goals with 43 assists in 51 games entering the new week.

• The IceHogs announced they’ll have a third all-star this week! Forward Brett Seney, the IceHogs’ captain, is joining Kevin Korchinski and Nick Lardis. Congrats!

CAP IS AN AHL ALL-STAR

Brett Seney will be joining Kevin Korchinski & Nick Lardis to represent Rockford in the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO!!

: https://t.co/n0o6VSEpZW pic.twitter.com/pnzGN0nhkf

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 8, 2026

• Finally, Grey Zabel showed up to the Super Bowl dressed for success. Love to see it!

.@GreyZabel repping @usahockey pic.twitter.com/NDDKQbf4JU

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 8, 2026

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

• Baseball season is here!

• Super Bowl LX Final: Seahawks 29, Patriots 13

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...er-bowl-fashion-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

AHL Skills Night, Pridham’s Stock is Rising, McKenna Draft Thoughts, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

There’s one CHL game of note for Blackhawks prospects tonight. Jack Pridham will try to catch Marek Vanacker in the OHL scoring race as his Kitchener Rangers host the London Knights. Pridham was a headliner for Lauren Kelly in her OHL Stock Watch piece on Monday for Elite Prospects.

Here’s what she wrote about Pridham:

No OHL player has been hotter than Jack Pridham since December 8th. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect has racked up 20 goals and 37 points in 22 games, including six multi-point outings in January. He earned well-deserved Player of the Month honours for his efforts, as he now sits tied-second in league scoring.

Pridham’s decision to push college for another season has paid dividends. He’s always been a versatile, crafty offensive producer with a strong defensive game. While it’s not unexpected for an overager to be dominating at this level, Pridham’s offensive efficiency and reads have improved, and he looks like an even more translatable player now. Blackhawks and Boston Univ. fans should be excited.

She also writes about a number of names we’ve mentioned here for the 2026 NHL Draft in the up, steady and down sections of the piece. Give it a read.

FEBRUARY STOCK WATCH: OHL

No @OHLHockey player has been hotter than @OHLRangers star and #Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham since early December

: @laurkelly24

: https://t.co/orcUwMAN4s pic.twitter.com/OPKtZgWR0h

— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) February 9, 2026

• The AHL All-Stars will take the stage tonight in Rockford for the skills competition. The hosting team will be represented by three players: defending All-Star Classic MVP Kevin Korchinski, Nick Lardis and Brett Seney.

• Since there continues to be buzz on social media about the Blackhawks and Gavin McKenna, I’ll just say it: there were writers — myself included — who did not have McKenna as a top Chicago target before the legal issues. Frankly, he isn’t a great skater (average), he isn’t always interested in the defensive end of the ice and there have been questions about his compete level — three areas the Blackhawks have prioritized.

• If you are assuming he somehow landed on a “do not draft list” of some sort because of the legal problems and that is why “insiders” are saying the Blackhawks won’t take him, that isn’t necesssarily accurate. (For those who feel like fact checking: I had the Blackhawks taking Tynan Lawrence at 1.1 in my mock draft the day after Christmas — no legal concerns then.) When it comes to a player like McKenna, it shouldn’t be insane for the Blackhawks to not have him ranked highly based on traits if you study the player. Paying attention to the complete game of prospects and not focusing on the hype around offensive skills helps.

• A perfect example: the Blackhawks drafted Sacha Boisvert at No. 18 overall in 2024, two spots before Cole Eiserman — the consensus No. 1 prospect 18 months before the draft — was selected by the Islanders. I’m not going to argue over whether or not that was the right choice at this point; they’re both skating for Boston University right now. But Eiserman was the sniper in that draft class that everyone had circled. And, again, there’s more to hockey than just shooting the puck.

• Boisvert had an assist for Boston University, but the Terriers got their doors blown off by Boston College in the Beanpot championship game. BC won 6-2.

• And now your reminder of this ridiculous goal scored by Sam Lafferty against the Devils in November:

OH MY GOODNESS SAM LAFFERTY, TOE DRAG OF THE YEAR pic.twitter.com/HvhBbXv5xj

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 13, 2025

• Earlier this morning I took a look at some smoke out of Vancouver that there might be a couple prospects who are being viewed outside of Chicago as potential “reclamation projects.” What that might mean before the trade deadline — and a little thought around the Canucks’ potential interest.

Blackhawks Prospects Mentioned as “Reclamation Project” Trade Targets #blackhawkshttps://t.co/4XKMMIvB9e

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 10, 2026

• The Detroit Red Wings announced what they’re calling a “first of its kind” partnership with the Detroit Tigers — same ownership — and Major League Baseball to build a media property that will offer games via cable/satellite providers and direct-to-consumer streaming subscriptions. Almost like… they just need the Piston to join them and they could call it… Detroit Sports Network…? Wishing them the best to roll it out without missing the entire first NHL season on their cable partners the way Chicago Sports Network did.

The #RedWings will have a new TV home in 2026-27!

Full details: https://t.co/wXb9TbWNXB pic.twitter.com/AFspQ9WAfb

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 9, 2026

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

• How about an updated 2026 NBA Mock Draft?

