Chicago Rinkcast staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley are joined by Goalie guru Jeff Osborn to discuss the goalie grades from Jimmy’s recent article featuring Blackhawk player season letter grades, as well as those who played with both Rockford and Chicago in 2025-26. They will also touch base on draft prospects, trade potentials, and unrestricted free agents that the Hawks may target in the off-season.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 32 – Blackhawks’ grades pt 2, Prospects, and FA appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to discuss the contract extension of general manager Kyle Davidson, as well as Jimmy’s recent article featuring Blackhawk player season letter grades.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 31 – Blackhawks ’25-26 Player-Letter Grades Part 1 appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to discuss the final week of the 2025-26 season for the Blackhawks, their top 4 locked NHL lottery draft position, and how fans are feeling about the current state of the team.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 30 – Closing Out the Season…Without Style appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to discuss the remainder of the Blackhawks season, how the young players are progressing, more takes on off-season needs, and where they should consider focusing with their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 29 – The Limp to the Finish Line appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to discuss a glaring need for a seasoned defenseman for 2026-27, as well as the progress of Anton Frondell, the hot play of Frank Nazar, and all else Hawks!

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 28 – The Need for Blue Line Help appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, Jimmy O’Malley, and Rink co-founder Jeff Osborn to talk about the arrival of highly touted prospect Anton Frondell, as well as the forthcoming debut of fellow rookie Sacha Boisvert and a glimpse into the summer trade rumblings that have been on the mind of many fans..

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 27 – The Debut of Anton Frondell appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast co-hosts Sean Fitzgerald and Jimmy O’Malley are back in The Rinkcast studio to discuss Sasha Boisvert visa issues, Matthew Knies rumors, Nick Lardis on the fourth line, and much more.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 26 – Waiting on a Visa appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about the final moves of the trade deadline for the Blackhawks, what may be ahead in their lottery position in the draft, what is to hope for spring hockey and Troy Murray’s legacy with the organization.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 25 – The Long Weeks Before the Offseason appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about The Blackhawks trade of Connor Murphy and the pending trade of Jason Dickinson.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 24 – Connor Murphy Traded, Dickinson Next appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about the return of the Blackhawks NHL schedule, the rumors surrounding the possible trades of Connor Murphy and Ilya Mikheyev, and what to hope for and/or expect for the remaining weeks of the season.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 23 – The Hawks are back…those same ones. appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley jump on to talk about the AHL All-Star festivities, the Olympic games, and the Blackhawks ramping up for the trade deadline as well as the final stretch run.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 22 – Olympic break coming to an end appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about Artyom Levshunov’s line-up scratches and development, Wyatt Kaiser’s injury and what that means for the left side of the blue-line, trade potentials, prospect watch, and an Olympic Preview.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 21 – Olympic Break Musings appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about the Blackhawks solid play of late yet with the inability to finish off games. The Rinkcast team will also analyze the Hawks future on a position to position basis.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 20 – Everything but the finish appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about the Jason Dickinson trade rumors, thoughts on the prospect pool and more.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 19 – Dickinson on the Block and Prospect Thoughts appeared first on The Rink.

Writers will continually tell you that goaltending is “voodoo.” That it’s unpredictable. That you cannot predict goalies or goaltending. Some of this is true. It is possibly the most mental position in sports. Goalies spend almost the entire game on the ice, by themselves, in their own heads. When they make those saves that everyone expects them to, “You’re just doing the job you’re supposed to do.” When they give up that soft goal, or that one that looks easy on a video replay slowed down a frame a second, “this guy is a bum.”

Hockey goaltending is an absolutely thankless position played by sadists.

I digress, though, as I am not here to solve the great mystery of this position that people are not much closer to understanding than they did when this sport was born well over 100 years ago. I am here to give you some insight into what this team you all root for has under its thumb for the next few years.

The Blackhawks have promise in goal. They have something to look forward to. So, let me take you through the system from top to bottom.

Spencer Knight

I have been a fan of Spencer Knight since his World Junior Championship days in 2021. Knowing full well that the Blackhawks, especially Stan Bowman at the time, never spent high draft picks on goalies, I never thought the team would ever have a chance to have him in their crease.

Then came the great Seth Jones dump. Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito felt that Knight was expendable, and suddenly, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson had a 23-year-old potential franchise goalie.

Potentially.

No one truly knows what he will be, but the fact that he was in the conversation for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team is encouraging. He is not perfect, but there is plenty to see in his game that would translate well when he has some structure around him.

Knight has a coolness to the game and moves ultra-smoothly. He never looks shaken by bad goals and appears to have ice in his veins. It is rare that you get gifted a goalie of this level, this young, so hopefully this move and the Connor Bedard pick are the start of another dynasty story.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom has had a contentious career in Chicago. (Photo courtesy the of NHL)

Arvid Soderblom

The great mystery of Arvid Soderblom. The first word that comes to mind when thinking of Soderblom is “enigma.” It is a cliché term, but he truly fits that mold for me.

