The Blackhawks announced on Monday the team had signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year, $800,000 contract to rejoin the squad after spending last season between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.

Welcome back @ErkanGustafsson pic.twitter.com/OtCv2mwBm0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 11, 2021

Gustafsson had been competing in the New York Islanders’ training camp on a professional tryout, but was released from the team and subsequently signed with the Blackhawks. According to NBC Sports Chicago Blackhawks Insider Charlie Roumeliotis, the team contacted Gustafsson expressing interest on Friday, and the deal came together fairly quickly from there.

The move came in light of two Hawks defenders, Caleb Jones and Wyatt Kalynuk, sustaining injuries last week. The two were expected to land spots on Chicago’s opening night roster, but their injuries have now temporarily opened a pair of openings on the blue line. While many assumed those spots would be taken by players like Nicolas Beaudin, Jakub Galvas or Ian Mitchell, General Manager Stan Bowman opted to return to the former player well instead and came up with Gustafsson, who will likely slot in on the opening night roster in one of the open spots.

Chicago fans are quite familiar with the much-maligned Gustafsson, as the Swede spent parts of four seasons with the Blackhawks, accumulating 116 points (28 goals, 88 assists) in 214 games during that stretch.

Gustafsson, originally a 2012 fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers who signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks in 2015, was dealt to the Calgary Flames at the 2020 trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick in 2020, which the Hawks used to select defenseman Wyatt Kaiser.

Gustafsson will wear the same number, 56, that he wore during the majority of his first stint with the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks announced three other roster moves on Sunday, assigning Alexander Nylander to the Rockford IceHogs and placing goaltenders Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban on waivers. Delia and Subban both cleared waivers on Monday, but Nylander’s assignment came as a sudden surprise to many, as it had been assumed the Swede required waivers to be sent to the IceHogs. However, the NHL ruled Nylander’s waivers exemption status was allowed to slide to this season after missing all of last season due to injury.

While keeping both Delia and Subban in the organization obviously provides solid depth in net, it also creates a potentially ugly logjam in the crease for the IceHogs, as Rockford already has Cale Morris and Arvid Soderblom in the cage. Even if Morris is sent to the Indy Fuel, a three-headed monster in Rockford featuring both Delia and Subban is likely not an ideal situation, as it would be taking playing time away from the younger netminders.

The Blackhawks finalized their opening night roster on Monday afternoon, announcing their final training camp transactions. In addition to sending Delia and Subban to Rockford, the team also assigned MacKenzie Entwistle and Philipp Kurashev to the IceHogs. The Hawks also placed Jones on long-term injured reserve and Kalynuk and Alec Regula on season-opening injured reserve.

The season-opening injured reserve designation is important, as it alters both players’ cap hits for the season. The calculations vary based on a player’s experience, but for both Kalynuk and Regula, being players with two-way contracts with less than 50 games of NHL experience, their 2021–22 cap hit is multiplied by the total NHL accrued days in the previous season and then divided by the total number of days in the previous season. So, essentially, their cap hits are pro-rated based on their time spent on the Blackhawks’ roster last season. According to CapFriendly, Kalynuk will now carry a cap hit of $422,629, while Regula will carry a cap hit of just $37,356.

With the transactions, Chicago’s opening night roster is set. However, it is important to note the roster can (and likely will) change prior to the team’s first game of the season. But, in the meantime, here are the 23 players on the Blackhawks’ opening night roster.

Forwards (12)
Henrik Borgstrom
Ryan Carpenter
Kirby Dach
Alex DeBrincat
Adam Gaudette
Brandon Hagel
Tyler Johnson
Patrick Kane
Jujhar Khaira
Dominik Kubalik
Dylan Strome
Jonathan Toews

Defensemen (7)
Calvin de Haan
Erik Gustafsson
Seth Jones
Jake McCabe
Ian Mitchell
Connor Murphy
Riley Stillman

Goaltenders (2)
Marc-Andre Fleury
Kevin Lankinen

Season-opening injured reserve (2)
Wyatt Kalynuk
Alec Regula

The Hawks will open their regular season on Wednesday, traveling to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche. Puck drop is slated for 9 p.m. CDT.

The post Blackhawks bring back Gustafsson, announce additional roster moves appeared first on The Rink.

Coming off his best offensive season in 2019–20, the Blackhawks are hoping for more consistent offensive play from the 23-year-old forward. Nylander was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Henri Jokiharju in 2019.

Nylander joins Brandon Hagel as the last restricted free agent to sign with the Blackhawks. Hagel signed a three-year, $1.5 million contact earlier this month.

Stay tuned to The Rink for all the latest breaking Blackhawks news.

The post Blackhawks re-sign Alexander Nylander to one-year deal appeared first on The Rink.

If the Blackhawks wanted to beat the Ducks, they would need to do what they do best and that is to score, preferably first. They did exactly that when Kirby Dach skated to the front of the net and dished the puck of to Adam Boqvist, who found Drake Caggiula to the side of Ducks goalie John Gibson for his ninth goal of the season. Of note, it was the first goal in NHL history involving two players born in the 2000s in Boqvist and Dach, who recorded the assists. The Blackhawks ended the first period up 1–0.

Pass that thing and watch me flex
Behind my back, you know what’s next

Watch #CHIvsANA live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBTGTC pic.twitter.com/5kvPz80JL0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Most people thought the Blackhawks traded the wrong goalie at the deadline and there is evidence on both sides of the argument, but to Crawford’s credit, if the Hawks do by some miracle somehow sneak into the playoffs, it would be in part to his willingness to sacrifice his whole body to keep his teammates in the game. For a goalie that has missed a lot of time the past two seasons due to injury, he gave the Blackhawks everything he had in the first period.

Crawford’s numbers this season only tell one side of the story. The Blackhawks’ defense has been terrible this season so the goalies are saving more shots. The more shots there are, the more likely the opposing team scores. Simple percentages. The home team may have scored the lone goal of the opening period, but the Ducks out shot them 16–6 and were taking better shots due to the Blackhawks’ mismanagement of the puck, a story that has had many chapters this season.

The Blackhawks came out for the second period with a lot more energy and fast-paced play almost as if they knew they were lucky to escape the first period with a lead. A deflected shot off the stick of Duncan Keith took a fortunate bounce off the end boards, right in front of Dylan Strome, who fired it past Gibson’s right side for his 11th of the season for a 2–0 Blackhawks advantage.

Dylan Strome ends a 14-game goal drought and records his 100th career NHL point. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/0PDWMd7lKP

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Shortly after, however, Christian Djoos fooled everyone, including Crawford, into thinking he was taking a shot and he drew the Blackhawks defenders all away from the net in time to pass it to Danton Heinen, who shot it in the gaping net for his ninth goal of the season. The Blackhawks’ lead was down to just one goal, once again, at 2–1.

Crawford continued his fancy footwork when Adam Henrique had a prime scoring opportunity, but the goaltender stretched wide and got his left leg pad in front of the shot. Henrique had about two or three opportunities before the whistle.

The Blackhawks had two good shorthanded chances from Brandon Saad on a breakaway and later Caggiula, but Gibson was there to hold the deficit at one. That was when the Blackhawks’ best puck handler, Patrick Kane, got just past the Ducks’ blue line and fired a pin-point pass to Strome in stride, who redirected the puck past Gibson for his second goal of the game and 12th overall for a 3–1 Chicago lead. Lucas Carlsson got his first career point on the goal, as he set Kane up with an exquisite lead pass to start the play, as well.

Patrick Kane finds Dylan Strome for his 2nd goal of the night! pic.twitter.com/Y43wDqq4fR

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

The Blackhawks would waste little time in queuing Chelsea Dagger again in the second period. Heinen went for a backhand shot on goal on a breakaway, but Boqvist scurried back and got his stick in the way to disrupt Heinen’s attempt. The Hawks quickly transitioned the puck for a three-on-one the other way and Alexander Nylander capitalized. Nylander toyed with Gibson by going forehand, backhand, then short side into the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season, pushing the Blackhawk advantage to 4–1.

Alex Nylander with a pretty move for his 9th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CMoQTUZhDt

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Just 15 seconds later, Nylander would get another point this time on an assist to Kane in front of the goal. This was Kane’s 29th goal of the season. The Blackhawks scored four goals on 18 shots while the Ducks mustered only one goal on 13 shots. This was a very different Blackhawks team in the second period, a team that played both sides of the ice and with a purpose, finishing the second period up 5–1.

Patrick Kane scores 15 seconds after Alex Nylander for his 29th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yfVbs1bosV

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

The third period opened with a scary moment, as Ryan Getzlaf tried to avoid Crawford after he stopped a shot and accidentally kneed the goaltender in the head. The medical staff and concussion spotter must have seen something they did not like because they brought Crawford to the bench and he was replaced by Malcolm Subban, who was making his Blackhawks debut. It ended up being short lived, however, as Crawford only missed little more than a minute of play and came right back in to guard the net. Crawford, despite a history of numerous head and neck injuries in his career, came back into a game where his team was up late by four goals and in control of the game.

Alrighty then.

Corey Crawford re-enters the game, after originally being pulled by the concussion spotter. pic.twitter.com/Op5TmD3O1z

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Just a few minutes later, he got a wellness check on a redirected shot from Carter Rowney and Crawford missed it for the Ducks’ second goal of the game, cutting the gap to 5–2 with Rowney’s seventh goal of the season. The Blackhawks, however, would add one more goal for good measure when Matthew Highmore hit David Kampf for his eighth of the season and a 6–2 lead on Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller, who replaced Gibson for the third period.

What a pass by Matthew Highmore, who connects with David Kampf for team’s 6th goal tonight. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/15ViKUGcGI

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Crawford allowed two goals on 39 shots and the line of Strome, Kane and Nylander had a combined for 13 shots, four goals and three assists. Not a bad day at the office for the Blackhawks, as they took the 6–2 victory and they would hope the rest of the dominoes in front of them would fall their way.

The Blackhawks get the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at the United Center and puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Do not be surprised if Crawford is not in net for that one and Subban makes his “unofficial” Blackhawks debut. With the season likely lost at this point, there really is no need to push a possibly injured Crawford into his seventh start in a row unless they must. Whoever is scheduled in goal probably wishes they were not, as the Oilers are first place in the Pacific Division and show zero signs of slowing down.

The post Along the Boards: Blackhawks take down the Anaheim Ducks 6–2 on the back of Corey Crawford appeared first on The Rink.

Dave Bolland standing with the Blackhawks starters while being honored for his One More Shift. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Prior to Friday’s game, the Blackhawks honored two-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland for his One More Shift. Bolland received a warm welcome from the home town faithful at the United Center.

A loud and well-deserved ovation for the return of Coyotes legend Dave Bolland. pic.twitter.com/0LogK0XTKc

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 19, 2019

The famous saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was in order for head coach Jeremy Colliton ahead of the game. The only lineup change made was at goalie, as Robin Lehner was starting in goal:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Murphy

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Gustafsson

Lehner

First period

After everyone settled into their seats, the third line did what they have done best throughout this young season: be a force to be reckoned with. Roughly fourty seconds into the period, Brandon Saad and Dominik Kubalik started a rush up ice with Saad dishing over to Kubalik. After the Czech winger crossed the opposing blue line, he dipped his shoulder and fed a pass to Saad in front. Unfortunately, the bid was denied.

Early in the opening frame, the Blue Jackets did a good job of controlling the pace of play. They generated numerous quality scoring chances early, including on the power play, but Robin Lehner stood tall. 

