It’s July 20, which means today is the day for the Blackhawks headed into an arbitration hearing with with forward Philipp Kurashev and his representation (super-agent Pat Brisson) after failing to get a deal done before the deadline. This would is the first arbitration hearing for Kyle Davidson as the general manager of the Blackhawks, and it comes with a player some have suggested plays an important role for the team. I’m not sure I would be lining up to overpay (in dollars or term) a guy who hasn’t shown the ability to make an impact as a top-six forward in the NHL. We’ll see what today holds, but yesterday we learned the two sides are far apart on the dollars being requested/offered.
Yesterday also brought us a great story about forward Frank Nazar from Scott Powers at . Nazar had a procedure on his hip that cost him the majority of what should have been his freshman season at the University of Michigan. He was able to come back and make an impact late in the season and helped the Wolverines advance to the Frozen Four, but the work of being an elite skater and offensive threat once again in the coming season has been at the forefront of his work int he offseason. Powers wrote about how the Blackhawks’ front office and Michigan’s coaches all supported his decision to have work done on the hip and work his way back because the long-term is more important for Nazar than the possibility of more immediate gratification.
I absolutely love this comment from USNTDP director of sports science Brian Galivan, not only because it talks about Nazar’s work ethic but he also mentions another recent Blackhawks draft pick who’s known for his speed on the ice.
“He’s super dialed off the ice,” Galivan said. “Like, nutrition, training, recovery training, him and Oliver Moore, both guys the Blackhawks drafted (from USNTDP), they’re sneaky dialed off the ice. Frankie handles himself really well off the ice. So for him to go through this process with his injury, it was just a bump in the road. It’s nothing. It’s not like a big deal. It’s just like, OK, I have this going on, and we got to fix it and that’s what he did. And that comes from his family; they raജised him, I just train him. It’s the truth. There’s a lot of trainers that want to get all this credit now because of Instagram and all this stuff they do, but, in the end, it’s up to the player to do the work and he does the work. He’s an impressive kid. I love him. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
The man so nice they named him twice is going pro! After winning over the media with his enormous personality and sense of humor during development camp, 2023 fifth-round pick forward Marcel Marcel is joining the Rockford IceHogs on an AHL contract. Marcel², who can make the move to the AHL because he turns 20 in October, will move on from being a teammate of Samuel Savoie with the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL.
Taylor Raddysh was featured on the NHLPA website on Wednesday. He talked about the emotions of leaving Tampa at the top of the sport and how he’s taken advantage of the opportunity he’s been given in Chicago. I like where he talks about the growth curve of a young team and learning through — and from — the struggles of last season. Here’s how he discussed his game right now:
“I think, if I had to look at my game, it was being consistent, whether that was producing or having a good game overall. In Chicago, getting chances and earning more ice time, that’s something I’m proud of. But I think what I’m most excited about is the new faces and the guys that are returning. I think we are going to have a pretty good team and we are bu🤪ilding in the right direction.”
Some coaching news from around the NHL in the past 24 hours or so. The Seattle Kraken understandably want to keep Dave Hakstol around for a while, so they extended his contract. He’s doing a really good job with an evolving, growing roster in Seattle.
The Capitals announced Kirk Muller as an assistant coach and Kenny McCudden as an assistant/skills coach on new head coach Spencer Carbery’s staff. Muller was the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes from 2011-14 and has been a coach for 17 years. He’s a nice add for a rookie head coach.
And in Toronto, the Leafs have hired a couple new assistant coaches. Guy Boucher was reportedly in the mix for the head coaching job before they hired Mike Babcock a few years back, and Van Ryn has been a popular name in coaching rumors for a while. Having an assistant coach with head coaching experience working behind a head coach who might be on the hot seat is… interesting.
Last night, the Cubs won a game in dramatic fashion with a late-inning tie game blown open by the bat of Nico Hoerner. As someone who looks forward to celebrating big moments — and career firsts — from a young player on ice this coming season, let’s all enjoy Nico’s first career grand slam again on Thursday.
Finally, I’ll admit that this did cross my mind last night and I’m happy to report I’m not the only Chicago fan who’s just obsessed enough to have this thought looking up at a unique sky last night.