He came over from Europe with not much of a reputation, much like Stanislav Berezhnoy, to play in the AHL or ECHL. That season, he played very well in Rockford, one of the best goalie seasons with the IceHogs in recent memory.

His first year in the NHL, he looked relatively strong on a very bad team. The Blackhawks finished 18-49-7 and he finished with only two wins and a .894 save percentage in all situations. The numbers were not anything to get excited about, but you could see flashes of talent. This was great for a player that Bowman poached from Sweden for free.

One of my favorite theories about goalies is “wait until the entire league has seen you once through before you start your judgments.” They will have seen film and probably faced you at least once. The surprise is gone. That is the epitome of NHL year two for Soderblom, a disaster.

The team was, somehow, worse than the previous year with a modern-era team-low 52 points, and Soderblom could not stop a thing. He went from 15 games played to 33, and his stats were abysmal — five wins and an .880 save percentage in all situations. The drop of .014 might not seem like a lot, but I can assure you it is considerable.

Which Soderblom was he? The serviceable backup or the sieve that was a huge liability?

The answer is somewhere in the middle, as it turns out. He jumped back up to a .898 save percentage last season, but this year he is back down again, this time into the sub .870 range with only two regular-ish goaltenders below him (Leevi Meriläinen and Samuel Ersson).

I will expound on this later, but when the entire team started hot, I was hoping he would remain warm, and some team would take a chance on a big 26-year-old Swedish netminder. He has torn that up and made confetti.

The salary is not an issue, but the term is. Chicago is on the hook for one more season, with Drew Commesso just about ready to start seeing NHL duty, Berezhnoy surprising people in the AHL and Adam Gajan playing well at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which earned him a trip to Italy with the Slovakian Olympic Team.

Davidson might just need to put him through waivers, bury a chunk of his salary and let him be the guy in Rockford next season. It looks as though his time wearing a Blackhawks uniform is coming to a close.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Drew Commesso has played very solid in the AHL. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Drew Commesso

Commesso came with some pretty high praise after the Blackhawks selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He had a very impressive season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, which he parlayed into a very respectable career at Boston University, including two games with the U.S. Olympic Team in 2023, one of which a shutout.

His professional career has not exactly started off with bells and whistles, but he has put up respectable numbers. Over parts of four AHL seasons, he has a .909 save percentage in the regular season and .922 in the playoffs. It is time for the Blachawks to take his training wheels off and see what this kid has.

What can you expect from him? Think “Corey Crawford-ish.” He will not “wow” you, but he is consistent. The Blackhawks need more consistency.

Granted, I would not expect him to unseat Knight, but what a one-two punch they could have for the next 5-6 seasons.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Stanislav Berezhnoy has started off his career nicely in the AHL. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Stanislav Berezhnoy

It has only been 10 games into his AHL career, but Berezhnoy has made fans notice his play. Several highlight saves have made their rounds on the internet that should have the fans raising their eyebrows.

Despite not speaking a lick of English, Davidson signed the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Berezhnoy out of the Russian VHL in July to potentially play in Rockford or with the Indy Fuel. He earned a spot backing up Commesso in Rockford and has done an admirable job despite injuries taking a toll on his season.

Stats will not tell you the story of his season, as they are pretty pedestrian. He has gone 5-4-1 with a .898 save percentage in all situations, which ranks him 10th among rookie AHL goaltenders. He started off red hot in his first three games, then had a below-average November and missed most of December. Considering the recent play of Soderblom and the success of Commesso, Berezhnoy could see some more time in Rockford down the stretch. His most recent performance was an impressive 31-save, 3-1 win against the division-leading Grand Rapids Griffins.

By no means am I proclaiming any great huge results, but he is a big goaltender who is very athletic, especially for his size. If he can continue to develop at only 22 years old, he could be another sneaky good signing by the Blackhawks.

University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog’s goalie Adam Gajan has had an impressive season that led him to the Slovakian Olympic hockey team. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Adam Gajan

Gajan has been one of my favorite goaltending prospects in recent memory. The good and bad of playing in leagues like the USHL are that you can somewhat avoid the spotlight, but players only really have basic stats to be judged on.

This is what happened when Gajan played his D+1 season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. For those not aware, the USHL is a league notorious for not supporting the defensive end of the ice, so the average 8.66 goals per game were scored — not ideal for a goaltender looking to impress.

Davidson picked Gajan in the now-famous Connor Bedard 2023 NHL Draft in the second round (35th overall). He was also the first goaltender picked in that draft, ahead of netminders like Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine and Montreal Canadiens rookie Jacob Fowler.