After very little action to touch on, the Blackhawks struck first. Calvin de Haan fed a pass up the left wing boards to Alex DeBrincat in the Blackhawks’ zone. DeBrincat subsequently fired a pass off the glass and down the ice. The feed perfectly found Drake Caggiula at the opposing blue line, waiting for the dish. Caggiula skated in on the two-on-two and wired a perfect shot to the top right corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Drake Caggiula's first goal of the year is NICE

Stream the game here: https://t.co/heSdrKpFnT pic.twitter.com/4UMWQE1ceq

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 19, 2019

After the impressive tally by Caggiula, the Blackhawks took their lead into the first intermission, despite being outshot by the Blue Jackets 15–10 and badly out possessed. 

Second period

The middle frame against Columbus felt awfully familiar. The Blackhawks seemed to come out flat, unlike they did against Edmonton. The game Monday finally seemed like the Blackhawks improved in the middle frame. They didn’t play bad, but they were still outshot and out possessed.

The best chance of the early minutes came from Chicago. Calvin de Haan found the puck behind the net and dished it out in front to Patrick Kane. Kane was able to get a good shot off, but Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made an excellent save on the play.

About five and a half minutes into the period, the Blue Jackets’ top center took over. Pierre-Luc Dubois was fighting for the puck against the Blackhawks’ top pairing and was able to wiggle his way around Connor Murphy for the loose puck. Upon gaining possession, Dubois out-waited Robin Lehner, forcing him out of position, and fired a bad angle shot into the back of the wide open net. The game-tying goal felt inevitable after Columbus had dominated possession.

The Blackhawks’ best chance of the period came about a minute after the Dubois goal. Merzlikins attempted to move the puck up ice but the pass was picked off by Andrew Shaw. Shaw found Kane down low to Merzlikins’ right side as he waited for one of his linemates to get open. Dylan Strome ended up being open back door, but could not connect on the one-timer that would have given Chicago the lead.

The Blackhawks survived the middle frame without yielding any more damage. Columbus outshot Chicago once again in the period and was the better possession team again. 

Third period

The opening minutes of the third period did not look great for the Blackhawks. They looked sluggish and behind in comparison to their opponent. Around three minutes into the period, a Blackhawks turnover led to a Columbus rush up the ice. Defenseman Markus Nutivaara fired a shot on net and followed his own rebound. The rebound shot wasn’t as strong as the first, but he got just enough on the puck to float it into the back of the net and give the visitors the 2–1 lead.

https://twitter.com/NHL_fi/status/1185518584627367937

Following the goal, the Blackhawks found more of a pep in their step. They seemed to turn it on after going down a goal in the third period. With about 12 minutes remaining, the Blackhawks had an important power play but nearly cost themselves. Nick Foligno had a shorthanded breakaway and the puck squeaked through Lehner. However, the whistle had already been blown before the puck trickled out from under Lehner and into the back of the net. Chicago lived to see another day.

The reason that power play was so important is because about forty seconds later, Gustafsson set up at the point on that power play and found Patrick Kane at his usual right wing spot on the man advantage. Kane gifted a perfect pass across the ice to DeBrincat, who was set up at the left wing face-off dot. DeBrincat wasted no time, one-timing the puck into the back of the net to tie the game at two-a-piece. 

pic.twitter.com/oApg048srb

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 19, 2019

For the remainder of the third, the Blackhawks penalty kill stood tall and Lehner looked good. The Blackhawks were able to generate a power play themselves, thanks to Ryan Carpenter, but they could not capitalize on the opportunity. The game required overtime to determine a winner at 1901 W. Madison St. 

Overtime

Columbus won the opening face-off of the extra frame and proceeded up ice. Despite having possession for the first forty seconds, the visitors could not do anything with the opportunity. 

Instead, the dynamic Kane-Toews duo proceeded up the ice with Toews feeding Kane as the trigger man. Kane put a shot on net, that ultimately hit Toews’ shin pad, and it found its way into the back of the net to secure the Blackhawks 3–2 victory. 

Jonathan Toews overtime winner for his first goal of the season. He’ll take it. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Cwjr2pASuC

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 19, 2019

Quick Hits

• Day late, but not a dollar short: The Blackhawks lacked meaningful energy until the Blue Jackets took the 2–1 lead early in the third period. After that, the Blackhawks were by far the better team. However, one player’s energy that stuck out was Alex Nylander. He was constantly back checking and was almost always one of the first player up ice when he was out there. Other players had great energy too, but you could see Nylander embracing the fourth line role and making the most of it. 
• Is he a backup?: Robin Lehner, the “backup” goalie, looked sensational for the Blackhawks on Friday night. Despite giving up two goals, he made many big saves throughout the game, especially early in the first when the Blue Jackets were badly outplaying the Blackhawks. If the Crawford/Lehner duo look like they did on Monday and Friday, respectively, then the Blackhawks have something they can be proud of in net.
• Top shelf/top line: The Blackhawks “first line” was responsible for all three goals Friday night, as Alex DeBrincat scored on the power play and both Drake Caggiula and Jonathan Toews registered their first goals of the season. If the top line can get going and the second line follows suit, then the offense will continue to look like it did last season and, potentially, even better.

The Blackhawks will remain home as they wait for the Washington Capitals. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, October 20.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks come from behind, beat Blue Jackets in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks entered Monday’s contest still searching for their first victory of the season. Chicago looked poised to beat Winnipeg after taking a 2–0 lead early in Saturday’s game, but ultimately fell short of their first win. Instead, the Blackhawks looked to beat one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the NHL.

The Blackhawks experienced a heavy line shakeup ahead of Saturday’s contest. The lines set for Monday were as follows:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Murphy

Crawford

Despite a good game from Robin Lehner on Saturday, the Blackhawks opted to go with the veteran Corey Crawford against the league’s top team on Monday night.

First period

The first period started well for the Blackhawks. Not even 15 seconds into the period, Dominik Kubalik fired an absolute rocket at Mike Smith for the game’s first solid chance. 

Despite the fast start for the Blackhawks, not much happened in the period. The Blackhawks managed to fire 10 pucks at Mike Smith in the first compared to the Oilers’ 12. A notable stat from the first period was the Blackhawks’ penalty kill keeping the league’s second-best power play off the scoresheet early. 

The Oilers came up empty on their two power plays in the first period, but Edmonton almost took the lead on the power play after drawing iron on the man advantage. 

However, the post proved to be Crawford’s best friend and ultimately kept the game scoreless through the first period. The Blackhawks not only lost the shots on goal battle in the opening frame, but also were losing in the face off dot with Edmonton winning 56% of the draws. 

Second period

The Blackhawks came out of the first intermission with a sense of purpose, admittedly something they lacked in the last three games. After some pressure early from the Blackhawks, they were rewarded.

Just after the four-minute mark in the period, the Blackhawks and Oilers lined up to Smith’s right for a face off in the Edmonton zone. Dylan Strome won a critical faceoff after a bit of a scrum for the puck. After Strome gained possession, he found Patrick Kane, who had yet to move from his starting position, and Kane buried the puck past Smith after a little backhand-forehand motion.

Patrick Kane (@88PKane) isn't even a center and he owns the face-off dot. pic.twitter.com/DXSSUVsAA7

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

Not long after, Andrew Shaw set the tone for the period. After defenseman Joel Persson was mesmerized by Kane behind the net, he did not see Shaw coming from his weak side. Shaw delivered a clean, hard hit to Persson, knocking him straight to the ice. Persson’s teammates did not like the Shaw hit and took exception. Ultimately, Jujhar Khaira took a roughing penalty for going after Shaw.

BRUH pic.twitter.com/5ldfitthC4

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Despite the power play opportunity, the Blackhawks could not capitalize, keeping the score dormant at 1–0. 

Both teams traded power plays for much of the remainder of the period. With about four minutes left in the period, Brandon Saad nearly had a beautiful goal after he danced around an Edmonton defender. Saad took the puck hard to the net after gaining the inside on an Oiler defender, but ultimately hit the post. The goal would have been highlight-reel material for the power forward.

With just under three minutes remaining, the Oilers looked like they tied the game. Despite the optimistic call, the goal was waived off for goaltender interference. Connor McDavid had speed around Connor Murphy and took the puck to the net. Crawford stopped the initial bid, but McDavid continued into Crawford, causing the puck to cross the line, therefore resulting in the no-goal call.

Chicago was able to take their lead into the second intermission. The Blackhawks looked much better in the second period for the first time in this young 2019–20 season. 

NBC Sports Chicago broadcaster Pat Boyle mentioned at the end of the period that Jeremy Colliton challenged his team to be better in the middle frame and it is safe to confidently say they did just that. A 17-shot period for the Blackhawks gave them the 27–18 shots on goal advantage.

Third period

The Blackhawks brought the same energy out in the third period as they did in the second. The Blackhawks’ defense was all over the Oilers early. 

Just under seven minutes into the period, the Blackhawks’ effort paid off. The fourth line was out on the ice against McDavid and young Alexander Nylander made an excellent play against the Edmonton superstar. 

As McDavid went to bring the puck up the ice, Nylander was there to take away the puck from McDavid. Ryan Carpenter pushed the puck up the ice and Nylander was all over it. He gained possession just to the left of Smith and hesitated slightly to get Smith out of position. Nylander made Smith pay, and wired a beautiful shot past the goaltender to give the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead.

Five hole and goal! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/i8BliaweuM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Quickly following the goal, the Blackhawks were sent to the power play after a poor offensive zone penalty by Khaira. However, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize.

With 8:45 remaining in the period, Strome had an excellent opportunity in front of Edmonton’s crease. As the second line dominated possession in the Edmonton zone, Shaw was able to get the puck to Kane behind the net, as Kane slid the puck away from the scrum and finessed it out in front. Strome had an opportunity after a Kane pass, but Smith beat Strome with an excellent save to keep the deficit at two for the Oilers.

The period was a chippy one, as Calvin de Haan and McDavid exchanged pleasantries after a solid check by de Haan.

No love at all rn pic.twitter.com/XIDDQthFnK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

With just over two minutes remaining, the Oilers were able to take advantage of a six-on-four power play. James Neal scored his eighth goal of the young season for the Oilers after a nice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to find him back door. 

It's Real Deal James Neal (@jneal_18) with goal No. 8 on the season. pic.twitter.com/XjE9pHBp5l

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

With just over 30 seconds remaining, David Kampf made an excellent play on the wall in the Blackhawks zone to get the puck down the ice. With the goalie pulled, Saad gained possession deep in the Edmonton zone and dished the puck back to Jonathan Toews. Toews’ shot was blocked by Nugent-Hopkins and Kampf’s follow up shot was denied too. However, Saad found the puck laying in the blue paint and tapped it into the empty net to give the Blackhawks the 3–1 win.

Brandon Saad seals the deal for the #Blackhawks with a well-deserved empty-net goal. Chicago wins 3-1 pic.twitter.com/CHw3J4IOt2

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 15, 2019

Quick hits:

• D-D-Defense! — The defense looked spectacular on Monday night. It finally felt like the pairings were the way they should be. Keith and Murphy played well together (more on that in a minute), Gustafsson found his ideal partner in de Haan and the Maatta-Seabrook pairing continued to play well. This feels like the first time in a while that the defense is actually…good?
• An “A” for effort! — The team’s effort was outstanding against Edmonton. The Blackhawks’ forecheck was constantly in the face of Oilers defenders and made it difficult to play against. That high level of energy is what it is going to take for this team to win games. Now that there are more “grit” and “energy” players in the lineup, this could be an identity the Blackhawks adopt: be aggressive, be energetic and be a pain to play against.
• Oh my Nylander! — Despite looking lost in the first period and barely seeing the ice in the second, Nylander scored the game-winning goal on Monday night. Nylander seemed to find his step on the fourth line in the third period, playing with a lot of energy and being rewarded with a goal on a hustle play that saw him strip McDavid and outhustle defenders to get to the puck. If Nylander can contribute in a limited role, he could prove very valuable to the team’s depth.
• Where’s McDavid? — Fans did not hear McDavid’s name called all that much on the broadcast Monday night. He was almost non-existent. Specifically, the Keith-Murphy pairing did an excellent job against McDavid’s line and played excellent during the 23-plus minutes that both players played. The recipe for success against the Oilers is to shut down their stars and the Blackhawks did exactly that on Monday.
• I love Calvin de Haan — De Haan has brought a lot of assets to the Blackhawks that they have lacked since Niklas Hjalmarsson was traded a few years ago. He plays strong defense, is not afraid of contact, has a great stick in his own zone and can avoid taking big hits that result in players falling out of position. Plainly said, as the author of this piece, I love Calvin de Haan. 

