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Blackhawks Place Connor Bedard And Nick Foligno On Injured Reserve

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Already dealing with a long injury list, things just got even worse on that front for the Blackhawks.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed center Connor Bedard and winger Nick Foligno on injured reserve.  Bedard has a fractured jaw while Foligno is dealing with a fractured left finger.

Both players sustained the injuries during Friday’s game against New Jersey.  Bedard was injured on a hit from Brendan Smith, leaving the game immediately after that.  The 2023 top pick has been as advertised this season, leading Chicago in scoring with 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games, making him the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.  It also helped him land his first All-Star nod earlier this week.

While no timeline for a return was provided for either player, it’s worth noting that Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner is working his way back from a fractured jaw as well – he skated with the team today.  His recovery timeline was estimated at six weeks at the time of injury so it’s possible the Blackhawks could be without their star rookie through the All-Star break at a minimum.

As for Foligno, the 36-year-old has come as advertised after his rights were acquired during the offseason.  While he’s playing a lot higher in the lineup than he had in recent years, Foligno has been one of Chicago’s more productive forwards, collecting eight goals and nine assists in his 39 appearances so far.  Both sides appear to be open about the possibility of a contract extension for the pending UFA.

Bedard and Foligno join a very crowded injury list that also includes forwards Taylor Hall, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, and Joey Anderson along with defenseman Seth Jones.  Chicago just swung a deal to acquire Rem Pitlick to get back to now 11 forwards on its active roster but another roster move will likely be coming before their game tomorrow against Calgary.

Blackhawks Acquire Rem Pitlick

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The Blackhawks have added some extra depth up front, acquiring winger Rem Pitlick from Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick.  Both teams have announced the swap.

Pitlick spent the previous two seasons with Montreal before being included as part of the three-team swap which also involved San Jose, landing the Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson.

The 26-year-old impressed as a waiver claim by the Canadiens in 2021, picking up 26 points in 46 games.  That was enough for Montreal to give him a two-year, $2.2MM contract, seemingly giving him some stability.  However, Pitlick cleared waivers last season, splitting the year between AHL Laval and Montreal where he had just 15 points in 46 contests, leading to a trade request, one that was granted with his inclusion in the three-way trade.

However, the change of scenery didn’t work out quite as planned for Pitlick.  Pittsburgh’s cap situation helped land him back on waivers and since clearing at the end of training camp, he has played exclusively with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Pitlick has been productive down there, notching 24 points in 32 games to lead the Baby Pens in scoring.

Presumably, Pitlick will now get an NHL look with a team where the salary cap situation won’t be a concern.  The Blackhawks have six forwards on injured reserve at the moment while Connor Bedard left yesterday’s game due to injury so Pitlick should get an opportunity to make an impact with Chicago.  A strong second half showing could give him a nice boost heading into unrestricted free agency this summer, just like it did two years ago.

Connor Bedard Will Not Return To Game With Injury

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In what has become an unexpectedly scary night for the Chicago Blackhawks, the team announced that star rookie, Connor Bedard, would not return to tonight’s game due to injury. The play in question took place during the first period, as New Jersey Devils defenseman, Brendan Smith, distributed a heavy hit to Bedard just over the blue line, causing the young phenom to head to the locker room for the rest of the evening.

It is hard to put into words how detrimental Bedard’s absence would be for the Blackhawks, regardless of the amount of time he is out of the lineup. Even with only 11 wins through 38 games, Chicago’s offense completely runs through Bedard, as he has quickly shown that he was worth all of the hype.

To put his value into perspective on the Blackhawks specifically, with 15 goals and 33 points through 38 games, Bedard accounts for 17% of all goals scored, 12% of all assists, and 14% of all points scored for Chicago this season at 18 years old. With the future of the Blackhawks organization comfortably resting on Bedard’s shoulders, Chicago will likely be extremely cautious with Bedard’s health in hopes that he can be in the lineup as much as possible.

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Blackhawks Not Expected To Pursue Top 2024 UFAs

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There’s been some talk recently about the Blackhawks being big players on the restricted and unrestricted free-agent markets next summer. Not so fast, however, says The Athletic’s Scott Powers, who doesn’t believe the Blackhawks will be in the conversation for top potential UFAs such as current Maple Leafs winger William Nylander.