• How about an updated 2026 NFL Mock Draft?

• The many implications of the Big Red Sox-Brewers trade, and the fallout for the Cubs

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-draft-thoughts-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Prospects Mentioned as “Reclamation Project” Trade Targets

As we continue with the Olympic break, I thought this was an interesting read from Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal at The Athletic. They wrote about the Vancouver Canucks possibly targeting reclamation projects as they embark on their rebuild — and there’s a Blackhawks twist.

The irony, of course, is the Blackhawks getting really good hockey from Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev AND two second-round picks as… wait for it… reclamation projects. Nice job of internal asset evaluation there by Vancouver for sure, eh?

Anyways, now that we’re done taking the obligatory shots at the gong show in Vancouver, this piece did get my attention for one big reason. Both Drance and Dayal are very good at what they do, they’ve done if for a while and are pretty in-tune with what’s going on with the Canucks.

They list ten players who they view as “high pedigree players that have fallen out of favour and can be acquired as ‘buy low’ options — or as part of the return for a superior veteran player — but still have the ability to realize their potential with a fresh start on a new team.”

Two of the players they mention: Blackhawks defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro.

Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Korchinski and Del Mastro? Really?​

I don’t think the Blackhawks will move either Korchinski or Del Mastro before the deadline. Indeed, I think they’ll move veteran Matt Grzelcyk to get one/both of them up to the NHL for an extended look down the stretch this season.

Korchinski was the first draft choice by Kyle Davidson as the permanent general manager of the Blackhawks. After being selected seventh overall in 2022, he wound up in the worst-case scenario for his development in the NHL during the 2023-24 season. The Blackhawks were crushed by injuries, so he spent most of his ice time on a bad team with a waiver claim (Jaycob Megna) for a partner. Add to those circumstances the fact that his father passed away in the middle of the year and it was a hard, hard year for the teenager.

Korchinski is now, still, only 21. He’s been an AHL All-Star now two years in a row. There’s good reason to believe his arrow is still pointing up. Again: Korchinki is still only 21.

Considering there were similarities between Del Mastro and Nolan Allan in the pipeline and the Blackhawks moved on from Allan in early January — he was traded to San Jose with Laurent Brossoit — there should be more confidence in Del Mastro’s position in the pipeline. Drance and Dayal describe Del Mastro as “a good puck mover with a big frame, who was a pedigree player all the way up through to the start of his major junior career. He has every tool you could ever ask for from a still-developing 23-year-old defender.”

But the other reality is both of these young guys is heading to restricted free agency this coming summer. That should be a reason for the Blackhawks to get them more run in the NHL to better determine their next contracts — but it also presents a decision timeline for one/both of them.

Which brings me back to being somewhat intrigued that they were mentioned in this piece from Drance and Dayal.

Blackhawks, Canucks, Rebuilding, Buying, Selling​

Let’s get into the meat of this report that got my interest. Here’s the part of their write-up of Korchinski and Del Mastro that got my interest most:

If the Blackhawks decide to buy ahead of the deadline, especially if they try to add one of Vancouver’s expensive veterans with term as a long-term fit for their work-in-progress forward group, either of these two young Blackhawks blueliners would represent intriguing, high-upside, young buy-low trade targets from a Canucks perspective.

If the Blackhawks buy ahead of the deadline?

If the Blackhawks buy “expensive veterans with term” ahead of the deadline?

So, let’s first qualify who fits the definition of “expensive veterans with term” on Vancouver’s payroll (with their age in parenthesis):

• Elias Pettersson (27) — $11.6M AAV thru 2032**
• Brock Boeser (28) — $7.25M AAV thru 2032**
• Connor Garland (29) — $6M AAV thru 2032** (new extension begins next season)
• Jake DeBrusk (29) — $5.5M AAV thru 2031**

I added the ** to each of their contract details because they’re all on Bowman Specials. All four of those veteran forwards has a no-move clause on their contracts thru next year; DeBrusk’s contract moves to a 15-team no-trade list in 2027.

So keep in mind any additional discussion about these four players assumes they would waive their no-move clause to come to Chicago.

Are any of those four guys changing the trajectory of the Blackhawks’ timeline individually? Would they change it enough to consider moving a young defenseman who is likely on the cusp of being ready for the NHL full-time next year?

None of those players is having a good season; Pettersson and DeBrusk have 13 goals each, Boeser 12 and Garland has scored seven. They’re good players with different skillsets, but none of them presents something the Blackhawks don’t necessarily have coming in the pipeline other than NHL experience — and an expensive contract.

Given all of the turmoil in Vancouver over the past few years — from coaching changes to veterans getting moved out (and what they’ve said about the Canucks after leaving) — there’s reason to believe in a possible “buy low” on any of those four. But I’m not sold on those four guys — with those four contracts — at this time for the Blackhawks.

But file away that there is a perception outside Chicago that we may have already reached a point where teams might call GMKD and try to poach young players who are still developing as “reclamation projects.”

#Canucks trade deadline targets from @harmandayal2 and I: 10 reclamation projects that fit the timeline for a rebuilding team via @TheAthleticNHL: https://t.co/BTXHb64cfo

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) February 9, 2026

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ntioned-as-reclamation-project-trade-targets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Dominant USA Women, AHL Skills Highlights, CHL’s All-Time Top 50, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Yes, another day without Blackhawks hockey. The men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics begins today, which is awesome and exciting. But I want to open up our bullets celebrating just how ridiculously dominant the USA women have been in Milan. On Tuesday, the US authored their biggest win ever against Canada at the Olympics — and the first shutout loss for Canada’s women in Olympic history.

The Americans completed their four preliminary games against Czechia, Finland, Switzerland and Canada with scores of 5-1, 5-0, 5-0 and 5-0. You read that correctly: they have outscored their opponents 20-1 in their first four games of the tournament. Next on the schedule: a quarterfinal date with the host team, Italy, at 2:10 PM CT on Friday. It you haven’t been watching this incredible run, there’s still time to get on for the ride. This might be the most dominant Olympics ever — men’s or women’s.

Dominance.#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/S1woiUDtQY

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2026

• The AHL All-Star Skills Competition was last night in Rockford. The IceHogs — and Blackhawks — were represented by Nick Lardis, Kevin Korchinski and Rockford captain Brett Seney. They all performed admirably (not a Milwaukee reference) in their respective events. The folks were kind enough to have a drone follow Lardis on the Puck Control Relay, which made for some pretty cool content.

This drone footage of Nick Lardis skating his way through the Puck Control Relay at the #AHLAllStars Skills Competition pic.twitter.com/wAjxQW5wqS

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) February 11, 2026

• Here are some more nice Lardis highlights from last night.

Absolute snipes from 76 #AHLAllStar | @HRRockford pic.twitter.com/ypMqLHhYqt

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 11, 2026

• In non-Blackhawks/IceHogs notes from the compeition last night, eyes opened wider and jaws dropped when Arthur Kaliyev of the Belleville Senators won the CCM Hardest Shot title with a bomb clocked at 104.0 mph. But this goal from Abbotsford Canucks forward Ben Berard absolutely stole the show.

Ben. Berard.
Jaw. Dropped.@TheAHL | @abbycanucks #AHL #ProudlyAbbotsford #AHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/cFSD7zmHPj

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) February 11, 2026

• Reminder: you can watch the AHL All-Star Challenge tonight live from Rockford on CHSN in the supported areas and NHL Network.

• And now this ridiculous goal from Connor Bedard against Nashville? No, that’s Pittsburgh on Jan. 29. The Pens’ all-yellows are something, aren’t they?

What a goal by Connor Bedard. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/1Fdl7s70xI

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 30, 2026

• Speaking of Bedard, he was one of the players named to the CHL’s list of the 50 most influential alumni in the history of the leagues on Tuesday. Fans can vote to rank the top 10 of all-time.

THE CHL TOP 50

As part of #CHL50, we proudly unveil the most influential and accomplished alumni from @TheWHL, @OHLHockey and @QMJHL over the past half century!

https://t.co/VicHSIqRls pic.twitter.com/9aGYna0rJU

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 10, 2026

• Bedard is one of three notable Blackhawks to make the CHL’s top 50 list, joining the only other No. 1 overall pick in team history, Patrick Kane, and Savoir-Faire, Denis Savard.

Congratulations to Denis Savard, Patrick Kane and Connor Bedard on being named to the @CHLHockey’s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years!

Much deserved pic.twitter.com/6UKhQEDbaU

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 10, 2026

• As we continue to enjoy the ascent of Jack Pridham this season as he dominates the OHL, I’m mindful of a piece Ben Pope wrote back in early December in which he chatted with Blackhawks assistant general manager Mark Eaton about a number of Blackhawks prospects. Pope included this takeaway from their conversation about Pridham:

The Hawks would like to see Pridham start taking over games more decisively, though, and pushing back harder against physicality and adversity.

• The consistency piece was big for Pridham in Pope’s notes. Since that article published on Dec. 4, Kitchener has played 24 games. Pridham has a point in 20 of them. He has recorded a point in 13 straight games, during which he has scored 11 goals with 14 assists and has eight multi-point games. It appears he’s responded to those comments, whether he read them in the Pope story or heard them directly from Eaton.

• Finally, I always recommend the “32 Thoughts” podcast but they dropped their Olympic preview on Wednesday morning. Great stuff.

32 Thoughts men's Olympic Hockey preview pod with @sportsnetkyle & @kbieksa3

Tournament starts today. Enjoy!

Links to your preferred platform, here: https://t.co/io7Mr1RceU

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 11, 2026

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

Some of the Most Beautiful Words in the World: PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT!https://t.co/m8i9V73oB5

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 11, 2026

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...all-time-top-50-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2026 NHL Draft: BN’s Top 50 Prospect Rankings

As we continue thru the Olympic break for the NHL and get to the middle of February, it’s time for us to unveil our own rankings of the top 50 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The 2026 NHL Draft has already seen a number of picks traded, especially in the second-half of the draft. It’s considered a defense-heavy draft at the top with a couple elite offensive forward prospects and good size on the blue line.

