It’s supposed to be awfully hot in the greater Chicago area today (read: the temp might match or exceed Connor Bedard‘s jersey number) so why not start our day with a pool party? No Blackhawks representation in this video… but I’m sure the laundry bill to dry out one of these outfits won’t be cheap.
It was coming… now it’s happening. Patrick Kane is going to have a Red Wings bobblehead. No visor. No mouthguard. And the face is… I just don’t know. What do you think, Blackhawks fans? I’ve gotta be honest… that looks like a recycled bobblehead with a new number and name on it.
Corey Pronman at is updating his Under 23 organizational rankings for the entire NHL this week. On Tuesday he released Nos. 17-24. Three teams from the Blackhawks’ Central Division showed up here — three of the top four teams in the division this past season.
- Nashville Predators
- Dallas Stars
- Calgary Flames
- Washington Capitals
- Los Angeles Kings
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Florida Panthers
- Winnipeg Jets
Steven Ellis at dropped his full league breakdown of pipeline rankings on Tuesday morning. He has the Blackhawks at No. 7 on his list, noting that Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski graduated. Here’s what he wrote about the Blackhawks’ pipeline:
Any team that can graduate multiple top prospects in the same year – namely, Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski – and still come out boasting one of the best pipelines in the NHL clearly knows what they’re doing. Drafting early has had its advantages, obviously, but so has acquiring multiple first-round picks and trying to bank on upside. Chicago’s top three prospects – Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar – are in their own category. I believe highly in all three and think they’ll be impact players for years to come. The Hawks have one of the most dynamic and speedy farm systems of any team in the league, and e🅰ven if just four orꩵ five become impact NHLers, that’ll be huge.
On the artist formerly known as Twitter, I shared a reminder of where the Blackhawks’ college prospects will be playing their NCAA hockey this coming season. Chicago will have 11 prospects playing college hockey this year.
Minnesota men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko recently spoke with Randy Johnson of and talked about his loaded roster for the coming season. Matthew Wood, a big (6-5) forward who was drafted in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft by Nashville, left UConn to join the Gophers. It’s possible the Gophers put Wood on their top line with Jimmy Snuggerud (a first-round pick by the Blues in 2022) and Oliver Moore. That would be a lot of fun — and would put points on the board.
While we’re talking Gophers, I wrote about how excited I am — and you should be — for Blackhawks defense prospect Sam Rinzel‘s sophomore season at Minnesota. He took big steps forward last year and could be one of the top point-producing defensemen in the entire NCAA this coming season.
Let us know which of these college prospects you’re most excited about this season in our Twitter poll? It’s open for voting until about 1 PM CT.
In the Things I Didn’t Expect To Read This Week category (from the ): “Retired Chicago Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin in June listed his three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot condominium on the 37th floor of a River North high-rise for $1.95 million.”
How do we feel about $10M AAV goaltenders, folks? Jeremy Swayman is still a restricted free agent… and we’re (counts days) away from training camps opening up for the new season. The timing of this nugget is incredibly suspect, but the fact that this is out there in Boston is worth watching. Especially since they traded his goaltending partner, Linus Ullmark, to Ottawa this summer.
Swayman came up in a few notes from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period when he was throwing out a few comments on various RFAs who are still looking for money. I’m not surprised that Seth Jarvis will get a nice, long-term deal in Carolina.
However, the thought that Lucas Raymond and the Red Wings aren’t close is… something. And I’m intrigued. Very intrigued.
Finally, come for the incredible photo of PCA, stay for the history made in Pittsburgh last night. And they did it against Yasmani Grandal… the same guy who got the biggest contract in White Sox history.
