Read the latest updates about the Chicago Blackhawks, including Hall of Fame news and prospect showcase announcements.
Oct 1, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel (27) skates against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center.
Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Blackhawks had another quiet news week. As expected. There was a Blackhawks Hall of Fame announcement, the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase roster announcement, and that’s about it.
It’s been a quiet offseason, hasn’t it? There was a lot of chatter about how this was “the summer of the offer sheet.” But in reality, NHL GMs aren’t scared of matching potential massive offers — thanks to a rising salary cap. Other teams may be reluctant to lose valuable draft picks with a potentially deep draft class next season.
But hey, there’s Bears football tonight.
Blackhawks Happy Hour
5. Don’t Toews Me, Bro.
Jonathan Toews wearing a different uniform is jarring. I hope that Toews has a successful comeback and does great things for his hometown team. The Blackhawks visit Winnipeg on October 30.
4. Pipe Dreams
It’s that time of the year. Corey Pronman released various prospect/U23 rankings, and Blackhawks fans dusted off their pitchforks. The Chicago Blackhawks ranked second overall in Pronman’s rankings of all 32 NHL teams — a fair placement. What’s interesting is that he ranked Sam Rinzel lower than Kevin Korchinski.
What really knocked my nuggets was ranking Connor Bedard as the second-best U23 player in the NHL.
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3. Baby Don’t Hurt Me
Frank Seravalli reported on Sept. 2 that the NHL will implement the newest CBA changes on a rolling basis. One of the changes effective this season is the introduction of a playoff salary cap, limiting teams from taking advantage of LTIR.
2. Reichel’s Revenge
Trade speculation somewhat surrounded Lukas Reichel’s name at the start of the season. Whether Reichel will be traded ultimately depends on the kind of season he has. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times covered Reichel’s offseason preparations in a recent article. Could Reichel have an incredible breakout season? Or do we already know what kind of player Lukas is?
1. Ken Dryden
On Friday, September 5, hockey lost one of its greatest ambassadors of the game. Legendary goaltender Ken Dryden passed away at the age of 78. Dryden played seven seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. He won six Stanley Cups and five Vezina Trophies. Ken Dryden published The Game following his retirement from the NHL. It’s his autobiography as well as the best book on the greatest sport on the planet.
Closing Time – News Recap
There is one piece of Blackhawks news as of this morning, Sept. 8: the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase roster was released. The Blackhawks are set to face off against the St. Louis Blues on Sept. 13 and the Minnesota Wild on Sept. 14. Names include Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Nick Lardis.
The front office announced the induction of Steve Larmer and Duncan Keith into the Blackhawks Hall of Fame on Sept. 5. Keith was the greatest Blackhawk of the Cup era — and I’ll proudly die on that hill. Steve Larmer is one of the best NHL players who hasn’t been inducted into the actual Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s a shame.
What’s On Tap Next?
Tom Kurvers’ Prospect Showcase is up ahead, with training camp closely behind. I’m still working my way through the Pacific Division in my season preview for every NHL team. My latest look was at the Anaheim Ducks, who could have a very interesting season ahead. We’ll be back next week with more Blackhawks news.
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