The Blackhawks will be off until Friday when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks win first game, deliver Oilers first loss appeared first on The Rink.

Head coach Jeremy Colliton chose to go with veteran Corey Crawford in goal for this first game, but Robin Lehner could have easily made the start as well. Even former Chicago goaltender Dominik Hasek (who dropped the ceremonial puck) looked like he could have suited up.

This was your Blackhawks starting lineup:
Alex Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw
Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Zack Smith — Ryan Carpenter — Drake Caggiula

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek — Dennis Gilbert

Brendan Perlini and Calvin de Haan were scratches for the Blackhawks.

Period one
Both teams were very sloppy to open their seasons, which might have something to do with the several hour time differences they both experienced. This sloppiness was evident with the Blackhawks’ first power play of the season at the 3:16 mark. They were barely able to get the puck into the Flyers’ zone, much less generate any actual offensive pressure.

The sloppiness was even more egregious with the first goal of the game, scored by Travis Konecny. Defenseman Dennis Gilbert had a rough time breaking the puck out of his own end and panicked. Konecny picked up Gilbert’s flubbed pass and went in one-on-one with Crawford. The Philly forward wasted no time snapping a shot under Crawford’s glove and into the back of the net.

The Flyers lead did not last long, though. A minute and twenty seconds after the Konecny goal, new Blackhawks wing Alex Nylander picked up a Philadelphia neutral-zone turnover and drove up the center of the ice. Nylander changed the angle of his shot by pulling the puck behind the defender’s leg and snapped it past Carter Hart.

The goal was definitely a good sign for Blackhawks fans concerned about the Jokiharju-Nylander trade earlier this summer.

Let’s have another look at that, shall we?#BlackhawksAbroad pic.twitter.com/3GTOrSmEef

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 4, 2019

Toward the latter part of the period, the offense really opened up for both teams, but the goaltenders held their ground, putting on an early-season goaltending show. The Flyers held the lead in shots 13–10 as the teams headed to the locker room for the first intermission.

Period two
Dennis Gilbert did not let the first-period turnover get him down, as he made a few really nice defensive plays in the Blackhawks’ end of the ice to begin the second period. Crawford also continued his goaltending show with a few tough saves early on as well.

At the 4:42 mark, Duncan Keith took a penalty to put the Blackhawks on the penalty kill. Last year’s 31st-ranked penalty kill looked just as bad as it did to finish last season. An odd-man break turned into a power play goal when Oskar Lindblom snapped a nicely placed shot over Crawford’s glove, hitting the post. Unfortunately, the puck hit Slater Koekkoek and bounced into the net for Chicago’s second “sad trombone” moment of the game.

Thanks bud. #FlyOrDie | #NHLGlobalSeries pic.twitter.com/0BByj5s3aR

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 4, 2019

A Brent Seabrook delay of game penalty put the Blackhawks right back on the penalty kill at 9:14. This time, though, the Blackhawks were able to avoid having to dig the puck out of the back of their own net, increasing their penalty kill percentage to 50%.

Both teams took penalties in the final few minutes of the middle period, which treated the fans to some four-on-four hockey. The Flyers were the first to strike with the extra on-ice space. Konecny scored his second of the game as he pulled the puck around Duncan Keith and roofed a backhander over Crawford’s glove.

Just as everyone thought the Blackhawks would go into the second intermission down 3–1, newly extended Alex DeBrincat one-timed a Patrick Kane feed on the power play past Hart to cut the Flyers lead back down to one goal at 3–2 with 12.2 seconds remaining. Shot totals heavily favored the Flyers 15–8 in the second period and 28–18 through two periods.

Feed the Cat#BlackhawksAbroad pic.twitter.com/3WRZxZDxjP

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 4, 2019

Period three
Neither team was shy about pressing the offense as the third period began. The wide-open play made for several tense moments, but the goalies were able to bail their respective teams out. Crawford was the first to buckle in the third period, though.

Just before the 10-minute mark of the third period, Philly’s Michael Raffl made the Blackhawks pay for some soft defense by wrapping around the net and banking the puck off the inside of Crawford’s leg and into the net. Chicago was actually leading in shots on net 7–5 at this point.

With two minutes remaining and the goalie pulled, Kane used a screen by Andrew Shaw to beat Hart and cut the Flyers lead down to one goal. Unfortunately, this would all the Blackhawks could muster, as they ran out of time and closed out their trip with a 4–3 loss after getting out shot 38–31.

The Blackhawks return to the United Center to face the San Jose Sharks at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Pluses

• Alex Nylander scoring his first Blackhawks goal in his first game with Chicago will keep the fans off his back for a little bit.

Minuses

• The face off problems continued for the Blackhawks, as they won only 38% (22–58). Jonathan Toews and David Kampf were a combined 12–23.
• It only took until the third period for Jeremy Colliton to fire up his line blender. He swapped Nylander and Drake Caggiula and rearranged the defensive pairs as well.
• Corey Crawford was hot and cold. He gave up several glove-side shots that he probably should have made.
• The defense and the penalty kill look eerily similar to the terrible ones that finished last season.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks drop opener to Flyers in Prague appeared first on The Rink.

The lineup featured some extra players, as both squads agreed to it beforehand. The lines looked mostly like this, with Anton Wedin coming in as the 13th forward and Dennis Gilbert slating in as the seventh defenseman in the lineup:

Alexander Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw
Drake Caggiula — Ryan Carpenter — Brendan Perlini
Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Anton Wedin

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek — Carl Dahlstrom
Dennis Gilbert

Corey Crawford — Robin Lehner

Kirby Dach, Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy and Zack Smith were all scratches from today’s action.

The post Blackhawks take to bigger ice, get better results appeared first on The Rink.

On the 21st night of September, the lines for the matchup were as follows:

Nylander – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Strome – Shaw

Saad – Wedin – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Caggiula

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

Murphy – Koekkoek

Lehner

First period:

With only a few regulars in the Bruins’ lineup, the Blackhawks took over early into the first few minutes of the game. Three minutes into the contest, Brandon Saad drew a hooking call and the power play came up with some good opportunities, including a goal. Dylan Strome buried a puck Alex DeBrincat put on net and the home team opened the scoring.

ORDER UP: One greasy power play goal #CHIvsBOS pic.twitter.com/851AP1vgZF

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Just a few minutes later, newcomer Robin Lehner made a spectacular save on a two on one to preserve the Blackhawks’ lead. The Bruins picked up their pace after that stop and had a few good scoring opportunities in the first period.

Midway through the frame, Bruins goaltender Maxime Lagace came streaking out of his net as Patrick Kane went after the puck, taking a great scoring chance away from the Blackhawks. The home team had another great scoring chance when Slater Koekkoek flipped a shot from a tough angle. Somehow, the it did not cross the goal line before a Bruin defender cleared the puck away to keep it a one goal game.

The Blackhawks took their 1–0 lead with a 13–10 shot advantage into the first intermission at the United Center.

Second period:

The beginning of the second frame started just as the first did: a lot of good chances for the Blackhawks but nothing to show for them. The Bruins took advantage and found some quality zone time, but Lehner kept the home team afloat.

About four minutes into the period, the visitors hard work paid off, earning a penalty shot after a flurry of saves by Lehner and Connor Murphy covering his hand over the puck. Ryan Fitzgerald showed off some skill, placing a perfect shot just to the right of Lehner to tie the game at 1–1.

On their second power play of the game, the Blackhawks had a few good chances, most notably a tip in attempt by Kane that barely missed the net. Despite being unsuccessful this time around, the power play looks just as good as it did for much of the second half of last season.

However, Boston dominated most of the middle frame of this contest, forcing Lehner to make a surplus of great stops to keep the home team in the game. He held his own and looked much like the goaltender fans have expected him to be.

Late in the frame, the Blackhawks’ third line went to work in the offensive zone. Brandon Saad moved the puck along the boards and passed it back to Anton Wedin behind the net. Wedin then flipped it back to Saad, who slipped it behind Lagace to put Chicago ahead 2–1.

Give and GOAL!#KneelBeforeSaad pic.twitter.com/oeEHceQTWf

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Despite getting outshot 17–13 in the second period, the Blackhawks headed into the second intermission with a one goal lead.

Third period:

The ice remained tilted in favor of the Boston Bruins to begin the third period as the game opened up and the Blackhawks took their first penalty of the game. All the momentum was stifled by the home team’s successful efforts with a man down, including forcing the visitors to ice the puck on their own power play.

Play slowed in the middle of the period with neither team allowing much past the neutral zone. The Blackhawks picked up their pace around the 11 minute mark, forcing the new Boston netminder, Kyle Keyser, to stop some grade A scoring chances.

The Blackhawks had an opportunity to take the lead on their third power play of the game. After a couple of good scoring opportunities, Boston rushed up the ice shorthanded with Erik Gustafsson defending and Par Lindholm tied up the game 2–2.

With nothing else happening in the final minutes of regulation, the Blackhawks and Bruins headed into overtime.

Overtime:

To begin the overtime period, the Blackhawks rolled out the usual trio of Kane, Jonathan Toews and Gustafsson. On a partial two on one, Kane had a prime scoring chance but could not get the shot off due to a stick check by Anders Bjork.

Both teams had multiple chances to end the game, but Keyser and Lehner both made spectacular saves. Of course, the game winning goal had to be a weird one. Murphy one timed a puck that Keyser stopped with his shoulder, but the puck took a weird bounce off Kane’s chin. He found it heading toward the net and shoved it just enough for it to cross the goal line.

The Blackhawks won the game 3–2 and earned their second victory of the preseason.

Quick hits:

• How Swede it could be: Alexander Nylander has seriously impressed throughout camp on the top line with Kane and Toews. He had a few great chances in this preseason contest and continues to make his case for being on the opening night roster. Wedin also showed off during this game, assisting on the second Blackhawks goal and getting an opportunity on the penalty kill next to Toews. He could be another option at center on the third line.
• Steady Lehnny: After a shaky first appearance in the preseason, Lehner bounced back with a fantastic showing against Boston tonight. He stopped 39 shots and faced 34 scoring chances. He moved well in his crease and made some spectacular stops throughout the game. Lehner remained poised in net and looked like himself. Safe to say, Chicago probably does not have to worry about him moving forward.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago to play the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat Bruins in overtime 3–2 appeared first on The Rink.

A look at new #Blackhawks scoreboard with live in-game stats: pic.twitter.com/I0tdIPNEFP

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 19, 2019

In typical preseason fashion, more of the stars play in the home games than in the road games. Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat both played last night in Detroit, so they were off tonight. The lines were as follows:

Nylander – Toews – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

D. Sikura – Highmore – Saarela

Hakkarainen – T. Sikura – Hagel

Keith – Boqvist

Maatta – Seabrook

Gilbert – Holm

Crawford

First period:

As fans settled into their seats and continually gazed at the brand new scoreboard, the Blackhawks trotted out the top line to start the game. Alexander Nylander won the lottery for the game, starting on the left wing with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. 