Following his adventure in Green Bay, he committed to play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Truth be told, his first year was not eye-opening. He played 21 games as the primary starter and posted a 7-15-1 record with a .885 save percentage in all situations as a 20-year-old freshman.

As a sophomore, he has cemented his spot as the primary starter for the Bulldogs with a current 15-7-0 record and a .911 save percentage. This was impressive enough to earn Gajan an invite to travel to Milan Cortina with Team Slovakia.

He is another big goaltender (notice the trend here) at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, and is known for his extreme flexibility. He regularly goes into full splits to make saves, which can often show up on highlight reels.

If Blackhawks fans can be patient with him, and the organization puts the time into development, Gajan could end up the best goalie in the system.

Ilya Kanarsky

This is a name that not many Blackhawks fans will be familiar with, just yet. Davidson took the 6-foot-2, 192-pound 21-year-old this summer in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft. He has been playing Russian professional hockey, first in the MHL/NMHL, then in the VHL, since 2021.

Ilya Kanarsky comes from a hockey family, as his father, Pavel Kanarsky, was a defenseman in the Russian leagues from 2006 until 2017. His younger brother, Yan Kanarsky, is also a defenseman in the Russian MHL.

His stats are pretty gaudy, but keep in mind that he was drafted in his D+2 season, which means he went undrafted in two previous years of eligibility. Individually, he has a 7-13-8 record with a .925 save percentage. Without context, that sounds sensational, but the VHL is a strong goalie league. He is ranked 29th overall in save percentage. There are 59 goalies who have played 10 games or more who have save percentages over .900.

Playing with AKM Tula Region, Kanarsky is the primary starter despite being the youngest goaltender on the team. His team, unfortunately, is 21st out of 32 teams in the standings.

I would not expect much from this player, but stranger things have happened. He could be a candidate for Indy or Rockford should he choose to pursue North America, but his chances of showing up in a Blackhawks sweater are low.

The post ANALYSIS: Chicago Blackhawks goaltending assessment appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about Jimmy’s latest article featuring the the Blackhawks’ mid-term grades.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 18 – Blackhawks ’25-26 Mid-Term Grades appeared first on The Rink.

Once again, feel free to object to any of my assessments. These grades are mine alone. They are not a reflection of any other member of The Rink and their assessments, nor the organization as a whole.

For further insight into my grades, please listen to the upcoming Rinkcast.

Blackhawks Roster Grade

Criteria

• Must currently be on the Blackhawks roster
  • This excludes players traded away or currently with the Rockford IceHogs
• Must have played at least 20 games with the Blackhawks
  • This excludes players who have split the season between Rockford and Chicago, they will be graded separately
• All stats are as of Jan. 11

Connor Bedard

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: A
• Season stats: 33 games played, 19 goals, 27 assists, 46 points

Positives

• Leads the team in points, assists, and plus/minus
• Clear MVP of the team

Negatives

• Health concerns

Assessment

The only thing keeping Bedard from an A+ is his health. As some say, the best ability is availability, so missing nearly a month of action does affect his grade.

Even so, he has played like an Art Ross candidate. If he had remained healthy, he might be on the Canadian Olympic roster and in serious talk of winning the MVP. Bedard has officially reached superstar status.

Tyler Bertuzzi

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: A+
• Season stats: 42 games played, 23 goals, 13 assists, 36 points

Positives

• Has already matched his goal total from last season
• Produces without Bedard
• Leads team in power play goals

Negatives

• One-hit wonder?
• Unsustainable shooting percentage

Assessment

An easy A+ in my book, Bertuzzi has been the perfect net-front goal scorer for this team. There was concern that when Bedard went down with injury, Bertuzzi’s effectiveness would dry up. Instead, it reached new heights, capped by a hat trick against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 4.

The concerns, however, are similar to ones many had about Ryan Donato last season. Shooting 23.2%, it is reasonable to believe this is not who Bertuzzi will be for the remainder of his contract. The good news is, unlike Donato, he is not doing this in a contract season. The Blackhawks have two more years of control with Bertuzzi, so further assessment of who Bertuzzi is can be made.

Andre Burakovsky

(Photo courtesy of David Banks / Imagn Images)

• Grade: A-
• Season stats: 40 games played, 10 goals, 19 assists, 29 points

Positives

• Effective lineman of Bedard
• Two-way presence

Negatives

• Loses effectiveness without Bedard
• Noticeable cold spells

Assessment

An absolute steal when acquired by Kyle Davidson, Burakovsky has proved to be a lineman that Blackhawks fans were hoping Chicago would acquire for Bedard. Already matching his 2024-25 goal total, Burakovsky has shown himself to be reliable playing top-line minutes.

However, he has proven to be a double-edged sword. Without Bedard, his effectiveness drops in the offensive zone. He can also go on cold spells that hampers the forward group. Still, his defensive play will overcome poor offensive performances, giving him an A- at this point in the season.

Artyom Levshunov

(Photo courtesy of Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)

• Grade: B+
• Season stats: 43 games played, 2 goals, 19 assists, 21 points

Positives

• Offensive force
• Great puck control
• Transition game
• Leads team in assists on the power play

Negatives

• Maturity
• Consistency

Assessment

Perhaps my Levshunov bias is showing, but I truly believe we are seeing the emergence of a franchise defenseman this season with Levshunov. Despite a slow start to the season, Levshunov has shown the talent that warranted his selection at second overall in the 2024 Draft. Poised with the puck, aggressive with his stick and possessing a wicked shot, there’s so much to like with Levshunov.

Even so, there are concerns. His maturity has come into question this season. Him being scratched during the home opener, and later being late to a practice and failing in a drill caused another scratching. It is fair to say that Levshunov needs to become a professional in all aspects. That will come in time, but for now, it is a concern, along with his consistency.

Frank Nazar

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: B-
• Season stats: 33 games played, 6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points

Positives

• Strong start to the season
• Effective second-line center

Negatives

• Cooled off immensely in November
• Injury concerns

Assessment

By far the hardest Blackhawk to grade, Nazar began the season looking like he could threaten Bedard for first-line center minutes. In October, he had five goals and six assists in 11 games. Since then, Nazar has managed only one goal.

Along with his cold stretch, Nazar received a jaw injury on Dec. 20 against the Ottawa Senators that has kept him out for weeks. Perhaps I am being generous in my grading, however, I would like to believe his cold streak that started in November has more to do with health than skill.

Teuvo Teravainen

(Photo courtesy of Matt Marton / AP Photos)

• Grade: C
• Season stats: 44 games played, 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points

Positives

• Penalty killer
• No dire weakness

Negatives

• Drop in offensive effectiveness
• Moved down the lineup

Assessment

There is not much to say about Teravainen. The only thing I can say about his season is that he has been aggressively fine. He doesn’t do anything poorly, but he doesn’t do anything especially well. Perhaps shooting a higher clip will improve his grade, but until then, he may just be a guy at this point.

Ryan Donato

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: C
• Season stats: 45 games played, 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points

Positives

• Effective bottom-six production
• Two-way game

Negatives

• Mediocre offensive production
• Drop-off from last season

Assessment

After re-signing with Chicago in the offseason, Donato has shown to be a lot like Teravinen. He is, for all intents and purposes, aggressively fine. The problem is, signing a long-term extension to be aggressively fine isn’t ideal.

This is not to say he has played poorly. Donato is still an effective two-way, bottom-six forward. The issue is that last season is looking more and more like a fluke with every game.

Ryan Greene

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: B+
• Season stats: 45 games played, 5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points

Positives

• Impressive at the dot
• Mature game for his age

Negatives

• Scoring drought

Assessment

A forward I thought would start the season in Rockford, Greene has quickly proven he is an NHLer. Despite his counting stats not popping off the screen, his value is seen elsewhere. Effective at the dot, Greene looked comfortable taking first-line center reps when Bedard went down with injury.

Greene already looks to be a center good teams want on their third line. If he continues to develop at this rate, the Blackhawks may have one of the best center depth charts in the NHL.

Oliver Moore

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: B+
• Blackhawks season stats: 33 games played, 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 assists
• IceHogs season stats: 9 games, 6 goals, 3 assists, 9 points

Positives

• Incredible skater
• Emerging scoring touch

Negatives

• NHL growing pains
• Cold spells

Like with Nazar last season, Moore played his way out of Rockford very early. After only nine games in Rockford where he went a point per game, Moore received the call-up.

Moore did not light it up right away with the Blackhawks, recording just five points in his first 11 games this season. However, he has since found his footing, using his skating skills to record five points in his last six games. The hope with Moore is that he continues to find his scoring touch and solidifies his place in the top-six this season.

Ilya Mikheyev

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: C+
• Season stats: 40 games played, 8 goals, 6 assists, 14 points

Positives

• Shorthanded menace
• Effective skater

Negatives

• Drop-off in scoring
• Cold streaks

Assessment

Like with many veteran forwards on this roster, Mikheyev offers the Blackhawks a two-way game, but has struggled to light the lamp, with noticeable cold streaks. Another aggressively fine forward.

Louis Crevier

(Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)

• Grade: B+
• Season stats: 42 games played, 4 goals, 10 assists, 14 points

Positives

• Powerful shot
• Physical presence

Negatives

• Slower skater
• Maxes out as a third-pairing defenseman

Assessment

A pleasant surprise dating back to last season, Crevier has gone from seventh-round longshot to a consistent NHL defenseman with a powerful shot. With four goals, Crevier has found the offensive touch that was missing last season.

That being said, he still only appears to be a third-pairing guy. Not a bad thing, but it shows his limits as an NHL defenseman.

