Blackhawks’ Matt Grzelcyk, Artyom Levshunov Done For Season
Blackhawks defenders Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshunov will not play again this season due to their respective upper-body injury and hand fracture, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters Tuesday (including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times).
Grzelcyk, 32, hasn’t played since March 22 against the Flames and has already missed the Hawks’ last four games. He left quite early in that contest, potentially the last of his Blackhawks tenure.
Despite coming off a career-high 40 points with the Penguins last season, Grzelcyk didn’t land a guaranteed deal for this year until agreeing to a $1MM pact with Chicago on Oct. 5. Coming to the Blackhawks off a professional tryout, he ends his 2025-26 campaign with just 12 assists and a -9 rating in 69 games. His ice time average was way down at 16:58 per game, his lowest since his rookie year with the Bruins back in 2017-18.
Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. No Blackhawks defenseman has been stronger in the puck possession department this season than Grzelcyk. His 46.9% Corsi share and 45.7% expected goals share don’t look intriguing at face value, but sit first and second on the team at 5-on-5, respectively, per Natural Stat Trick, and the only defender with a better xGF% is Connor Murphy, who was shipped to the Oilers before the trade deadline. Grzelcyk did start 54.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone – definitely some advantageous deployment.
With even more young Hawks defenders pushing for full-time roles next season, namely Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski, it’s hard to see a reunion happening. Grzelcyk is likely ticketed for his third trip through unrestricted free agency in as many years.
Levshunov, though, will almost definitely be back in a Blackhawks uniform next season, barring a blockbuster deal. The 2024 second overall pick is coming off his first full season of NHL hockey. The results weren’t spectacular. His growing pains were quite reminiscent of Korchinki’s rushed rookie season back in 2023-24, although he did look far more comfortable offensively than his older counterpart.
After sustaining the hand fracture last Friday against the Rangers, Levshunov’s year ends with 22 assists and 24 points in 68 games with a -41 rating that could end up as a league-worst. Averaging 19:35 of ice time per game, that rating came despite Levshunov being their most sheltered defenseman at 5-on-5 with a 65.5% offensive zone start rate.
Some of that can be attributed to goaltending. No Blackhawks defenseman received less support behind him this year than Levshunov, who ends up with a .895 on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 with a .976 PDO. Still, his possession numbers were downright ugly considering the sheltering he received, and he’ll end his season with only 11 power-play points despite anchoring the top unit.
There’s certainly some more growth needed before he’s ready to sniff top-four minutes again, at least if Chicago has designs on contending for a playoff spot next season. Whether they’ll be aggressive in trying to acquire some higher-quality veteran stopgaps than they have in years past or just let their kids ride out their growing pains remains to be seen.
Blackhawks’ Artyom Levshunov Suffers Hand Fracture
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov sustained a fracture in his left hand last Tuesday against the Islanders and played through it in the two games since, reported by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Requiring further evaluation, he’s now set to depart the lineup starting tonight against New Jersey. Kevin Korchinski will fill in after he was recalled this morning.
With just nine games left on the schedule, it’s unclear how long Levshunov could be out, and if his season has come to an end. With no drop in usage since the injury, it’s unexpected news, however the last few games playing unhealthy haven’t necessarily been kind to the youngster who has been a -5 since the Islanders contest.
It has been a tough campaign for the 2024 second overall pick. Still at just 20-years-old, he has been thrown into the fire as a top defender, currently ranking third on the team in ice time at 19:35 a night. The Blackhawks have showcased progression this season, but the results still aren’t pretty. Levshunov’s -41 ranks dead last in the league, with a sub-par 45% corsi for at five-on-five.
In more encouraging news, Levshunov has posted 24 points, his offensive ability on display as he gels with the team’s skilled young core. There have been bright spots in his heavy usage, mostly on the power play, amidst the growing pains.
The 6’2” righty absolutely has top pairing upside, and facing a difficult learning curve is common for such defensive prospects. Doing so on a bottom-ranked team doesn’t do any favors, either. However, it may be time for Chicago to reevaluate their development plans for Levshunov, giving him a bit more shelter.
Holding the most cap space in the entire league, the Blackhawks would benefit from adding an experienced top four-capable defenseman this summer to help out their extremely young blueline. Even if done so in another cap-casualty type trade which netted them more assets, as opposed to an aggressive big free agency ticket, it would be similar to how the additions of 31-year-olds Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen have paid dividends up front.