Teams heading into the 2026 NHL Draft should be able to add good depth throughout the first two rounds, especially teams like the Blackhawks that have multiple picks. How many picks are ultimately moved between now and the NHL’s Trade Deadline on March 6 will be fascinating. And how many teams maneuver up and down the draft board targeting specific players when the NHL draft takes place in Buffalo will be interesting as well.

Note: the stat cards I’m embedding from the wonderful folks at Elite Prospects update in real time, so if you’re visiting these rankings the players’ stats should be up-to-date. Also, make sure to check out my most recent two-round 2026 NHL Mock Draft.

Let’s get into it. Here are our top 50 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft.

IIHF

2026 NHL Draft — Top 50 Prospects​

1. Ivar Stenberg, RW​

6-0, 181
DOB: Sept. 30, 2007
Shoots: Left

Stenberg’s stock got a big bump after a stellar performance at the World Junior Championship. Since then, he’s been almost universally ranked the No. 1 prospect in this year’s NHL draft class. Everything about his game is excellent with maybe the only exception being his skating, which is at least very good. He’s going to make a general manager at/near the top of the draft very happy for a long time.

2. Gavin McKenna, LW​

5-11, 170
DOB: Dec 20, 2007
Shoots: Left

Yes, there are legal concerns now hanging around in the background for McKenna. And, yes, his numbers early in the season weren’t what people expected after he averaged better than two points per game in the WHL last year. There are some questions about his skating and compete, and he isn’t the most defensively responsible forward, but everything about his offensive game is elite.

3. Keaton Verhoeff, RHD​

6-4, 212
DOB: June 19, 2008
Shoots: Right

If a team is looking for a big, physical two-way defenseman who also happens to shoot right-handed early in the draft, Verhoeff presents a great chance to get a top-pair fixture for the foreseeable future. His performance (and usage) at the World Juniors left something to be desired, but he’s been very good at the college level as a teenager at North Dakota. He’s in the mix to be the first name called in June for sure.

4. Chase Reid, RHD​

6-2, 187
DOB: Dec. 30, 2007
Shoots: Right

Reid’s stock has had helium since November, and hasn’t stopped climbing. He isn’t as physical as Verhoeff, but he has a bomb for a shot and is a terrific offensive defenseman. He’ll be able to run a power play in the NHL and put points on the board.

5. Tynan Lawrence, C​

6-0, 185
DOB: Aug. 03, 2008
Shoots: Left

Lawrence made the choice to jump from the USHL to the NCAA level at Christmas, joining Boston University mid-season. His numbers haven’t overwhelmed since that move, but he’s arguably the top center in this NHL draft class. He’s a better skater than Stenberg or McKenna and projects to being a terrific two-way center who can drive offense and still play a responsible game.

6. Alberts Šmits, LHD​

6-3, 205
DOB: Dec. 02, 2007
Shoots: Left

Šmits stock is also up this season since a nice — but not overwhelming — performance at the World Junior Championship. He’ll skate for Latvia in the Olympics as an 18-year-old, which is rare. Again, a very good skater with a hammer of a shot who projects to being a top-pair defenseman with very good puck-moving ability.

7. Caleb Malhotra, C​

6-2, 183
DOB: June 02, 2008
Shoots: Left

Malhotra, like Reid, has seen his stock skyrocket during this season. Playing with a lot of NHL talent in Brantford doesn’t hurt, either. He has very good size and being the son of a long-time NHL player doesn’t hurt. He projects as a very good all-around top-line center who does everything very well. He may ultimately be a top-five overall selection in the NHL draft in June.

8. Carson Carels, LHD​

6-2, 194
DOB: June 23, 2008
Shoots: Left

Carels has decent size, but he plays a physical game. He’s a responsible defender who can also move the puck well and drive offense. He probably projects as more of a penalty killer than a powerplay quarterback at the NHL level, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help his team’s offense. Carels is a good skater who plays the body well.

9. Viggo Björck, C/W​

5-10, 172
DOB: March 12, 2008
Shoots: Right

If Björck was two inches taller, he would probably be in the mix for the top five in this NHL draft class. His stock was up before the season, but the height issue saw a bit of a slide — especially if teams project him on the wing at the NHL level. But his performance at the World Juniors elevated his stock once again. Every aspect of his game is outstanding… except his physical measurements.

10. Ethan Belchetz, LW​

6-5, 227
DOB: March 30, 2008
Shoots: Left

Belchetz might not win many races on the ice, but if a team is looking for a player in the Tkachuk model this is your guy. He’s a big, legit power forward who has great hands and handles the puck very well. But his calling card is going to be physical play; he wins board battles and plays strong around the net. His stock has come down a bit over the past month or so, but there’s a lot to like based on his size and ability.

11. Daxon Rudolph, RHD​

6-2, 203
DOB: March 06, 2008
Shoots: Right

It might sound crazy, but Rudolph begins the second tier of defensemen in this draft class — and he might be a top-ten pick when the NHL draft takes place. He’s an incredibly smart defenseman who does everything well, but there isn’t one element of his game that really stands out above the rest. Good skater, good passer, smart, plays the body effectively. He’s a very safe defenseman who projects as a top-four guy in the NHL.

