We’ve got some more Chicago Blackhawks prospect talk for you. Plus, their current top star looks like he’s turned to the dark side! A former rival calls it a career, and two young players are still working on getting their new contracts ironed out. Happy Friday! Bring on the Chirps!

Blackhawks Chirps

We finished our Blackhawks Prospects Rankings & Reviews with the top five players. I hope you enjoyed this series. We’ll revisit these rankings this winter after the World Junior Championship.

Speaking of the top five, I talked to Jay Zawaski on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast about my rankings. We also remembered the legendary Stan Mikita and revisited the Dominik Hasek trade.

Sherwood released a new commercial featuring Connor Bedard that gives up some serious Darth Vader vibes. I dig it!

Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, August 8: Bill Gadsby, Tony Salmelainen, and Cody Franson.

NHL Chirps

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox said on Sportsnet 650 that the New Jersey Devils and defensemen Luke Hughes will not sign a bridge deal. He said both sides are focused on a long-term contract, likely seven years. They are still negotiating a price tag, but the term appears to be ironed out.

Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames and restricted free agent Conor Zary remain approximately $1 million apart on a new contract. It appears that both sides are agreeable to a three-year contract, but Zary wants around $4.5 million per season, while the Flames are in the $3-3.5 million range. The 23-year-old had 27 goals and 61 points in 117 career NHL games.

Veteran forward Kyle Clifford officially announced his retirement. Originally a second-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2009, he scored 66 goals and 144 points in 753 games with the Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. He was part of the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championships in Los Angeles. In 31 games against the Blackhawks, Clifford had two goals and nine points.

Earlier this week, we learned that the Blackhawks’ 2025 third-round pick, Nathan Behm, will play at Arizona State for the 2026-27 season. He will have a talented teammate as Dallas Stars fourth-rounder Brandon Gorzynski will join him on the Sun Devils next year.

NHL Birthday Roll Call, August 8: Ken Dryden, Greg Polis, Dominik Simon, and Ridly Greig.