- While the Blackhawks were hoping Laurent Brossoit wouldn’t miss much time to start the season, that’s not going to be the case. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays (Twitter link) that the netminder won’t begin skating until next week and will need a couple of weeks from there to be game-ready. Brossoit suffered a knee injury in late August during offseason training, delaying what’s expected to be a legitimate opportunity at Chicago’s number one job after putting up a 2.00 GAA and a .927 SV% in 23 games with Winnipeg last season.
Blackhawks Rumors
Blackhawks Recall Drew Commesso, Reassign Isaak Phillips
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a surprising roster move calling up goaltender Drew Commesso while sending Isaak Phillips to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Multiple outlets indicated that backup netminder Arvid Soderblom will be out of tonight’s action with an illness giving context to the transaction.
It’ll likely be a short-term stay for Commesso in Chicago given that Soderblom is only out with an illness. There’s no expectation he’ll get the first start of his career this evening but could feature in the game should Petr Mrazek’s night not go according to plan.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Blackhawks to give Commesso a tryout, especially against a struggling Nashville Predators offense. He’s arguably the top goaltending prospect for the Blackhawks after managing an 18-16-4 record with the IceHogs last year with a .906 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average including two shutouts. Unfortunately for Commesso, there’s a narrow pathway to getting the full-time callup in Chicago with Mrazek and Soderblom providing solid play in the crease to start the season and Laurent Brossoit recovering from an injury.
Phillips finds himself on the other side of this transaction for the third time this season. He hasn’t suited up for the Blackhawks yet this season as the team’s seventh defenseman and has only featured in one game for Rockford. He may no longer have a long-term spot on the Blackhawks blue line but it would be best for his development if he could spend a decent chunk of time in a consistent role.
Blackhawks, Predators Looking To Add Middle-Six Center
The Blackhawks and Predators are among the teams looking to add an impact piece down the middle to aid their second and third forward lines, writes Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Unluckily for them, it’s a quiet trade market, as acknowledged by Nashville general manager Barry Trotz on 102.5 FM The Game recently. “No one is trading anyone right now,” Trotz said, Friedman relayed. They’re also not the only game in town. Earlier this week, Flames GM Craig Conroy spoke to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis and acknowledged/confirmed a report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that he’s looking to give his upstart Calgary club a boost down the middle.
For Nashville, the need for a No. 2 behind Ryan O’Reilly is obvious. Almost nothing has gone right for the Predators, who are last in the Central Division with a 1-5-0 record after backing up the armored truck for Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei, and Steven Stamkos in free agency. But addressing what looked like the biggest hole on their roster heading into the season would likely still be a good place to start, at least once other teams start seriously considering moves.
There’s little reason to break up last year’s first line of O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg, and Gustav Nyquist, which resulted in a career year for the latter and was one of the division’s best trios. That means marquee signings Marchessault and Stamkos slot in on the wings on line two, but who to center them was always a lingering question after their July 1 additions. Currently, veteran Colton Sissons is being tasked with the role, but as a checking center, he’s grossly miscast in a top-six role. He’s also been a complete non-factor to begin the season with no points and a -8 rating in six contests, averaging under 15 minutes per game. The Preds hoped Thomas Novak might also be an option, and while he’s done more offensively with three goals in six games, he’s 11 for 30 in the faceoff dot (36.7 FOW%).
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have deployed rotating personnel on their bottom three lines, with Connor Bedard off to a point-per-game start in his second NHL season. After playing most of last season on Bedard’s wing, Chicago wanted to move Philipp Kurashev back to the middle and cast him as their No. 2 center. It hasn’t worked out, though, as he’s already been a healthy scratch once and has just one goal and a -6 rating in six games. Andreas Athanasiou, a pending UFA, also doesn’t look like an option, with no points through five games. They have a few future options for the role internally, namely first-round picks Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar, but they’re understandably looking to take a small step forward out of their rebuild in the interim until they’re ready for that type of usage.
Taylor Hall Wants To Sign Extension With Chicago
It’s not common for a 10-plus-year NHL veteran to have a strong desire to play for a rebuilding club, especially without having played in a Stanley Cup Final. According to an interview with Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall has different ideas about his future.
If Hall has his way he would be with the Blackhawks’ organization through their rebuild and into their next competitive window. Seravalli quoted Hall as saying, “I’d love to stay and be part of this. I’ve moved around quite a bit, maybe more than I would’ve liked or planned at the start of my career. But it’s brought me and led me to some amazing people, and I’ve had a lot of great life experiences, and that’s made me grow up a lot. In saying that, I like it here, I like the organization. Most of all, I really like this team and the group of guys we have. I think I can be a good piece for us as we keep growing“.
Blackhawks Activate, Reassign Artyom Levshunov
The Blackhawks have taken 2024 second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov off of season-opening injured reserve and assigned him to AHL Rockford, per a team release today. The move signals that he’s ready to return from a right foot injury that kept him out of rookie camp, preseason, and the first two weeks of the regular season.
