Connor Bedard is among the elite players taking part in the BioSteel NHL Camp this week, and we got to see some images and video from the first day of the event on Monday. BioSteel shared a lot of photos and videos from the first day on their Instagram account and it’s really pretty cool the level of talent at the camp. We’re talking McDavid, Draisaitl, Makar, MacKinnon, Tavares… Bedard. The future of the Blackhawks is already in that elite club. Love to see it.
On Monday, the guys at The Athletic revealed the results of their . There were a few questions that I circled when I read the survey because the results interested me. Fans were asked how confident they are in Kyle Davidson as the general manager. On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the highest/best), 79.8 percent of the answers had Davidson at a 4 or 5. On the same scale, how confident are fans in Luke Richardson as the head coach? Again, an overwhelming majority (82 percent) answered a 4 or 5. So the guys running the ship got really good grades (I agree with that).
Two other questions fascinated me. “Were you OK with how the Blackhawks handled the exit of Patrick Kane / Jonathan Toews?” And the responses were even more interesting than I anticipated. 75.5 percent of those answering the Kane question said Yes, they were okay with how Kane’s Chicago career came to a close. But only 52.7 percent were okay with how Toews’ days in the Indian head ended.
It looks like the Blackhawks are adding another brain to the analytics group. As I noted earlier this summer, the Blackhawಞks🍸 have the largest data/analytics group in the NHL. This is another strong hire by Kyle Davidson’s front office as they work hard to collect and weaponize a truckload of data.
When are Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel playing this year? Glad you asked! Minnesota dropped their schedule on Monday.
How about Frank Nazar? Michigan dropped their Big Ten schedule on Monday, too. Let’s go!
Gavin Hayes and the Flint Firebirds are back in action today. My big question is whether or not Hayes, who scored 41 goals last year and finished the year on a heater, can ride that momentum into a 50-goal campaign this year.
The Edmonton Oilers brought Sam Gagner “home” on Monday. Which means he’ll probably find a way to have a three or four-point night against the Blackhawks because Edmonton Sam Gagner wrecked the Blackhawks.
Some relatively big news in the ownership structure in Buffalo. The Sabres and Bills announced Pegula Sports and Entertainment is splitting their resources between the organizations, with Terry Pegula taking control of the Sabres as the new team president. They believe it’s time to allow the two franchises to stand on their own.
I absolutely love recent draft picks who exceed expectations. And the Cubs’ first-round pick from just a couple months ago is climbing the minor leagues quickly!