The Blackhawks went 0–3 on their Canadian road trip and now face a light holiday-week schedule as injuries continue to mount.
As the holidays near, the Chicago Blackhawks have sunk into familiar—yet unwelcome—territory. As of this writing, the Hawks are in 32nd place with 32 points. Dead last in the NHL. Let’s recap the week that was and get you, dear reader, set up for the week ahead.
Tasting Flight – Game Recaps
The Blackhawks dropped all three games on their Canadian roadtrip. Even without Connor Bedard, they could have won one or even two. The Toronto Maple Leafs looked lifeless until they scored two goals in eight seconds at the end of the game. The Montreal Canadiens are easily the best team of the trio, but that doesn’t excuse a 15-shot-on-goal effort from Chicago. The Ottawa Senators don’t have the best defense in the league, but outplayed the Hawks in general.
Dec 20, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) makes a save in front of Ottawa Senators left wing Fabian Zetterliund (20) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre.Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
Closing Time – News Recap
The biggest news of the week came during the Blackhawks’ loss to the Ottawa Senators. Frank Nazar took a puck to the face in the early minutes of the first period and did not return. Head coach Jeff Blashill said in a post-game interview that it looks like Nazar will be out for four weeks. Nazar finally broke his 21-game goal drought against the Montreal Canadiens. While his analytics aren’t the best (42.56 xG% and 45.04% Corsi—both among the team’s lowest), Nazar was filling an important role as the 1C while Connor Bedard is on injured reserve.
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Artyom Levshunov was a healthy scratch in the Toronto Maple Leafs game after arriving late to practice. Levshunov did something similar last season when he was a member of the Rockford IceHogs.
Laurent Broissoit was placed on waivers and cleared as he was reassigned to Rockford. The Blackhawks called him up from his conditioning stint and placed him on waivers to see if there were any interested parties. Broissoit’s lack of recent play and $3.3 million cap hit may have been a deterrent. It is possible that someone calls Kyle Davidson for a trade, but according to Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, it’s been quiet (the NHL holiday roster freeze is in effect until Dec. 28).
What’s On Tap Next?
The Blackhawks have a light week ahead thanks to the holidays. The Hawks host the Philadelphia Flyers (3-3-4 in their last 10) on Tuesday. One of the best teams in the league, the Dallas Stars, hosts the Hawks on Saturday, Dec. 27. The Pittsburgh Penguins and new franchise points leader, Sidney Crosby, come to town the following day on the 28th.
Tuesday, Dec. 23 vs. Philadelphia Flyers – 8:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, Dec. 27 @ Dallas Stars – 7:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, Dec. 28 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins – 6:00 p.m. CT