{"id":449609,"date":"2026-02-07T00:07:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/449609\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T00:07:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:07:17","slug":"blackhawks-news-rumors-bedard-kaiser-greene-rinzel-icehogs-more-the-hockey-writers-chicago-blackhawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/449609\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackhawks News & Rumors: Bedard, Kaiser, Greene, Rinzel, IceHogs & More – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s officially the Olympic Break, and that means the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> will have the next few weeks off for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Warm and sunny destinations are in store, with the exception of Teuvo Teravainen<\/a>, who will represent his Team Finland in the 2026 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

But despite the time off, there\u2019s still no shortage of news and rumors surrounding the Blackhawks. Let\u2019s get to the latest. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Kaiser Injured in Last Game Before Break<\/p>\n

In some unfortunate news, defenseman Wyatt Kaiser<\/a> sustained an injury on Wednesday, Feb. 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the first period, Kaiser was defending the rush when Columbus\u2019 Zach Werenski was accidentally pushed into him by Sam Rinzel. Werenski\u2019s full weight went onto Kaiser\u2019s left knee and leg, which twisted awkwardly the wrong way. The 23-year-old was in immediate distress, having to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel.<\/p>\n

A closer look at the Wyatt Kaiser injury. Doesn’t look great. #Blackhawks<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iDtcIsBiD6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 5, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Kaiser did not return to the game, and afterwards head coach Jeff Blashill<\/a> said Kaiser would be out for \u201ca little bit\u201d. He didn\u2019t want to put a timeline on it until the defenseman was further evaluated. That means we likely won\u2019t know more until the Blackhawks return to practices on Feb. 17.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 3 Takeaways From the Blackhawks\u2019 4-0 Shutout Loss to the Blue Jackets<\/a><\/p>\n

If the young blueliner is out for an extended amount of time, that would certainly hurt the Blackhawks on the back end. Kaiser has emerged as one of the team\u2019s most reliable defensemen. He\u2019s also done an excellent job mentoring D-partner Artyom Levshunov<\/a>, as well as Rinzel more recently. Kaiser leads all defensemen on the team with five goals, which is quite impressive considering he\u2019s more of a defensive defenseman. <\/p>\n

Greene a Healthy Scratch<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re on the subject of the last game before the break, rookie Ryan Greene<\/a> was a healthy scratch against the Blue Jackets. This came as a bit of a surprise, since the rookie center has been playing quite well. As a matter of fact, Greene was on the bubble during training camp, made the team due to other player injuries, and then earned Coach Blashill\u2019s trust with his strong two-way play. The 22-year-old has actually been deployed much of the season on the top line alongside Connor Bedard<\/a> and Andre Burakovsky, and hasn\u2019t looked at all out of place. He\u2019s actually thrived, registering seven goals and 20 points in 56 games. <\/p>\n

\"RyanForward Ryan Greene is having a solid rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

You may notice Greene has suited up for every game this season up to this last one. Perhaps he was due to sit, with all the forwards finally being healthy. Nick Foligno <\/a>missed the previous two games with an undisclosed injury, but with him ready to go it made sense for him to dress in Columbus. The 38-year-old played for nine seasons with the Blue Jackets, and served as their captain. Said Blashill on Greene\u2019s scratch, <\/p>\n

Greener has played good hockey for us. He\u2019s gonna play good hockey again for us. He\u2019s a good player. There\u2019s a couple things we want him to correct. So, just gives him a chance to kind of have urgency, to make sure that he\u2019s making the corrections that he needs to make. He\u2019ll get back out there soon, when the breaks over here.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

It sounds like this is more of an attempt to help Greene improve than anything else. It should be mentioned that the rookie is rather efficient at winning faceoffs; he\u2019s won 45.5% of a healthy 626 draws, which is second on the team only to Jason Dickinson<\/a> (638 draws). It will be interesting to see how Greene is deployed moving forward. He\u2019s played on all four lines, as well as at center and on the wing. He could actually be a decent replacement for Dickinson if the veteran is traded at the deadline. <\/p>\n

Bedard To Take Faceoffs Again<\/p>\n

Speaking of faceoffs, Blashill recently let the cat out of the bag that Bedard should be able to start taking draws again after the break. He also hinted that Bedard and Frank Nazar<\/a> would then go back to each centering their own lines, as they\u2019ve done previously. <\/p>\n

\"ConnorConnor Bedard should be able to take faceoffs again after the Olympic break is over. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

One of the reasons the two were deployed together was because Bedard wasn\u2019t yet taking draws due to his recent shoulder injury. Blashill expanded, <\/p>\n

I think Bedard will be in a position to take more faceoffs, so that\u2019ll probably change some of that (line configuration). I thought we needed a little bit of a spark so we put them together. You know, I think they\u2019re both good enough players they can play separately and make their lines that much better as well.<\/p>\n

\u2026There\u2019ll be a situation where you play them together, and sometimes who ever is low is low, and they kind of learn that chemistry. And I think Connor and Frank have done a really good job that way. <\/p>\n

In other words, Blashill has options. Bedard and Nazar can each drive their own line, and that might be most advantageous to the team now that Bedard will be taking faceoffs again. But, they play well together also, so could be deployed that way in certain situations. <\/p>\n

Again, it will be interesting to see how the forward deployment looks once games start up again. <\/p>\n

