Lottery Odds, Draft Rankings, Frozen Four, the Plan on Defense, Bedard’s Passing, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Mar 25, 2024

This weekend was filled with amazing comebacks, both on college basketball courts and on the ice in San Jose. The Blackhawks erased a four-goal deficit in the second half of their game to stun the Sharks… or did they? The Sharks allowed five unanswered goals to the offensively-challenged Blackhawks twice inside a single calendar week. So what did they win? A more confident spot at the top of the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery odds. The Blackhawks’ odds of having the best odds may be effectively gone at this point. But they didn’t have the best odds last year and that worked out okay… right?

Not impossible, but after two wins over #sjsharks last week, going to be hard for #Blackhawks to finish in 32nd place.#sjsharks are in the driver's seat in Slackin' for Macklin.

Latest #NHLDraft Lottery odds: https://t.co/QHvwVi6tAn pic.twitter.com/ape9Dvny4Q— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 25, 2024

Scott Wheeler at The Athletic updated his prospect rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft. I’m going to dig into them more this week and break down how they have changed from his previous edition — and how they compare to other analysts I respect. But here’s the link so you can digest it yourself. Feel free to consider my full two-round mock draft from this weekend while reading.

New #2024NHLDraft ranking is out at @TheAthletic:
– Top 64 prospects ranked
– 41 honourable mentions
– Full scouting reports
– Player tiers
– Customizable user interface

The list:https://t.co/j1zfB0DTMM pic.twitter.com/y4ZELnooSU— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 25, 2024

The guy everyone is chasing in the draft — and at the top of everyone’s mock drafts and draft rankings — is Macklin Celebrini. He’ll be in the NCAA tournament, skating with Blackhawks prospect Ryan Greene and the BU Terriers as the No. 2 overall seed. The Blackhawks will have six prospects in the dance this year competing in three of the four regions. I have the full breakdown of the bracket for you.

Six #Blackhawks Prospects Will Play in the #FrozenFour Field https://t.co/f3JQrGJiht
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 24, 2024

Scott Powers at The Athletic took a look at some defensemen the Blackhawks might consider in free agency this summer. My first thought was: the Blackhawks have five defensemen on the NHL roster coming back — Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, Connor Murphy and Wyatt Kaiser — but I will also acknowledge that Murphy’s health is a very real concern. The Blackhawks need a veteran to play the right side and play it well to pair with Korchinski. If Murphy is limited at all next year, it’s best for the organization to build a blue line only needing him to be a third-pair defenseman. I do believe Ethan Del Mastro will get a look at the NHL next year, but the Hawks cannot go into a full season with Korchinski, Kaiser and Del Mastro making up half of their blue line. Power put together an intriguing list of considerations.

Last week, we looked at forwards the Blackhawks could sign in free agency. Today, we examine the defensemen. https://t.co/eKFsOY7msn
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 25, 2024

I enjoyed the notes Ben Pope shared this weekend regarding Connor Bedard‘s passing evolution this season as he learns the NHL.

Earlier this year, Connor Bedard's "lofty passes side-to-side" kept getting broken up.

Luke Richardson has seen him adjust to making shorter, safer passes.

That leads this new Blackhawks notebook: https://t.co/7OGRUzskm5— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 23, 2024

There were some really impressive individual accomplishments this weekend, with a couple guys hitting the 50-goal mark and Auston Matthews getting closer to 60 goals. But what Nathan MacKinnon is doing in Colorado is remarkable. He’s my front-runner for the MVP this year.

#GoAvsGo Nathan MacKinnon now holds the second longest home points streak to start a season at 34 consecutive games.

Wayne Gretzky (points in all 40 home games in 1988-89) stands alone above him.

MacKinnon also set COL franchise record today for most points in single season.— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 24, 2024

Finally, baseball is really, fully back this week! And the Cubs’ initial pitching rotation is set.

Initial Cubs Starting Pitcher Schedulehttps://t.co/Un2mPQXTvb pic.twitter.com/hsDuPdg6uv
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 25, 2024

written by

Tab Bamford

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

more blackhawks news

Chicago Blackhawks

Luke Richardson is Suddenly One of the Longest-Tenured Head Coaches in the NHL

When the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe on Thursday morning, it didn't surprise most people. But one aspect of the move certainly got my attention. The Leafs installed Keefe as their head coach on November 20, 2019, which made...

Tab Bamford

May 09, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Slaggert’s Path, Fight Night in Florida, Comeback Canucks, Keefe Out, College Decisions, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

This year's NHL Draft Lottery was the first time since 2010 that no team moved up. Which was surprising, and a win for the Blackhawks. Ben Pope shared this nugget, which is also interesting. The Rangers selected forward Kaapo Kakko...

Tab Bamford

May 09, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Prospect Roman Kantserov a Finalist for KHL Rookie of the Year

Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov was named one of the three finalists for the KHL's rookie of the year award on Thursday. Kantserov, a second-round pick (No. 44) in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored 8 goals with 7 assists in 53...

