DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Author: Ryan McGregor

  • Blackhawks make much needed powerplay change

    Blackhawks make much needed powerplay change

    Connor Bedard is back practicing with the Blackhawks for the second day in a row, taking part in both 5-on-5 line rushes and powerplay drills.

    The Blackhawks powerplay has struggled early on, only converting once on 14 attempts (7.1%). Their one goal coming from Sam Rinzel in the Blackhawks only win of the season.

    Obviously, not having Connor Bedard hurts the powerplay, but he is back practicing, and may even play Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

    Blackhawks powerplay lines in practice:

    Bertuzzi (net front)

    Bedard (left wall) – Kantserov (bumper) – Kane (right wall)

    Byram (point)

    The biggest change here isn’t the addition of Connor Bedard, it’s Patrick Kane being moved back to the right wall.

    Patrick Kane has been one of the best powerplay distributors in the league throughout his career, and he has always done so from the right wall.

    Being a left-handed player on the right side allows Kane to open up on his forehand and survey his options. This forces the penalty kill to respect the pass as well as the shot. Patrick Kane is one of the best playmakers in the NHL, but is not afraid to put a shot on net.

    I speculate the reason Kane was on the left wall up until now was because the Blackhawks have an abundance of left-handed players and this allowed Kane to find a one-timer from either the right wall, bumper, or point. Now, Kane has Bedard as a one timer option on the left wall.

    Throughout his career, Kane has always been the play driver on the powerplay, so it only makes sense to have the driver in his most comfortable spot.

    Having Bedard back will be a massive boost for the powerplay. If the Blackhawks want to start winning games, it is crucial that they convert far more often than the 7.1% they have been.

  • Bowen Byram needs to be better if the Blackhawks want to start winning

    Bowen Byram needs to be better if the Blackhawks want to start winning

    He’s only been the number one defenseman in Chicago for five games, but the doubts surrounding Bowen Byram’s ability are getting louder and louder.

    After a 5-2 beatdown from the Carolina Hurricanes, the Blackhawks have fallen to 1-5-0. This rocky start is particularly frustrating given that the players spent all summer talking about playoffs, and how this season needs to be different.

    It’s only been six games and things could change, but if the Hawks don’t turn this thing around real soon, they can kiss any playoffs hopes goodbye.

    Analyzing the Blackhawks without Connor Bedard is like evaluating the San Jose Sharks without Macklin Celebrini, but the Hawks’ inability to play without him is concerning.

    Still, the biggest storyline of the Blackhawks season so far has been the underwhelming play of Bowen Byram.

    The Blackhawks made a statement when they gave up the fourth overall pick, Louis Crevier, and a second round pick for Byram. Then they signed him to a six-year, $75 million deal.

    Those transactions told the hockey world two things. The Blackhawks are ready to compete, and Bowen Byram is a number one defenseman.

    six games into the season and neither look to be true.

    Byram has played five games this season, it would be six, but he missed his return to Buffalo because his wife was giving birth to twins.

    Through those five games, Byram has zero points and is a -8. Byram was initially deployed on his off side with Alex Vlasic. The idea was to play Byram with a shutdown defenseman who can successfully retrieve pucks and allow Byram to flourish offensively, even if it means playing his off side.

    Unfortunately, that duo wasn’t working out, so Jeff Blashill made a change after just two games. Since then, Byram has been playing on his natural left side with Artyom Levshunov.

    Byram has looked better since the change, but still isn’t playing anywhere near the level he is supposed to be.

    At 5-on-5, Byram has been on the ice for seven goals against, two goals for, and has a 47.06% corsi (via NaturalStatTrick).

    Beyond just the numbers, Byram has looked slow, at times not engaged, and is struggling to connect on passes. This is especially concerning given how dominant he looked in the preseason.

    Bowen Byram oozes confidence off the ice, and yet, through five games, he seems to have non when the puck drops.

    The team as a whole has been struggling in pretty much every area of the game, so it’s not all on Byram. However, great players find a way when others can’t, that’s who Byram is supposed to be.

    The main issue isn’t that Byram hasn’t been able to elevate his play to that of a number one defenseman, it’s that he hasn’t even been able to play to the level he has throughout his career so far.

    Byram has been a reliable second/third defenseman with number one potential. However, so far in Chicago he’s looked more like a fifth or sixth.

    Like I stated earlier, adding Connor Bedard to this lineup is going to help the team win games, but his presence alone can’t fix the individual performances of 23 other guys.

    There are 78 games left to play, a lot can change, and a lot will change. The question is when will things change, and how drastic will that change be.