Roughly five minutes into the contest, Toews had the best opportunity of the early minutes with a partial breakaway. Unfortunately, after a spectacular forehand backhand move, Toews could not finish and the game remained deadlocked at 0–0.

Later in the period, with about five minutes remaining, the Red Wings earned a power play after a Dennis Gilbert hooking penalty. However, the Blackhawks were able to escape without any damage from the Red Wings’ man advantage. 

But, another power play chance for the Red Wings spelled trouble for the Blackhawks. With just under two minutes remaining in the period, Detroit forward Filip Zadina placed a shot toward the net from the right slot. The shot never made it to the net. Instead, after a Seabrook block, the shot bounced perfectly onto the stick of Taro Hirose at the left face off dot. Hirose finished the play and scored the opening goal of the game for the visitors. 

The Red Wings took their 1–0 lead, as well as a 10–6 shots on goal advantage, into the first intermission at 1901 W. Madison St. 

Second period:

Right out the gate, the Red Wings generated the first good opportunity of the period. Joe Veleno found himself wide open on Crawford’s right side. Valeno placed a shot up near Crawford’s shoulder, but the Chicago netminder was able to make a solid save and keep the young forward off the scoresheet.

Roughly two minutes after the Veleno chance, the Blackhawks finally took advantage of a Red Wings mistake. After Tyler Sikura dumped the puck in deep, Detroit goalie Jonathan Bernier mishandled the puck behind the net. Brandon Hagel was able to steal the puck below the goal line after an aggressive forecheck and jam the puck toward the net. The puck squeaked through Bernier, who was not completely set in his net, and tied the game at 1–1.

Cleanup crew cleans up!#CHIvsDET pic.twitter.com/56Cf5QWnhk

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

Just after the halfway point of the period, the Blackhawks struck again. A Toews outlet pass from the defensive zone found Nylander at the near blue line. Nylander gave the puck to Kane at the red line and Kane found some space in the offensive zone. The Red Wings were concentrating on the three Chicago forwards and completely forgot about Duncan Keith, who jumped into the play. Kane found Keith and the two time Norris Trophy winner found the back of the net with his shot to give the Blackhawks the 2–1 lead.

88 and 2… feels like these two are developing some chemistry.#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/UDSrcPM3hj

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

The Blackhawks entered intermission with the one goal lead over their Original Six foe.

Third period:

The best chance of the third period came at around the seven minute mark. Adam Boqvist danced around a defender in beautiful fashion—dragging the puck between his legs in the process—and placed a light shot toward Bernier’s glove side, but was unable to capitalize on the attempt.

Adam Boqvist is a defenseman: Part 2 pic.twitter.com/Tkv9sxTzlg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

The Blackhawks continued to pepper Bernier with shots all night long. Detroit had a few quality chances, but each time Crawford stood tall and made the big save. 

The Red Wings tried to tie the game late in the third with the extra attacker but could not find a way past Crawford. The Blackhawks sealed the 2–1 lead and captured their first preseason win at the United Center.

Quick hits:

• The Crow’s nest: Corey Crawford looked really strong in his first preseason action. He is certainly still a question mark, given his recent injury history, but if he can sustain his top level of play for roughly 40 games, then he and Lehner will be the best goaltending duo in the league. After allowing only one goal on 24 shots, it is safe to say Crawford made an impact in his first preseason outing. 
• The lottery spot: Alexander Nylander hit the jackpot on Wednesday, flanking Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on Chicago’s top line. The young Swede picked up this third point of the preseason on Duncan Keith’s goal and is continuing to make the front office’s decision very hard in about 10 days or so. He has played very well and will likely get a chance to prove himself on the opening day roster for the Blackhawks. Maybe a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered for the younger Nylander brother.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago and await the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST and can be seen on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat Red Wings 2–1 in preseason home opener appeared first on The Rink.

Parts of the series

Introduction

Tiers one and two

Tier three

Tier four

Tier five

Tier six

Complete tier listings with our panel’s original average tier ratings (* represents a unanimous rating from the panel)

Tier one

Adam Boqvist (1*)
Kirby Dach (1*)

Tier two

Ian Mitchell (1.833)
Nicolas Beaudin (2.333)

Tier three

Alex Vlasic (2.833)
Alex Nylander (3)
Dominik Kubalik (3.167)
Philipp Kurashev (3.167)
Chad Krys (3.333)
Jake Wise (3.5)
Alexis Gravel (4)

Tier four

Evan Barratt (3.5)
MacKenzie Entwistle (3.667)
Aleksi Saarela (3.833)
Josiah Slavin (3.833)
Dennis Gilbert (4)
Matthew Highmore (4)
Kevin Lankinen (4)
Niklas Nordgren (4)
John Quenneville (4*)
Michal Teply (4)
Lucas Carlsson (4.167)
Tim Soderlund (4.167)
Alexandre Fortin (4.333)

Tier five

Brandon Hagel (4.333)
Antti Saarela (4.333)
Dominic Basse (4.5)
Artur Kayumov (4.5)
Josh Ess (4.667)
Jakub Galvas (4.833)
Mikael Hakkarainen (4.833)
Reese Johnson (4.833)
Cole Moberg (4.833)
Andrei Altybarmakyan (5.167)
Ivan Nalimov (5.167)
Joni Tuulola (5.167)

Tier six

Mathias From (5.333)
Roope Laavainen (5.333)
Ryan Shea (5.333)
Parker Foo (5.5)
Jake Ryczek (5.5)
Nathan Noel (5.667)
Graham Knott (5.833)

Note: Our panel discovered at a later date Jack Ramsey had been omitted from the series and agreed Ramsey falls into tier six.

The post RECAP: The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers appeared first on The Rink.

In usual preseason fashion, the Blackhawks only dressed a few regulars for the road matchup against the Capitals. The lines were as follows:

Quenneville – Carpenter – Perlini

Nylander – Kampf – Saarela

D. Sikura – Highmore – Wedin

McLaughlin – Nilsson – Versteeg

Gilbert – Boqvist

Koekkoek – Gustafsson

Dahlstrom – Beaudin

Delia

First period:

The early portion of the first period was not full of much excitement. Neither team was able to generate any meaningful offense. With both teams sitting many key players and it being the first game of the season, it was expected that the game would begin slow. 

However, at the 7:20 mark in the first period, the Blackhawks finally got it going. A nice play on the boards by the highly controversial winger Alexander Nylander led to an open pass from the young Swede to fellow Swede Erik Gustafsson. Gustafsson ripped a big slap shot on net and Aleksi Saarela got just enough on the shot to redirect the chance and get credit for the tally. 

The Blackhawks' first (preseason) goal of the 2019-20 season belongs to Aleksi Saarela! pic.twitter.com/9idGOa5q6c

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) September 16, 2019

The Blackhawks took the 1–0 advantage into the first intermission in Washington without anything getting past goaltender Collin Delia. The Blackhawks also took their 11–6 shots on goal advantage into the intermission as well. 

Second period:

The second period opened up with the Capitals finally putting a shot past Delia. After the Capitals dug a puck out from behind the net, the puck ended up on the stick of defenseman Tyler Lewington. Lewington was only able to get a weak shot off toward the net, but Washington first round pick Connor McMichael slid a beautiful backhand pass to Damien Riat, who tied the game.

About two minutes after the opening goal for the home team, Nylander scored his first goal in a Blackhawks uniform. Adam Boqvist put a shot on net with no net front presence of any kind, possibly looking for a rebound. Right before the puck made it to the net, Nylander was able to get a stick on the low shot, corral the puck and finish off a backhand shot to give the Blackhawks the lead once again. 

Nylander gets on the board for #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Racqd8GeTd

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) September 17, 2019

Sadly, the 2–1 lead did not last for long. Roughly three minutes after Nylander’s tally, the Capitals capitalized (pun fully intended) on a power play opportunity. After a failed clearing attempt by the Blackhawks’ penalty kill, Washington kept it in and put the puck into the slot. Aliaksei Protas, from the slot, found a wide open Travis Boyd on the left wing faceoff dot and he buried the chance to tie the game at two apiece.

The 2–2 draw did not last either, as both teams traded goals in the early half of the period. This time, Protas was the beneficiary of a rebound chance from Beck Malenstyn and recorded his second point of the night to give the home team a 3–2 lead. The Capitals’ third goal came just over a minute after the equalizer. 

Despite the rally from the Capitals, the Blackhawks refused to go away easily. Just before the 13 minute mark of the period, Matthew Highmore was able to get a pass to Dylan Sikura in the offensive zone. Sikura attempted a shot on net, but the puck bounced toward the right wing boards where Boqvist picked it up. Boqvist batted the puck a few times in mid air, brought the puck under control and walked out from behind the net to Copley’s right side and fired a rocket over Copley’s left shoulder. The goal was Boqvist’s first of the preseason and tied the game at three each.

.@BoqvistAdam is a defenseman pic.twitter.com/A8NnM68CgJ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 17, 2019

The Blackhawks showed resilience, responding after two quick goals by the home team, which is an excellent sight to see, even in the preseason. Not only was the score deadlocked, but each team had 19 shots on goal through two periods as well.

Third period:

The final frame of regulation played out very differently than that of the second period. Rather than both teams trading goals as they did in the middle frame, both teams buckled down defensively and did not allow the opposing team to score the potential game winning goal. 

There were a few quality chances during the period. However, neither team capitalized on power play chances or at five on five. The game required overtime to decide a winner. 

Overtime:

The overtime frame was just as exciting as one would hope. Early in the frame, the Capitals had a two on one opportunity but could not capitalize on the chance.

The best chance of the night for the Blackhawks came via a stretch pass from Nylander, who was very involved in this game. Nylander found Gustafsson at the opposing blue line before he found an open Ryan Carpenter, who had a breakaway from the blue line in. However, Carpenter could not convert on the chance.

Later in the overtime frame, after some sustained pressure by the Capitals, bulldozing forward Tom Wilson was able to dip his shoulder on Sikura and tuck the puck past Delia to give the Washington Capitals the 4–3 overtime win against the Blackhawks.

Quick hits:

• The kid with the blonde hair: Alex Nylander was very good in this game. He was all over the ice offensively, contributing a goal and an assist, and also showed off a beautiful stretch pass during the overtime period. Despite a brutal showing at the Blackhawks’ prospect camp, Nylander seems to have rebounded nicely entering actual game action. If Nylander continues to look like this during the preseason, there is a very good chance he gets a chance on the opening night roster. 
• Boqvist will be the real deal: The young Swede looked like a superstar with the puck on his stick. His goal said it all, as Boqvist was able to bat the puck out of mid air, control it and walk to the front of the net before ending the play with a snipe to the top corner of the net. There is zero doubt Boqvist is going to be a star in the NHL, but the moral of the story is that he should not be rushed. Let him do that all year in Rockford and, if need be, bring him up if he earns it or due to injury.

The Blackhawks jet off to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcasted on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall to Capitals in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

Our series continues today with tier three, defined as a prospect seen as a middle six forward, second pairing defenseman or backup goalie.

As explained in the introduction piece, each eligible prospect in the system was rated by our staff panel before ultimately being debated to agree on a tier. Each prospect’s original rating average is listed in parentheses after their name, along with a brief synopsis of why they fell in the tier they did.

Players are listed in order of original rating average, with any ties being sorted alphabetically by last name.

