All articles tagged with #chicago blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks signed 21-year-old forward Roman Kantserov to a three-year entry-level contract with a $1,075,000 cap hit, starting in 2026-27 and running through 2028-29. Kantserov led the KHL with 36 goals and 64 points in 63 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2025-26, helping Magnitogorsk to the 2024 Gagarin Cup title, and was drafted by Chicago in the 2023 NHL Draft (44th overall).
After the NHL Draft Lottery dropped the Chicago Blackhawks to No. 4, attention shifts from forwards to defense as Ivar Stenberg remains a viable target if Chicago moves up. With Toronto expected to take Gavin McKenna at No. 1, the Sharks at No. 2 face a choice between adding high-end defense or more forward talent, keeping Stenberg in play and making a potential swap appealing; Vancouver at No. 3 could go for Caleb Malhotra, depending on how the board falls. A bold Blackhawks trade up—offering the fourth pick plus extra seconds—could signal a serious push to accelerate their rebuild.
The Chicago Blackhawks enter the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery with a 13.5% chance to win the first pick and a 41.7% chance to land No. 4, keeping their streak of top-four selections alive while weighing Gavin McKenna vs. Ivar Stenberg for the No. 1 slot and considering trades if they land third or fourth; GM Kyle Davidson also has multiple second-round picks to leverage for strengthening the prospect pool and defense.
Chicago Blackhawks head into the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery with a 13.5% chance to win the first pick and a 41.7% chance to drop to fourth; a win could land Gavin McKenna, while a No. 2 finish points to Ivar Stenberg, and management will be weighing options for a top defenseman if they fall further.
A post-season review of Jeff Blashill’s first year coaching the Chicago Blackhawks, praising a development-first approach, self-awareness, and smart use of young players and the penalty kill, while noting lineup tinkering and roster decisions that limited some players’ opportunities. The piece argues the season prioritized long-term growth over immediate wins and served as a proof-of-concept for Kyle Davidson’s draft-and-develop plan, setting the stage for further growth around Bedard and a young core in the coming seasons.
Blues forward Pius Suter returns to the lineup for a Saturday at United Center against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, with coach Montgomery projecting lines that place Suter on the fourth line (Toropchenko, Sundqvist), Buchnevich at second-line center, Dvorsky at third-line center, and Joel Hofer starting in goal.
Chicago Blackhawks rookie Anton Frondell has surged in nine NHL games, scoring three goals and eight points while moving from wing to center, and is leading the team in points during his first stretch in the NHL, praised for his elite defensive instincts and quick adaptation despite limited practice time.
Carolina Hurricanes rest several regulars for the April 9 game at Chicago, recalling four players from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves as they near the playoffs. Coach Rod Brind'Amour indicated at least three of Skyler Brind'Amour, Charles Alexis Legault, Bradly Nadeau and Josiah Slavin could skate, while defenseman Jalen Chatfield will not play due to injury. Frederik Andersen is expected to start in goal, with Pyotr Kochetkov sidelined after hip surgery. The projected lineup features Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis on the top line and Slavin-Chatfield on defense, with Gostisbehere-Nikishin on the second pair and Jordan Staal handling some first-period power-play duties, underscoring the team’s focus on health ahead of the playoffs.
The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Chicago Blackhawks on April 9 for the final regular-season road trip game, aiming to solidify their grip on the Eastern Conference’s top seed. The Canes (50-22-6, 106 points) beat the Bruins 6-5 in their previous game, recall four AHL players to the lineup, and may start Frederik Andersen or Brandon Bussi in net, as goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov remains out with hip surgery but is skating again. The Blackhawks, already out of playoff contention, are incorporating young talent like Bedard and Frondell in preparation for the future. Next actions include a postgame trip to Utah and another game against the Mammoth before the playoffs.
The New York Islanders fell 4-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks at UBS Arena, badly hurting their playoff chances. After taking an early lead, New York wilted defensively, with turnovers and a lapse that allowed two-on-none breaks, including one sparked by a turnover from Mathew Barzal. Tony DeAngelo left with a lower-body injury, leaving the Isles shorthanded on the back end. Chicago built a 3-1 lead before the Isles rallied with goals from Simon Holmstrom and Cal Ritchie to cut it to 3-2, and a late six-on-four chance gave them hope, but Arvid Soderblom stopped 44 shots to hold on. The loss leaves New York below the playoff cut line with remaining games.
The Chicago Blackhawks recalled 18-year-old forward Anton Frondell from Djurgårdens IF of the SHL after a standout 2025-26 season (28 points in 43 games, 20 goals); Frondell, the 2025 NHL Draft's third overall pick and a Sweden World Junior gold medalist, joins the Blackhawks for tonight's game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena (6:00 p.m. CT), with CHSN and WGN Radio carrying the broadcast.
Connor Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Blackhawks while Spencer Knight stood tall in goal as Chicago defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in Minnesota, snapping the Wild’s longer point streak against the Hawks. The win featured a strong opening period, a young, physical lineup (including Levshunov and Del Mastro) and a tense late stretch where Chicago killed a 5-on-3 penalty. Kirill Kaprizov was day-to-day for Minnesota, and the Hawks’ win marked their first at Minnesota since 2017, with Bedard delivering a showtime second period and Knight sealing the victory.
Troy Murray, a 12-season Blackhawks star and longtime broadcaster, died at age 63 after a cancer diagnosis announced in 2021. He later won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, remained a respected figure in Chicago hockey as a broadcaster and Blackhawks alumni leader, and had reduced duties before stepping away this season; the team and organization mourn his loss.
Troy Murray, a 15‑season NHL veteran who spent most of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and later became a longtime Hawks broadcaster, died at 63 after a battle with cancer. Drafted in 1980, his peak came in 1985‑86 with 99 points and a Selke Trophy, and he finished with 584 points in 915 regular‑season games, plus a 1996 Stanley Cup with Colorado. After retiring, he joined the Blackhawks’ broadcast team in 1998 and helped call three Stanley Cup championships (2010, 2013, 2015) before his cancer diagnosis in 2021, from which he briefly returned to the booth; the organization honored his decades of dedication to the team and its fans.
The Chicago Blackhawks acquired AHL left-shot defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the New York Rangers, sending forward Aidan Thompson to New York in the deal. Pouliot, 32, was the eighth overall pick in 2012 and has played 226 NHL games, though this season he’s been with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. He carries a $775,000 NHL cap hit and has one year left on his contract, and will report to Rockford to bolster Chicago’s blue-line depth as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches.