The Blackhawks are staring at a rough start, and the easiest answer isn’t always the right one.
Chicago sits at 4-12-1 and has dropped eight of its last nine heading into tonight’s Nov. 7 matchup with the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes. That kind of stretch usually turns the volume all the way up on the panic button.
But general manager Kyle Davidson is still committed to the rebuild, and head coach Jeff Blashill keeps backing the young core. There’s also the reality that this team hasn’t been whole.
Bowen Byram has played only six games and is out with an upper body injury. Patrick Kane has missed the last two contests.
Connor Bedard was absent for the first six games of the season. Add in a brutal early schedule, and the picture gets a little less simple.
So instead of blowing everything up, the Blackhawks can mine Rockford for help.
One obvious name is already in the mix: Dillon Boucher. With Kane sidelined, Chicago brought up the 29-year-old enforcer for his first NHL action.
Blashill made it clear why he wanted him around: “I liked him in training camp,” said Coach Blashill about Boucher. He brings, he's kind of a galvanizing guy.
I think we could use some of that, some of the physicality that he brings. I just thought it was something that could help us in that area of the game … it just can bring energy and physicality.”
Boucher has delivered exactly that in two games with the Hawks. He’s piled up nine hits and a blocked shot while averaging 8:11 of ice time. His biggest moment came in a heavyweight bout with the Lightning’s Jeff Viel.
Afterward, Alex Vlasic praised the impact Boucher made. “He's brought a lot of energy for us,” said teammate Alex Vlasic after the fight.
“He's one tough guy. Happy that he's here.
He's an awesome teammate and person. So yeah, he was definitely gushing (blood) a little bit, good to get the boys fired up.
He knows that meant a lot for us out there."
That kind of edge has shown up in the team’s numbers, too. Against Tampa Bay on Nov.
5, Chicago was credited with a season-high 31 hits. Boucher led the way with seven, while Cole Smith had six and Frank Nazar added four.
He’s not a long-term fix, but he’s already making the Blackhawks harder to play against.
If Chicago wants a more offense-minded call-up, Gavin Hayes deserves a hard look. The Blackhawks’ 2022 third-round pick, 66th overall, is in his third season with the IceHogs and leads the club with eight goals and 14 points. He’s also riding a six-game goal streak and a seven-game point streak, both of which lead all active AHL players.
The scoring drought in Chicago makes that impossible to ignore. Hayes is only 22, and while the leap to the NHL is a big one, the Blackhawks could use a jolt from someone who’s producing in Rockford right now.
Landon Slaggert is another name that fits the bill. He’s already logged 102 NHL games, including 53 with the Blackhawks last season, and over three seasons he’s put up six goals and 17 points in Chicago.
That experience matters. He knows the system, knows the room, and wouldn’t need much time to settle in.
In Rockford, the 24-year-old has two goals and four points in 11 games while skating on the second line. He’s the kind of bottom-six forward who brings energy and chases pucks, which is exactly the sort of game Chicago could use more of right now.
He also cleared waivers earlier in the season, and if recalled, he wouldn’t need waivers again until he either plays 10 NHL games or spends 30 cumulative days on the roster.
The clearest move, though, might be in goal. Arvid Soderblom has struggled badly in four appearances, posting a .846 save percentage and a 4.49 goals-against average while allowing 18 goals.
That’s forced Chicago to lean heavily on Spencer Knight, who has started 13 of the team’s 17 games. Knight has a .891 save percentage and a 3.34 GAA, and his recent play has slipped enough to make more rest look necessary.
That opens the door for Drew Commesso. The 24-year-old impressed in three NHL starts last season, finishing with a .918 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA.
He also earned his first NHL shutout in a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators on Jan. 10, stopping 36 shots in that game. His numbers with the IceHogs this season aren’t sparkling - a .890 save percentage and a 2.74 GAA in seven games - but they’re still better than Soderblom’s.
And with Soderblom’s contract ending after this season, Commesso is viewed as the backup of the future.
For now, the Blackhawks don’t need a miracle. They need help where they can get it. Rockford has a few options, and Chicago could use the spark.
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For the Blackhawks, the challenge is not just the opponent but the timing, with the trip already putting pressure on a young roster that has had to keep piecing things together. The game also comes with the usual pregame details, including projected lineups and broadcast information, but the bigger question is whether Chicago can find enough structure and energy to make this one competitive against a team that has been so hard to chase down. [Read more 🡒]