Blackhawks 2025-2026 General Comments

[popsghostly]

Good to see familiar faces here. Hopefully Paul, Mo, LA and Wiz will join. Hopefully Blaishill will get the D shored up as 43 shots against a JV Wings team is not good especially since we were fielding 6 NHL-ready D men. They need to keep the crease clear and forwards need to come back and get their man as it seems like a lot of secondary chances.

[boilermaker]

popsghostly wrote:

Good to see familiar faces here.

Hey, glad you’re here. We got most of the old crew back. Wiz posts a lot on Frenchy’s blogs. Hopefully he’ll make his way to this thread soon.

[Mr Ricochet]

Metalhead wrote:

Scott Powers @ByScottPowers 2h
The Blackhawks have re-assigned Marek Vanacker, Jack Pridham, Nathan Behm and Parker Holmes back to their junior teams.

There were a few shifts where Pridham was noticable and looked like he belonged. … Saw enough of his Kitchner games to say he’s a smooth athlete and has some skill in his hands, feet and head. Reminds me of Gavin Hayes. Greene too a bit. .. Smooth silky athletes.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by Mr Ricochet.

[Mr Ricochet]

popsghostly wrote:

Good to see familiar faces here. Hopefully Paul, Mo, LA and Wiz will join. Hopefully Blaishill will get the D shored up as 43 shots against a JV Wings team is not good especially since we were fielding 6 NHL-ready D men. They need to keep the crease clear and forwards need to come back and get their man as it seems like a lot of secondary chances.

Yea, it is good to see familiar faces, you included, Pops……… Wiz and VA Bear are here too. Wizard and Chunk signed up yesterday. Totem, lotta guys and many I forgetting.

I just hope it ain’t too soon into the season where we start talking about who the Hawks are drafting with the #2 pick in the draft.

[Metalhead]

Mr Ricochet wrote:

Grz is a lock to make the roster and eat 20:00 a night for this squad.

Blackhawks defense rostered players:
Murphy
Vlasic
Kaiser
Rinzel
Crevier (lost waivers exemption, he stays up unless the team trades or sends him down and risks losing him for nothing

Out of those 5, only Murphy is a true veteran. Vlasic has 179 NHL games, Kaiser 98, Crevier 56 and Rinzel 9 games.
That would leave (2) roster spots that both get consistent TOI (if you think Crevier is mostly sitting).

There are three good reasons to keep another veteran to stabilize the defense for now.
1) Spencer Knight 2) Connor Bedard 3) Frank Nazar

Is Knight best developed by having him face a shooting gallery and lots of breakaways every game? Low save %, damaged confidence, etc.
Or would it be better to let him get slightly more comfortable with a possibly “weak”, but not “learning on the job” defense in front of him?
Is it really a great idea to have Bedard and Nazar consistently play while down a goal or two?
Or would it be better to have them play more minutes in tied games or learning how to protect/increase a lead?
(don’t get me wrong, if it’s a disaster all 3 will tough it out like they should, I just don’t think it’s the best way for them to develop)

you still can do something like:
Vlasic / Rinzel
Murphy / Kaiser
Gryz / rotating youngster (Crevier, Arty, EDM, etc) or flip Gryz and Kaiser

Still plenty of NHL experience to be had for defensive newbies (which includes Rinzel, Kaiser), while maybe upgrading the NHL game experience for your most important non-defense players.
I’m not 100% convinced Gryz gets kept, but this is my best argument in favor of it.

[Mr Ricochet]

Chunk
Well that kind of depends, doesn’t it? After a turnover in your own zone, what are his responsibilities? If I had to guess, he’s not allowed to just chase the puck all over the zone until he gets it back. It was bad, but it’s also preseason playing with a bunch of guys he hasn’t much in practice and who likely won’t be with the club to start the year.

Point it out, learn, and move on…

I want to see how he does with Burakovsky and Donato. I’ll also hold any judgement on Nazar until I see him back with TT and Bertuzzi. They both looked very disjointed and unsure to me yesterday.[/quote]

……….

Chunk, I had a bad feed yesterday. Help me out…… At the sidewall bedard took a pass and it looked like he coughed not got stripped. Which was it….. Then he was so flat footed and unaware he didn’t even move his feet he pathetically reached as the Wing drove thru the circle. Wrong?

And I didn’t see Bedard below his endline much, if at all. Kid was above or at the top of the circles when the puck was below the dots in his zone. Looked to me he had winger responsibilities. Wrong? Anyone have a thought?………. So no Chunk, we don’t know what his resposibilities were on the cough/strip but regardless the attempt and awareness at recovery of the puck was feckless. As he’s been 80% of his time as a Hawk..

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by Mr Ricochet.