Regardless, even if his 2025-26 has come to an untimely end, it may be best to simply take the time to get healthy. Looking ahead to a fresh start next fall and building off his 86 games of learning so far, Chicago doesn’t have much at stake in April to rush Levshunov back for.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Kevin Korchinski
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced the recall of defenseman Kevin Korchinski from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
The move returns the 2022 No. 7 overall pick to the NHL roster for the second time this month. Korchinski last played for the Blackhawks on March 1, was a healthy scratch March 3, and was sent down March 5.
The 21-year-old joins a Blackhawks roster that, before this recall, boasted just six healthy defensemen. Veteran Matt Grzelcyk has been sidelined since March 22 with an upper-body injury. He was ruled out for Chicago’s four-game road trip, a stretch that concludes tonight in Newark. Grzelcyk’s status beyond the road trip was not announced, but this transaction indicates the veteran could miss additional time.
Korchinski has had an up-and-down tenure in the Blackhawks organization since he was drafted in 2022, with the first top-10 pick of Chicago’s rebuild.
His ineligibility for the AHL due to a late June birthday led to Korchinski playing his entire rookie pro campaign in the NHL, averaging 19:36 time on ice per game, including 1:47 per game on the power play, in 2023-24. While he showed some flashes of the talent that made him such a high draft pick, his rookie year was undoubtedly a struggle.
Since that point, Korchinski has spent most of his time in the AHL, playing as a top defenseman for the IceHogs. Korchinski has been a top-pairing, all-situations player in Rockford this season, playing a heavy workload and on both sides of special teams. He’s scored 26 points in 53 games this season, and had 27 points in 56 games last season.
While he remains a quality prospect, some of his shine has faded as he’s been unable to secure a full-time NHL role with the Blackhawks, a team that has not been overflowing with veteran talent on the left side of its defense over the last few years. In 2023, he ranked as the No. 31 skater prospect across the NHL, according to Elite Prospects. By 2025, he ranked No. 83. Just a few days ago, the outlet released its newest rankings, and Korchinski was no longer in the top-100, settling in as an honorable mention.
With that said, although Korchinski’s stock has trended down since turning pro, that’s not to say he doesn’t still have a promising NHL future.
While third-party observers have lowered their projections for Korchinski as he’s remained in the AHL, the Blackhawks have a different view of his development. Assistant GM Mark Eaton told The Athletic’s Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus in January that he doesn’t believe “there’s any fear of [Korchinski] being in Rockford too long,” adding that he believes “the fear is him coming up too soon.” Eaton expressed confidence in Korchinski’s developmental direction, saying “he’s finally in a spot where he’s building that foundation to the player that he’s going to be at the NHL level.”
The Blackhawks aren’t playing for a playoff spot in what remains of the 2025-26 season, so player development is the key priority in the games that remain on schedule. Recalling Korchinski gives one of the team’s top prospects a chance to showcase his progress at the game’s highest level.
Set to be an RFA this upcoming summer, Korchinski is entering a stretch of games with significant individual stakes, even if the stakes for the team in the standings are minimal. The upcoming slate of NHL games Korchinski is set to dress for could go a long way in determining how comfortable the Blackhawks feel in penciling him into their NHL roster for 2026-27.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Blackhawks Sign Jiri Felcman To Entry-Level Deal
The Blackhawks announced Friday that they’ve signed center prospect Jiri Felcman to a three-year, entry-level deal that begins next season. The contract carries a cap hit of $996.7K and will make him a restricted free agent in 2029.
Per PuckPedia, the deal includes a European assignment clause through 2027-28 if he’s assigned to the ECHL, allowing Felcman to trigger a loan back to the SCL Tigers of the Swiss National League, where he’s spent the last three years. The full breakdown of the contract, which carries a $1.045MM qualifying offer upon expiry, is as follows:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $95K | $82.5K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $95K | $82.5K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $95K | $82.5K |
Felcman had already signed a tryout with AHL Rockford earlier in the week, but landing him on an NHL deal now ensures they retain his signing rights past their June 2027 expiration. The 6’4″ pivot, who turns 21 next month, was a third-round choice in 2023.
