The Chicago Blackhawks are back in action tonight, 8:30 PM CDT, as they hit the road to face the St. Louis Blues — a divisional matchup that always brings intensity.
Last season, things didn’t go well against the Blues. Chicago went 0-2-1, getting outscored 16-8 over three games. That’s a stat the Hawks want to erase from memory.
St. Louis enters this one 2-1-0, while Chicago looks to build momentum after their first win of the year — a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Utah on Monday night.
News & Updates
Slaggert status: Jeff Blashill said Landon Slaggert won’t play tonight in St. Louis but might go Friday vs. Vancouver. He participated in practice today after missing the first four games with injury.
Projected lines (AM skate):
Dach – Bedard – Burakovsky
Teravainen – Nazar – Bertuzzi
Donato – Dickinson – Mikheyev
Foligno – Greene – Reichel
(Slaggert and Lafferty rotating in)
Rockford (AHL): Nolan Allan & Kevin Korchinski in concussion protocol. Tyson Feist recalled from Indy Fuel (ECHL).
What we’ve learned after four games
Wyatt Kaiser – Most Consistent Player so far
Through four games, Wyatt Kaiser has quietly been the most consistent and complete defenseman on the Blackhawks roster.
He’s stronger physically, plays with more confidence, and isn’t afraid to use his body — winning battles along the boards and clearing the front of the net with authority.
His improvement from last season is obvious: better reads, quicker transitions, and a calmness with the puck that comes with experience.
Blashill trusts him, and you can see it. Kaiser plays heavy minutes alongside Artyom Levshunov, often against top competition, and he’s been used in all situations — 5-on-5, penalty kill, and key defensive moments late in games. He’s earning every shift.
The numbers back it up:
- xGF%: 52.03 (5th) among NHL defensemen with 65+ minutes at 5v5
- xGA: 1.95, behind only Drew Doughty (1.76)
- HDCF%: 56.41 — showing he’s not just defending but pushing play in the right direction
Those are elite numbers — and it’s not luck. He’s defending smarter, closing gaps earlier, and using better body positioning in tight spaces.
Kaiser has become one of the most dependable players on the team — every shift looks the same: steady, smart, composed.
He’s not flashy, but he’s reliable. And in a season where structure and details matter most, that makes him one of the biggest surprises of the year so far.
Jason Dickinson – Defense Drives the Bus
When Jason Dickinson returned to the lineup after missing the Montreal game, the difference was clear. The third line instantly looked more balanced — smarter shifts, better puck retrievals, stronger zone exits.
He doesn’t just post good numbers — he sets a tone. His leadership and experience stabilize the bottom six, giving the Hawks a reliable identity line that can handle tough minutes and kill momentum for the opponent.
Through four games, he leads Chicago with a 69.13 xGF% and ranks among the NHL’s best in overall defensive metrics.
But beyond analytics, Dickinson brings the kind of honest effort and compete level that keeps this young team grounded.
He plays the game the right way — winning faceoffs, taking key penalty-kill shifts, mentoring Nazar and Reichel on positioning and board play. When he’s in the lineup, the Hawks’ pace, structure, and communication are sharper.
In a lineup filled with youth and growing pains, Dickinson’s voice in the room carries weight. He’s the type of player Blashill can trust to start a defensive zone draw or close out a tight one-goal game.
He’s not flashy, but he’s essential — the glue guy that holds a developing roster together.
André Burakovsky – The Real Top-Six Upgrade
Not six lines—the full picture you asked for:
The Hawks needed a top-six with real playoff DNA. Burakovsky (30) brings two Cups, a pro’s patience, and skill that fits Bedard. Early line: 2G, 1A in four, GWG vs Utah.
But the value is in how he plays: protects pucks, waits out pressure, makes the right play. Blashill on Tuesday: “He’s calm with it and manages it—doesn’t force when there’s no room.”
History check: 151 points in 3 Avs seasons, then injuries muted totals in SEA—but the underlying numbers stayed strong (shots, shot-assists per minute, zone entries/carry-ins well above league average per All Three Zones).
Here, he’s already:
- Driving the right-wing with Bedard (puck protection the Hawks lacked since Hall)
- Stabilizing PP2, which has outperformed PP1 early
- Bringing that “been there, done that” voice in a young room
He’s not a burner like Lafferty, but at 6’3”, 203, he moves with pace while controlling the puck—harder than straight-line speed. Less turnover-prone than Hall, too. If health holds, this is a smart, system-fit add with real upside.
Jeff Bashill – Identity Before Highlights
Strip the noise: Blashill’s message is consistent—defend like a playoff team first. The system is aggressive: hunt on entries, swarm (2-3) in the corner, one at the dot, one net-front; collapse the house and win inside.
Offensively, he wants quicker transition and layered rush support—but he’ll never cheat for offense.
You said it: there are execution/communication/positioning mistakes and the goalies have covered them at times. That’s Year 1 with a new structure.
What matters is the trendline: after four, only 11 GA (2.75/game) and meaningfulgames every night. Davidson’s on the same page: process > shortcuts.
Fans: embrace the growth curve—this is how kids learn to win.
Players feel it, too. Dickinson postgame: “Learn how to win. Tight games, win every little battle.” Foligno’s room message to Blashill after the W mattered.
And Blashill: “You can’t be great in the playoffs if you’re not great defensively.” That’s the culture shift.
My Final Thought
This isn’t the 2022-23 version of the Blackhawks anymore. You can see progress — not just in the standings but in howthey play.
They’ve been in every game, they battle, and they defend with pride.
Kaiser is maturing. Dickinson is leading. Burakovsky is producing.
And Blashill is laying down the foundation of a system that can win — not just now, but for years.
It’s still early, but this feels different.
Now the question is: Can they build on it tonight in St. Louis?
KEEP READING:
Blackhawks Monday Recap: NHL Opening Week
Hawks Search For The Right Fit Beside Bedard
Blackhawks Begin Their Next Chapter in Florida
Looking for discussion? Check out our forums section and weigh in on what’s happening around the NHL!
Nice read Frenchy,
I am really curious to see how we do vs the Blues tonight because i believe as soon as Montgomery became available they hired him immediately. Turned their season around by implementing his system and making a playoff appearance?
Now I’m not saying we are going to make the playoffs but i really like what I’m seeing in Blashills system more so than any other coach we’ve had since Coach Q.
A win would be great tonight but big picture good competitive game tonight where you sense the opponent is frustrated because we are playing good defense.
Thanks for your comment, “Dots.” The Blues have been one of the best-structured teams since Montgomery took over — they finished second in the league for goals against last season, which says a lot about their system. Tonight, keep an eye on Nazar vs Snuggerud, that’s going to be a great matchup. And like I always say: “Meaningful games — that’s where players truly grow.”
Nice write up Coach!
Haven’t watched much of the games other than the Flarida game.
But I’ve read/listened to some podcasts and some fans think Blashill might be playing a little too defensive..? Just wondering what your take is on this.
Is he going to sacrifice Bedard’s and Nazar’s offensive skills just to keep games close?
Not at all — it’s actually going to make those players more complete. 👍 Thanks for your comment! It’s totally normal for young prospects to arrive in the NHL with great skills and natural offensive instincts, but less experience on the defensive side. What Blashill is doing is teaching them how to play a full 200-foot game, which is essential if they want to become elite, reliable players. It’s part of their growth process during their first three to five years in the league.
Meaty and insightful ads always, Frenchy, I can read the scouts eye in your words…….. If I were only gonna 1 thing from your piece it would be, “it feels different”. Indeed. No matter an observer’s biases or likes and dislikes this feels different and it is. And, it’s fun. And, we’ve been waiting and waiting for the fun parts of the rebuild and we’re at the beginning of that at the NHL level.
Kaiser. Kid was the same in the USHL in that you watch him play and you say atta boy 14 times. Kid just makes plays, period. In every zone. I realize that’s not a deep dive but that’s what it boils down to, kid makes plays whether it’s at the attack blue line, in his crease, at the far endline, at neutral ice or in his corner…… Those are some damn nice fancies, damn nice for a kid with 100ish NHL games. Look at the names on the list you posted. Kaiser is by far the youngest.
Dickinson. “He sets the tone”. Indeed. So so many boxes checked here and for a team in the early stages of a rebuild multiply that by 10. As a tone setter I rank Danato right up there too. …. Simply said these guys don’t cheat the game on game day, in the film room, at practice, in the weight room. …. Gold to a young learning team.
Burakovsky. “A pros patience”. Indeed. ….. Very nice dive into his numbers at Colorado and for me those numbers show what his skills really are, not the .54 pts per over 700 games. … I think it’s his IQ that will help Bedard most.
Blashill. “Strip the noise”. You make great points about Blashill but to even boil it down more, this team has played 4 games, 12 periods and IMO the effort/compete was high in every period. Results mighta sucked but the effort was there…… Without your technical expertise, Frenchy, that in itself answers loads of questions.
But it all starts from structure and you can see enough of it, and it’s only gonna improve, to keep this club in every game.
Thanks for your comment, “Mr. Richochet — if you think I write like a scout, that’s the best compliment you could give me. You clearly know your hockey too, especially with the way you follow the USHL and understand what it takes for young players to grow. You brought up a lot of good points.
You were right when you said “different” — that word fits perfectly after that 8–3 win. What a performance. It’s not always going to look that good, but you can already feel the shift. Blashill is pushing this team hard, and you can see it in their structure and effort.
After watching him for years behind the Detroit bench, I see a new version of Blashill — more organized, more detail-oriented, and much more in control. The Hawks are still young and mistakes will happen, but you can’t complain about the compete level from anyone.
Let’s just enjoy these first five games — the effort, the structure, the growth — because like you said, it really does feel different.
Enjoy your day, my friend.
I think they passed the test with flying colors. It looks like they are having fun and that is a huge change from last year. Look at Nazar’s reaction after he got mugged after his goal. He celebrated!