“At least they’re not the Bears!” That’s what we said before the Blackhawks went into Detroit and lost 6-1 last night. And I’ve seen the comments on social media that are losing minds over the performance on the ice last night. My caution when we start with the knee-jerk reactions is that only eight of the 20 guys who dressed last night are expected to be in the lineup in Detroit next week. And there might be 1-2 other guys who are on the roster. So let’s take it easy on how things looked like a mess last night when we all should have gone into the game expecting some struggles with continuity because of the mix and match lineup they had available.
The Blackhawks are off today, so the team announced a few more players sent back to their junior clubs and Rockford. I mentioned on Sunday night that I liked what I saw from Gavin Hayes during his preseason action. The Blackhawks play at home on Tuesday and Thursday night this week and we should start to see some more regular lines/lineups soon.
Because roster cuts are going to be needed soon, keep an eye on the waiver wire this week. We’ve talked about the Blackhawks having a few guys battling for a possible final roster spot at forward, and a few of them would need to clear waivers to go to Rockford. I’m interested to see if/when the first from the group of Boris Katchouk, Reese Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle has a meeting with the coaches about the start of the season.
On the blue line, one of the big questions is where Kevin Korchinski will skate the majority of the coming season. Scott Powers wrote about how that decision isn’t getting easier as we get closer to the end of training camp.
“[Blackhawks GM Kyle] Davidson would have loved for Korchinski’s play to make that decision just as easy on him, but Davidson probably knew coming into camp that wasn’t going to be the case.
Korchinski’s first two preseason games have confirmed that, too. In some ways, Korchinski is more than ready for the NHL. There is no one among the Blackhawks defensemen who possesses his exact blend of skating, length and vision. When he has the puck, the Blackhawks are that much more dangerous. That’s just a fact.”
But there are still areas where development is needed. So what do they do? My guess is Korchinski will remain with the Blackhawks through the duration of the preseason and could see a few games in the regular season to better gauge how the NHL might benefit his development long-term vs. a trip back to the WHL for this season.
Yeah, last night wasn’t Connor Bedard‘s best. But we should expect growing pains from the No. 1 overall pick. He still showed flashes of the offensive capability that we all love so much, but many times he was going after it alone. A tough night is good because it shows him and the coaches what he needs to work on in the coming eight days — and beyond. It’s going to be okay. I promise.
I thought Taylor Raddysh had a really good weekend. He skated 19:37 on Sunday night and started on the wing with Bedard before moving around a bit when the score was out of hand. And even though the Blackhawks’ power play didn’t score, he spent 6:14 on the advantage. I’m more intrigued with him as a potential wing for Bedard after watching three preseason games. The Blackhawks have some versatility and options up front and that could be a good spot for him.
I saw a column from on Sunday and I had some thoughts. Restricted free agent center Shane Pinto and the Senators are still having a staring contest over his next contract, and it appears they aren’t getting any closer to a deal with the start of the regular season now just eight days away.
According to Garrioch, the Sens offered Pinto a one-year, $1 million with the proviso that the two sides would talk about a bigger, longer-term extension in January when there’s a better feel for where the cap is headed. Garrioch writes Pinto would either $2.5 million per, while the Sens would prefer a two-year deal with a $2.1 million AAV (he cites Morgan Frost’s deal in Philly as a comp).
Pinto, 22, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Senators. After two underwhelming seasons, he scored 20 goals (35 points) in 82 games last year as a would-be third-line center for the Sens. He won 52.1 percent of 862 faceoffs last season — a really good number that looks even better when you see he won nearly two-thirds of his neutral zone faceoffs. He’s a good player.
The compensation a team would have to give Ottawa in exchange for an with an annual average value between $2,145,062 – $4,290,125 is a second-round pick. That’s it. Anything between the $1 million the Sens reportedly offered and $2,145,062 would be a third-round pick.
If there are any lingering internal concerns about Lukas Reichel struggling in the faceoff circle — he was much better in Detroit — and there’s a thought he might be better suited on the wing (I’m in that camp right now for what it’s worth), what if the Blackhawks offered the Sens either the lowest of their three second-round picks or the Sens’ own third-round pick back with one or two of Chicago’s surplus forwards for Pinto and signed him to a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV. Chicago can afford it, Pinto would be a good second-line center, and the bounty of picks Chicago owns makes it feasible they can move one for a good, young center as a bridge to Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, Ryan Greene and others who are on their way but might need 1-2 more years before reaching the NHL.
The Rockford IceHogs opened their training camp on Sunday with a roster that feels limited. Keep in mind the Blackhawks will be sending a bus full of players to Rockford at some point in the next week, which will top off their lineup.
Brandon Sutter retired on Sunday.
Finally, let’s turn the page from baseball to hockey season. The Cubs had some fun this summer and showed us they’re headed in a good direction, but the result was painful at the end.