12. Oliver Suvanto, C​

6-3, 209
DOB: Sept. 03, 2008
Shoots: Left

Suvanto is the first big center on in our NHL draft rankings. He uses his size well and has very good hands, but his skating leaves a little to be desired. He projects as a very good middle-six center who plays well around the net.

13. Adam Novotný, LW​

6-1, 205
DOB: Nov. 13, 2007
Shoots: Left

Novotný is an elite skater with a very good shot. He has good size that should translate into an effective middle-six winger at the next level(s). He isn’t quite the playmaker that other forwards in this class might be, but his wheels could be a differentiator in the NHL draft.

14. Ryan Lin, RHD​

5-11, 178
DOB: Apr 18, 2008
Shoots: Right

Lin is a very smart defenseman who can do some terrific things with the puck. The problem is his size. Lin isn’t an exceptional skater, so not being a big player could be problematic as he moves up to the professional ranks. But he competes hard and wins more battles than you might expect from a guy whose height begins with a five.

15. Oscar Hemming, LW​

6-4, 198
DOB: Aug. 13, 2008
Shoots: Left

Hemming had some off-ice availability issues that needed to be resolved this year that led to a very late start to his season. But he’s looked the part of an effective power forward with terrific size and skating ability since joining Boston College. He uses his size well and likely projects as a middle-six winger.

16. Ilya Morozov, C​

6-3, 205
DOB: Aug 03, 2008
Shoots: Left

Morozov is another player in our top-20 whose stock has climbed throughout this season. He has great size to be an effective center at the next levels and has produced well as a teenager in the college ranks. Morozov plays a heavy game that translates to the NHL postseason quite well, which should help him to hear his name called fairly early at the NHL draft.

17. JP Hurlbert, LW​

6-0, 183
DOB: April 11, 2008
Shoots: Right

An electric offensive player who’s dominating the WHL this season, almost every element of Hurlbert’s game is outstanding. The biggest questions are his skating, and the fact that he’s probably a haircut under six-feet tall. He’ll move to the University of Michigan next season, which will be a great proving ground for him to take his offensive game to another level.

18. Xavier Villeneuve, LHD​

5-11, 157
DOB: Sep 29, 2007
Shoots: Left

Villeneuve is another smart, relatively strong defenseman whose size is going to see him drop down the draft board. But his skating is great, his puck-handling and vision are terrific and he thinks the game well. He could ultimately be a power play specialist at the NHL level who would need help at even strength because of his frame.

19. Elton Hermansson, RW​

6-1, 174
DOB: Feb. 05, 2008
Shoots: Right

Hermansson is an offensively gifted winger who has a terrific shot and playmaking ability. The concerns here are his average size and play away from the puck. He’s a first-round player who can probably work his way into being a top-six wing at the pro levels, but he needs to be more consistent.

20. Nikita Klepov, LW​

6-0, 181
DOB: June 27, 2008
Shoots: Left

Klepov is having a phenomenal season in the OHL and will take his talents to the Big Ten next year at Michigan State. Great puck skills and a big-time shot are his hallmarks, and a year or two of college hockey will help his game develop. Again, he’s probably a haircut under six-feet tall, which could hurt his draft stock.

21. Malte Gustafsson, LHD​

6-4, 201
DOB: June 11, 2008
Shoots: Left

Not a great skater, Gustafsson moves okay for a player with his size — a frame that’s going to get attention in the first round of the NHL draft. He’s probably a second- or third-pair defenseman when he gets to the NHL, but you can’t teach someone to be this big as a teenager.

22. Egor Shilov, C​

6-1, 181
DOB: April 30, 2008
Shoots: Left

Shilov has terrific hands and he’s a good — not great — skater who drives offense. He plays between the circles, which some front offices and coaches are going to love. He’s committed to Boston University, which is a terrific place to work on developing further.

23. Juho Piiparinen, RHD​

6-3, 203
DOB: Aug. 10, 2008
Shoots: Right

Piiparinen is a big, right-handed defenseman. That, alone, makes him interesting. But he’s also very young (August birthday), which makes him more intriguing in this NHL draft class. He gaps well and plays the body effectively. He’s an efficient defender. Not sexy, but strong — and that tends to win games. He projects as a middle-pair right-shot defenseman.

24. Wyatt Cullen, RW​

6-0, 172
DOB: Sept. 08, 2008
Shoots: Left

The son of longtime NHL forward Matt Cullen, Wyatt has seen his stock go up tremendously since he showed very well at the Chipotle All-American Game. He’s a very good skater with terrific hands who’s shifty on the ice. He’s a tough player to pin down when he’s got the puck. He’ll head to play for the Gophers at some point.

25. Alexander Command, C​

6-1, 185
DOB: June 16, 2008
Shoots: Left

We’ve reached the point in our NHL draft rankings that you’re going to start having names come off the board in a dealer’s choice lineup. Command is a good, cerebral center with decent size. His stock has also skyrocketed this year from being initially projected as a late-round prospect to now being in the late-first, early-second round consideration set.

26. Tomas Chrenko, C, HK Nitra (Slovakia)
27. Marcus Nordmark, LW, Djurgårdens (SHL)
28. Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver (WHL)
29. William Håkansson, LHD, Luleå (SHL)
30. Nikita Shcherbakov, LHD, Tolpar (MHL)
31. Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat (WHL)
32. Adam Goljer, RHD, Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)
33. Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara (OHL)
34. Simas Ignatavičius, C, Genève Future Hockey U21 (Swiss U21-Elit)
35. Giorgos Pantelas, RHD, Brandon (WHL)
36. Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec (QMJHL)
37. Alessandro Di Iorio, RW, Sarnia (OHL)
38. Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW, Örebro (SHL)
39. Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)
40. Jaxon Cover, LW, London (OHL)
41. Adam Valentini, C, U. of Michigan (NCAA – Big Ten)
42. Landon Amrhein, RW, Calgary (WHL)
43. Jakub Vaněček, LHD, Tri-City (WHL)
44. Axel Elofsson, RHD, Örebro (SHL)
45. Casey Mutryn, C, USNTDP Juniors (USHL)
46. Pierce Mbuyi, LW, Owen Sound (OHL)
47. Ben Macbeath, LHD, Calgary (WHL)
48. Ryder Cali, C, North Bay (OHL)
49. Vladimír Dravecký, RHD, Brantford (OHL)
50. Victor Plante, LW, USNTDP Juniors (USHL)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2026/02/11/2026-nhl-draft-top-50-prospects/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Triple Gold Club, USA and Canada Olympics Begin, Lardis Highlights, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The Triple Gold Club is one of the most prestigious groups in hockey that we don’t talk about much. To be a member, a player has to win gold at the Olympics and men’s World Championship and the Stanley Cup in their careers. Entering this year’s Winter Olympics, only 30 men have achieved the feat. But there’s a collection of individuals who could join that exclusive club, two of whom have played for the Blackhawks.

As a reminder: with his gold medal and first Stanley Cup victory in 2010, then-Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews became the youngest ever member of the Triple Gold Club at just 22 years and 41 days old. And, another reminder: Sidney Crosby may have scored the Golden Goal in 2010, but Toews was named the Best Forward in the tournament by the IIHF Directorate. He also won the Conn Smythe in 2010. Have a year!

Not a great start to the Olympics for Teuvo Teräväinen and Finland. They were upset 4-1 by Slovakia in the first game of the men’s tournament on Wednesday. Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovský had two goals and an assist for the victors.

Today’s men’s Olympic hockey schedule:

• 5:10 AM CT — Switzerland vs. France
• 9:40 AM — Canada vs. Czechia
• 2:10 PM — United States vs. Latvia
• 2:10 PM — Germany vs. Denmark

• Sadly, sometimes we can use Olympics… highlights… to have a sense of humor about the state of affairs for the Blackhawks.

The #Blackhawks entering the zone on the power play be like

pic.twitter.com/Co7Zph1H4P

— Tab Bamford (@The1Tab) February 9, 2026

• Nick Lardis scored the first goal of the AHL All-Star Classic last night for the Central Division. He was on the ice to start the game with his Rockford teammates, Kevin Korchinski and Brett Seney, for the 3-on-3 action. He also buried a sick goal in the shootout. Here are both scoring plays from Lardis.

And the first goal of the all star challenge to Nick Lardis of the Rockford Icehogs !! pic.twitter.com/J7dFPq68Zs

— gabe (@majorslashing) February 12, 2026

Nick Lardis shootout goal?

Yeah, we've seen that one before pic.twitter.com/B7Yni1BEdN

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) February 12, 2026

• David St-Louis at Elite Prospects ranked the top 12 rookie defensemen in the NHL this season. He ranked Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov at No. 6 on his list. He’s pretty critical of Levshunov thus far, but points out that there are glimpses of his immense potential. It’s the lack of consistency he’s shown thus far that are troubling for St-Louis. Here’s part of what he wrote about the good:

There’s one area where his game has noticeably improved: physicality. Using his frame better and more often, Levshunov plays a harder brand of hockey at the NHL level than he ever did in the NCAA or AHL. He walls off opponents from high-danger areas, ties up sticks, gets the interior position on loose pucks, and lands some hits.

He’s also capable of great plays on both sides of the puck.

In moments, Levshunov can box out opponents,intercept plays around the net, and push through pressure to get the puck out of traffic. He can hold on to the puck under pressure, using his frame to keep forecheckers at bay. Veiling his intention with deception, anticipating plays, and connecting clever passing plays, he sometimes looks like a high-end offensive quarterback.

• There’s only one game in the CHL involving Blackhawks prospects tonight. Sarnia visits AJ Spellacy and the Windsor Spitfires.

BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

Candace Parker Headlines Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists Roster With Strong Chicago Vibes

WATCH: Alex Bregman Just Took Jameson Taillon Deep

2026 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Super Bowl Reset Sets the Board

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

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks College Prospects: Providence is HOT, BU Needs Wins, Light Schedule

It’s a lighter slate of games this weekend for Blackhawks prospects playing college hockey. Providence comes into the weekend one of the hottest teams in the country, having won their last nine games — they’ve only lost once this calendar year (10-1)!

Since the calendar flipped to 2026 and the Friars got hot (again, 11 games), Blackhawks prospect John Mustard has four goals and four assists. Julius Sumpf has one goal and eight assists and three multi-point games during the current nine-game heater.

Boston University needs to get hot soon! At 13-14-2, they’re in danger of not making the NCAA tournament after advancing to the Frozen Four in each of the past three years. As a reminder: 16 teams make the NCAA tournament in men’s hockey. The current National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index has them ranked 29th.

It’s probably a good thing that UMass is off this weekend. Václav Nestrašil didn’t play this past weekend because of an upper-body injury. Hopefully he’s back after their bye week. The NPI has UMass ranked 21st.

Note: I’m not including Minnesota-Duluth’s games this weekend because Adam Gajan is at the Olympics.

Friday, Feb. 13​

Northeastern at No. 6 Providence — 6 PM CT
Boston University at New Hampshire — 6 PM

Saturday, Feb. 14​

Northeastern at No. 6 Providence — 4:30 PM
Boston University at New Hampshire — 5 PM

Blackhawks College Prospects​

• Václav Nestrašil, F, UMass — 26 games, 11 goals, 12 assists, 69 shots on goal, 11 blocked shots
• Sacha Boisvert, C, Boston U. — 20 games, 3 goal, 12 assists, 41 shots on goal, 10 blocked shots
• John Mustard, F, Providence — 27 games, 11 goals, 9 assists, 98 shots on goal, 10 blocked shots
• Julius Sumpf, C, Providence — 27 games, 3 goal, 14 assists, 61 shots on goal, 19 blocked shots
• Adam Gajan, G, Minnesota-Duluth — 26 games, 15-11-0, .905 save pct, 2.29 GAA, 2 shutouts

Note: Gajan is at the Olympics.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ovidence-is-hot-bu-needs-wins-light-schedule/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

Blackhawks Prospect Notes: Frondell, Kantserov, Lardis, Korchinski, Mustard, More

Let’s start our weekend with some prospect notes and comments from around the Blackhawks universe this week. There’s a lot going on all over the world with Blackhawks prospects right now while the Olympics keep the NHL club away from practices until Feb. 18.

A lot of information from Scott Powers, who posted two mailbag pieces this week — highly recommend Part I and Part II. A few prospect nuggets from the pieces:

• On Anton Frondell‘s timeline to come over (this year?):

It all depends on how far Djurgårdens and Frondell go in the SHL playoffs. It looks like Djurgårdens will finish somewhere between seventh and 10th in the standings. That will put it in a best-of-three playoff series for the opening round. The SHL regular season ends on March 13, and those best-of-three series will likely start a few days later. At the earliest, Frondell could be available to the Blackhawks around the third week of March. If Djurgårdens advances a round into the quarterfinals, that series is a best-of-seven, so that would push his arrival back closer to April. If Djurgårdens advances to the semifinals or final, it’s less likely Frondell plays for the Blackhawks this season.

• On Roman Kantserov:

With 29 goals and 53 points in 49 games, Kantserov might be the playmaker Bedard needs on his wing. Kantserov’s vision and passing are elite. He may not be big, but he has a strong build and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s taken on major minutes as a center against older veterans in Russia. The goal scoring does help. He doesn’t need quantity. He understands how to get quality and has scored a lot of goals around the net this season. We’ll see how he adapts, but Bedard and Kantserov with one of the larger wings, maybe Frondell or Boisvert, could make sense in time.

[Note: after Powers’ piece published, Kantserov scored his KHL-leading 30th goal of the season.]

• On Drew Commesso:

The Blackhawks are in no rush with Commesso. … The Blackhawks want Commesso to play as many games as possible and allow him to further develop. He’s still just 23. Rockford gives him more reps at this point. There are also still ups and downs to his game.

• Marco D’Amico at RG Media wrote a nice story about Providence forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Sawyer. In it, Blackhawks prospect John Mustard comes up — and Sawyer has some very nice things to say about the Hawks’ forward prospect, who happens to also be his roommate. I like these two quote from Sawyer about how Mustard is able to drive offense for Providence:

“He’s so fast,” Sawyer said. “So it’s pretty easy to just dish him the puck and let him buzz down the wing and try to get open.” …

“It really helps when you have a guy that sees the ice so well, he makes things easier for us on the ice,” added Sawyer.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

• Nice read here from Kalen Lumpkins for the Chicago Tribune after spending some time in Rockford for the AHL All-Star Classic this week on Nick Lardis and Kevin Korchinski working their way back to the NHL. Good perspective from both young players.

“I think just implementing hard skill in a way, using my strengths, which is my shot, skill and speed,” Lardis said. “At the same time, teams are so good up there, physically and structured, and all their systems are really good.

“It’s just making sure that you’re playing with a lot of hard skill, and being a good two-way player is huge.”

Nick Lardis and Kevin Korchinski both had their brief stints with the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

When that next recall comes for the two, they want it to be permanent.