Alex Vlasic (2.833)

The cousin of San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the Wilmette, Illinois, native was selected by his hometown team in the second round this June. Vlasic boasts a massive frame for someone his age being listed at 6-foot-6 and 198 pounds. Vlasic has shown an ability to use his size to his advantage, especially in terms of breaking up plays with his reach and blocking shots. As part of the high powered US National Team Development Program over the past two years, Vlasic was relied on more so as a defensive defenseman. However, the big blue liner does have the ability to chip in from the back end thanks to his good vision and slap shot. Vlasic will head to Boston University to join the Terriers, where he will likely spend at least a couple of years before turning pro. Vlasic, who some considered to be a bit of a steal at the draft, could slot into Chicago’s top four in the future if he can develop into a bonafide shutdown defenseman. While he has a bigger frame than former Blackhawk Niklas Hjalmarsson, Vlasic could be the long awaited replacement for the three-time Stanley Cup champion.

The Blackhawks selected Wilmette, Illinois, native Alex Vlasic in the second round in 2019. Vlasic will play at Boston University in 2019–20. (Photograph courtesy of Hickling Images)

Alex Nylander (3)

Nylander, who is the brother of William Nylander of Toronto and son of former Blackhawk Michael Nylander, was acquired by Chicago earlier this summer from Buffalo in exchange for 2017 first round pick Henri Jokiharju. Alex was the eighth overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the majority of his time since then playing for the Rochester Americans in the AHL. The Calgary-born Swede possesses an undeniable amount of offensive skill and flair, but has been surrounded with questions about his intensity and desire. Nylander joins a growing list of recent reclamation projects for Stan Bowman, who hopes the Nylander experiment will turn out more like Dylan Strome than David Rundblad. Nylander’s style is clearly suited for a top six role, but, if he is unable to put his game together, could end up being more like Dylan Sikura has been recently in not quite being able to handle the top six load but also not fitting in as a bottom six player. Though the Blackhawks have a wealth of young talent on the back end, Nylander will need to prove his services were worth jettisoning Jokiharju, who seems primed for a lengthy career as a top four NHL defenseman.

Chicago acquired Alex Nylander from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Henri Jokiharju this summer. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Dominik Kubalik (3.167)

Kubalik joins Chicago’s organization for 2019–20 after being acquired in January from Los Angeles in exchange for a fifth round pick. Originally a 2013 seventh round pick of the Kings, Kubalik tore up the Swiss National League in 2018–19, leading the league with 57 points in 50 games. The Czech Republic native will look to translate his production to North America, where he has not played since 2013–14 in the Ontario Hockey League. Kubalik has been a mainstay on Czech teams at international tournaments, including representing his country in the 2018 Winter Olympics. The 6-foot-2, 179-pound winger also enjoyed a breakout showing at the 2019 World Championships, scoring six goals and adding six assists in 10 games. Kubalik, who is on a one year contract with the Blackhawks, is expected to be in Chicago’s lineup this season. While he could become a standout player if he is able to produce as he did in Switzerland, Kubalik will likely be more along the lines of this year’s Dominik Kahun if he pans out, being someone who can play up and down the lineup and contribute offensively in a supporting role.

Dominik Kubalik will make his North American professional debut in 2019–20 after dominating the Swiss National League in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of Getty Images)

Philipp Kurashev (3.167)

Kurashev has been a pleasant surprise thus far in his development, quickly rising up the ranks in Chicago’s system. The Blackhawks drafted Kurashev in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and the Switzerland native has since done nothing but impress regardless of the level of play. In 59 games for the Quebec Remparts, he scored 29 goals and added 36 helpers for career best marks in both goals and points in his junior career. Kurashev particularly stood out on the international stage, with the World Junior Championships highlighting his showings for his country. A regular for Swiss national teams, Kurashev lit it up to lead the tournament with six goals in seven games and finished with seven points. Following his junior season coming to a close, Kurashev made the jump to Rockford, where he played three games for the IceHogs. Kurashev is expected to return to Rockford’s lineup for 2019–20, where he will likely be among the team’s go-to offensive weapons. Though Kurashev has not yet proven himself professionally, his development is trending in the right direction and it appears he could have a successful middle six role in the NHL down the road.

Philipp Kurashev will play in his first full professional season in 2019–20 after finishing last season with the Rockford IceHogs. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Chad Krys (3.333)

Like a couple of other players already covered in the series, Krys may be a player who would best be suited by moving to another organization. The offensive defenseman was once at the top of Chicago’s blue line prospects, but has since dropped down the list with the drafting of other high end defensemen who excel offensively. Drafted in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Krys spent three seasons playing at Boston University to continue his development. In his time as a Terrier, the Connecticut native posted 58 points in 105 games, including 20 points in 30 games last season as an alternate captain. Upon finishing his collegiate season, Krys signed with the Blackhawks and joined the Rockford IceHogs, playing nine games while tallying four assists. The 5-foot-11, 185 pound defender boasts strong skating and passing abilities, but would likely need to be paired with a reliable partner at the NHL level to cover for his defensive deficiencies. The majority of our panel believes Krys will become an everyday NHL player, but, as mentioned previously, his path would likely be easier in another organization. Krys will return to Rockford for the 2019–20 season on a stacked IceHogs blue line.

Chad Krys joined the IceHogs late in the 2018–19 season after spending three years at Boston University. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Jake Wise (3.5)

Wise is among the Blackhawks’ most intriguing forward prospects both because of his skill but also because of a seeming mystique around him. The Naples, Florida, native has missed time with injuries in each of his last two seasons—2017–18 with the US National Team Development Program and 2018–19 at Boston University—which has prevented him from showing what he is capable of when at full health. Once considered a potential first round pick option in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago scooped up Wise in the third round. Wise is hard to miss on the ice for that reason: He is good at making defenders miss. He uses his speed and high end stickhandling to elude defenders in tight spaces. Additionally, Wise is responsible defensively, which will help his cause as he moves up the ranks. While our panel was a bit mixed on Wise, his talent is undeniable, and, if he can stay healthy and progress in his development, could turn into a draft day steal in a middle six type of role in the future. The 5-foot-10 centerman will return to the Terriers for 2019–20.

Jake Wise will return to Boston University for 2019–20 looking to put together a full season after playing just 12 games last year. (Photograph courtesy of Boston University Athletics)

Alexis Gravel (4)

Gravel’s initial vote rating indicates a spot in the fourth tier, but upon reconsidering our tiers in terms of goaltenders, our panel decided Gravel was better suited for tier three, as the group believes Gravel will be in NHL blue paint in the future. Once considered a top goaltending prospect for the 2018 draft class, the Blackhawks snagged the German native in the sixth round after a somewhat disappointing 2017–18 season with the Halifax Mooseheads. However, Gravel has done nothing but impress since being drafted, putting together a breakout 2018–19 campaign with Halifax, posting a goals against average of 2.49 and save percentage of .913, both of which were career best marks. Gravel then upped his game in the postseason, recording a .917 save percentage in 23 games, guiding his squad to second place finishes in both the QMJHL’s President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup. Boasting massive size in the goal at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Gravel is still quick and tracks pucks well in addition to being technically sound. Though still relatively early in his progression, Gravel looks as though he could be among the better goaltenders the Blackhawks have drafted and developed in the 21st century. The right handed netminder will return to the Mooseheads in 2019–20.

Alexis Gravel will return to the Halifax Mooseheads for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Vincent Ethier/CHL Images)

Stay tuned as The-Rink progresses up the ladder in its Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers, part four appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” step back into the dusty Rink podcast studio to discuss the prospect camp and the Blackhawks fan convention with staff writers Mario Tirabassi and Aaron Goldschmidt.

• Blackhawks traded Artem Anisimov to Ottawa for Zack Smith
• Thoughts on Development camp
• Fan convention came and went.
• Chris Kunitz retires and joins the Blackhawks player development staff
• New jersey leak?
• Ian Mitchell corner, Brent Seabrook’s trial, Gus’s garage, Sekac street.
• We are only scratching the surface.  Many good things and guests to come!!!!
• We wrap with The-Rink #RinkratPuckBag segment.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 56 – Gus bus to Camp Colliton appeared first on The Rink.

Colliton, entering his first full NHL season as the Blackhawks’ head coach, has a much different vantage point of camp this summer compared to last and Bowman has made moves that seemingly have improved the Blackhawks on paper heading into 2019–20. Wednesday, they gave their thoughts on where the current group of prospects fit into Chicago’s future.

Bowman, Colliton weigh in on development camp

Bowman entered the media room to address development camp. For the first time in a while, the Blackhawks have more than a small handful of players that have high ceilings and high potential at the next level. For Bowman, he made sure to single out at least four players continuously throughout his 20-minute scrum: Adam Boqvist, Kirby Dach, Ian Mitchell and Alexander Nylander.

Big surprise, right?

For Bowman, development camp is more of an opportunity for the players participating than it is for full evaluations from the coaching staff.

“The big thing for us is to watch these kids, how much they can absorb,” Bowman said. “We’re throwing a lot of information. These are long days for them to have seminars in the morning then they come over and do on-ice work, then they do off-ice work and at the beginning of the week we have a cooking demo for them to learn how to prepare food. So, at the end of the day, it’s a full day for them. So, it’s really for them to grow their games; it’s not so much for us to watch the evaluation.”

As far as players standing out, a few comments made by Bowman on the main four players give an idea of where the organization feels the four are at currently.

“He had a good introduction last year,” Bowman said of Boqvist. “In training camp I thought he fared pretty well, got in some exhibition games. He’s taken a big step, he had a big season. … He really got his game going from November on. I think it started a little bit slow, but for him it was just adjusting to North America and becoming used to the schedule, the pace of the play, smaller ice rink, living in North America is different than Sweden. I think he just seems more comfortable when I talk to him here; he’s a happy-go-lucky guy, but he’s taken that next step.”

Puck battle drills with Alex Nylander (white) and Adam Boqvist (red) #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/n1pfAAUPKz

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 16, 2019

“He’s an impressive kid,” Bowman said of Mitchell. “He’s going to be the captain at Denver (University) for a reason. He’s an articulate guy; he’s very team-oriented. You got to give him credit. He feels like there’s unfinished business and I think he’s committed to the team and committed to his teammates. He wants to lead that team and he wants to be, in his words, a difference-maker every night. I thought he had a great season last year and selfishly we think he’s ready to be a pro. … I remember talking to him at the end of the (2017) camp and I said, ‘You really opened our eyes with how far ahead you are relative to some of the other guys there.’ He was the youngest guy there at the camp and he was noticeable. Then, he comes back last year and he takes (a) step forward and here we are now. He’s very noticeable in these drills: just his quickness, how alert he is. He’s got offensive skills, but he also competes defensively. I think what we’re looking for him to do is build on that and become a dominant player like he wants to be. Yeah, we would love to have him as a pro right now, but I think he’s going to be a pro pretty soon. So, let him focus on his path. He has to believe in what he’s doing and it’s not for us to try to talk him in and out of things. Wherever he is, we’re going to support him. But, he’s ready to be a pro right now.”

Denver’s Ian Mitchell #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/xiyXz9dRZW

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 15, 2019

“It’s hard not to notice his skill level,” Bowman said of Dach. “He’s a big guy, but he’s got really soft hands; he’s got that long reach and he’s got a quick stick. He’s pretty tricky with the puck, he’s got the ability to hold it out so that guys can’t poke it away and if they try to get it he can pull it through and he’s got quick hands. And I think that’s what you notice. He skates well for a big guy. … These are all things that we liked about him when we drafted him, but when you get him here and put him up against guys that are a couple years older, he’s able to do some special things with the puck, so he’s got all the excitement to be on the ice, he’s a competitive kid, he’s focused, but he’s enjoying himself and he’s got a combination of attributes that we wish everybody had.”

“It was a great sign that he was eager to come,” Bowman said of Nylander. “It was pretty short notice when I talked to him the day of the trade and said, ‘We’d love to have you in Chicago if you can make it work.’ I think he did have a vacation plan, but he canceled that to come here, and that shows his desire to acclimate with our group right away. … His enthusiasm to be part of the group and he wants to get better—he’s very strong, but when you meet him off the ice, he just looks more developed than all these guys. He’s a big kid—he’s almost 200 pounds—so his physical strength is there. Now, it’s just trying to put it all together.”

Slavin (white) battles with Dach (red) #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/TjY9zsx1cg

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 17, 2019

Bowman also made note of players like Mackenzie Entwistle and his willingness to embrace his role and the skills set that will create his path to the NHL.

As more of a two-way player, Bowman stated he was impressed that Entwistle at a young age (just turning 20 years old the Sunday before camp) understood what he needed to do to be his best version. Bowman also mentioned the skating abilities of 2019 second round pick Alex Vlasic and how he has kept up to pace, even as being one of the youngest and biggest players in camp.

The buzz word of both Bowman and Colliton to the media was ‘versatility’ when discussing the moves that have been made this summer. Both made the point that the roster is much different than what it looked like at the end of last season.

“We’ve really increased the depth in our group, everywhere…I think we have more versatility to our team; we have guys—we have defenders who can play either side, we have guys who want to kill penalties and defend and take that role, we have forwards who can play different positions, kill penalties, play against good players, so we feel that’s what we were missing to our team,” Colliton said, piggy-backing off Bowman’s comments on Tuesday. “I think we’ve added a little bit of physicality and an edge, which we need to have that dimension. We have to win games in different ways, and I think if you compare the roster now to the one we ended with or the one we had when I first came in November, I think we can win in different ways and we’re prepared to have an excellent season, hopefully.”

Colliton expanded on the versatility of the roster’s current outlook.

“We want to be flexible with how we can build our lineup according to who we’re playing and being able to handle certain matchups,” Colliton said. “I’d like to be a little less reliant on certain players who can only play against the other team’s top players. We’d like to use more of our group. We want to have a flow to the team where we can play at a high pace and put pressure on teams over a 60-minute period, and you need depth in your roster. … We want to have more of the group able to play against anyone, and feel like we’re going to come out on the positive end of it. And, I think, not everyone’s going to have their best game every night. So, when you have players who can play left or right or center or left defense or right defense, then we can play the guys who are going. And the lineup isn’t as static. I think we made some major headway there.”

The Chicago Blackhawks signed goaltender Robin Lehner to a one-year, $5 million contract on July 1.

Another key focus of the roster turnover from last year to this upcoming season is the addition in net of goaltender Robin Lehner. The move came as a surprise to many in the Blackhawks’ fanbase, as it would have seemed penciled in that Corey Crawford and Collin Delia would be the defacto starter and backup heading into the summer. But, with the addition of a quality netminder like Lehner, there comes the question of workload in net and who may be the true starter.

“There’s going to be competition, certainly,” Colliton said of the goaltending situation. “But, I think you look at the teams that have had success; there has been a share, some sort of split. … Those games that maybe the traditionally the backup is playing, we need to win those, too. So now, whoever is in the net, we’re going to get an extremely high level of performance. And if we happen to be unlucky with injuries, we have some protection there, too.”

With Crawford reaching an older age, on top of his recent injury history, one could make the judgement that the split Colliton is referring to may be closer to 50-50 than most would have expected coming into the 2019–20 season.

Colliton made a point to dismiss any rumors that may have circulated that he was ‘anti-Jokiharju’ when the trade to acquire Nylander was announced by the team.

Henri Jokiharju skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Jan. 14, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Blackhawks 8–5. (Photograph courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

“I only offer my assessment of the players and, ultimately, it’s Stan that makes the call,” Colliton said. “I think there’s this idea that I’m down on Henri. Not at all. I mean he played half a season as a teenager in the NHL. Probably in a perfect world we wouldn’t have had to put him in that position, where he could have been in Rockford and able to really be playing the role that hopefully he can play down the road as being a top-pair D, trying to get to that level. … When you look at our group…we have some really good defensemen coming up. They’re a little bit smaller, a little more tilted toward the offensive side of the game. (Bowman) had an opportunity to add a guy like Nylander and felt like that was the route to go.”

The roster turnover this season in Chicago could rival some AHL-level teams with the amount of new faces joining the fold and the amount of roster spots that are seemingly available for the taking. If development camp is any indication, the players who are making their next steps closer to, or on the way into, the professional ranks in the near future are not going to be handed anything.

“We want it to be difficult to make the team,” Colliton said. “For a young player, it shouldn’t be easy. They are going to have to perform at a really high level to push someone out and that’s exactly what we want. Maybe they show that they can play at our level, but it’s still not our best roster. They can go to Rockford and continue to develop. … If we do end up with an injury or we need to shake things up, we have someone who can step in and make a difference. So that’s huge. Even among the veteran guys, we have some really good players here. There’s going to be competition for—whether it’s a roster spot or ice time or roles—I think all the great teams, they have that.”

The post Stan Bowman, Jeremy Colliton address Blackhawks camp on day three appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks development camp: Day one takeaways

The Blackhawks enter the development camp week having made a number of roster moves, both popular and unpopular among the fanbase, to shake up the group that finished six points out of the Western Conference postseason picture. With the changes made on paper, the NHL roster seems to be filling out quickly. But, General Manager Stan Bowman has made it seem that more moves may still be ahead as the summer continues. With the possibility of roster spots opening up to potential prospects, development camp has its share of intrigue around notable players like Adam Boqvist, Kirby Dach and Ian Mitchell.

The roster for camp is split into two teams, usually staying the same throughout the week. Heading into day one, here is how the Blackhawks divided up the roster into two teams:

Team A

• Kirby Dach
• Mackenzie Entwistle
• Brandon Hagel
• Mikael Hakkarainen
• Reese Johnson
• Philipp Kurashev
• Alexander Nylander
• Tim Soderlund
  • Did not skate on day one
• Jake Wise
• Nicolas Beaudin
• Adam Boqvist
• Jakub Galvas
• Chad Krys
• Ian Mitchell
• Alex Vlasic
• Dominic Basse
• Alexis Gravel
• Zackarias Skog
• Dominik Kubalik
  • Off-ice only

Team B

• Mathias From
• Dylan McLaughlin
• Kyle Olson
• Logan Ommen
• Antti Saarela
• Josiah Slavin
• Jonny Sorenson
• Michal Teply
• Josh Ess
• Roope Laavainen
• Cole Moberg
• Jake Ryczek
• Ryan Shea
• Devin Cooley
• Stefanos Lekkas
• Mareks Mitens
• Evan Barratt
  • Off-ice only
• Parker Foo
  • Off-ice only
• Niklas Nordgren
  • Off-ice only

It will be interesting to see if any changes will be made during the week or before Friday morning’s full-team scrimmage, as Team A is a bit more unbalanced as far as top-end talent goes than Team B is.

Team B began day one on the ice. With Barratt, Foo and Nordgren working out off the ice, the team’s on-ice workout was highlighted by college hockey prospects like Wisconsin’s Josh Ess, Northwestern’s Ryan Shea and Colorado College commit Josiah Slavin. The Blackhawks added to the mix Bolingbrook, Illinois, native Logan Ommen of the Janesville Jets in the NAHL.

For Barratt, working off the ice has not slowed down his confidence. Talking about his offseason, Barratt had right hip surgery about three months ago, but has already resumed skating workouts and says he will be ready for the upcoming NCAA season with Penn State. Barratt finished with 43 points last season, ranking in the top 15 of the NCAA. His 1.34 points per game pace was fourth-best in the NCAA last year.

Slavin and Ommen stood out in one-on-one drills, as did QMJHL defenseman Jake Ryczek. Saarela stood out from the group from a speed standpoint. From a physical tools standpoint, Ess and Slavin looked the parts of players who have developed their games from last year to this summer.

Ess, heading into his third year at Wisconsin, looks to be a key defensive player for a Badgers team that will bring in U.S. National Team Development Program standouts Cole Caufield, Owen Lindmark and Alex Turcotte. For Slavin, he will play for Colorado College next year after playing three years in the USHL.

Team A took the ice in the afternoon with the highlighted players of the week getting their first taste of the work ahead. Adam Boqvist, Kirby Dach, Ian Mitchell, Alexander Nylander and the like got their first work in and the levels of player development at the Junior and NCAA levels were highly evident.

Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist and Alexander Nylander meet with the media on day one of #Blackhawks development camp pic.twitter.com/hzjDD3Vl3v

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 15, 2019

The Team A session had a faster pace to their opening drills. Jake Wise, wearing a black practice sweater with no number, looked fast and healthy after missing most of last season at Boston University. 2019 draft picks Michal Teply, Alex Vlasic and Dach all had positive showings on day one. Vlasic and Dach’s size compared to last year’s top picks of Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin served as the physical representation of Stan Bowman’s shift in draft strategy from year to year, as the 2019 top picks stood tall over the 2018 crew.

Mackenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel, Reese Johnson, Chad Krys and Philipp Kurashev, all vying for ice time this season with the IceHogs, will be making their first full professional season debuts in Rockford this year. Much like the 2017–18 season, the young group of rookies expected in Rockford look quick early on and should pan out to provide the offensive spark that was missing from last year’s team.

Daily one-on-one: Chad Krys

Talking with Chad Krys after day one of development camp, the longest tenured prospect in camp this year talked with The-Rink about closing his NCAA career at Boston University, making the jump to the professional ranks and what he passes along to the next group of prospects coming up.

On being the “veteran” at development camp:

“Defintely feel like the veteran. A lot of new faces over the years and not a lot of familiar faces that have been here over the years, but yeah I feel a little bit older. Doesn’t feel like it’s been four years, but yeah, it’s different.”

On making the step up to the professional level:

“I thought it was important to get out there at the end of the season and play before the summer. Good to get some experience and get to meet everyone and get to know the systems and the day-to-day life. Obviously going from college to pro is a huge difference and I thought that (Rockford head) coach (Derek) King and the staff really helped me. I felt that I made a lot of strides in the nine games that I was there.”

Chad Krys defends on Reese Johnson, Brandon Hagel, and Alexander Nylander #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/JjNFu4ImIl

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 15, 2019

On taking his time developing through college:

“Most importantly, when you go to college you grow up, both on and off the ice. You get a lot of life experiences off the ice, away from the rink. I think it was really important for my development and I played with a lot of good players (at Boston) that are in the NHL or are going to be in the NHL pretty soon, so it was a great environment there and great place to grow as a player.”

On giving Alex Vlasic (headed to Boston University this year) advice about the college experience:

“Yeah, I’ll probably give him a few places to check out. I think the thing I try to tell all the guys is to enjoy it because once you leave, it’s over. You become a professional and it’s your livelihood. I try to tell them to enjoy it and learn as much as possible.”

On what expectations, if any, the Blackhawks have given him heading into this season:

“I think it’s expected you come into camp in shape and ready to go. Everybody is coming into camp and competing for a spot, and that’s what I’m going to do and I’m looking forward to it. You try to take as much as you can from, for example, my experience at the end of last year and what I can take from this camp here in Chicago. I’m training here and I’m working to make the (Blackhawks).”

More tomorrow on The-Rink!

