Monday brought another round of Blackhawks notes, a look at the organization’s prospect depth, and a few more headlines around the league that are worth keeping an eye on.
On the Chicago side, Justin Lynch put together a list of five dark-horse players to watch this season, while Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times took on the Blackhawks’ prospect pool now that a number of recent draft picks have already moved into the NHL. There was also a strong CHGO Blackhawks Podcast from yesterday at the Helping Hands Network gold tournament, where the group had a chance to talk with head coach Jeff Blashill, former captain Nick Foligno, and two-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Bickell.
There’s also a date to remember from Blackhawks history. On this date in 2020, Chicago’s run in the Edmonton bubble came to an end with a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Blackhawks opened up a 2-0 lead on goals from Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat, but Max Pacioretty cut into it late in the first period. Mark Stone tied things early in the second, Patrick Kane pushed Chicago back in front three minutes later, and that turned out to be the club’s final goal of the season.
Future Blackhawk Alex Martinez later scored on the power play to even it up again, and Alex Tuch finished the series with the deciding goal early in the third.
The birthday roll call for Aug. 18 includes John Sleaver and Forbes Kennedy.
Around the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks are still dealing with the fallout from an offseason that has drawn plenty of attention for the wrong reasons. General manager Pat Verbeek still has Cutter Gauthier unsigned, and the situation sounds like it could get uncomfortable.
Per Paul Shaheen, Gauthier turned down a four-year, $13 million offer from Verbeek. The belief is that he’s aiming for a number somewhere between Connor Bedard’s $15 million and Leo Carlsson’s $18.8 million.
In Ottawa, the Senators and Drake Batherson reportedly remain far apart on a new deal. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that the two sides are not close at the moment, and if no agreement is reached before Sept. 15, an eight-year max contract would no longer be available.
There was also a familiar name headed back to the AHL ranks in Chicago. Former Blackhawk Josiah Slavin is returning to the Chicago Wolves after signing a two-year AHL deal with the club. He has worn the captain’s “C” for the Wolves over the last two seasons and has put up 18 goals and 46 points in 135 games.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Prospect Buzz Just Added Another Layer To Chicagos Rebuild
The rebuild around the Blackhawks keeps collecting validation in the places that matter most to a young teams long view. Corey Pronmans latest rankings of the top 156 NHL players and prospects under 23 included 10 Chicago players or prospects, a notable showing that also featured two Blackhawks forwards landing in the top 20. For a franchise still trying to turn promise into proof, that kind of representation is another reminder that the pipeline is no longer thin.
There was one quieter note attached to the goalie picture, though, and it speaks to where Chicago still has room to grow. Spencer Knight was not included in NHL Networks top-10 goalie rankings, even as the expectation remains that he could work his way onto that list next season. For the Blackhawks, that leaves the rebuild with another layer of intrigue: enough young talent to draw attention now, but still a few high-end questions left to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Future Looks Brighter As Two Young Names Draw Attention
The NHLs new Hometown Remix jerseys are already giving fans something to talk about before the season even starts, and the Blackhawks are among the clubs generating buzz in the early chatter. The upcoming designs are meant to reflect each teams city and culture, and Chicago has been rumored to be getting a green jersey, a small but notable twist that would fit the leagues push to give every market a distinct visual identity.
Around the rest of the league, movement is starting to pick up in the margins, with the Rangers bringing back Scott Morrow on a one-year, two-way deal and the Ducks adding prospect Cruz Lucius from Pittsburgh for future considerations. Montreal is also said to be open to dealing defenseman Adam Engstrom, though nothing has moved yet, and for Blackhawks fans the bigger takeaway is simpler: with so much attention going to the teams young core, even a uniform leak feels like part of a larger sense that the future is getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Wyatt Kaiser Faces A Bigger Blackhawks Test Than Last Season
Wyatt Kaisers rise on the Blackhawks blue line last season gave Chicago a useful young defenseman who could be trusted in a variety of roles, and it also gave the organization a clearer sense of what he can become. He was a steady presence throughout the year, showed real versatility and drew praise from coach Jeff Blashill as a player capable of handling different defensive situations.
Now the challenge looks different. General manager Kyle Davidson and Kaiser have both pointed to the need for him to stay locked in on the defensive side while leaving room for more offense to emerge, which makes this season feel like a bigger test than the last one. For a team trying to sort out its long-term defense, the next step for Kaiser may matter as much as the numbers he posted before. [Read more 🡒]