Rinzel Only Prospect Returning to IceHogs During Break<\/p>\n

Getting back to defensemen, we spoke above about how Rinzel was called up and playing with Kaiser. This was mostly because Levshunov had hit a bit of a wall. Inconsistent play at the beginning of the season warranted the deployment of seven defensemen, which included both Levshunov and Rinzel. Each was sheltered, but also given a chance to find their way in the NHL environment. <\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Blackhawks Fans Need to Be Patient With Levshunov<\/a><\/p>\n

While Rinzel started strong and Levshunov struggled, eventually Levshunov took strides in a positive direction. Meanwhile, Rinzel faltered and was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs for some more seasoning.<\/p>\n

However, Rinzel was recalled recently after Levshunov just couldn\u2019t find his consistency. The good news is the Blackhawks have a plan in place for Levshunov, but it does NOT include heading to Rockford. Blashill said recently that he doesn\u2019t want to send him down to Rockford to play more games; instead he wants him to work on some foundational things.<\/p>\n

Rinzel, on the other hand, has done an admirable job<\/a> in his last three games up with the Blackhawks. He\u2019s averaged an heavy 23:06 minutes of ice time while playing on the second defensive pairing and also quarterbacking the top power play unit. He also scored a goal on Feb. 2 against the San Jose Sharks, his second of the season. <\/p>\n

Sam Rinzel with a big blast for his 2nd goal of the season, and Chicago has scored 4 goals on 10 shots in this game. #Blackhawks<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rpl9SpFFGp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 3, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Alas, Rinzel was sent back to play with the IceHogs over the break. He was the only player sent down. According to Frank Seravalli and per CBA rules, \u201cPlayers who have been on the team for a huge chunk of this season, or have played 16 of the last 20 games, are not eligible to go back for the break.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rinzel played well enough in this last stint with the Blackhawks that I would expect him to return after the break is over. Coach Blashill did acknowledge he would be open to utilizing a seven-defensemen lineup again, making room for Rinzel and Levshunov to play. Plus, veteran D-men Connor Murphy<\/a> and Matt Grzelcyk<\/a> are both on expiring contracts and could get dealt at the trade deadline, leaving plenty of room on the back end for the youngsters. <\/p>\n

IceHogs to Host AHL All-Star Classic<\/p>\n

With the Blackhawks on hiatus, we can turn our attention to the IceHogs. The Blackhawks AHL affiliate has the honor this year of hosting the AHL All-Star Classic <\/a>at the BMO Center in Rockford. The Skills Competition will be on Tuesday (Feb. 10) and the All-Star game on Wednesday (Feb. 11). Both events will start at 7 p.m. Central Time, and aired on the NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada, along with streaming coverage on AHLTV on FloHockey. Additionally, the event will be broadcast locally on CHSN. <\/p>\n

Blackhawks\u2019 defensive prospect Kevin Korchinski was named the MVP of the All-Star Classic last year<\/a>, posting a goal and three assists in the challenge game. He was selected again this year, and will be joined by another top Blackhawks\u2019 prospect, forward Nick Lardis<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Lardis recently spoke to IceHogs\u2019 Manager of Communications and Broadcasting, Dana Grey, in anticipation of the event. <\/p>\n

The Lardy Party is coming to the All-Star \ud83d\udcab<\/p>\n

Nick Lardis caught up with us to talk about what he’s looking forward to next week and about his first taste of the NHL. pic.twitter.com\/BxEX0gUsjC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) February 5, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Lots of high-profile hockey names <\/a>will also be in attendance for the All-Star festivities, including Blackhawks\u2019 anthem singer Jim Cornelison and former Blackhawks\u2019 Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg. Be sure to tune in (or attend in person!) for the 2026 AHL All-Star festivities. It looks like a lot of fun, especially since it\u2019s on home turf in Rockford this year. <\/p>\n

Donato\u2019s Expecting 2nd Daughter<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s wrap up with some Blackhawks\u2019 fun family news. I caught up with Ryan Donato<\/a> last weekend at practice. Among other things, I asked him what kind of training he would get in after some time off over the break. It turns out there will be no fun in the sun for the feisty forward; but he will definitely be training! \u00a0<\/p>\n

I probably will, just because I have nothing else to do. My wife is due in February. We\u2019re having our second girl, so I\u2019ll be in Chicago the whole time. I don\u2019t know how much I can sit inside the living room without doing anything. My vacation will be helping out the wife with our one-year-old daughter at home. So I\u2019ll be in full dad mode for the break.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure if Donato knows that \u201chelping out\u201d with the baby involves a little bit more than sitting in the living room with nothing to do.<\/p>\n

\"RyanRyan Donato and his wife our expecting their second child, another daughter, in February. (Photo by Michael Reaves\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

But all kidding aside, congratulations to the Donato\u2019s on their second daughter! Hopefully when play resumes on Feb. 26, Donato will bring TWICE the Girl Daddy luck back with him. He\u2019s certainly got a good start going; \u00a0the 29-year-old posted three goals and five points in the last five games leading up to the break.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Blackhawk Hoping Olympic Break Rejuvenates Them for Final Stretch<\/a><\/p>\n

There might not be any Blackhawk\u2019s games for a few weeks, but there will be the AHL All-Star festivities, IceHog\u2019s games and all the fun and excitement of the Olympics. We\u2019ll keep you up to speed here at The Hockey Writers with some feature articles and any other news and rumors that come up during the break. <\/p>\n

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