With the recent illness/stomach bug that’s been going around the team, the Chicago Blackhawks took Tuesday off in hopes of getting healthier. Star forward Connor Bedard, who just returned from his shoulder injury, was under the weather and missed Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.
In his absence, the Blackhawks’ offense had a quiet showing, which led to their second loss since the start of the New Year. More in the links for the takeaways from the game, including Tyler Bertuzzi adding to his team lead in goals, while Spencer Knight permitted a late comeback push with his sturdy play in net.
Chicago will return to practice later this afternoon, and we’ll get an update on how Bedard is feeling. Head coach Jeff Blashill is also expected to shed some light on Teuvo Teravainen’s recent upper-body injury, which he suffered late in the first period against Edmonton. Be on the lookout for a write-up after practice.
Also in Blackhawks news, top prospect Sam Rinzel helped the Rockford IceHogs snap their six-game losing streak and defeat the Manitoba Moose 6-2.
Around the league, Jonathan Toews is picking up his play shortly before returning to Chicago, how the Penguins plan to replace Erik Karlsson, and an injury update on Brayden Point.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: Admittedly, there wasn’t much to break down from the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 loss to the Oilers on Monday night. Tyler Bertuzzi was the lone goal scorer for the home squad, netting his team-leading 24th goal of the season to make things interesting late. However, the third-period comeback push wouldn’t have been possible without a spectacular effort from Spencer Knight in net.
In the AHL, Sam Rinzel scored his first career AHL goal in the Rockford IceHogs 6-2 win on Tuesday. It was Rockford’s first win since Dec. 27, ending a six-game losing streak. Rinzel now has eight points (1G, 7A) in 13 games since being sent down to the minor leagues. Goaltender Drew Commesso wasn’t able to suit up due to an illness, which he likely got during his time up in the NHL with the Blackhawks over the weekend.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: Corey Pronman dropped his latest under-23 NHL player rankings, and several Blackhawks found their way on the list. From Connor Bedard to Frank Nazar, and even prospects Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell, find out where Pronman has each player/prospect slotted.
NHL.com: On his 29th Birthday, Connor McDavid tallied two assists to extend his point streak to 20 games on Tuesday. It wasn’t enough for the Oilers to earn a second consecutive win, however, as the Nashville Predators won 4-3 in overtime. Roman Josi scored twice, including both the game-tying and game-winning goals.
Sportsnet: Gavin McKenna has long been considered the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft Class. Keaton Verhoeff has also had a splendid freshman season of college hockey to get himself into the mix for the No. 1 selection. However, Jason Bukala writes that there’s a new player in the mix for the first overall draft choice, and that’s Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg.
More NHL.com: Brayden Point is out week-to-week for the Tampa Bay Lightning with an undisclosed injury. While it’s not a season-ending injury, Point has been given a timeline that could put him in jeopardy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begin in less than one month.
ESPN: Don’t look now, but Jonathan Toews has scored a goal in three consecutive games as he nears his first trip to the United Center as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. Toews netted his sixth goal of the season in a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. He now has points in four of his last five games.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Tuesday that defenseman Erik Karlsson will be out for at least a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury. Dan Kingerski from PHN breaks down what that means for the Pens, as well as fellow blueliners Kris Letang and Jack St. Ivany.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The mismanagement of the Dougie Hamilton situation doesn’t look good for anyone, but especially for the New Jersey Devils. James Nichols from NJHN writes that there’s only one way to go with Hamilton at this point in what now feels like an inevitable trade after the off-ice drama has surfaced.
San Jose Hockey Now: Former Blackhawks defenseman Nolan Allan is getting a fresh start on the West Coast with the San Jose Sharks. Sheng Peng from SJHN weighs in on Allan’s NHL upside and shares what a few scouts said about his game.
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