Powers reports Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson strongly desires to stick to a conservative rebuild plan, allowing the team’s current young talent and expected prospect additions over the next year to develop more before determining what holes the team needs to plug long-term on the free-agent market. In theory, this approach should afford the Blackhawks more cap space after signing franchise cornerstones Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski to long-term deals that would begin in 2026, permitting them to dangle more cash to attract marquee free agents when their young core has already done most of the work to return them to playoff contention.

That doesn’t mean the Blackhawks will turn their phones off on July 1, either. Expect their offseason plan to look similar to last summer’s, adding veteran talent on short-term commitments to fill out a 23-player roster that allows prospects they deem necessary for seasoning to see extended action in the minors.

Blackhawks Move Anthony Beauvillier To Injured Reserve

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The Chicago Blackhawks have moved Anthony Beauvillier to injured reserve with a wrist injury. He joins a long list of injured Hawks, including Taylor Hall, Andreas Athanasiou, and Seth Jones. Chicago acquired Beauvillier via trade in late-November, sending a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks. He has since played in 15 games with Chicago, scoring six points and recording a -3.

Beauvillier’s performances with the Hawks bring his season total up to 14 points in 37 games. That’s a pace of 31 points across 82 games, a step down from the career-high 40 points he recorded 82 games last season, splitting the year between the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks. Beauvillier was a focal piece of the deal that sent Bo Horvat to the Islanders, with Vancouver also receiving Aatu Raty and a 2023 First Round pick. Vancouver then flipped the pick to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Filip Hronek.

The Blackhawks are experiencing a brutal losing skid, going 4-10-2 since the beginning of December. They’ve been outscored 62-to-33 in that stretch, with opponents averaging a staggering 33.5 shots each game. They’re experiencing the brunt of all of their missing scoring talent, with four of the team’s top 10 scorers currently inactive. It’s not all bad news, though, with generational rookie Connor Bedard looking plenty comfortable in his first year. Bedard has 15 goals and 33 points through his first 37 NHL games, on pace for 33 goals and 73 points. That’s a fantastic way to kick off an NHL career, and could be room for excitement form Hawks fans optimistic that Bedard’s scoring will only go up as top talents return from injury.

Blackhawks Claim Jaycob Megna Off Waivers

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The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed defenseman Jaycob Megna off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Megna has served as Seattle’s seventh defenseman since being recalled on December 12th, though his only playing time this season has been through an AHL conditioning stint that saw Megna play two games, score one goal, and record a +3 rating. Seattle traded for Megna at last season’s trade deadline, sending a fourth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks that was used to select defenseman Luca Cagnoni.

Chicago will become the sixth NHL organization that Megna has been a part of, though he’s only played NHL games for three teams – serving out minor league deals with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Megna’s career kicked off with the Anaheim Ducks, who took him with the second-to-last pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He turned pro quickly, making his AHL at the end of the 2013-14 season. He spent the next four seasons in the minor leagues, capping the stretch off with 27 points scored across 62 games – a mark that remains the most Megna has scored in any league since juniors. Megna played his rookie NHL season two years later, scoring four points and recording 12 penalty minutes across 28 games.

Megna wouldn’t appear in the NHL again until he earned a strong role with the San Jose Sharks for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, playing in 44 and 48 games, respectively. Megna set an NHL career-high of 12 points in the latter season, adding 21 penalty minutes and a +6. He now joins a Blackhawks team that’s depleted of a lot of depth. He’ll look to carve out a role in competition with Louis Crevier and Jarred Tinordi.

Nikita Zaitsev To Return To The Lineup

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Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have transferred forward Matthew Nieto to the Long-Term Injured Reserve after activating forward Bryan Rust. Nieto has been out of action for the Penguins with a lower-body injury since November 30th and is free to return whenever he is physically able to as he has already exceeded the 10-game, 24-day requirement for LTIR.

Nieto signed a two-year deal with the Penguins on July 1st and has been terrific on the penalty kill but has struggled at even strength as the fourth line has been ineffective when he has been a part of it thus far. In 22 games this season the 31-year-old Long Beach, California native has a goal and three assists. The timing of Nieto’s injury was unfortunate as he was starting to gain traction in the games leading up to him getting hurt.