Matt Grzelcyk

(Photo courtesy of Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)

• Grade: C+
• Season stats: 45 games played, 0 goals, 11 assists, 11 points

Positives

• Stabilizing force
• Effective puck-mover

Negatives

• Undersized, meaning he is not a physical defenseman
• Lack of scoring

Assessment

Starting his time with Chicago on a PTO, Grzelcyk earned a one-year contract for this season. Despite his lack of scoring production, Grzelcyk has proven to be a stable partner for the young defensemen on Chicago’s roster.

The question is whether he will be re-signed, or if Grzelcyk will be a trade candidate when the deadline comes around.

Alex Vlasic

(Photo courtesy of Derek Cain / Getty Images)

• Grade: B-
• Season stats: 44 games played, 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points

Positves

• Effective in the defensive zone
• Recent upswing in offensive production

Negatives

• Noticeably unnoticeable at times
• Slow offensive start to the season

Assessment

Still a defensively gifted defenseman, Vlasic’s offensive ability has noticeably lacked this season. With only 10 points, it is fair to want more from a defenseman recently signed to a six-year contract.

This is not to say hope is lost; far from it. It is, however, reasonable to want a lot more from Vlasic.

Jason Dickinson

(Photo courtesy of David Banks / Imagn Images)

• Grade: C
• Season stats: 32 games played, 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points

Positives

• Efficient at the dot
• Far healthier than last season

Negatives

• Offensive black hole
• Some injury concerns

Assessment

Another “aggressively fine” Blackhawk, Dickinson is finally healthy enough compared to last season to not give him a failing grade. Near 50% from the dot, Dickinson looks the part of a fourth-line center.

Wyatt Kaiser

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: B
• Season stats: 45 games played, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points

Positives

• Plays bigger than he is
• Solid defensive game

Negatives

• Offensively inconsistent
• Noticeably bad performances

Assessment

A defenseman who I may have been too harsh to when grading last season, Kaiser has proven to be competent this season. A trusted partner of Levshunov, Kaiser plays an effective defensive game with the occasional offensive touch.

With Kaiser, however, there are still some concerns. I joked after a podcast that he is solid until someone in the media heaps praise on him, and then he puts up a stinker. He is solid when not paid attention to, that is the best way I can put it.

Connor Murphy

(Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)

• Grade: B-
• Season stats: 45 games played, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points

Positives

• Defensively trustworthy
• Defensive unit leader

Negatives

• Slow skater
• Little offensive talent

Assessment

I hate to use the term yet again, but Murphy is the only defenseman that I have graded to be given the “aggressively fine” title. Consistent in the defensive zone, healthy and an obvious leader, Murphy has been what the Blackhawks have asked of him all season.

Perhaps more can be asked of him in the offensive zone, but he does what is needed.

Colton Dach

(Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)

• Grade: C
• Season stats: 44 games played, 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points

Positives

• Physical menace

Negatives

• Minimal offensive presence
• Questionable defensive skill

Assessment

Currently sixth in the NHL in hits with 155, Dach has brought a physical presence to the forward group. Even so, there is not much else to his game. His defensive metrics are meh, and his offensive is mediocre. Not saying he is a lost cause, but there are certainly questions about his long-term outlook with the Blackhawks.

Nick Foligno

(Photo courtesy of China Wong / NHLI via Getty Images)

• Grade: C-
• Season stats: 23 games played, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points

Positives

• Consistent when on the ice

Negatives

• Little offensive impact
• Injury concerns

Assessment

Little is to be said about the captain. Foligno has not lit up any scoresheet, nor is he noticeable on the ice when he plays.

That being said, the Blackhawks went on a noticeable cold streak in December when he went down with a wrist injury. I don’t think that was a coincidence. This team needs his presence, one way or another, to play at peak form.

Spencer Knight

(Photo courtesy of Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

• Grade: A
• Season stats: 30 games played, 13 wins, 11 losses, 6 overtime losses, .910 save percentage, 2.62 goals against average

Positives

• Blossoming franchise goaltender

Negatives

• Cooled off since his strong start to the season

Assessment

Spencer Knight is clearly becoming Chicago’s franchise goalie. There is not much else to be said. He is excelling with a struggling defensive unit in front of him. Once they get better, he will only continue to rise.

Arvid Soderblom

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: D+
• Season stats: 14 games played, 5 wins, 7 loses, 1 overtime loss, .873 save percentage, 3.86 goals against average

Positives

• Strong early start to the season

Negatives

• Just about everything else

Assessment

A real struggle for the Blackhawks to figure out, Soderblom has not looked good for most of the season. Perhaps lost in the shuffle of the season, but Soderblom is looking dangerously close to his 2023-2024 form.

Blackhawks/IceHogs Roster Grades

Criteria

• At least eight games with the IceHogs and two games with the Blackhawks
• Grading is a cumulative grade based on performance in the NHL and AHL

Sam Rinzel

(Photo courtesy of Bryan Holliday / Rockford IceHogs)

• Grade: C-
• Blackhawks season stats: 28 games played, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points
• IceHogs season stats: 12 games played, 0 goals, 7 assists, 7 points

Positives

• Puck distributor

Negatives

• Overmatched in the NHL

Assessment

It has been an unfortunate first half of the season for Rinzel. What started as a dark-horse Calder season turned into a demotion to the AHL. His confidence was noticeably shaken in the NHL, which caused a dramatic loss in ice time before being sent to Rockford.

Not all is lost for the young defenseman. Rinzel got to Rockford and started distributing the puck very efficiently, already recording seven assists. There is still plenty of time, both this season and in the future, to right the Rinzel ship.

Nick Lardis

(Photo courtesy of Kristin Ostrowski / Rockford IceHogs)

• Grade: A
• Blackhawks season stats: 14 games played, 4 goals, 1 assist, 5 points
• IceHogs season stats: 24 games played, 13 goals, 13 assists, 26 points

Positives

• Scoring machine in the AHL
• Scoring touch translating in the NHL

Negatives

• Cold spells
• Defensive game

Assessment

Like with Moore, Lardis quickly outgrew the AHL. Once Bedard went down with injury, Lardis took full advantage. With Bedard back, Lardis was an immediate scoring winger to plug next to Bedard.

There is still a lot of growth for Lardis, especially in his defensive game, but Lardis is an easy A at this point.

Landon Slaggert

(Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)

• Grade: C-
• Blackhawks season stats: 19 games played, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points
• IceHog season stats: 8 games played, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points

Positives

• Looks fine on an NHL fourth line
• AHL top-six forward

 Negatives

• Not particularly skilled
• No real spot on the NHL roster

Assessment

In the NHL, Slaggert is just a guy. In the AHL, he is a solid top-six forward. It may be time to seriously consider his long-term future with the Blackhawks.

Kevin Korchinski

(Photo courtesy of Kristin Ostrowski / Rockford IceHogs)

• Grade: B
• Blackhawks season stats: 2 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point
• IceHogs season stats: 32 games played, 2 goals, 17 assists, 19 points

Positives

• IceHogs’ best defenseman
• Second Blackhawks game much better than his first

Negatives

• Still undersized
• Still working on defensive game

Assessment

If his performance against the Nashville Predators on Saturday is anything to go off of, Korchinski is very close to becoming a full-time NHLer. Despite still being undersized and lacking in the defensive zone, his ability to move with and without the puck in the offensive zone shows extreme promise. By the end of this season, hope remains that he has put enough together to be in the NHL.

Dominic Toninato

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

• Grade: C-
• Blackhawks season stats: 5 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point
• IceHogs season stats: 29 games played, 7 goals, 14 assists, 21 points

Positives

• Competent enough when called up
• Top-six AHLer

Negatives

• Simply not a full-time NHLer

Assessment

Only graded because he technically fit the criteria, Toninato is just a guy. Nothing else needs to be said.

Ethan Del Mastro

(Photo courtesy of Jimmy Doles / Rockford IceHogs)

• Grade: C-
• Blackhawks season stats: 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points
• IceHogs season stats: 28 games played, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points

Positives

• AHL top-four defenseman

Negatives

• Not an NHL defenseman

Assessment

A tough player to grade, Del Mastro looks to be in a difficult spot. Like with Nolan Allan, Del Mastro may not have an NHL roster spot. He is a solid AHL defenseman, but serious questions should be asked about his long-term future.

Drew Commesso

(Photo courtesy of Kristin Ostrowski / Rockford IceHogs)

• Grade: A
• Blackhawks season stats: 2 games played, 1 win, 1 loss, 0 overtime losses, .917 save percentage, 2.50 goals against average
• IceHogs season stats: 19 games played, 6 wins, 11 losses, 3 overtime losses, .909 save percentage, 2.72 goals against average

Positives

• Another strong AHL season
• First NHL win and shutout

Negatives

• Limited NHL time
• Little help in Rockford

Assessment

After his first win and shutout against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, the sky is the limit for the young goaltender. His time in the AHL may be coming to an end with his strong play and the struggles of Soderblom. If his performance against Nashville is anything to go off of, he may be ready for a longer stint with the Blackhawks.

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Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and Jimmy O’Malley to talk about the Blackhawks’ recent trade with the San Jose Sharks, their winning streak, Connor Bedard’s return, the emergence of Anton Frondell at the World Junior Championships, and more.

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Chicago Rinkcast co-host Sean Fitzgerald is joined by Rink Staff members Jimmy O’Malley and co-founder Jeff Osborn, who are back in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the Blackhawks’ last two losses and future road trip. They will discuss Laurent Brossoit, the lack of goal scoring, and other NHL news.

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Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink Staff members Jeff Osborn, and  Jimmy O’Malley, in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the Blackhawks’ recent road woes and, Sam Rinzel’s demotion, some goalie talk with the guru and a brief preview of their game against the New York Rangers.

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Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink Staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and  Jimmy O’Malley, in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the streaky Blackhawks re-entering the win column ahead of a four-game road trip, the possible implications of activating goaltender Laurent Brossoit, and the status/future of the Hawks’ defensive core.

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Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink Staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and  Jimmy O’Malley, in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the Blackhawks’ recent skid of three straight games, the importance of André Burakovsky in the line-up, questions around NHL officiating, and prospect Mason West’s big weekend.

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Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink Staff members Sean Fitzgerald, and  Jimmy O’Malley, in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the Blackhawks’ recent winning streak, Connor Bedard’s Olympic candidacy, the important growth of the young player, and how high the 2025-26 team can climb.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 12 – Red hot Hawks! appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast host Andy Campbell and co-host Sean Fitzgerald are joined by staff member Jimmy O’Malley, back in the Rinkcast studio to discuss the Blackhawks’ hot week with Bleacher Nation lead Hawks writer Tab Bamford.

• Are the Blackhawks for real?
• Blackhawks goaltending (Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom)
• The “Killer Bs” line
• Are Connor Bedard / Macklin Celebrini the next Sidney Crosby / Alexander Ovechkin?
• Artyom Levshunov’s growth

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 9 Episode 11 – Three in a Row, are Hawks for Real? appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast Co-Host Sean Fitzgerald is joined by staff members Jimmy O’Malley ESQ, and Andrew Bard to talk about the latest Blackhawks slump, the previous night’s loss to the Seattle Kraken, and the call-up of Oliver Moore.

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Chicago Rinkcast Host Andy Campbell , staff members Jimmy O’Malley ESQ, and Sean Fitzgerald discuss the Blackhawks’ trade of Lukas Reichel, their recent 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the injury bug, a preview of the Tuesday match-up vs. the Ottawa Senators and what to look for on their upcoming road-trip.

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Chicago Rinkcast Host Andy Campbell , staff members Jimmy O’Malley ESQ, Sean Fitzgerald, and Andrew Bard discuss the Blackhawks’ winning ways through the first seven games of the season, what players have been pleasant surprises, and when will we see more young guns coming to the big club.

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KNIGHT TIME IN CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/gaVJNNkS87

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 13, 2025

When asked about extending Knight, General Manager Kyle Davidson had glowing remarks.

“After joining the team in March, Spencer quickly cemented himself as a crucial piece of our future,” Davidson said. “A talented, young goaltender, he brings athleticism, sound positioning and a calm demeanor to his game, and we’re excited to watch Spencer continue to flourish in Chicago for the new four seasons.”

With this new deal, Knight becomes the 17th-highest paid goaltender based on cap hit. He slots comfortably between $5.85-million Logan Thompson and $5.4-million Elvis Merzlikins.

The former 13th overall pick had extremely impressive underlying metrics during his time split between Chicago and the Florida Panthers. Among goalies with at least 30 games played last season, Knight was even with goaltenders like Jake Oettinger in goals saved above expected per 60, while sitting ahead of goalies like Jordan Binnington, Sergei Bobrovsky and Jacob Markstrom. Having statistics like this while being behind one of the youngest and, let’s face it, one of the worst defensive cores in the league, is commendable.

Although the sample size is relatively small, Knight is only 24 years old. Signing Knight to a contract that gives him a longer leash while the rest of the young roster improves alongside him is a smart bet by Davidson. Like with the Frank Nazar extension, Davidson is betting on excess value created by a skyrocketing salary cap and player development.

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Gate and co-host Pete Fricano get together to talk about all things goaltending. Get your goalie fix!

  Pete Fricano media and Hockey Dad Gatekeeper.

  League Goalie swaps.

  NHL Expansion.

  Little side quest about GoalieParts.com.

  4 Nation.

  Youth Goaltending in the Chicagoland area.

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Make sure to bookmark this page and come back as the moves happen for up-to-the-minute analysis and breakdowns from our friends at 

Date	The-Rink Division	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
3/1/2025		Seth Jones and a 2026 4th round pick		Spencer Knight and 2026 1st round draft pick
3/7/2025		Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith		Joe Veleno
3/7/2025		5th round draft pick in 2026		Shea Weber, Victor Soderstrom and Aku Raty

Trade Analysis/Breakdown:

• • The Florida Panthers acquired Seth Jones and a 2026 4th round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for Spencer Knight and a 2026 1st round pick
  • The Detroit Red Wings acquired Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks for Joe Veleno
  • The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Shea Weber, Victor Soderstrom and Aku Raty from the Utah Hockey Club for a 2026 5th round pick