“You want to stay up there as long as you can,” https://t.co/g81NQ3J0OY

— Kalen Lumpkins (@kalenalumpkins) February 13, 2026

• Honza Zoufal, who covers Central Europe for Elite Prospects, dropped his February stock watch for prospects on Friday morning, and Blackhawks forward prospect Jiří Felcman is mentioned as one guy whose stock is rising. Felcman, 20, was a third-round pick (No. 93 overall) by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft and is currently playing in Switzerland. Here’s what Zoufal wrote about him:

Jiří Felcman had a great month, securing a spot as a top-six centre for the first time in his career, and it immediately showed in his point production. He’s become more consistent, doubling his point total with nine points over the past month. For context, he had nine points all of last season.

Since my last viewings, he’s made noticeable progress in his skating and mechanics, looking more mobile and adding speed. Combined with his physicality, he’s winning battles and using his long reach to make life difficult for puck carriers. He’s also added more puck-handling and one-on-one creativity, getting himself into scoring areas. His passing and vision still shine on the power play.

FEBRUARY STOCK WATCH: CENTRAL EUROPE

After winning silver at the World Juniors, Tomáš Galvas and Matěj Kubiesa are making the most of their last opportunities to be drafted into the NHL

: @HZoufal

: https://t.co/5W3d4W8CgO pic.twitter.com/mTFkNCmmip

— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) February 12, 2026

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...ell-kantserov-lardis-korchinski-mustard-more/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

2026 NHL Mock Draft: Mid-February Lottery Roulette Edition

As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue and there is no NHL action to watch — or to change the standings — why not have a little fun with a new mock draft.

While nothing is written in stone, we have an order of teams in the standings that give us projected odds of winning 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, an event that could change the order of selections.

I went over to Tankathon to mix up the order of selections in the 2026 NHL Draft to change things up a bit for a new mock draft. For this mock draft, I ran their lottery simulator five times — in honor of Connor Murphy — and here’s what it kicked out: chaos.

Source: Tankathon

So, in the event we get this kind of chaos at the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery — which would be amazing for fans in both Winnipeg and Washington while assuring the Blackhawks of owning Florida’s lottery pick — let’s run thru a quick mock draft for how the first round might play out.

As a reminder, you can read our rankings of the top 50 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft.

2026 NHL Mock Draft — First Round​

1. Winnipeg Jets — Ivar Stenberg, RW, Frölunda (SHL)
2. Vancouver Canucks — Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (NCAA)
3. Washington Capitals — Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
4. St. Louis Blues — Chase Reid, RHD, Soo (OHL)
5. New York Rangers — Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
6. Calgary Flames — Alberts Šmits, LHD, Jukurit (Liiga)
7. Chicago Blackhawks — Tynan Lawrence, C, Muskegon (USHL)
8. New Jersey Devils — Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
9. Nashville Predators — Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
10. San Jose Sharks — Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)
11. Chicago Blackhawks (from FLA) — Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
12. Los Angeles Kings — Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
13. Philadelphia Flyers — Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College (NCAA)
14. Boston Bruins (from TOR) — Viggo Björck, C, Djurgårdens (SHL)
15. Columbus Blue Jackets — Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)
16. San Jose Sharks (from EDM) — Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 U18 (U18 Region)
17. Utah Mammoth — JP Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops (WHL)
18. Anaheim Ducks — Ilya Morozov, C, Miami (OH) University (NCAA)
19. Seattle Kraken — Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw (OHL)
20. New York Islanders — Juho Piiparinen, RHD, Tappara (Liiga)
21. Boston Bruins — Alexander Command, C, Örebro U20 (U20 Nationell)
22. Buffalo Sabres — Elton Hermansson, W, MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)
23. Detroit Red Wings — Marcus Nordmark, RW, Djurgårdens (SHL)
24. Pittsburgh Penguins — Wyatt Cullen, RW, USNTDP
25. Montreal Canadiens — Adam Goljer, RHD, HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)
26. Vancouver Canucks (from MIN) — William Håkansson, LHD, Luleå (SHL)
27. Carolina Hurricanes (from DAL) — Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
28. Calgary Flames (from VGK) — Ryan Roobroeck, C, Niagara (OHL)
29. New York Rangers (from CAR) — Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
30. Seattle Kraken (from TB) — Simas Ignatavicius, C, Genève Future Hockey U21 (U21-Elit)
31. New York Islanders (from COL) — Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec Remparts (QMJHL)

The changes at the top of the board by way of the lottery changed the order of selections in this mock draft. It certainly affected the theoretical decision making for front offices in the top ten.

What’s wild about the draft order as it stands right now (per Tankathon) is the final six picks in the first round of our mock draft have all been traded already. In total, there have been nine first-round picks that have switched hands — a number that could grow once the NHL Trade Deadline passes.

As I have noted before, this is a defense-heavy draft class at the top, but there are also some good value defensemen later in the first round. And size is going to be a strong consideration for teams with Lin and Villenueve, who are both very good players but are both players whose height starts with a five.

Also Read​

2026 NHL Draft: BN’s Top 50 Prospect Rankings

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2026/02/13/2026-nhl-mock-draft-lottery-roulette-feb/