The NHL offseason is always rife with speculation and anticipation, with fans eagerly awaiting the flurry of activity that accompanies free agency. This year, one name that has been circulating in hockey circles as a potential game-changer is Steven Stamkos. At 34 years old, Stamkos brings a wealth of experience and skill to the table, making him an enticing prospect for teams looking to bolster their roster. Among those teams, the Chicago Blackhawks stand out as a potential destination where Stamkos could make a significant impact. Which squad will Steven Stamkos be a member of next season ..read more

The Blackhawks had plenty of issues as a team this season, but perhaps the biggest was the amount of goals they let in the net. Chicago allowed 3.52 goals per gam over the course of the year, good for fourth-most in the league. On the other hand, Blackhawks goalies battled for a save percentage of .897, with seven teams posting worse numbers. It was made obvious this year that the large amount of pucks let in the net wasn’t entirely the fault of the netminders, but instead a result of inexperienced defensive play coupled with a revolving door of constantly changing pairings. While the defensi ..read more

From the moment the Blackhawks’ season ended a few years ago, summer vacation started for the entire team. The players will train hard, sure, and will look to come back in the fall even stronger than when they left. But the summer represents a much-needed and much-appreciated time for players to rest, recover, and enjoy time with their families that they don’t always get in the regular season. For GM Kyle Davidson and his staff, however, the work has only just begun. Even after an important extension of the contract of star defenseman Alex Vlasic, nine players are currently scheduled to hit s ..read more

On Tuesday morning, the NHL announced perhaps the most obvious news of the year: Connor Bedard is a Calder Trophy finalist. The league’s most successful rookie emerged this season as the favorite to win the award, which is given annually to “the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.” He’s accompanied by fellow finalists Brock Faber and Luke Hughes, who enjoyed impressive seasons in their own right. While the NHL awards are set to be announced on June 27, the league is using this week to recognize the finalists for all its major ..read more

A Blackhawks team is playing in the playoffs tonight! Well, not the real Blackhawks, and not the NHL playoffs, either. That future is still a few years off. But that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Chicago’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, has set themselves up nicely for a deep AHL playoff run, one that begins tonight at 7:00 p.m. CDT. While the experience won’t exactly match the thrill of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calder Cup Playoffs are certainly something to celebrate. The IceHogs are a genuinely good team in the AHL and with an exciting, fresh lineup, they’re certa ..read more

From the second the Blackhawks’ dismal season wrapped up a week ago, the main mission of the front office was simple: extend. Alex. Vlasic. Chicago’s top defenseman came out of nowhere this past season in a contract year and facing restricted free agency, the Blackhawks HAD to get a deal done. On Thursday morning, Chicago did just that, and in doing so, got the biggest steal the NHL has seen in a long time. The Blackhawks agreed to a contract extension with Vlasic for six years and $27.6 million, worth $4.6 million annually. “It’s amazing to be able to play for [my] hometown team, the same c ..read more

Throughout this season, veteran defenseman Seth Jones has been the focus of a rather unsettling trend: most of the headlines he makes are from what he says off the ice. As the calendar flipped from February to March with the Blackhawks in the middle of what would end up being a seven-game losing streak, Jones became more vocal about his displeasure on the team. After the final game of the Blackhawks’ season last Thursday, Jones was once again asked about what it’s like playing on a rebuilding team, and he again didn’t hold back: “I’ve just tried to be positive to the media and understand the ..read more

All season, we’ve been watching rookie phenom Connor Bedard like a hawk, monitoring his progress on a monthly basis with reports and check-ins. Those progress reports are simply a microcosm of the immense pressure the 18-year-old faced even before he was drafted. Even with enormous expectations from day one, Bedard has met every one of them. He didn’t blow anyone’s minds in the month of April with four points in eight games. Still, as the Blackhawks’ season came to a close last week, so did one of the best rookie campaigns in franchise history. Finishing the year with 61 points overall, Bedar ..read more

With the Blackhawks set to play the final game of their 2023-24 season on Thursday night, it’s clear this season wasn’t exactly what anyone had hoped for. Though the pieces are in place for a championship contender to be born in the next few seasons, this year’s team just didn’t have enough NHL talent to be competitive. Even in a year where the players weren’t exactly the class of the league, however, a few players stood out. Three names in particular played their way into consideration as the Blackhawks’ most valuable player. Connor Bedard While the superstar rookie isn’t my team MVP pick fo ..read more

With the type of year the Blackhawks’ offense is having, just about every goal this season has come as a surprise. That’s why it wasn’t shocking when Chicago was nearly shut out once again by the Golden Knights Tuesday. The Blackhawks narrowly avoided hanging another donut on the board with less than four minutes remaining in the game thanks to a Vegas skater running into his own goalie. Chicago put 24 shots on the net in its penultimate game. With just one goal Tuesday night, the 2023-24 Blackhawks continued to make history, and not in a good way. Chicago all but secured a new franchise reco ..read more