Tab Bamford

May 09, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Maple Leafs Fire Head Coach Sheldon Keefe

The foregone conclusion has become a reality in Toronto: the Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1788570889035919850 Keefe took over as the head coach in Toronto in November of 2019, replacing Mike Babcock. He ranks fifth all-time in...

Tab Bamford

May 09, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Mock Draft Roundup: What Are People Saying the Blackhawks Will Do at No. 2?

The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery was held on Tuesday night, locking the order of the top 16 selections in the 2024 NHL Draft. Which means we're now getting flooded with mock draft predictions for teams owning those selections -- and...

Tab Bamford

May 08, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Fans Guide to the IIHF World Championship

While we're watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs without the Blackhawks, there are a few guys from the NHL roster this season competing for a championship of their own. The IIHF World Championship is taking place in Czechia from May 10-26....

Tab Bamford

May 09, 2024

Macklin Celebrini Boston University Frozen Four

Chicago Blackhawks

2024 NHL Mock Draft: Post-Draft Lottery, Two-Round Pandemonium

This is our first mock draft in which the top 23 selections are locked. The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery took place last night, so now we know the order of the top 16 picks in the 2024 NHL Draft. And,...

Tab Bamford

May 08, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

We Were Treated To TWO Stanley Cup Playoff OT Games Last Night

There's just nothing better than overtime hockey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Whether it's the team you root for or you have zero emotional investment in the game it's impossible not to be on the edge of your seat and...

Matt Rooney

May 08, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Who’s No. 2? Draft Thoughts, Davidson on Reichel & Vlasic, Houston Wants In, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery was last night. And we found out the Chicago Blackhawks' first pick will land at No. 2 overall. After not moving up -- or down -- in the lottery, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson spoke...

Tab Bamford

May 08, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Why the Blackhawks Staying at No. 2 is a Draft Lottery Win

The Chicago Blackhawks did not move up to the No. 1 overall pick in last night's NHL Draft Lottery. But they also didn't move down from the second overall selection, and that's a win for the organization. "It's massive," Blackhawks...

Tab Bamford

May 08, 2024

Picks

Royals vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 9, 2024

The Kansas City Royals will take the field against the Los Angeles Angels (14-23) on Thursday. The game begins at 9:38 PM ET on Fox Sports 1, with the Royals listed as -116 favorites on the moneyline.Michael Wacha will get...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Picks

Luka Doncic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Thursday, May 9, 2024

On Thursday at 9:30 PM ET, the Dallas Mavericks face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Luka Doncic's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires four triples.Luka Doncic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Picks

Kyrie Irving Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Thursday, May 9, 2024

The Dallas Mavericks meet the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires four triples from Kyrie...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Picks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Mavericks – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Thursday, May 9, 2024

At 9:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Dallas Mavericks, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Three-Pointer...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Picks

Top Player Prop Bets for Thunder vs. Mavericks Western Conference Semifinals Game 2 on May 9, 2024

Player prop bet options for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and others are available when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks at Paycom Center on Thursday (starting at 9:30 PM ET).How to Watch Thunder vs. MavericksDate: Thursday, May 9,...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Picks

Top Player Prop Bets for Celtics vs. Cavaliers Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 on May 9, 2024

The Boston Celtics host the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden on Thursday (tip at 7:00 PM ET). Those looking to place a player prop bet can find odds on Jayson Tatum, Jarrett Allen and others in this outing.How to Watch...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

MLB

How to Watch Braves Games: Full Schedule, Live Stream and More

The Atlanta Braves are coming off back-to-back seasons of at least 100 wins but neither ended in a World Series title. They have another strong squad in 2024 and hope to get back to the World Series. Check out ways...

Sam Russell

May 09, 2024

Picks

Royals vs. Angels Probable Starting Pitchers – May 9

The Los Angeles Angels (14-23) start a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals (22-16) on Thursday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. First pitch is at 9:38 PM.The probable pitchers are Michael Wacha (1-4) for the Royals and Reid Detmers...

Data Skrive

May 09, 2024

Chicago Cubs

MLBits: Paul Skenes Gets the Call, O’s Win a Wild One, Struggling Hitting Prospects, More

MLB Notes — "Once-in-a-decade" pitching prospect Paul Skenes will make his major league debut this weekend against the Cubs. After Electrifying the Minors with Triple-Digit Heat, Paul Skenes to Make His Debut on Saturday All it took was seven starts...

Patrick K. Flowers

May 09, 2024

MLB

How to Watch Orioles Games: Full Schedule, Live Stream and More

The Baltimore Orioles are off to a solid start in 2024 after making it to the playoffs in 2023. If you are looking to watch the Orioles during the 2024 MLB season, let's break down the cable and streaming options...

Sam Russell

May 09, 2024

Lottery Odds, Draft Rankings, Frozen Four, the Plan on Defense, Bedard’s Passing, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Read More

more blackhawks news

Latest News

more blackhawks news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular