We’re still a month out from training camp, but there’s enough happening to keep the notebook moving.
For the Blackhawks, the conversation keeps circling back to the blue line. Gail Kauchak kept digging into the team’s youth movement and this time zeroed in on three defensemen worth watching. Brooke LoFurno also turned the spotlight there, asking whether Ethan Del Mastro has a real shot to play his way into the lineup this season.
There’s another layer to the Blackhawks’ future taking shape now that Connor Bedard has already signed his contract extension. Spencer Lazary looked ahead to the next major deal the organization will need to sort out.
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times also checked in with Anton Frondell, who is spending training camp with Djurgardens before coming to Chicago for his first NHL camp. Frondell offered some insight into how he has spent the summer preparing to play center.
The Blackhawks’ history calendar has a couple of dates attached to Aug. 11.
In 2007, Chicago sent Radim Vrbata to the Phoenix Coyotes for Kevyn Adams, who played 27 games for the Blackhawks and recorded two assists. Then in 2020, the Blackhawks dropped Game 1 of their First Round series, 4-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Shea Theodore and William Carrier scored less than two minutes apart in the second period to break a scoreless tie, David Kampf answered with a shorthanded goal, and Reilly Smith finished it off with a two-goal third period.
The Blackhawks’ Birthday Roll Call for Aug. 11 includes Marc Bergevin, Jari Torkki, Mike Vellucci, and Martin St. Pierre.
Around the league, the Dallas Stars announced HNTB as the lead design firm for their proposed new arena in Plano, TX, along with artist renderings of what the building could become. The project is planned as a year-round destination with entertainment, retail, dining, and public gathering spaces. Plano sits 27 miles north of Dallas, which would be the equivalent of the Blackhawks moving to Highland Park.
The Stars said, “We're proud to announce HNTB as the lead design firm for our proposed new arena in Plano, marking an important step in shaping our franchise's future in North Texas.”
The Winnipeg Jets signed defenseman Tyrel Bauer to a two-year, $1.75 million contract. Like Drew Commesso’s deal with the Blackhawks, it is two-way in the first year and one-way in the second. Bauer was a sixth-round pick in 2020, is 24 years old, and has spent the last four seasons in the AHL without making his NHL debut.
The Philadelphia Flyers are loaning forward Jack Berglund to Färjestad BK in the SHL for the 2026-27 season. Berglund, 20, was a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, captained Sweden during its gold medal run at the World Junior Championship last year, and put up seven goals and 12 points in 40 SHL games.
In Other News...
Connor Bedards Growing Pull Says Everything About The Blackhawks Direction
The Blackhawks summer has already shown how much the organization is leaning into Connor Bedard not just as its franchise centerpiece, but as a voice worth hearing when the front office shapes the roster. General manager Kyle Davidson said he consulted Bedard on decisions, including the signing of Patrick Kane, a sign that the team sees the young star as part of the conversation now rather than someone to simply build around in the future.
For Chicago, that kind of involvement says plenty about where the rebuild stands and how Davidson wants it to feel for the players inside the room. In a league where management often keeps the decision-making behind closed doors, giving Bedard input on major moves sends a clear message about trust, accountability and the direction the Blackhawks want to sell to the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Anton Frondell Could Be Filling A Huge Blackhawks Need Soon
Anton Frondells first NHL season gave the Blackhawks a glimpse of why they are so intrigued by his long-term fit down the middle. After beginning on the wing, he spent the back half of his debut trying to handle the demands of center, and the early returns were encouraging enough to keep the organization talking about him as more than just another young forward. In 12 games, he showed enough hockey sense and awareness for the coaching staff and general manager to view him as a potential two-way pivot.
The next step is less about flash than the details that make centers reliable, and Frondell knows it. He has been working on his faceoff game ahead of next season, a small but important part of earning trust in that role, especially for a Blackhawks team that could use another center who can handle both ends of the ice. If he keeps progressing there, the conversation around him could shift from promise to real opportunity sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Fans Just Got A Dustin Byfuglien Reminder Theyll Love
Dustin Byfuglien has been keeping busy away from hockey, and his latest appearance offered a familiar reminder of why his name still lands with Blackhawks fans. The former Chicago defenseman took part in the 2026 Kenora Bass International fishing tournament and finished in the top 30, adding another outdoor venture to a post-NHL life that has stayed pretty far from the rink.
Still, the old hockey itch has not disappeared entirely. At the event, Byfuglien was asked about taking part in the Winnipeg Jets alumni tournament and answered with his usual sense of humor, leaving the door open without committing to anything. It has been years since he last played in the NHL, but for Blackhawks followers, the memory that still matters most is the towering role he played in Chicago's 2010 Stanley Cup run. [Read more 🡒]