Blackhawks Make a Trade, Four Straight Wins, Kane’s Historic Achievement, Learning About Rebuilding, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The Blackhawks are… (checks notes a third time to be sure)… the hottest team in the NHL. Their four-game win streak is tied with Ottawa for the longest in the league right now, and last night’s win over Florida erased the “well, just wait until they play a good team” part of the conversation. So much for betting the under!

  • The Blackhawks made a deal early Wednesday morning, sending Nicolas Beaudin to Montreal. Beaudin, 23, was the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft — the same first round in which the Blackhawks selected Adam Boqvist. He appeared in 22 NHL games for the Blackhawks but became the odd man out on the crowded blue lines in Chicago and Rockford.
  • Last night’s game was terrific all around. The Blackhawks actually got out to an early lead (they had come back in their three previous wins) and then overcame both a barrage of penalties and two quick goals from a high-power offense to hang on and win. There’s so much to like about this team right now.
  • After the game, Luke Richardson talked about how the Blackhawks have adopted a pack mentality. He specifically pointed out a moment when Caleb Jones (“the smallest guy on the blue line” according to Richardson) pushed Sasha Barkov (one of the best and strongest forwards in the NHL) out of the crease and the other four guys in the ice rallied around him. These Blackhawks are playing as a team.
  • The Blackhawks would love to see more fans in the stands for home games, but they understand it’s a rebuild. And Richardson understands they still need to earn the hard-earned dollars people are going to spend on parking and tickets to watch them play. I submit their play should encourage more fans to want to see them in-person.
  • Patrick Kane’s first period goal was historic. He became the third active player to reach 800 career even-strength points, joining two other future Hall of Famers. He’s now just seven even-strength points from passing Bobby Hull into second place in Blackhawks history.
  • Remember in our Tuesday bullets when I shared a tweet from my guy James Nichols showing the Blackhawks had a scout in Jersey for the Devils-Caps game? Yeah… it was a full house at the United Center on Tuesday night. Of note: Dallas, Boston, Vegas and Nashville each had more than one person listed. And, with the Blackhawks having been in New Jersey on Monday, it’s also noteworthy the Devils had someone in Chicago on Tuesday.
  • Colton Dach left the Kelowna lineup last week after a high hit sent him back into concussion protocol after he missed a big part of training camp because of the same issue. On Tuesday, his junior team officially listed Dach as “week-to-week” which is not ideal. He has already missed two games.
  • This really sucks for Colton, who was working hard to emerge from Kirby’s shadow and carve out his own identity in the Blackhawks organization. He looked great leading up to the prospect showcase games against Minnesota and scored inside the opening minute of the first game, but didn’t play again after the first period. He was finally cleared to return in time for one preseason appearance before heading back to junior, and he performed well against NHL competition. I hope he’s able to feel better and get back on the ice at some point but concussions suck (I’ve had my share).
  • Even though we’re all excited about the Blackhawks’ current win streak, they are still technically rebuilding. This piece from Harman Dayal at The Athletic is a terrific read. It’s specifically talking to Canucks fans (because writers can’t put out dumpster fires), but there are good lessons in here for Blackhawks fans to consider. I think we’re all hoping it doesn’t take nine years for the Blackhawks to get back into the postseason. Some of us remember what a decade without playoff hockey is like and it’s not fun.
  • This is really a terrific read about Carey Price being as open as he has been about his struggles. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson spoke about the importance of mental health again on Tuesday after the morning skate; he’s a huge advocate for taking care of the complete individual, not just the hockey player. Having a great player like Price speak about his struggles may help others feel comfortable to do so. Give this a read.
  • Finally, because the Blackhawks’ special teams played such a huge role in their win last night it feels right to note that the Bears’ kicker was named the Special Teams Player of the Week in the NFC after their win over the Patriots.
  • 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 three books about the Blackhawks: "The Future: Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks' New Era,"(Triumph Books),"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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