Levshunov, 19 next week, should get a fair amount of runway with the IceHogs before being considered for NHL minutes – if he’s called up at all this season. The Belarus native did dominate the collegiate ranks last season, posting 35 points and a +27 rating in 38 games with Michigan State. That performance earned him multiple Big 10 honors, including an All-Rookie Team nod, the Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as Rookie of the Year. He was the Spartans’ nominee for the NCAA-wide Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player, and his freshman year showing helped Michigan win the Big 10 regular season title and the tournament championship.
Jumping from USHL to NCAA directly to NHL play is a tall task for anyone, though, especially for a teenage defenseman. Plopping him into a still-rebuilding environment likely isn’t the best thing for his development, and it’s unlikely the Blackhawks’ front office envisions doing so. They’ve been tentative with their defense prospects in recent years and making efforts to shield them from tough NHL minutes before they’re ready, including sending recent top-10 pick Kevin Korchinski down to Rockford after he spent all of last year on the Blackhawks roster.
If Levshunov fails to play 10 NHL games this season, his entry-level contract will slide to the 2025-26 campaign.
Blackhawks Sign Landon Slaggert To Two-Year Extension
The Blackhawks have inked forward prospect Landon Slaggert to a two-year extension, per a team release. It’s a one-way deal worth $1.8MM in total, working out to a $900K cap hit.
Slaggert, 22, didn’t crack the Hawks out of camp this year on his first try. However, signing him to a one-way extension indicates Chicago likely doesn’t envision that happening again. He’ll require waivers starting next year.
A third-round pick in 2020, Slaggert had an up-and-down collegiate career at Notre Dame. But a strong senior season saw him shoot up the Blackhawks’ prospect rankings, leading them in scoring with 20 goals and 31 points in 36 contests. The well-rounded offensive forward earned a spot on the Big 10 Second All-Star Team and was the Fighting Irish’s nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in college hockey.
Slaggert signed his entry-level contract last March following the conclusion of his collegiate schedule and immediately reported to the Blackhawks, where he had a goal and three assists for four points in 16 appearances to close out the season. The Indiana native can play both left wing and center but started on the wing, where he averaged 11:16 per game and managed a +1 rating in largely defensive usage.
He was set to become a restricted free agent next summer. For now, Slaggert remains on assignment to AHL Rockford, where he had an assist and a +1 rating in his season debut against Grand Rapids last weekend. He’s a versatile depth piece without many standout strengths but few notable weaknesses, too, likely making him a projectable bottom-six fixture in the Windy City. He’ll now be an RFA upon expiry in 2027.
Blackhawks Place Alec Martinez On IR, Recall Isaak Phillips
Scott Powers of The Athletic reported early today that Alec Martinez would not be in the lineup tonight for the Chicago Blackhawks while dealing with a lower-body injury. The organization confirmed Martinez would be out of the lineup for today and then some by placing him on injured reserve and recalling Isaak Phillips from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Chicago specified Martinez’s injury in the announcement saying it’s located in his right groin. His absence from the Blackhawks weakens an already scant left side of the Chicago defense. The organization signed Martinez to a one-year, $4MM contract this past offseason hoping to add some veteran leadership and Stanley Cup pedigree to their blue line. The Rochester Hills, MI native has tallied one assist in four games for Chicago up to this point in the season while averaging just over 21 minutes a night.
Phillips already gets his second look with the Blackhawks after being demoted to the AHL exactly one week ago. The former fifth-round pick of the 2020 NHL Draft may see some time next to Connor Murphy on the team’s bottom-pairing although Powers confirmed this morning that Nolan Allan would be making his second NHL appearance.
Phillips split time between Chicago and Rockford last season scoring four goals and 14 points in 29 games for the latter. Depending on the number of injuries to the Blackhawks’ blue line this season, Phillips should be a frequent recipient of similar roster moves. Chicago added enough depth up and down their lineup this past offseason allowing prospects such as Phillips to gain more confidence in the minors.
Central Notes: Wild, Avalanche, Korchinski
The Minnesota Wild have shared that Jared Spurgeon (lower-body) and Joel Eriksson Ek (broken nose) will both miss the team’s Tuesday night matchup against St. Louis. Forward Marcus Johansson is also questionable with an undisclosed injury, shares Michael Russo of The Athletic. Johansson was absent from the team’s Tuesday morning practice, while both Spurgeon and Eriksson Ek also missed the team’s Sunday game.
Injury news hasn’t favored Minnesota through the early going. The absentees – Spurgeon and Eriksson Ek – stand as two of the most-utilized Wild skaters, each playing over 19 minutes of ice time in the team’s season debut. Eriksson Ek recorded an assist and three shots in the outing, while Spurgeon’s only recorded stat was a pair of shots. The duo are both pillars of Minnesota’s lineup, and they left big shoes to fill when they went down with injuries. The Wild responded by moving Zach Bogosian and Marco Rossi into bigger roles on Sunday, though that outing resulted in an overtime loss to Winnipeg.
Minnesota now not only has to find fill-ins for a pair of top-liners, but could also need a replacement for Johansson’s spot on line-three. Johansson has recorded two points in three games through the early going – one of just five Wild with multiple points so far. It’ll be extra forward Travis Boyd who steps in, should Johansson be downgraded to out.
Other notes from the Midwest:
- The Colorado Avalanche also have a pair of injury updates, announcing that defender Devon Toews (lower-body) is hopeful for the team’s Wednesday game, while forward Jonathan Drouin (upper-body) has been ruled out, per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post. Drouin seemed to suffer an injury in Colorado’s season opener last Wednesday, and has missed both games Colorado has played since. No specifics of his injury have been revealed. Toews also missed Colorado’s most recent game. The specifics of his injury are also unclear, especially with no clear indication of when the injury occurred. Oliver Kylington filled Toews’ role on the top-pair in his’ absence, and stands to continue garnering more minutes should the star sit out once again.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski scored a flashy, coast-to-coast goal in the AHL Rockford IceHogs’ season debut, leading to conversations about when Korchinski may be ready to return to the NHL. He played in 76 games on a deprived Blackhawks blue-line last season, but posted a less-than-inspiring 15 points and -39. That prompted Chicago to assign him to the minors to start this season, with Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson telling Scott Powers of The Athletic that the team hopes it’ll boost Korchinski’s confidence. Davidson acknowledged that the team may have asked too much of the rookie last season, and that building up his confidence will be top priority in the AHL. He told Powers, “You just want him to get that confidence back that he had in junior, and that’s going to take time, especially at the pro level.” IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen agreed with Davidson, adding that he’s encouraging Korchinski to drive the puck downhill and challenge opposing forwards more. The 20-year-old defender certainly showed that ability with his inaugural AHL goal, and could be on a quick route back to the NHL roster once he gains the confidence to do that routinely.
Blackhawks Activate Wyatt Kaiser, Reassign Isaak Phillips
As alluded to a few days ago, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will start his season against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. The Blackhawks announced they have activated Kaiser off of injured reserve while reassigning defenseman Isaak Phillips to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Wyatt Kaiser missed Chicago’s regular-season opener against the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night due to an illness. Fortunately, he didn’t miss much, as the Blackhawks lost decisively to the league’s newest team.
It may take some time for Kaiser to catch up to speed with the Blackhawks as the former 81st overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft failed to play in the preseason thanks to an undisclosed injury suffered early on in training camp. He’s coming off a 2023-24 regular season tallying seven assists in 32 games while averaging 17:19 of ice time per game. He should slot into the left side of the bottom pair next to veteran Connor Murphy when he’s fully ready to play.
Phillips stayed with the Blackhawks after clearing waivers on the last day before the regular season. He did not skate with Chicago in their opening night loss and will now look to play more consistently in Rockford. Phillips has been a reliable player for the IceHogs since transitioning to professional hockey in 2020-21 scoring 22 goals and 71 points in 171 contests.
Central Notes: Kaiser, Johnston, Bourque, Lehkonen
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson told the media today that young defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will be ready to return to the lineup either late in the team’s season-opening road trip or shortly after (as per Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times). Chicago starts the season with four games on the road, which puts Kaiser’s timeline to return from his illness sometime around mid-October.
The Blackhawks placed Kaiser on the IR this past Friday and made it retroactive to September 19th, but given the timeline, it appears that he may only be out of action for another week or possibly two.
In other Central Division notes:
- Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston has been called probable for opening night by Stars head coach Peter DeBoer (as per Dallas Stars reporter Brien Rea). Johnston practiced with the team today, albeit in a limited capacity, as he tries to recover from an undisclosed injury. The 21-year-old was the Stars’ leading scorer last year, posting 32 goals and 33 assists in 82 games. The Toronto, Ontario native was also fantastic in the playoffs tallying 10 goals and six assists in 19 playoff games.
- Stars reporter Brien Rea also reported that Dallas rookie Mavrik Bourque has been called doubtful for the team’s season opener. The reigning AHL MVP posted 26 goals and 51 assists in 71 games last season with the Texas Stars and is expected to take a permanent role in the NHL this season. With Bourque out, it likely means that Oskar Bäck will make his NHL debut in his place.
- Colorado Avalanche beat writer Evan Rawal writes that forward Artturi Lehkonen won’t be back with the team for a little bit longer. Lehkonen has a five-month check-in at the end of October and that meeting will determine how the team and player can advance from there. Lehkonen underwent shoulder surgery in May and was placed on the injured non-roster list today meaning that he likely won’t return until November at the earliest.