Connor Bedard is on the verge of giving the Blackhawks exactly what they’ve been missing to open the season.
Chicago’s captain looks ready to return Tuesday against Pittsburgh after sitting out since April. Bedard is about three months removed from shoulder surgery in July, and he said he feels normal and comfortable with contact and battles. Coach Jeff Blashill said he is trending toward playing, and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan called it a huge boost for Chicago.
Bedard skated Monday on a line with Roman Kantserov and Patrick Kane, which is the kind of combination that immediately gets attention. Blashill said it isn’t simple to jump back into game action after an absence like this, but he also made it clear the shoulder is in a much better place now and that Bedard no longer has the restrictions he dealt with last year. For a Blackhawks team that has opened the year without its new captain, the timing matters.
In Toronto, the early signs suggest something else has changed: the Maple Leafs are moving with more pace.
The NHL EDGE tracking data backs up the eye test. Toronto is already ahead of where it was last season in every speed category, including 10 bursts over 22 mph, up from seven; 128 bursts between 20 and 22 mph, up from 117; and 638 bursts between 18 and 20 mph, up from 539. That extra gear shows up in the way the Leafs are playing - closing space faster, recovering more quickly after mistakes, and spending more time in the offensive zone.
The bigger picture is pretty straightforward. Speed gives a team more ways to pressure the puck and turn loose pucks into chances, and that can help build a different identity.
The caution, of course, is that it’s still a small sample, and skating faster doesn’t automatically mean smarter decisions or more wins. Still, after a season in which the Leafs sometimes looked too cautious, this version looks like one moving with a little more purpose.
Then there’s Philadelphia, where the start has been rough enough to fuel all kinds of speculation.
The Flyers are sitting at 0-5-2, and if that slide continues, changes could be coming. One name already floating around is Owen Tippett, who has six years left on his deal at $6.2 million per season. He’s become a player fans online are connecting to the Oilers, even as some Edmonton supporters push for bigger targets such as Travis Konecny or Matvei Michkov.
There’s also concern about how a long-term addition like Tippett might affect the McDavid re-signing. For now, though, it’s just talk.
Edmonton is tight against the cap, doesn’t have a lot of attractive trade pieces to move, and remains unbeaten in regulation while getting Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins and Savoie back soon. With the roster about to get healthier, Bowman should have a clearer read on what the Oilers actually need before anything real happens.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Suddenly Face A Blue Line Problem Without Chris Tanev
The Maple Leafs have had to reshuffle their blue line after veteran defenseman T.J. Tanev left Saturday nights win over the Avalanche in the first period with an upper-body injury. Toronto has since placed him on injured reserve, a development that forces the team to lean on its depth a little earlier than planned and puts added pressure on a defense group that has already been working through adjustments under coach Jim Hiller.
Marshall Rifai was recalled from the Marlies to give the Maple Leafs another option on the back end, while Nick Blankenburg has been asked to take on a bigger role in Tanevs absence. For a team that values stability on defense, the mix-and-match look is not ideal, and it leaves Toronto waiting to see how quickly it can settle its pairings once Tanev is available again. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews May Be Unlocking Something New Under Jim Hiller
Auston Matthews has wasted little time giving the Maple Leafs a reason to look twice at what has changed around him. In a short run under Jim Hiller, Matthews has already produced two four-point games, a burst that stands out next to the more limited high-end scoring he had across two seasons under Craig Berube. The sample is tiny, but it is hard not to notice the difference when one of the leagues most dangerous finishers starts flashing that kind of ceiling again.
The explanation may not be simple, and it probably is not just about Matthews suddenly seeing the ice differently. Coaching style, ice time, linemates and power-play usage all come into the conversation here, because those are the details that can either feed a scorer or starve him of chances. The Leafs are still early in this evaluation, but if Hiller is opening up new offensive lanes for Matthews, it is the sort of adjustment that could matter well beyond a six-game snapshot. [Read more 🡒]
William Nylander Is Driving Why The Maple Leafs Look Dangerous Again
William Nylander keeps giving the Maple Leafs the kind of offensive push that changes the feel of a game before it even settles in. In Torontos 6-3 win over Colorado, he was central to everything, helping fuel a stretch that has the Leafs looking far more dangerous early in the season and making life easier for teammates who have been able to build off that momentum.
The scoring burst also fit neatly into the bigger arc of Nylanders career in Toronto, where his production has become the kind of steady force this team can lean on. With the way he is driving play right now, the Leafs are getting both immediate results and a reminder that their top-end skill can tilt a night quickly when he is rolling. [Read more 🡒]