Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Blackhawks lines in practice today — indicating the opening NHL roster:

Hall-Bedard-Donato
TJohnson-Reichel-Raddysh
Foligno-Richardinson-Perry
Katchouk-Guttman-Athanasiou
(Entwistle, RJohnson)

Vlasic-Jones
Korchinski-Murphy
Tinordi-Kaiser
(Zaitsev)

Soderblom / Mrazek
- LAHawk

AA down to L4?? I do like starting Raddysh in the top 6. The big kid looked more confident this yr than I've seen him and to my eye his feet and hands are quicker. He might be primed for a jump in production.

Let's see if he can carry his preseason progress over to playing lineups for of NHLers.

Wondering if Guttman ends up between Perry and Foligno instead of D!ckinson? He brings everything D!ckinson does except size but much more offensive upside.

Originally thought Kaiser was a perfect fit for pairing with Jones but Vlasic's preseason play showed he's a better fit. Big kid skating is exquisite allowing him to cover some of Jones' blunders and his play in his end with his size and reach has been really good. with lots of room to stil grow.

I'd be more concerned about rookies, especially Dmen, standing up to the rigors of a 82 game NHL season and the physical toll it takes. This isn't the 30 game a season, full face shield weekend league anymore. Having the digital dexterity to play the offside is one thing, dealing with getting pounded every night by big nasty forwards is another matter.

Phillips will be back as will some of the other guys that were sent to Rockford. Or maybe they claim a vet defenceman off the wire.
- RickJ

I left this for you the other day. But I don’t think you saw it.

https://youtu.be/ShLepJHGWz4?si=xR_fsgzBaAr1GjgG

I left this for you the other day. But I don’t think you saw it.

https://youtu.be/ShLepJHGWz4?si=xR_fsgzBaAr1GjgG
- paulr

Harold was one classy owner, a man well ahead of his time. Remember when he owned the Hamilton Tiger Cats and for the Grey Cup Parade he wanted his float to have the Tiger doing a bowel movement of a Toronto Argonaut player. For some reason the league ruled agaist it.

Thanks for posting.

Harold was one classy owner, a man well ahead of his time. Remember when he owned the Hamilton Tiger Cats and for the Grey Cup Parade he wanted his float to have the Tiger doing a bowel movement of a Toronto Argonaut player. For some reason the league ruled agaist it.

Thanks for posting.
- RickJ

My favorite story was when the Beatles played Maple Leaf Gardens in a heat wave in August. Ballard had the heat turned up in the building, sold over salted popcorn at half price, turned off the water fountains and tripled the price of pop.


Bill Wirtz was an angel by comparison.

My favorite story was when the Beatles played Maple Leaf Gardens in a heat wave in August. Ballard had the heat turned up in the building, sold over salted popcorn at half price, turned off the water fountains and tripled the price of pop.


Bill Wirtz was an angel by comparison.
- paulr

Great story!
Ballard was really innovative
And it is cool hearing the word pop from time to time
Bedard was just on with Pat McAfee,nothing too interesting,but cool to see him on Pat's show

My favorite story was when the Beatles played Maple Leaf Gardens in a heat wave in August. Ballard had the heat turned up in the building, sold over salted popcorn at half price, turned off the water fountains and tripled the price of pop.


Bill Wirtz was an angel by comparison.
- paulr

Yup, thats another of many great stories involving Harold.

Another one was when he announced that he wasn't going to allow any more international games to be played at Maple Leaf Gardens involving the Russian National Team because it cost way too much to fumigate the dressing room after they left.

I'd be more concerned about rookies, especially Dmen, standing up to the rigors of a 82 game NHL season and the physical toll it takes. This isn't the 30 game a season, full face shield weekend league anymore. Having the digital dexterity to play the offside is one thing, dealing with getting pounded every night by big nasty forwards is another matter.

Phillips will be back as will some of the other guys that were sent to Rockford. Or maybe they claim a vet defenceman off the wire.
- RickJ

Yep, they will take a pounding for sure, and it’s a good thing that they have numbers on the left side. Hopefully they become good at side stepping some of those hits.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made moves over the weekend to get down under the 23-man NHL roster limit and the $83.5 million salary cap, and those moves resulted in one trade and keeping a 19-year-old prospect on the roster.

On Sunday, the club announced that they had traded forward Sam Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2024 fifth-round pick. The 28-year-old was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in February along with defenseman Jake McCabe and played 28 regular season and playoff games for Toronto last season. The deal appears mostly to do with the cap since Lafferty makes $1.15 million in the final year of his contract and if placed on waivers, would have likely been claimed.

Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Blackhawks lines in practice today — indicating the opening NHL roster:

Hall-Bedard-Donato
TJohnson-Reichel-Raddysh
Foligno-Richardinson-Perry
Katchouk-Guttman-Athanasiou
(Entwistle, RJohnson)

Vlasic-Jones
Korchinski-Murphy
Tinordi-Kaiser
(Zaitsev)

Soderblom / Mrazek
- LAHawk

It's what i saw as well, Phillips he needs more work in the A compared to the rest of these kids.

Vlasic looks ready.
Really curious to see how KK and Kaiser holds up and i like Kaiser being the 3rd pairing guy, so he'll get to play left and right dman throughout the season.

If KK looks as good with Murphy as he did in the preseason, he's not going anywhere. It would also be nice to have KK and Kaiser running the PP eventually.

Exciting time in the growth of this org, as always though things can change quick if these kids get beat up pretty bad.

Damn time flies, can't believe the start of the Blackhawk season is tomorrow. Less than 30 hours away

Damn time flies, can't believe the start of the Blackhawk season is tomorrow. Less than 30 hours away
- BetweenTheDots

Tempus fugit

Phillips and Kaiser should be the 3rd pair. Tinordi number 7. Zaitsev should be in Rockford. Would much rather see those 7 than Z. Richardson loves Tinordi, but on a good team he isn’t top 6 material. Tough as nails and a warrior, but not very good. Phillips got caught in a numbers game. He probably replaces Korchinski after 9 games, but that bugs me too. Oh well, unto Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Pumped for that!!

Why does everyone hate the Bruins? I understand they are going to do worse than last year. But, what's changed so much about them that they are gonna fall from arguably the best regular season of all time to out of the playoffs?
- Hawkeynation

Because Boston fans are pretty insuffrable

The Jets have re-signed Hellebyuck and Scheifele to matching 7 year $8.5 AAV deals.

As expected Phillips back in AHL yet this is probably a good move for him him and the Blackhawks

I do not who recall who commented on this in the last blog; the gist of the analysis portrays the benefits of playing in a top pair in the AHL. Phillips may use basicly a season long assignnent to further develop. Returning next season full of confidance is a good thing. The Blackhawks may employ three rookies on defence thjs season and perhaps 1-2 .more rookies again 2024/25.

Too much inexperience vs a Zaitsev/Tinordi third pair - perhaps good coaching and a modicum of more or less a few cup of coffee then a full year in the AHL - is going to be a good enouh recipe for Vlasic to make the grade now as well.as Phillips next season.

Too many kids on same blueline is a concern but some or each of the kids on defence by 2024/25 may actually prove better than heavy reliance upon Tinordi and.Zaitsev.
- jhawk59

The bolded is huge. Watch Vlasic's puck skills as compared to last yr and there is a marked difference in his hands/puck skills and he was the 1st pairing, #1 PP, big minute Dman at RKF last yr. Not to mention his confidence with and without the puck and we have not seen the kid skate it out, up and in like he's showing vs preseason opponents this yr. With his balanced skating, crazy reach and size you can not take the puck from him once he gets going.. If this kid develops between the ears they just might have something but remember they drafted this kid for his size/high floor so it's almost playing with house money as far as what his ceiling is.

I'd love to see Phillips get that treatment at RKF this yr.

IMO in most any other yr Phillips would break camp with the club but this yr you already have 3 rookie Dmen doing so. I also think he could play good rookie NHL hockey this yr. I think he falls into the we are over ripening him category (what a wonderful luxury to have) and that rarely, if ever, backfires....... 3 yrs ago we'd all be talking about Phillips and what kinda NHL player he'll be as our top D prospect and this yr he's 4th on that list with Allen and Del Mastro breathing down his neck!!

Powers had a hot take piece on the Hawks this yr and one was Phillips plays more NHL games than Zaitzev. Who knows and then add in injuries but I'd love to see Phillips get those big AHL minutes and come up next yr hungry, confident and developmentally prepared just like we see from Vlasic this preseason.

Damn time flies, can't believe the start of the Blackhawk season is tomorrow. Less than 30 hours away
- BetweenTheDots

Flies, seems like a year ago I was in Nashville and they drafted Bedard, seriously it does.

Because Boston fans are pretty insuffrable
- fattybeef

And their announcer sux

The Jets have re-signed Hellebyuck and Scheifele to matching 7 year $8.5 AAV deals.
- DarthKane

Just wow, didn't see that coming. Chevy taking rebuilding lessons from his mentor Stan

Lots of love for Devon Levi...yet no love for Logan Cooley, which I have top of the list as Calder winner.

Marner for Selke? Did he learn defense over the summer?
- Glak18

It is going to be such a tight race for the Calder and a legit argument could be made about each player. My thinking for putting Levi as a nomination over Cooley is only based on all my predictions, if the Sabres can make that leap to the playoffs im just assuming Levi will be a big part of it and thats why he gets the love. As of this moment I think Fantilli will have better numbers assuming the guys he is going to play with have better seasons than last year. Then you have Connor Bedard and well I dont think I have to explain the reasoning a Hawks blogger is taking him

As for Marner, hey I dont have him winning it.

The Jets have re-signed Hellebyuck and Scheifele to matching 7 year $8.5 AAV deals.
- DarthKane

yikes

The bolded is huge. Watch Vlasic's puck skills as compared to last yr and there is a marked difference in his hands/puck skills and he was the 1st pairing, #1 PP, big minute Dman at RKF last yr. Not to mention his confidence with and without the puck and we have not seen the kid skate it out, up and in like he's showing vs preseason opponents this yr. With his balanced skating, crazy reach and size you can not take the puck from him once he gets going.. If this kid develops between the ears they just might have something but remember they drafted this kid for his size/high floor so it's almost playing with house money as far as what his ceiling is.

I'd love to see Phillips get that treatment at RKF this yr.

IMO in most any other yr Phillips would break camp with the club but this yr you already have 3 rookie Dmen doing so. I also think he could play good rookie NHL hockey this yr. I think he falls into the we are over ripening him category (what a wonderful luxury to have) and that rarely, if ever, backfires....... 3 yrs ago we'd all be talking about Phillips and what kinda NHL player he'll be as our top D prospect and this yr he's 4th on that list with Allen and Del Mastro breathing down his neck!!

Powers had a hot take piece on the Hawks this yr and one was Phillips plays more NHL games than Zaitzev. Who knows and then add in injuries but I'd love to see Phillips get those big AHL minutes and come up next yr hungry, confident and developmentally prepared just like we see from Vlasic this preseason.
- Mr Ricochet

I agree that Phillips got caught in a numbers game. If Korchinski didn’t show as well as he did IP would be on the big roster. That said, this will be his third year in Rockford. I think he’ll need to step up his game quite a bit to prove to the coaches he deserves the time. Otherwise he’ll go the way of Galvas and get passed up by the rest of the guys in the system.

The Jets have re-signed Hellebyuck and Scheifele to matching 7 year $8.5 AAV deals.
- DarthKane

I guess they really weren't on their way b/c of attitude, or desire to win a cup soon...

Looks like capfriendly has the final roster set.

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/blackhawks

You’re right, but I’m going to beat the dead horse, not a fan of a rookie playing his offside.
- Angotti

How old was Hammer when he started playing his offside? I believe it was fairly early in his career?

How old was Hammer when he started playing his offside? I believe it was fairly early in his career?

- rpeters01

2010 cup he was on the LEFT - correct?