Get the inside scoop on the Chicago Blackhawks. Read the latest updates and see how they plan to take on the Lightning tonight.
After a nice three-day break, the Chicago Blackhawks return to the ice tonight to take on a struggling Tampa Bay Lightning team (1-3-2, last in the East). On Tap Sports Net will have a How To Watch out before puck drop (5:45 pm CT). In the meantime, here’s the latest Blackhawks news. You can read yesterday’s edition here.
Morning Skate
Jeff Blashill has been running 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Scott Powers of The Athletic wrote an interesting article about Blashill’s reasoning behind the move. Personally, I haven’t hated it. I think it gives certain young defensemen much-needed ice time. The bigger question comes with who gets the inevitable healthy scratch from the forward core. Three forwards will have to sit if Jason Dickinson returns to health. Sam Lafferty hasn’t been useful. Lukas Reichel needs to prove that he can stay in the lineup. Will Blashill eventually scratch Captain Nick Foligno?
Dominic James
The Chicago Blackhawks drafted forward Dominic James in the 2022 NHL Draft. James was selected in the sixth round and found success in the NCAA with Minnesota-Duluth. James turned down the opportunity to sign with the Blackhawks following his senior year, opting to bet on himself in the free agent market. The Tampa Bay Lightning picked him up, and after four games in the AHL—three goals and five points—he makes his NHL debut tonight.
James was projected as a bottom-six forward with strong defensive skills in his draft year (according to Elite Prospects). The Blackhawks’ system is filled with potential in the bottom six. Realistically, there wasn’t a short route to the NHL this year for James. Maybe not ever with the Hawks. Tampa Bay has a barren prospect pipeline, and with a need for forward depth, James was an easy add.
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Sam Lafferty
It sounds like Lafferty will be a healthy scratch again. He’s only played two games and posted an abysmal 13.48 expected goals share through around 12:30 minutes of icetime (5-on-5). Looking at Blashill’s approach of running 11 forwards, Ryan Greene has made a strong claim on an NHL roster spot in the bottom six. Greene was a player I thought should start in the AHL. If Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis continue to light up the AHL, does Lafferty find himself in a Rockford sweater? If one of (or both) Moore and Lardis find themselves in the NHL soon, who else gets benched?
Sam Lafferty’s three-year percentile rankings.Credit: EvolvingHockey.com