Since then, he’s been grinding away to make his mark professionally in Switzerland, where the Czech forward has spent all of his development despite still representing his home country internationally. He’s suited up for the Tigers in Langnau over the past three years, but didn’t really have a significant presence on the club until this season.
Felcman, who could top out as a third-line checking center, broke out for a 3-17–20 scoring line with a -4 rating in 52 games to lead junior-aged NL players in scoring. He’s an afterthought in a loaded Chicago prospect pool – few would even consider him in a top-20 ranking there – but did take enough steps forward this season to help the Hawks determine he’s at least worth the initial investment of an ELC and the contract slot for the next few years to see if he can continue climbing up the ladder.
Blackhawks Recall Anton Frondell
March 24: The Blackhawks announced Tuesday morning that they’ve officially recalled Frondell from Djurgardens. He has joined the team on their road trip ahead of tonight’s game against the Islanders, and he will be available to play. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters earlier this week (including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times) that Frondell would “play right away” once he arrives, so there’s a good chance he’s in the lineup tonight.
March 21: Chicago’s already young roster is about to get even younger for the stretch run. Top prospect Anton Frondell’s playoff run in the SHL came to an end today, paving the way for him to officially make his debut in North America. To that end, Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that the Blackhawks are expected to recall the youngster and he could make his NHL debut as soon as next week.
The 18-year-old was the third overall pick last June and the second forward to come off the board. Frondell spent most of his draft year in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan level, helping his club team Djurgardens earn a promotion to the SHL for this season. He fared quite well, tallying 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 regular season games while adding seven points in 16 playoff contests.
Although Frondell is a natural center, he spent the bulk of this season playing on the wing with Djurgardens. It allowed his scoring side to come out as he potted 20 goals (with eight assists) in 43 games, good for a tie for seventh league-wide in tallies. He also played a big role for Sweden at the World Juniors, chipping in with eight points in seven games en route to a gold medal. Now, he’s ready to take that next step and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him deployed on the wing in Chicago to allow him to ease in.
While Sacha Boisvert’s debut is presently on hold while he waits to receive his work visa, that won’t be the case for Frondell. The team clarified that Frondell already went through the visa process when he signed his entry-level deal over the summer. Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to play as soon as he joins the team.
But even with that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago manage Frondell’s minutes somewhat. While it rarely comes up at this time of the season, the Blackhawks would officially burn the first season of his contract if he plays in ten or more games. A Sunday debut seems highly unlikely but if he joins the team on their upcoming road trip, there will be a dozen games left in the season. It doesn’t seem worth burning a year to get him three extra games so the Blackhawks will likely limit Frondell’s game action to nine appearances or less to ensure he’ll still have three years left on his contract heading into next season. But even with that, Frondell will have some runway to get his feet wet at the top level before making a push for a full-time opportunity in 2026-27.
Grzelcyk Injured Versus Predators, Unlikely To Go On Road Trip
- Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk sustained an injury in today’s game against Nashville and isn’t expected to accompany the team on their upcoming road trip, notes CHGO Sports’ Mario Tirabassi (Twitter link). The 32-year-old didn’t have a strong free agent market despite a 40-point showing in Pittsburgh last season, eventually inking a one-year, $1MM contract with Chicago. Grzelcyk has been a reliable veteran on a young team and has only missed one game so far this season. If he indeed misses the road trip, that will keep him out for the next four games.
Blackhawks Notes: Injuries, Lardis, Boisvert
The Blackhawks were without a pair of players for their game tonight against Colorado. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Louis Crevier were both injured on Thursday in Minnesota. There’s no word on how much time either player might miss. Mangiapane has a goal and an assist in seven games since coming over in a trade from Edmonton earlier this month while Crevier has held his own as a full-time NHLer this season. He has 17 points in 66 games along with 73 blocks and 107 hits while averaging a little under 17 minutes of ice time per night.
More from Chicago:
- When Chicago recalled winger Nick Lardis after the trade deadline, it looked like he was in line to get an extended look down the stretch. However, he has averaged just 10:33 per game of ice time since the promotion. That led Pope to question how the team has used the 20-year-old. While Blashill has talked about trying to see how Lardis fares in a more limited role to give him a better opportunity to establish himself in the NHL, the youngster has averaged just shy of a point per game in the minors this season and could use a boost in their top six. Giving him a chance in that role could have longer-term benefits than showing that he can handle a fourth-line role if needed.
