It turns out that August 7 is a historic day in the Chicago Blackhawks franchise history, including the passing of a team legend. Meanwhile, a Western Conference rival still has a talented young player they have yet to sign.

Blackhawks Chirps

Rockford IceHogs play-by-play announcer Dana Grey sat down to chat with goaltender Drew Commesso to talk about what he’s been up to this summer. Commesso comes in at No. 10 on our Blackhawks Prospects Rankings & Reviews. The top five will be revealed later today, so be on the lookout for that!

Bauer Hockey posted some pictures of Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight during his offseason training. They focused on his new gear, but you can also get a sneak peek at a new mask, too!

If you weren’t excited about the start of training camp, this prediction from Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson will get you going!

Alright, vacation is over. Time to get back to work.

Let’s start the year with a proper pronouncement: Those who have been doubting Connor Bedard through 2 seasons should get ready to taste some crow.

A big step is coming and the nuclear boom will follow.

— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) August 6, 2025

On this date in 1992, the Blackhawks traded goaltender Dominik Hasek to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for goaltender Stéphane Beauregard and a fourth-round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Hasek was expendable because Ed Belfour was coming off winning the Calder Trophy and leading the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final in his first two seasons. Hasek eventually became one of the best goaltenders of his generation, winning five Vezina Trophies and two Stanley Cups at the tail end of his career with the Red Wings. Belfour eventually won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999, ironically beating Hasek and the Sabres. The Blackhawks used that fourth-round pick in 1993 to take Eric Daze, who scored 226 goals and 398 points in 601 games for the Blackhawks.

In 2018, Stan Mikita died at 78 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia. His career was known for both longevity and innovation. He debuted for the Blackhawks during the 1958-59 season and remained a fixture in their lineup until 1980. He is the franchise leader with 926 assists, 1,467 points, and 1,396 games played. His 541 goals are second only to Bobby Hull’s 604.

In 2022, the Blackhawks completed their upset of the Edmonton Oilers in the Qualifying Round with a 3-2 win in Game 4. Brandon Saad and Matthew Highmore scored in the first period, shortly after Josh Archibald gave Edmonton an early first-period lead. The game headed into the third period tied 2-2. Dominik Kubalik’s third goal of the series with 11:30 left in regulation proved to be the game-winning goal as the Blackhawks moved on to face the Vegas Golden Knights.

NHL Chirps

James Murphy of RG wrote about what is going on with Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent Mason McTavish. While the Ducks aren’t actively shopping McTavish, his name keeps coming up in trade rumors. Murphy reports that the young center is worried about his long-term future with the team. He added that the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, and Detroit Red Wings have shown serious interest in acquiring McTavish.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic ranked all 32 NHL teams on their contract efficiency for the 2025-26 season. As you could imagine, he’s not kind to the Blackhawks. However, as we know in Chicago, the plan isn’t for building a juggernaut for this season, but for many seasons beyond.

TSN’s Travis Yost put all 32 teams’ goaltending in five tiers. He put the Blackhawks into Tier 4 because of the lineup in front of Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom. It certainly appears that Jeff Blashill will have plenty of bulletin board material for the start of training camp.

Speaking of goalies, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche told Jeff Marek on The Sheet that Semyon Varlamov is expected to resume skating soon. The veteran netminder is rehabbing from knee surgery in December.

NHL Birthday Roll Call, August 7: Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Bernier, Jake Allen, Damon Severson, and Adam Wilsby.