NEWSLETTER
After Monday night’s 4-2 loss in Anaheim, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said forward Colin Blackwell is going to miss “some time” with a groin injury. He left the game during the second period and was ruled out of the third. Richardson also indicated Taylor Raddysh was a little banged up, so they’re hoping Philipp Kurashev can get over the flu bug and get back into a lineup that’s already missing a few bodies because of trades.
- I just want to start my Tuesday by saying Max Domi is awesome and the Blackhawks should not only keep him, but sign him to an extension. Yeah, I’ve been pretty consistent up to this point with my stance that the Hawks should move anything/everything that isn’t signed beyond this season and Domi has been good enough that the Hawks could trade him and bring him back over the summer, but I’m formally flipping my position here and now. Give him a few years around $4 million and call it a day. He’s a great voice in the room, and engaging veteran who’s also an advocate for and disciple of his head coach — which is important with the turnover coming to the roster. Love me some Domi. Buy him some new teeth and keep him around.
- How do you feel about the deal that went down on Monday? You can vote on our Twitter poll until almost 1 PM CT today. Let us know!
- This is gonna be fun… with the trade of Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty yesterday, the Blackhawks have an insane number of draft picks coming in the next four years.
- And that’s all before the Blackhawks move Patrick Kane, which could happen soon. There are reports out of New York that the Rangers are anticipating Kane being in the lineup tomorrow night in Philadelphia.
- Meanwhile, Jack Johnson was already in Denver for the Avalanche practice on Monday morning. And he told the media out there that he was ready for a deal to happen. It’s always good to have a couple extra pairs of socks and undies if you’re shipped to a new (in his case, old) city while on the road.
- This is something you love to see/read from a now-former player like Jack Johnson after he’s traded out of town. When veterans like him praise the organization’s front office and coaching staff it’s encouraging.
- And the boys arrived in Toronto later on Monday evening. (I’m going to go cry now.)
- Sam Lafferty shared a lovely farewell message to Chicago via the Blackhawks’ social handles on Monday evening. He came to Chicago as a guy who hadn’t had a full shot to prove he could play in the NHL and leaves as a player who had established himself as a valuable piece to a team with championship aspirations. If the Blackhawks’ front office can continue making moves like Alex Nylander for Sam Lafferty, that should give us confidence their pro scouting is doing a better job now than it did for the previous six years.
- Joey Anderson skated 11:17 and was minus-two in a fourth-line role for the Blackhawks last night — just hours after he learned he was traded. At least the Leafs were on the right side of the country to make his arrival on time? But his schedule yesterday must have been crazy. Shock might be an understatement. Hopefully he got a good night’s sleep because the Blackhawks are back on the ice tonight in Arizona.
- This doesn’t impact the Blackhawks directly, but it is something to keep an eye on in the next three days. The NHL has reportedly told teams that acquiring players who are injured and stashing them for the playoffs is going to be “closely scrutinized” by the league for cap circumvention. Which is fascinating because there have been rumors about a few players moving and not playing until the end of the regular season.
- Finally, injuries suck. And the Cubs are already dealing with one that could impact the start of their 2023 season.