  • Connor Bedard takes a big step towards returning to the lineup

    Connor Bedard takes a big step towards returning to the lineup

    It’s October 11th, and Connor Bedard is once again on the ice for Blackhawks practice. This time, however, he is wearing a regular jersey and looks to have fewer contact restrictions.

    As of today, Bedard is a participant in normal practice once again. It looks as though he is taking contact, as well as taking part in line rushes. According to Scott Powers, however, he isn’t “full go” just yet.

    The Blackhawks next game is Tuesday against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins and according to Scott Powers, Jeff Blashill did not rule out Tuesday as a possible return for Bedard.

    Blackhawks forward lines with Bedard in practice:

    Kantserov – Bedard – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Teravainen/Nazar

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Moore – Toninato – Donato

    With Bedard slotted in to the lineup, things looks much better, and guys fall into their more appropriate places.

    There has been a lot of speculation about whether or not Bedard will play with Patrick Kane. If today’s practice lines are any indicator, it looks like Bedard will be centering Kane and Roman Kantserov.

    Bedard was asked today about his potential return. According to Scott Powers, Bedard said he is feeling good, but there isn’t a specific game for his return yet. He also added, “I want to play as soon as possible” (via Charlie Roumeliotis on X)

    Given that the initial timeline had him returning in November, things look to be progressing well.

    The 1-5-0 Blackhawks are desperate for their captain, and superstar forward to return to the lineup in hopes of getting things back on track while there is still time.

  • Blackhawks vs Hurricanes game preview

    Blackhawks vs Hurricanes game preview

    Tonight is game one of a seven game home stand for the Blackhawks, and it starts with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

    Despite the fact that the Hawks have got better as the season’s gone on, they are still 1-4-0 entering tonight.

    “the last two games have been a huge step in the right direction, last game i thought we did tons of good stuff, i thought we played the way we need to play to be effective.” Jeff Blashill (via CHGO Blackhawks)

    Not only are the Hawks really feeling the absence of Connor Bedard, but now they have to go without Frank Nazar for two games while he serves his suspension.

    Blackhawks projected lines:

    Lardis – Greene – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Kantserov

    Donato – Toninato – Teravainen

    Smith – Moore – Greenway

    Byram – Levshunov

    Vlasic – Cole

    Kaiser – RInzel

    Spencer Knight will start tonight.

    Ryan Greene moved up to the first line center spot. I’ve said multiple times lately that Ryan Greene could be the stability that the top six needs, and now he gets his shot. “he’s not chaotic…he can help settle any line down” Jeff Blashill after morning skate (Via CHGO Blackhawks)

    Nick Lardis might be the most underwhelming forward so far this season. He’s mostly played bottom six minutes but was moved up to the top line last game. It looks as though Lardis will start tonight with the top line.

    Jeff Blashill talked about depth scoring being an issue, if Lardis can find his game that will be a big boost for the Hawks. Lardis scored at a 20-goal pace last season.

    Roman Kantserov has an underwhelming zero points in his first five games this season, leaving fans wanting more. Kantserov was expected to be a top six contributor upon arrival this season.

    Jeff Blashill came to the young Russian’s defense this morning “I don’t believe in small sample sizes, if he keeps doing what he is doing he is going to have plenty of points in this league.” (Via CHGO Blackhawks)

    Kantserov has done the little things right, and at times has been very noticeable with his speed and physicality. The change from the KHL to the NHL is a big one and it may take time for Kantserov to find his best game.

    It has been stated many times, but the key to success tonight for the Blackhawks is simple, smart hockey. Make the safe play, gets pucks on net, and play as a unit. Often these are cliches, but if the Hawks want to beat the Hurricanes they need to play that way.

    What I’ll be watching for:

    • Special teams: the Hawks powerplay has been a non factor this season, only converting on an embarrassing 8.3% of opportunities. I may sound like a broken record, but clean zone entries are key. If they can get in, they already move the puck well. Maybe shoot more? The penalty kill hasn’t been much better, only clicking at a 64.3% success rate.
    • Bowen Byram: through four games, Byram is a -6 with zero points. I don’t think anyone expected a start like this, especially after how dominant he was in preseason. Byram is a huge part of this team, if things are going to turn around, he needs to lead the charge.
    • Spencer Knight: Having a goalie like Knight gives your team a chance to win every night. The Hawks haven’t given Knight enough help offensively this season, and they need to tonight. Knight has the ability to win them this game, but the offense needs to do it’s part and pot more than 1-2 goals.