- Prospect Sacha Boisvert’s NHL debut will have to wait a little longer. Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old’s visa paperwork has yet to be processed. Accordingly, it’s more likely that he debuts next week on Chicago’s road trip. Boisvert, a first-round pick in 2024, recently signed his entry-level contract and is burning the first year of that down the stretch. He won’t play enough to accrue a year of service time toward UFA eligibility and if he doesn’t play in at least 10 games down the stretch, Boisvert wouldn’t be eligible for an offer sheet in 2028.
Blackhawks Recall Dominic Toninato
Forward Dominic Toninato is back with the Blackhawks. After being shuffled between the NHL and AHL Rockford a couple of times earlier in the year, he’s been recalled again today, per a team announcement.
Toninato signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Hawks last summer after spending the previous five seasons as a depth option for the Jets. He cleared waivers early in training camp, and he hasn’t seen enough time on the NHL roster this season to need to clear them again. The 6’2″ pivot has brought some much-needed veteran scoring punch to Rockford, leading the IceHogs with a 16-27–43 scoring line in 52 games. In five NHL appearances earlier this year, he had one assist and a +1 rating while averaging 9:12 per game and going 10-for-22 on faceoffs (45.5%).
He’s sticking around through next season at an $850K cap hit and figures to slot into a similar role, somewhere around #15 on Chicago’s forward depth chart and a #6ish option down the middle. The club has opted to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen as of late, with Oliver Moore out with what could be a season-ending injury and Sacha Boisvert still awaiting his work visa after signing his entry-level contract earlier this week. Sam Lafferty has been a healthy scratch, so Toninato doesn’t qualify as an emergency recall unless someone else is hurt, but there could be an opportunity for him to step into the lineup tonight against a former team of his, the Avalanche, as a result.
Toninato has rarely been a regular outside of his run as Winnipeg’s full-time 4C in 2021-22, appearing in a career-high 77 games that year. He’s still now suited up in nine straight NHL seasons, putting up a 13-23–36 scoring line in 194 games along the way with a +13 rating.
Tim Erixon Announces Retirement
- Former NHL depth piece Tim Erixon has retired, he told Nathalie Vinroth of Swedish newspaper Sundsvalls Tidning this week. The 23rd overall pick by the Flames in the 2009 draft, he went on to play 93 games in parts of four years with the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Maple Leafs. He last saw NHL ice in 2015 and last played in the minors in 2019 before returning home to bookend his career in the Swedish Hockey League. The 35-year-old won an SHL championship with the Växjö Lakers in 2021 and has been with Timrå IK ever since, although he’s played just six games since the beginning of 2024-25 due to ongoing back issues aggravated by a foot fracture.
Blackhawks Sign Sacha Boisvert
3/16: As expected, the Blackhawks have announced the signing of Boisvert to his entry-level contract. The deal will cary a $974,167 cap hit. Boisvert will join the Blackhawks’ active roster, as the deal begins immediately and runs through the 2027-28 season.
3/8: While the Blackhawks will be missing the playoffs once again this season, there could still be roster reinforcements coming down the stretch. Top prospect Anton Frondell is expected to come to North America once his season in Sweden ends and it appears another center will be joining him. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays that Chicago plans to sign Sacha Boisvert when his college campaign comes to an end and have him debut in the NHL.
The 19-year-old was a first-round pick in 2024, going 18th overall after a strong showing with USHL Muskegon. Since then, Boisvert has played in college. Last season, Boisvert notched 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games with the University of North Dakota but still opted to transfer to Boston University this season. Production has been harder to come by in 2025-26 as he has just three goals and 13 assists in 24 games.
However, that doesn’t appear to be deterring Chicago’s desire to sign him. Assistant GM Mark Eaton indicated that he feels Boisvert’s style of play is better suited to the professional ranks than the college game and their intention to sign him coming off a quiet year suggests they’re not too concerned about the limited production.
While it might seem counterintuitive to have a young player burn the first year of his entry-level deal in a lost season (something that won’t be the case for Frondell given his age), GM Kyle Davidson hasn’t shown much hesitance in doing so. Just last year, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene did just that, as did Frank Nazar the year before. It appears that Boisvert will be joining that group in the near future.