Gold Medal Day at the WJC, Guttman On Board, Connecting Savard to Nazar, Price Out (Again), and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The gold medal game of the World Junior Championship is on NHL Network tonight at 7 PM CT. Unfortunately, only one of the Blackhawks’ two remaining prospects will have a shot at first.

  • At the World Juniors on Friday afternoon, Canada defeated Czechia 5-2. Ethan Del Mastro skated 10:14 and was credited with one shot on net. They will face Finland in the championship game tonight.
  • In the nightcap at the WJC, Sweden lost their semifinal game 1-0. Victor Stjernborg skated 13:42 and won one of two faceoffs in the game. Sweden will play Czechia for the bronze medal at 3 PM CT on NHL Network.
  • As a reminder to those who join us here: every time someone mentions a Blackhawks player on a radio show is not a trade rumor. If a writer in Edmonton throws it out there that Patrick Kane might look good in Edmonton, that is not the same as him saying the Oilers are heavily engaged in trade discussions with the Blackhawks. We’re going to keep you informed as rumors fly from reputable sources, but we’re also going to be careful to continue earning your trust by reporting things accurately and honestly.
  • One of the Blackhawks’ two free agent additions this week was veteran defenseman Jack Johnson, who joins Reese and Tyler in giving the Blackhawks three players with the same last name for the coming season. Which got us thinking…
  • What if I told you the Blackhawks selecting Frank Nazar in the 2022 NHL Draft was (in part) possible because of a trade that happened 14 years before he was born? We did just that yesterday. Make sure you read our latest Trade Tree Friday.
  • Mark Lazerus at The Athletic dropped his offseason mailbag with questions from Blackhawks fans. The biggest question he started answering: Why should fans give this year’s Blackhawks their time, energy or money?
  • Here are some specifics on the contract college free agent forward Cole Guttman signed with the Blackhawks this week.
  • Sadly, it appears the Montreal Canadiens’ offensive overhaul is going to need to carry a team without it’s highest paid player. Carey Price is reportedly going to miss the entire coming season.
  • Finally, we’re still working on figuring out what exactly Tony La Russa is doing.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of two books about the Blackhawks: "100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

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