In other evening notes:

  • Philadelphia Flyers writer Bill Meltzer is reporting that the Flyers have returned forward Alexis Gendron to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The 20-year-old had played in 17 games for the Flyers AHL affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and had posted five goals and two assists. His QMJHL rights were traded by the Gatineau Olympiques to Drummondville on December 30th meaning he will be suiting up for the Voltigeurs for the first time.
  • Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are set to welcome defenseman Nikita Zaitsev back to the lineup tonight when they take on the Nashville Predators. The 32-year-old has been out with an illness and will draw back into the lineup in place of Isaak Phillips after a two-game absence. Zaitsev has dressed in 18 games this season and has averaged 15:42 of ice time per game while registering a goal and four assists.

Blackhawks Recall Brett Seney, Place Tyler Johnson On IR

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The Blackhawks recalled forward Brett Seney from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs on Monday, according to a team announcement. In a corresponding transaction, the team moved veteran Tyler Johnson to injured reserve.

This is the first recall of the season for the 27-year-old Seney. The 5-foot-9 natural center has been a bona fide top-six scorer in the minors since turning pro in 2018, but has never been able to truly lock down a full-time NHL role.

After spending the first five seasons of his pro career with the Devils and Maple Leafs, Seney joined the Blackhawks on a one-year, two-way deal with a salary guarantee of $475K prior to last season. He responded with a career-high 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points in 59 games with AHL Rockford, which resulted in two call-ups in the second half of the season. Skating in seven NHL games with Chicago last year, his most since logging 51 in his rookie season with the Devils in 2018-19, Seney recorded a goal and a -2 rating while averaging 13:08 per game.

In late March, Seney’s strong AHL production earned him a one-year extension with a small pay bump, increasing his salary guarantee to $500K for 2023-24. He’s responded with a slower start in Rockford after clearing waivers during training camp, posting eight goals and 21 points in 29 games, good enough for second in points behind Dave Gust on the struggling IceHogs. However, his -17 rating is the worst on the team, and he’s the only player with more than one point on the season with a rating worse than -10.

Still, he’s one of the better options left in the Blackhawks system to provide a punch to an already-weak offense that’s been destroyed by injuries. Major offseason acquisition Taylor Hall remains out for the season with a knee injury, while Joey Anderson, Andreas Athanasiou and Taylor Raddysh are all also on injured reserve.

Johnson, 33, now becomes the fifth Blackhawks forward on IR. He sustained a right foot injury in yesterday’s game against the Stars, and there is no timeline for his return. The aging Johnson had seen top-six minutes on multiple occasions this season thanks to the team’s rash of injuries and has nine goals and 13 points in 35 games, including a two-goal effort against Dallas last Friday.

He will miss at least the next seven days due to his IR placement, during which period the Blackhawks have four games. He’ll be eligible to return on January 9 against the Oilers.

Reichel May Lose Money On Next Deal

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  • Lukas Reichel could be set to lose a significant amount of money on his first NHL contract after his entry-level deal, per The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus, who shares that the promising 21-year-old was set for a comfy pay raise from his entry-level contract prior to the season, but now may only receive a cheap qualifying offer as a restricted-free agent after a season of struggles. Reichel has managed just eight points through 34 games this season and currently sits with a -19. And while Reichel continues to struggle, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson and head coach Luke Richardson both told Lazerus that Reichel has proven he’s an NHL talent, and that a move to the AHL isn’t in the cards yet.

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Blackhawks Place Taylor Raddysh On IR, Recall Boris Katchouk

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The Blackhawks have made a pair of roster moves this morning as the team announced that they’ve placed winger Taylor Raddysh on injured reserve with a left groin strain.  Taking his place on the roster will be winger Boris Katchouk who has been recalled from AHL Rockford.

Raddysh was a bright spot on Chicago’s offense last season, putting up 20 goals and 17 assists in 78 games in his first season of being a full-fledged regular after coming over from Tampa Bay in 2022.  That was good for a tie for fourth in team scoring.  However, production has been harder to come by this year as the 25-year-old has been limited to just five goals and five assists through 35 games so far despite logging over 16 minutes a night in playing time.  Those numbers will stay put for the time being as with the placement, Raddysh will be out for at least the next week after being injured in the first period last night against Dallas.

As for Katchouk, he came to Chicago in the same swap as Raddysh but hasn’t had the same level of success.  He had 16 points in 58 games last season and was with the Blackhawks for the first couple of months of the year, notching two goals and two helpers in 17 contests before clearing waivers earlier this month.  Since then, he has played in six games with the IceHogs, picking up three tallies and two assists.  He can play in ten games or be up for 30 days before needing to go through waivers once again.

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