Also, be sure to follow the entire The-Rink staff on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates, as well:

The Rink Official

Chicago Divison
The Rinkcast
Jeff Osborn
Andy Campbell
Eric Andrews
Sean Fitzgerald
Jimmy O’Malley
Andrew Bard
Ray Napientek
Matt Csakai

 

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First period

Despite being outshot by the Kings by a huge margin, the Blackhawks managed to escape the first tied up. Alec Martinez opened the scoring with a shot from the point through some traffic in front, putting the Blackhawks up halfway through the period. Some sloppy play from the team led to a Los Angeles chance shortly thereafter. Anze Kopitar put a snap shot on net that beat Knight, knotting things up at 1–1. The period would end that way despite the 17–7 shot advantage for the Kings. Knight was solid in the frame, making multiple big saves to keep his new team in it.

Second period

The Blackhawks settled things down in the second. In the first minute of play in the period, they had the puck down in the offensive zone. It was fed out in front for a beautiful chance for Teuvo Teravainen. He fed the puck over to Ilya Mikheyev, who buried his shot to put the Blackhawks up 2–1 early in the second.

Ilya Mikheyev gets his 12th goal of the season to open the 2nd period pic.twitter.com/5pIfjgqFlM

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) March 4, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

At the 13:30 mark of the period, Ethan Del Mastro put a shot toward the front from a bad angle. It deflected off of a Jacob Moverare’s skate and into the net, 3–1 Chicago.

Third period

The third period was once again marked by a huge shot discrepancy. The Blackhawks were massively outshot again, but managed to score the only goals of the period. At the 1:20 mark, Colton Dach found Andreas Athanasiou out in front, who buried his first of the season, making it 4–1 Blackhawks.

Dach Athanasiou pic.twitter.com/hPpehlRJl2

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The Blackhawks would add one more on a Ryan Donato empty-netter, and put away the Kings by a 5–1 final score.

Analysis

This team has just been finding ways to get it done. Knight absolutely stood on his head in his first game as a Blackhawk, keeping them in this game throughout, even through a rocky first period. Making the most of shot attempts is something that is good to see as well, as the Dach to Athanasiou goal was one of three shots in the third, and putting that and an empty-netter in definitely put it out of reach of the Kings coming back. It is also nice to get contributions from guys like Martinez and Del Mastro, who are not known for their offense normally, but contributed big goals in this game.

The next Blackhawks game is on Wednesday versus the Ottawa Senators at the United Center. That game will be on CHSN at 6:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks best Kings 5–1 in Spencer Knight’s debut appeared first on The Rink.

trade alert

︎ https://t.co/gjN0lotc2c pic.twitter.com/c2Bkza5FTG

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 2, 2025

Jones, a polarizing figure among Blackhawks fans, had been vocal over the last week about his desire to play for a contender. Davidson clearly took this to heart and made quick work of pulling together a deal. Given the situation and Jones’ contract, most were not expecting for the Blackhawks to acquire a package the magnitude of Knight and a first-round pick.

Knight, a former first-round pick of the Panthers, comes to Chicago in search of a fresh start. Slotted behind future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida’s net, Knight will finally have the opportunity to establish himself as a No. 1 netminder in the NHL. The acquisition also takes significant pressure off of both Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan to become the long-term answer in net for the Blackhawks, something that cannot be overlooked in the trade.

The deal will likely create a chain reaction for the Blackhawks’ NHL goaltending situation, with Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom currently on the roster, giving the team three options. Laurent Brossoit also remains a member of the organization and is under contract through next season. As such, it is likely at least one, if not two, of Mrazek, Soderblom or Brossoit will not be Blackhawks come next season.

The first-round pick further deepens Davidson’s draft capital cupboards and will allow the Blackhawks to either add another quality prospect to the system when the time comes or to use the pick as a trade chip to improve the roster in the meantime.

Jones gets his wish to head to a playoff team, and joining the defending Stanley Cup champions achieves that wish in spades. Given Florida’s depth on the back end, Jones should be allowed to properly slot in to an appropriate role, which should allow him to flourish. Given Chicago’s relatively weak blue line during Jones’ tenure as a Blackhawk, he was often over-relied upon, which exposed his deficiencies.

Jones played 259 games for the Blackhawks, tallying 32 goals and 114 assists for 146 total points with a -108 rating. Jones was initially acquired in the summer of 2021 from the Columbus Blue Jackets along with a 2021 first-round pick (Nolan Allan) and a 2022 sixth-round pick (Dominic James) in exchange for Adam Boqvist, a 2021 first-round pick (Cole Sillinger), a 2021 second-round pick (Aleksi Heimosalmi) and a 2022 first-round pick (David Jiricek).

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks trade Seth Jones to Florida, acquire Spencer Knight, first-round pick from Panthers appeared first on The Rink.