The post Chicago Blackhawks development camp: Day one takeaways appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks development camp: Forwards

The Blackhawks made it a priority at this year’s NHL Entry Draft to get an impact forward with the third overall pick. Selecting Kirby Dach from the Saskatoon Blades, the Blackhawks finally have the marquee forward in their prospect system that they had lacked for the last handful of seasons. Dach will be the main focus in the forwards group, but players like Mackenzie Entwistle, Philipp Kurashev and newly acquired Alexander Nylander will have plenty of attention focused on them by fans and Blackhawks brass.

** Player will only participate in off-ice workouts
(camp jersey number)

• Evan Barratt (25) — Center, 2019–20 team: Penn State (NCAA) **
  • 2018–19: 16 goals, 27 assists, 43 points, +19
  • Barratt is at the top of the second tier of Blackhawks forward prospects in the system. A player who has a bit of scoring touch with an added bit of edge to his game, he took a big step forward last year in his second season with Penn State. If he can replicate his production this year, he could very well see a shot at NHL ice-time once his NCAA season ends next spring.
• Kirby Dach (77) — Center, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
  • 2018–19: 25 goals, 48 assists, 73 points, +15
  • As mentioned before, Dach is going to be the main attraction at camp this year. The highest NHL draft pick since Patrick Kane in 2007, Dach has a lot of intrigue and potential surrounding him. Questions still remain about what his role with the Blackhawks may end up being next season. Could he play in the NHL full-time or will he slide back to the WHL? If he impresses in development camp and training camp later in September, he could work his way into an NHL role with Chicago faster than most expect.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed 2019 first round draft pick Kirby Dach to a three-year entry-level contract on Monday afternoon. (Photograph courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks)

• Mackenzie Entwistle (37) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Hamilton and Guelph (OHL): 30 goals, 27 assists, 57 points, +10
  • Entwistle made a quick move from the Coyotes to the Blackhawks this time last year after being involved in the Marian Hossa trade. He made a quick impression on the Blackhawks and showed promise throughout camp and the preseason. He became a two-time OHL champion this year, winning with the Guelph Storm. Barring a herculean effort in camp this year, he will get his first taste of professional hockey with the Rockford IceHogs. He turns 20 years old on the Sunday before camp opens.

• Parker Foo (52) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Union College (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: five goals, 10 assists, 15 points, +8
  • Foo improved from his freshman season at Union College, but still is relatively buried on the Blackhawks organization depth chart for forwards. He has good speed to his game and upper-level skill in his hands and will look to continue to build upon his first two years at the NCAA level.
• Mathias From (76) — Wing, 2019–20 team: MODO (Allsvenskan)
  • 2018–19 with AIK (Allsvenskan): eight goals, eight assists, 16 points, +6
  • From has bounced around while playing in Sweden the last few seasons. A former fifth round pick by Chicago, he has yet to play in a game on North American ice. A moderately-skilled two-way winger, the Blackhawks have until June 1, 2020 to decide if From fits into their plans moving forward.
• Brandon Hagel (29) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Red Deer (WHL): 41 goals, 61 assists, 102 points, +42
  • This will be Hagel’s first camp with the Blackhawks organization. A former sixth round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, Hagel was signed by the Blackhawks in October last year after not being given a contract from Buffalo. He went on to finish tied for fourth in the league in points and eighth in the league in goals. Hagel joined the IceHogs for the final eight games of the season and will rejoin Rockford this season for his first full season at the pro level. He possesses a good amount of versatility in his game and has a top-end scoring touch.

Rockford IceHogs forward Brandon Hagel carries the puck during the 2018–19 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

• Mikael Hakkarainen (15) — Center, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Muskegon (USHL): 19 goals, 28 assists, 47 points, +24
  • After three seasons in the USHL, Hakkarainen makes his first jump to the professional level this year. He has an interesting jump ahead of him, having been an older player in the USHL the last two years being 20 and 21 years old playing against teenagers. If he can find consistency in his game, as some scouts worry about his compete level, he could very well make a sizable impact for the IceHogs on the score sheet.
• Reese Johnson (78) — Center/Wing, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Red Deer (WHL): 27 goals, 26 assists, 53 points, +15
  • A teammate of Hagel’s with Red Deer, Johnson captained the Rebels last year and was signed late last season. He joined the IceHogs for six games to end the season last year and tallied four assists. He will get his first full professional season under his belt this year with the IceHogs and will likely be a full-time fixture in their lineup.
• Dominik Kubalik (97) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Rockford IceHogs (AHL) **
  • 2018–19 with Ambri-Piotta (NLA): 25 goals, 32 assists, 57 points, +5
  • It is unfortunate that Kubalik will not be skating at development camp to make his debut with the Blackhawks organization. After acquiring Kubalik from the Los Angeles Kings, the Chicago fanbase was introduced to Kubalik at the World Championships in impressive fashion. After leading the NLA in Switzerland in points last year, there are heavy expectations that Kubalik will make the Blackhawks roster to begin the season. We will have to wait until training camp to see him for the first time.

Dominik Kubalik comes to North America this season after playing in Switzerland in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of Lucas Filipec / sport.aktualne.cz)

• Philipp Kurashev (54) — Center/wing, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Quebec (QMJHL): 29 goals, 36 assists, 65 points, -8
  • A versatile forward with dynamic talent, Kurashev could very likely become the steal of the Blackhawks’ 2018 draft class. After impressive showings at the World Juniors and World Championships, he made a name for himself within the Blackhawks’ system. He joined the IceHogs for just three games to end last season, but will get his first big taste of professional hockey this year with Rockford. He may even give the Blackhawks something to consider with a strong performance this summer.
• Dylan McLaughlin (96) — Center, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL) / Indy Fuel (ECHL)
  • 2018–19 with Canisius College (NCAA): 19 goals, 21 assists, 40 points, -6
  • After finishing his four-year NCAA career at Canisius College, McLaughlin made the short jump to the professional ranks with the IceHogs, where he sakted in seven games and tallied two assists. McLaughlin was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 2018 as a junior at Canisius. He will likely move between the IceHogs and Indy Fuel next season in his first full year of professional hockey.
• Niklas Nordgren (94) — Wing, 2019–20 team: HIFK (LIIGA) **
  • 2018–19: four goals, three assists, seven points, -3
  • An undersized winger from the 2018 draft class, Nordgren made a decent impression at development camp last season. A season after helping Finlad win the U18 World Junior Championships gold medal, Nordgren played in 15 games in the Finnish pro league LIIGA for HIFK, his second season playing that many games at the pro level. He will return to HIFK this season, looking to play the full year in the top tier.
• Alexander Nylander (92) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Rochester Americans (AHL): 12 goals, 19 assists, 41 points, +11
  • It was a less than warm welcome to the Chicago Blackhawks for Nylander. Chicago acquired the former eighth overall pick in exchange for Henri Jokiharju just a week prior to the opening of development camp. Suffice to say, the large majority of the Blackhawks’ fan community did not take the news well, citing the lopsided loss for the Blackhawks in the trade. But, Nylander has potential; it just remains to be seen if Chicago can pull it out of him like they did with Dylan Strome. Since being drafted in 2016, Nylander has just six points in 19 NHL games. Development camp will be his first chance to win over the organization and fan base.

Newly acquired forward Alexander Nylander played with the Rochester Americans in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of Graig Abel/Getty Images)

• Kyle Olson (61) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Tri-City Americans (WHL)
  • 2018–19 with Tri-City (WHL): 21 Goals, 49 assists, 70 points, -3
  • A 2017 fourth round draft pick by the Anaheim Ducks, Olson was second on the Tri-City Americans in points last season with 70. He will return to Tri-City this season, where he has been named as the team captain. Scouts describe him as a playmaker with an edge to his game, not afraid to get dirty from time to time. His drafts rights expired with Anaheim as of June 1.
• Antti Saarela (73) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Ilves (LIIGA)
  • 2018–19 with Lukko (LIIGA): two goals, eight assists, 10 points, +3
  • The younger brother of Aleksi Saarela, who the Blackhawks acquired this offseason, Antti was taken in the fourth round of this June’s NHL draft by Chicago. An energy winger with upper-level offensive skills, Saarela will hope to play a full season in the Finnish Pro LIIGA this year with Ilves after spending the last four seasons with Lukko.
• Josiah Slavin (23) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Colorado College (NCAA)
  • 2018–19 with Lincoln and Chicago (USHL): 24 goals, 23 assists, 47 points, -9
  • The younger brother of Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin, Josiah makes the jump to the NCAA this season, as he is set to join Colorado College. Slavin, a seventh round pick in last year’s NHL draft, finished last season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and posted eight points in the playoffs as Chicago lost in the Clark Cup Final. In his four years in the USHL, he tallied 103 points in 168 games.
• Tim Soderlund (64) — Center/wing, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Frolunda and Skelleftea (SHL): six goals, eight assists, 14 points, +/- 0
  • Soderlund made a splash in his first Blackhawks development camp appearance in 2017. A fourth round draft pick that year, Soderlund has since garnered comparisons to fellow Swede Viktor Arvidsson on the ice, but that praise has yet to translate on the scoresheet. After a stellar performance at the 2018 World Junior Championships, Soderlund split time between Frolunda and Skelleftea in the Swedish SHL last year. He will make his North American pro debut this season with the IceHogs.

Tim Soderlund comes to North America after spending 2018–19 in Sweden. (Photograph courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

• Jonny Sorenson (98) — Wing/center, 2019–20 team: Minnesota (NCAA)
  • 2018–19 with Fairbanks (NAHL): 17 goals, 39 assists, 56 points, +13
  • After dominating in the high school ranks in Minnesota, Sorenson played last season with Fairbanks of the NAHL, where he was nearly a point-per-game player and was named the league’s rookie of the year. He will again move up in competition this season, as he is set to attend Minnesota.
• Michal Teply (53) — Wing, 2019–20 team: Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
  • 2018–19 with Bili Tygri Liberec (Czech): zero goals, two assists, two points, +1
  • Teply may end up being quite the sleeper pick for the Blackhawks from this past June’s NHL draft. Taken in the fourth round, Teply was the fourth overall selection in the CHL import draft by the Winnipeg Ice and is expected to make the jump from Europe to the WHL this season. Already measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Teply possesses size and a scoring touch that could make him a prospect to keep a close eye on.
• Jake Wise (24) — Center, 2019–20 team: Boston University (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: zero goals, two assists, two points, -7
  • It is tough to get a read on Wise heading into this year’s development camp. A third round pick in last year’s draft, Wise looked the part of a skilled two-way centerman for the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018, but injuries derailed his 2018–19 season at Boston University, only allowing him to play in 12 games. A bounce back year is hopefully in store for him, as he had garnered expectations to eventually slot into a top-nine role for the Blackhawks in the near future.

Blackhawks development camp: Defensemen

The spotlight on the Chicago Blackhawks defensive depth chart has been pretty bright over the last few days. With the trade of Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres to acquire Alexander Nylander, the “Big Four” in the system of Jokiharju, Nicolas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist and Ian Mitchell has been reduced, and a heavy amount of expectations are now resting with the remaining three players. Still, it looks as though there is no room on the NHL roster for them just yet. But beyond those three players, the Blackhawks’ young defensive depth is pretty impressive, especially with the addition of 2019 second round pick Alex Vlasic added to the mix.

