Happy Victory Monday, Chicago! The Bears took down the Minnesota Vikings to leap into first place in the NFC North, while the Blackhawks also earned a win in their lone game over the weekend on Saturday to move to 9-3-3 over their last 15 games. It’s been an exciting start to the season for both squads, as Ben Johnson and Jeff Blashill have led impressive turnarounds for the two franchises. Fun stuff!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all promising news for the Blackhawks this weekend. Captain Nick Foligno is set to miss an extended period of time, while top prospect Nick Lardis also suffered an injury for the Rockford IceHogs. More in the links for the latest updates on the two players.
Around the league, the Colorado Avalanche extended their point streak to ten games, Kirby Dach was injured for the Montreal Canadiens, and the Los Angeles Kings reached an agreement with a pending UFA forward.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: Teuvo Teravainen and Colton Dach came up clutch in the third period to lift the Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Chicago leads the NHL in third-period scoring, but Saturday marked the team’s first victory when trailing going into the final frame this season. While the vibes were high as the final horn sounded, that was quickly squashed as Blashill announced that Nick Foligno is expected to miss roughly four weeks with a hand injury.
More CHN: The Blackhawks’ forward group was already banged up before Foligno suffered his injury, as Jason Dickinson remains on injured reserve, while Tyler Bertuzzi was out for Saturday’s game. On the bright side, Frank Nazar, who was a game-time decision, did return to the lineup after missing the last two contests.
In prospects news, Nick Lardis was held out of the Rockford IceHogs’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Texas Stars on Sunday. Lardis was crunched into the boards during Saturday’s game against the Manitoba Moose, and the IceHogs ruled him day-to-day and held him out as a precautionary measure. Lardis is currently tied for 13th in the AHL with 14 points (5G, 9A) through 15 games. Hopefully, he’ll be able to return on Wednesday when the IceHogs face off with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: Former Blackhawks forward David Kampf had his contract terminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend, and he’s already found his new team. The Vancouver Canucks signed the defensive center to a one-year, $1.1 million prorated contract on Saturday.
ESPN: Another pending 2026 unrestricted free agent is off the market, as the Los Angeles Kings signed winger Adrian Kempe to an eight-year extension on Sunday. The deal carries a $10.625 million cap hit and runs through the 2033-34 season.
Sportsnet: The injuries continue to mount for the Montreal Canadiens, as former Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach has suffered a fractured foot. Dach will join Kaiden Guhle and Alex Newhook on injured reserve, as he’s set to miss 4-6 weeks.
Colorado Hockey Now: Cale Makar and Matthew Schaefer battled at Ball Arena on Sunday, and it was Makar’s side that emerged victorious. The Colorado Avalanche have not picked up a point in ten consecutive games after defeating Schaefer and the New York Islanders 4-1.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators to close out the Global Series in Sweden. Sergei Murashov stopped all 22 shots faced to record his first NHL win and shutout simultaneously.
Boston Hockey Now: A raucous crowd inside the Bell Centre fell quiet as Boston Bruins star defenseman Charlie McAvoy took a slap shot to the face from defenseman Noah Dobson. McAvoy instantly fell to the ice in pain and would not return for the remainder of the game.
New Jersey Hockey Now: In New Jersey, defenseman Simon Nemec has finally arrived for the Devils. After recording a hat trick against the Blackhawks, the 2022 No. 2 overall pick scored a late game-tying goal to send his team into overtime in the next game.
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