    Hurricanes projected lines:

    Carrier -Aho – Svechnikov

    Hall – Stankoven – Blake

    Ehlers – Staal – Martinook

    Robinson – Jankowski – Kotkaniemi

    Slavin – Chatfield

    Miller – Walker

    Gostisbehere – Reilly

    Bussi/Kochetkov

  • Frank Nazar suspended two games for hit on Bo Horvat

    Frank Nazar suspended two games for hit on Bo Horvat

    The NHL has suspended Frank Nazar for two games today for the hit delivered on New York Islander’s captain Bo Horvat.

    The hit took place late in the third period after Horvat shot the puck down the ice towards the Blackhawks’ empty net.

    When the hit was delivered, Horvat was bent over from the follow through of the shot. Nazar made contact with Horvat’s head, which immediately led to Nazar being jumped by surrounding Islanders. Nazar was assessed a five minute major and a 10 minute misconduct.

    It was no doubt a hit to the head, and deserving of discipline. In my opinion, two games seems a little extreme for a player with no history and no clear intent to injure.

    Nazar will miss the next two games against Carolina on Saturday, and Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

    This is a huge blow for the Blackhawks who are already missing their number one center in Connor Bedard. Now the Blackhawks have to go two games without their their second best center.

    Anton Frondell will likely be the next man up in Nazar’s absence.

  • Blackhawks vs Islanders game preview

    Blackhawks vs Islanders game preview

    Tonight the Chicago Blackhawks look to turn one win into a winning streak as they visit Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders (1-2-0) in New York.

    After settling into forward lines that seemed to work well, Teuvo Teravainen went down with an injury, forcing Jeff Blashill to play line juggler once again. There was no morning skate today, here are the lines and pairings from yesterday’s practice:

    Moore – Nazar – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Kantserov

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Donato – Tonintao – Lardis

    Byram – Levshunov

    Vlasic – Cole

    Kaiser – Rinzel

    Spencer Knight is expected to start.

    Oliver Moore is back on the top line with Nazar and Kane, he played there in game one vs Vegas. Roman Kantserov gets bumped back down to the second line with Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi in place of Teravainen.

    Kantserov has struggled to get much going offensively in the first four games of the season, although you can see the chemistry developing between him and Kane. Hopefully slotting him in with a red hot Frondell can help spark some offense.

    Kantserov is someone who has high expectations and is expected to be a top six contributor upon arrival, getting him going would be a big boost for the Hawks.

    Frondell has four points in his last two games (G, 3A) and leads the rookie scoring race as of the morning of October 8. Second place is a seven way tie with two points, including the New York Islanders own Victor Eklund. Eklund is also a good friend of Frondell.

    The fourth line seems to now be the third line, just going off of ice time allocation lately. The usual third line of Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, and Nick Lardis have been the Hawks most disappointing trio over the first four games. A big part of that is Nick Lardis can’t seem to generate any offense, and to make matters worse, he isn’t making wise choices defensively either.

    Defensive pairings stay the same, it worked well last game so why change it?

    A couples keys to success for the Hawks tonight is building on their shot frequency, as well as continuing to tighten their structure. The Hawks broke the 20-shot threshold for only the second time this season last game against St. Louis. It’s hard to win hockey games when being outshot almost 2:1 every night. They also need to play within their structure. too many times guys get out of place trying to do too much.

    Jeff Blashill preaches “the process”. focusing on the process over the results, and the results will follow.

    “There were large parts of the game tonight that our process was the best it’s been…especially in the sense of being on top of people. Our D gaps, ending plays early. Our forward reloads. That’s much more how we want to play.” Jeff Blashill after beating the Blues. (via Ben Pope on X)

    Islanders projected lines:

    Heineman – Horvat – Palmieri

    Schenn – Ritchie – Eklund

    Holmstrom – Pageau – Duclair

    Palat – Cizikas – Maccelli

    Stanley – Schaefer

    Pelech – Pulock

    DeAngelo – Mayfield

    Sorokin

    The Islanders had a nice run last season as a result of Matthew Schafer’s incredible rookie season. However, this team is not by any means “great”. you could argue that on paper they are the Hawks’ worst opponent so far this season.

    No reason why the Hawks can’t head back to Chicago for their seven game home stand with two more points.

  • The Blackhawks defense are making improvements, still have lots to learn

    The Blackhawks defense are making improvements, still have lots to learn

    The Blackhawks broke through last night, finally getting their first win in their home opener against the Blues. A big reason for that was some much needed stability on the back end.

    Pretty much every defenseman had their best game of the season last night, something the Blackhawks desperately needed.

    Let’s start with Artyom Levshunov. Levshunov was put on the top pair with Bowen Byram, allowing Byram to play his natural left side.

    The risk with pairing those two together is that they are both offensively minded defenceman who have gaps in their defensive games.

    Last night put some of that worry to bed, at least for now. Levshunov had 18:00 minutes of ice time where he put up one assist and was a +1.

    Beyond just his beautiful assist, Levshunov has shown steps forward in his defensive game this season. He has been given opportunity on the penalty kill, totaling 7:58 of ice time in the first four games of the season.

    With the defensive game improving, and him showing those dominant offensive flashes, Levshunov hopes to take a big step this season.

    “It was good, good play by me” Levshunov told Mark Lazerus after last night’s win.

    Byram had a decent game. He played 21:23, was a +1, had two shots on goal, and a block. There were moments where Byram looked dangerous, but couldn’t finish anything.

    I am still waiting for a dominant game from Byram. He obviously made a great first impression in the pre-season when he recorded a hattrick, but I want to see something like that when it counts.

    Alex Vlasic played arguably his best game of the season last night. He led all Blackhawks defenseman in time on ice with 21:48, was a +1, had a shot, and two blocks.

    Beyond the numbers, Vlasic has been using his defensive stick much more effectively over the last two games, and has been closing gaps a lot better. He also has added to his offensive game. There have been multiple times where last year’s Vlasic would just dump the puck in. This season, however, Vlasic loves to carry the puck in, often leading to a shot on goal or some sustained pressure.

    “There were a couple points in the season last year where…I’d have a couple bad games [with] a couple turnovers, a couple goals [against], and then I’m in my head, I’m not playing at that same level of confidence. This year, if something bad happens, it’s in one ear, out the other.” Vlasic told Ben Pope after last night’s win.

    Vlasic has also quietly added some more physicality to his game. Playing with Ian Cole seems to be a good fit for Vlasic. Another defensive defenseman to help shut down the other team’s top scorers, but having Cole there allows Vlasic to explore that newly found offensive side of his game.

    Wyatt Kaiser and Sam Rinzel were the bottom pairing for the Blackhawks last night, and they seemed to work okay together. They played the least out of all defenseman last night. Kaiser played 17:56 and Rinzel played only 17:45.

    Rinzel was a healthy scratch in Buffalo after playing very poor hockey in the first two games of the season. You hope a reset like that can help a player turn things around.

    Rinzel looked better on the defensive side of the puck, which was a good sign. He also scored the Blackhawks first goal of the game off a Frank Nazar rebound. Rinzel also scored in last years home opener against Montreal.

    It was a much needed goal for the offensive defenseman’s confidence. Hopefully Rinzel can build on this positive momentum.

  • Blackhawks lose two forwards, have to dip into Rockford

    Blackhawks lose two forwards, have to dip into Rockford

    In the second period of last night’s win over St. Louis, a Blues player fell hard on Teuvo Teravainen’s right ankle. Teravainen played the remainder of the second period but didn’t return for the third.

    Jeff Blashill told media that Teravainen would not travel with the team to Long Island for their game against the Islanders Thursday, and that updates would come in the next few days.

    After now losing both Teravainen and forward Andrew Mangiapane, who was announced week-to-week on October 5, the Blackhawks have to call up somebody from the AHL.

    Many people would have expected the first call up to be either Landon Slaggert or AJ Spellacy. Rather, the Blackhawks have decided to go with the 32-year-old veteran Dominic Toninato.

    Toninato played eight games with the Blackhawks last season where he notched one assist. Toninato is a responsible fourth line caliber center who can be trusted to make the right play.

    This makes me wonder, with Teravainen out, what does the second like look like?

    Assuming Blashill doesn’t touch the first line of Frank Nazar, Roman Kantserov, and Patrick Kane, who joins Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi on line two? Both lines have been clicking, so it’s important to not mix them up or mess with chemistry too much.

    My first instinct is to bump up Nick Lardis from the third line, however, Lardis has looked out of place to start this season. He looked particularly bad when playing with Frondell. Frondell has four points in his last two games. He is finally going and you don’t want to mess with that.

    Does Oliver Moore or Ryan Donato get another shot in the top six?

  • Blackhawks vs Blues game preview

    Blackhawks vs Blues game preview

    Tonight is a big night for the Blackhawks for multiple reasons. Home opener against the rival St. Louis Blues, Patrick Kane’s return to the United Center, and Bowen Byram’s first regular season home game.

    All of which would probably be bigger talking points if the Blackhawks weren’t heading into this one 0-3-0.

    On a positive note, Bowen Byram is back in the lineup after his wife gave birth to twins. The timing unfortunately caused Byram to miss his return to Buffalo.

    Not only does Byram have new dad strength. but he also has a new defensive partner, Artyom Levshunov.

    The Blackhawks offence was better in Buffalo than they had been in the first two games of the season, probably due to the fact that Blashill went back to similar lines from training camp.

    The defence last game is what left people concerned. Granted, they were missing Byram, but the overall play was inexcusable. So it seems Blashill has changed up the pairings:

    Byram – Levshunov

    Vlasic – Cole

    Kaiser – RInzel

    Korchinski – Del Mastro

    Slotting Levshunov on the top pair makes sense for a couple reasons. It allows Byram to play his natural left side, but it also gives Levshunov the chance to play with a very skilled partner. Levshunov has been one of the few bright spots on the back end this season, albeit far from perfect.

    Keeping the second pairing of Alex Vlasic and Ian Cole is a wise decision. Vlasic had by far his best game in Buffalo and he was paired with Cole. Vlasic was using his stick effectively, using his body, and jumping up into the play offensively. He had two assists.

    Sam Rinzel gets back into the lineup after being scratched for poor play. Rinzel seems to have a longer runway than other defenseman. Korchinski has looked better most of the time and can’t seem to get into the lineup.

    Spencer Knight gets the start tonight for the second straight game.

    The forward lines stay the same:

    Kantserov – Nazar – Kane

    Bertuzzi – Frondell – Teravainen

    Donato – Moore – Lardis

    Smith – Greene – Greenway

    Anton Frondell is coming off of a good game. There has been conversation around whether he is better as a center or winger. I think it’s too early to rule him out as a full-time center, he looked good there in Buffalo. However, I would like to see a larger sample of him with Connor Bedard.

    Bedard joined the Blackhawks for practice for the first time yesterday. He was taking rushes, and doing one-on-one drills with light contact. There is still no update on his return date.

    It’s too early in the season to call a game a must-win game, but the Blackhawks are almost there. Given how high expectations were coming in to this season and how bad they have been to start, they need to make a statement tonight. St. louis in town, Patrick Kane’s first game back, and Byram’s first regular season game should be enough to get the guys going early.

    St. Louis Blues projected lines:

    Holloway – Thomas – Snuggerud

    Buchnevich – McTavish – McMichael

    Neighbours – Dvorsky – Berggren

    Dean – Suter – Dube

    Broberg – Parayko

    Lindstein – Carlo

    Fowler – Jiricek

    Hofer

    The St. Louis Blues come into town 1-1-0 and they should definitely come out with some gas after losing to Colorado 6-1 on Saturday.

  • Anton Frondell was a bright spot in Blackhawks’ third straight loss

    Anton Frondell was a bright spot in Blackhawks’ third straight loss

    The Blackhawks are going into their home opener on Tuesday 0-3-0. The fact that they are win-less isn’t the issue, it’s how the losses have looked.

    Last night in Buffalo was their best effort so far, they had the lead for most of the game, and didn’t trail until the game-winning-goal late in the third, but that kind of effort still isn’t going to be enough to beat most teams in the NHL.

    There were a few promising individual performances from Alex Vlasic, Spencer Knight, Frank Nazar, and Anton Frondell.

    Frondell assisted on two of the three Blackhawks goals, both of which were primary assists. He finished the night with two assists, a +2 rating, one SOG, one hit, and 16:06 of time on ice.

    His first assist in particular was very impressive. It all started with a great defensive play behind his own goal line to start the breakout, which turned into a rush led by Alex Vlasic. The puck eventually found Frondell wide open in front. The entire arena thought Frondell was gonna shoot that puck, but instead he sent a perfect no-look pass to Tyler Bertuzzi back door.

    His second assist came from a two-on-one with Oliver Moore. Frondell send a perfect pass to Moore who made no mistake putting it home.

    There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not Frondell should continue playing center or move to the wing, and while he hasn’t been great so far this season, last night was a promising sign. Although, his faceoffs still need work. He was only six for ten on the dot, a measly 37.5%.

    “It’s boring to lose games. That’s not what we want to do. But I think today just shows that we can play better.” Frondell after 4-3 loss to Buffalo (Via Mark Lazerus on X).

    Frondell struggling early was never anything to worry about, he’s only 19 years old and is getting throw into a top six center role on a sub par team that is missing their best player.

    There were moments last night when Frondell was on the ice that made you think “oh, there is the raw talent, that’s why he went third overall”.

    It sems as though the Blackhawks will be missing Connor Bedard for at least a couple more weeks, so if there were ever a time for Frondell to find his game, it’s right now.

    The entire team, including Frondell, hope to build on their effort in the home opener. The rival St. Louis Blues are in town, this is a great chance for the Blackhawks to get back on track.