• Nicolas Beaudin (34) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Drummondville (QMJHL): seven goals, 49 assists, 56 points, +60
  • Often a second-thought behind Boqvist, Beaudin is not a player that you want to forget about. Taken late in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft, Beaudin is an offensively gifted defender that can facilitate offense from the blue line. While undersized, Beaudin has the ability to use his speed to his advantage at both ends of the ice. He will make the jump to the professional ranks this season with the Rockford IceHogs.
• Adam Boqvist (27) — Right-handed, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with London (OHL): 20 goals, 40 assists, 60 points, +12
  • What more needs to be said about Boqvist that has not already been? A highly-gifted offensive defender, Boqvist is looked at as the next “it” player on defense for the Blackhawks. Again, an undersized defender who uses his feet well at both ends of the ice, his defending skills in his own end still need improvement to catch up to his offensive skillset. If he can put it all together, he may have a chance at living up to the “next Erik Karlsson” expectations many have placed on him since going eighth overall in last year’s NHL draft. He is eligible to play with the Rockford IceHogs this season, but could give Chicago a reason to consider him for NHL time if he has a breakout summer.

Adam Boqvist skates during an OHL game last season. (Photograph courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks)

• Josh Ess (17) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Wisconsin (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: five goals, eight assists, 13 points, +2
  • A seventh round pick in the 2017 NHL draft, Ess has improved drastically in his two seasons at Wisconsin. In his second year, Ess saw a significant increase in his ice-time and responsibilities for the Badgers. He will return for his third season this year looking to be a top-pairing option.
• Jakub Galvas (42) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Jukurit (LIIGA)
  • 2018–19 with HC Olomouc (Czech): four goals, 13 assists, 17 points, +4
  • A good puck-moving defenseman, Galvas finished his third full season in the Czech pro league last year with HC Olomouc. Having just turned 20 years old, Galvas already has 118 professional games under his belt in the Czech pro league and will now move on to the Finnish pro LIIGA and play next season with Jukurit.
• Chad Krys (36) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
  • 2018–19 with Boston (NCAA): eight goals, 12 assists, 20 points, -10
  • The development camp veteran among this year’s group, Krys will be making his fourth appearance with the Blackhawks camp since being a second round pick in the 2016 NHL draft. A highly-touted offensive defender out of the U.S. National Team Development Program when he was drafted, Krys has spent the last three years at Boston University and has shown slight improvement year to year. While not at the pace that maybe the organization or fan base had expected, Krys joined the IceHogs late last season and ended up tallying four assists in nine games and getting heavy minutes down the stretch of the season. In his NCAA career, Krys tallied 58 points in 105 games and will be with Rockford for his first full professional season this year, looking to be a top-pairing option for the IceHogs.

Rockford IceHogs defenseman Chad Krys makes a pass at the end of the 2018–19 season. (Photograph courtesy of the Milwaukee Admirals)

• Roope Laavainen (44) — Right-handed, 2019–20 team: HPK (LIIGA)
  • 2018–19 with HPK (LIIGA): one goal, two assists, three points, +1
  • A former fourth round pick by the Blackhawks, Laavainen was one of the few defenders in the last two drafts, before 2019, to be over 6 feet tall. His mix of size and ability to move the puck effectively make him an intriguing European prospect for the organization. He bounced around the Finnish pro LIIGA last year on loans, but returns to HPK this season.
• Ian Mitchell (46) — Right-handed, 2019–20 team: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Denver (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: six goals, 21 assists, 27 points, +18
  • Mitchell was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft and was a sleeper defender in the Blackhawks’ system for the past two years. He emerged as a highly skilled two-way defender in his freshman year at the University of Denver with 30 points and took another step in his sophomore year with the Pioneers and with Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors. Mitchell held leadership roles with Denver and Team Canada last year and will captain the Pioneers this season. According to a report by Scott Powers of The Athletic, Mitchell and the Blackhawks will discuss his fit into the organization during camp and he may reconsider his return to Denver this season. If he does stay with the Pioneers, Mitchell will be the go-to defenseman this year and could then make his pro debut once the NCAA season ends.

Ian Mitchell has quickly risen to be a high-end defensive prospect in Chicago’s system. (Photograph courtesy of dobberprospects.com)

• Cole Moberg (20) — Right-handed, 2019–20 team: Prince George Cougars (WHL)
  • 2018–19: 13 goals, 27 assists, 40 points, -33
  • A seventh round pick by the Blackhawks in this June’s NHL draft, Moberg has plenty of size at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, and has even split time at forward and on the blue line with Prince George in the WHL. Last season, Moberg finished with 40 points and ranked third on the team in scoring. He will return to the WHL this season, looking to be a focal point in the Cougars’ attack as they try to improve on their fourth-to-last finish in the WHL last year.
• Jake Ryczek (43) — Right-handed, 2019–20 team: TBD (2018–19: Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL)
  • 2018–19: nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points, +33
  • Ryczek is an interesting defensive prospect. After being selected in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL draft, Ryczek played his final year in the USHL before heading to Providence College, but only played in five games before leaving the NCAA to play in the QMJHL. In two years as an over-ager for the Halifax Mooseheads, Ryczek played a middle-pairing role and was able to put up decent numbers from the blue line. His future is murky with Chicago, though, and the Blackhawks still have time to decide his place in the organizational depth.
• Ryan Shea (6) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Northeastern (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: three goals, 13 assists, 16 points, +23
  • One of the more consistent performers at the NCAA ranks for the Blackhawks’ system, Shea looks to return to Northeastern for his senior season after helping the Huskies win the Hockey East conference last year. Having not yet missed a game at the NCAA level, Shea looks to be a top-pairing option for Northeastern this year and will likely take on a leadership role as he did last year.

The Blackhawks added to their strong defensive prospect depth by selecting Alex Vlasic in last month’s draft. (Photograph courtesy of Rena Laverty / USA Hockey)

• Alex Vlasic (45) — Left-handed, 2019–20 team: Boston University (NCAA)
  • 2018–19 with U.S. National Team Development Program (USHL/USDP): six goals, 36 assists, 42 points, +7
  • The biggest draft pick the Blackhawks have made in quite some time in regards to physical size, Vlasic, a native of Wilmette, Illinois, and cousin of San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, stands at 6-foot-6 and comes in at 200 pounds. A physical, stay-at-home style of defenseman, Vlasic was part of the U.S. National Team Development Program the last two seasons and was consistently one of their best defenders in their own zone. He has a big slap shot and his skating is better than most players at his age and size. He will be attending Boston University this year.

Blackhawks development camp: Goalies

One position the Blackhawks have relatively not had to focus on for the last eight or nine years has been goaltender. With Corey Crawford being a solid starting goaltender for most of his NHL career, Chicago was able to let their development of goaltenders slide. But, with recent injury problems to Crawford, the future of the goaltending position is in need of attention. Chicago signed Collin Delia after an impressive development camp in 2017 and he has since become the organization’s No. 3 in line after signing Robin Lehner this summer. Behind Delia is Kevin Lankinen, who will push Delia for starting time in Rockford this year, but beyond him is a question mark. Chicago has drafted a goaltender in back-to-back drafts and they will be on display in this year’s development camp.

• Dominic Basse (82) — Catches left, 2019–20 team: TBD (Committed to Colorado College, NCAA)
  • 2018–19 with USA Selects Hockey Academy (U18): 42 games, 1.91 goals against average, .924 save percentage
  • Basse is a highly intriguing prospect. A sixth round pick by the Blackhawks in this past June’s NHL draft, Basse clocks in at 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds. His size jumps off the page, as do his number from the USA Selects Hockey Academy. He is headed to Colorado College in 2021.

The Chicago Blackhawks added to their goaltending prospect pool by selecting Dominic Basse in this year’s draft. (Photograph courtesy of Colorado College)

• Devin Cooley (80) — Catches left, 2019–20 team: Denver (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: 20 games, 1.85 goals against average, .934 save percentage
  • An unsigned camp invitee, Cooley was the backup in Denver last season and was a part of a highly successful Pioneers team. He will look to take over the starting job in Denver this season as a junior.
• Alexis Gravel (70) — Catches right, 2019–20 team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
  • 2018–19: 49 games, 2.49 goals against average, .913 save percentage
  • The one “known commodity” at this year’s development camp in net for the Blackhawks is Alexis Gravel. A sixth round pick in last year’s NHL draft, Gravel has matured into a rock-solid starter in the QMJHL with Halifax. Helping the Mooseheads to the QMJHL Finals this spring and the Memorial Cup Final, Gravel will look to get the Mooseheads over the hump in what looks to be his final season in the QMJHL before making the jump to the professional game in the 2020–21 season.

Halifax Mooseheads goaltender Alexis Gravel stands in the net. (Photograph courtesy of the Halifax Mooseheads)

• Stefanos Lekkas (40) — Catches left, 2019–20 team: TBD (2018–19: Vermont, NCAA)
  • 2018–19: 34 Games, 2.27 goals against average, .930 save percentage
  • An Illinois native from Elburn, Lekkas is the smallest of the goaltenders in camp this summer. His numbers with Vermont as a starter are impressive and he put things together this season, posting career bests in goals against average and save percentage on his way to being named second team All-Hockey East.
• Mareks Mitens (30) — Catches left, 2019–20 team: Lake Superior State (NCAA)
  • 2018–19: 11 games, 2.31 goals against average, .919 save percentage
  • Leader in the clubhouse for best name at development camp, Mitens is another unsigned camp invitee for the Blackhawks this summer. He has spent the last two seasons as a backup at Lake Superior State and will look to take over the starting role this season.
• Zackarias Skog (92) — Catches left, 2019–20 team: TBD (2018–19: American International College, NCAA)
  • 2018–19: 35 games, 2.68 goals against average, .899 save percentage
  • The final of the four unsigned camp invitees in net, Skog helped backstop AIC to the AHA regular season and tournament championships this season and was named to the AHA All-Tournament team.

When and where?

• Fifth Third Arena
  • 1801 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
• Monday, July 15–Friday, 19
  • 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.–Thurs.
  • 9:30 a.m. Friday (Full team scrimmage)

The post Chicago Blackhawks development camp roster breakdown appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” rush to the The-Rink podcast studio to discuss the big trade today, the Andrew Shaw trade, and the UFA signings on July 1st.

• Now that the Andrew Shaw trade has marinated, what do we think?  You might be surprised…or not.
• What happened with the Blackhawks and Henri Jokiharju?
• Is this trade as bad as first thought?  Can Alex Nylander help the Blackhawks?
• Following JJ’s revelation that the Blackhawks might swing big on the goalie market they did just that.
• A hearty thank you to the Rink fans and our amazing staff for a great year.
• We are only scratching the surface.  Many good things and guests to come!!!!

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 55 – UFA/Nylander Trade Reactions appeared first on The Rink.

The 6-foot1, 192-pound Nylander, who is the brother of Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and son of former Blackhawks center Michael Nylander, is a former first round pick (eighth overall) of the Sabres in 2016. He has had a hard time transitioning to the pro game, spending most of his time in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. Since being drafted he has 86 points (30 goals, 56 assists) in 156 AHL games, as well as six points (three goals, three assists) in 19 NHL games.

Nylander’s Chicago ties run deeper than his father’s playing time with the Blackhawks from 1999–2002. The younger Nylander also grew up playing with the Chicago Mission youth organization.

This could turn out to be yet another Stan Bowman former first round player reclamation that works out in favor of the Blackhawks

Henri Jokiharju was highly regarded by the Blackhawks last summer and for the beginning of the 2018–19 season, but failed to maintain the level of play head coach Jeremy Colliton was looking for following his stint with the gold-medal-winning Finnish World Junior team.

Jokiharu is a former first round pick (29th overall) of the Blackhawks in 2017 and had 12 assists in 38 NHL games. After returning from the World Junior tournament, he was sent to Rockford to play with the Icehogs, where he had 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) in 30 games.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks trade Henri Jokiharju for Alex Nylander appeared first on The Rink.