[Metalhead]

popsghostly wrote:

43 shots against a JV Wings team is not good especially since we were fielding 6 NHL-ready D men

Hello Pops.
I would make the argument that KK, Crevier, Arty and EDM are not NHL ready defensemen.
They all give reason for future optimism, but they are all still raw, especially at playing defense.

[Dan Maloneys left hook]

BetweenTheDots wrote:

It’s sad to say but it looks like Reichel is just continues to be a floater when he’s on the ice

It’s crazy that he has such good speed and refuses to use it defensively.

Reichel with a Reichel like night against non NHL competition. He should have lit it up all night.

[Mr Ricochet]

Metalhead wrote:

popsghostly wrote:

43 shots against a JV Wings team is not good especially since we were fielding 6 NHL-ready D men

Hello Pops.
I would make the argument that KK, Crevier, Arty and EDM are not NHL ready defensemen.
They all give reason for future optimism, but they are all still raw, especially at playing defense.

I think you’re underestimating Crevier, MH. He checks a lotta boxes, passes the eye test, crazy good reach he uses, his fancies are solid as a Hawk (context is needed for any Hawk and their fancies), a balanced mobile Dman, his head is up often enough to chip in and he has some offensive zone IQ. Keeps shots low, takes half slappers so he can control it, gets pucks thru. …….. He’s gonna skate a lotta minutes IMO, MH.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by Mr Ricochet.

[popsghostly]

Hey Metal, that is true. I was getting ahead of the times here. They are the future but against similar group of prospects, disappointing.

[Metalhead]

Mr Ricochet wrote:

I think you’re underestimating Crevier, MH.

Fair enough. ????

[Dan Maloneys left hook]

I can’t get my quote to take….
Replying to MH’s 1:27 post.
I’m still expecting KK to be one of the two remaining to make the team.

[Mr Ricochet]

Metalhead wrote:

Mr Ricochet wrote:

Grz is a lock to make the roster and eat 20:00 a night for this squad.

Blackhawks defense rostered players:
Murphy
Vlasic
Kaiser
Rinzel
Crevier (lost waivers exemption, he stays up unless the team trades or sends him down and risks losing him for nothing

Out of those 5, only Murphy is a true veteran. Vlasic has 179 NHL games, Kaiser 98, Crevier 56 and Rinzel 9 games.
That would leave (2) roster spots that both get consistent TOI (if you think Crevier is mostly sitting).

There are three good reasons to keep another veteran to stabilize the defense for now.
1) Spencer Knight 2) Connor Bedard 3) Frank Nazar

Is Knight best developed by having him face a shooting gallery and lots of breakaways every game? Low save %, damaged confidence, etc.
Or would it be better to let him get slightly more comfortable with a possibly “weak”, but not “learning on the job” defense in front of him?
Is it really a great idea to have Bedard and Nazar consistently play while down a goal or two?
Or would it be better to have them play more minutes in tied games or learning how to protect/increase a lead?
(don’t get me wrong, if it’s a disaster all 3 will tough it out like they should, I just don’t think it’s the best way for them to develop)

you still can do something like:
Vlasic / Rinzel
Murphy / Kaiser
Gryz / rotating youngster (Crevier, Arty, EDM, etc) or flip Gryz and Kaiser

Still plenty of NHL experience to be had for defensive newbies (which includes Rinzel, Kaiser), while maybe upgrading the NHL game experience for your most important non-defense players.
I’m not 100% convinced Gryz gets kept, but this is my best argument in favor of it.

…………

Really good post, MH. You lay it out as it is and what the options are. Depending on camp/preseason I could see KD deciding EDM, Artie and KK need more seasoning and instead of rotating 1 in at times thru the season he gets another vet Dman for the reasons you post. You don’t want Bedard wasting shifts hemmed in his zone, Knight facing idiotic total shots against or see Nazar go thru that kind of dysfunction, weak structure or semblance of stability. … I do think EDM has a decent chance to break camp with the squad but if not I wouldn’t rule out another vet Dman added.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by Mr Ricochet.

[Mr Ricochet]

Dan Maloneys left hook wrote:

I can’t get my quote to take….
Replying to MH’s 1:27 post.
I’m still expecting KK to be one of the two remaining to make the team.

………………

rpeters, KK just turned 21 in June. Besides that wasted season as a 19/20 yr old in the NHL has 16 more NHL games 56 AHL games. He’s still green and hopefully gets placed properly to develop and right now IMO that’s the AHL…….. But camp and the preseason should flesh this thing out.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by Mr Ricochet.

[LAHawk]

Hello everyone, hope y’all had a wonderful summer.

Thanks Boilermaker for directing to this site. Really enjoying CoachFrenchy’s blogs. Clear, concise with ton’s of info, and in-depth analysis.

As far as the team, the old adage wait until after the first 20 games to see what you have really pertains to this team. New systems (again), new players young team will take awhile for Blashill to sort out the players roles.

[Author]

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