August is winding down, and with it comes one more day closer to the Blackhawks’ return. The summer content machine is still rolling, though, and there was plenty to chew on around Chicago on Tuesday.
Brooke LoFurno had a busy day, and that’s likely going to be a familiar pattern this season. She first dug into Kevin Korchinski’s push to show he belongs in the NHL, then followed that up with a look at Spencer Knight and the ways he can help the Blackhawks create more chances to win.
Jeff Maroon also kicked off the season with a fresh set of power rankings, taking stock of where things stand after a hectic summer.
On the prospect front, Corey Pronman placed the Blackhawks’ pipeline fourth in the NHL, which is two spots lower than a year ago. That ranking became a talking point on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast, where the discussion centered on his “logic”.
There was also a little star power at Wrigley-adjacent baseball. Patrick Kane handled the ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs-White Sox game and showed up in the right colors.
The Blackhawks leaned into it on social media with the line: “cubs fan? sox fan?
doesn’t matter, we’re all 88 fans 🙂↕️❤️⚾️”
Elsewhere in the organization’s orbit, the Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call for Aug. 19 included Mike Fidler, Darryl Sutter, and Arvid Soderblom.
Around the league, Detroit captain Dylan Larkin asked for a trade earlier this offseason, but Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now reports the belief is that request won’t be granted. The Red Wings still don’t have a general manager as they search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement, and with such a limited trade list, Detroit would have a hard time getting fair value. That leaves the question of whether Larkin will wait it out until a deal comes or be present when training camp opens.
The Flyers added defenseman Hunter McDonald on a two-year, $1.825 million contract. The deal is a two-way agreement for the first year and becomes a one-year contract in the second. McDonald, 24, made his NHL debut last April and posted six assists with 92 penalty minutes in 65 AHL games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season.
And in a tribute game with Blackhawks ties, Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com reported more details on Zdeno Chara’s farewell, Zee’s Final Shift. That game is set for Friday in Trencin, Slovakia, and will include Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith.
In Other News...
Connor Bedards NHL 27 Rating Has Blackhawks Fans Arguing Again
EA Sports has put Connor Bedard in familiar territory again, handing the Blackhawks center a 90 overall rating in the upcoming NHL 27 release. It is the kind of number that invites debate all by itself, especially for a player who was Chicagos most productive scorer last season and still managed to drive the offense in just 69 games.
The bigger frustration for Blackhawks fans is how the rest of the list shakes out. Bedard was not included among the games top 10 centers, a omission that has already reopened the usual arguments about how much weight should be given to raw production, positional value and the kind of role he carries in Chicago. For a player who led the Blackhawks across the board in scoring categories, it is another reminder that the league and the video-game world do not always see him the same way. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Prospect Rankings Just Reshuffled One Big Part Of The Rebuild
Corey Pronmans latest 2026 NHL under-23 pipeline rankings offered another reminder that the Blackhawks rebuild is starting to stack up in a meaningful way. Chicago landed fourth among the leagues 32 teams, a placement that reflects the depth in the system as much as the headliner at the top, with Connor Bedard still projected as a star first-line center. Pronman evaluated 18 Blackhawks prospects age 23 and under, giving the organization a broad look at where the pipeline stands and which young players are closest to becoming real NHL pieces.
The more interesting part for Chicago is how the ranking frames the rest of the group behind Bedard, because this is where the rebuilds next steps get clearer. Pronman went prospect by prospect with detailed grades and commentary on names such as Vaclav Nestrasil, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, offering a snapshot of who he views as more advanced, who still needs time and how each player fits into the long view. It is the kind of ranking that does not settle the debate around the Blackhawks future, but it does sharpen the conversation about which young talents are driving it. [Read more 🡒]