The Chicago Blackhawks were out of game action for almost two weeks due to the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off. While it’s been a nice vacation and reset for the players (sans Teuvo Teravainen who competed for Team Finland), fans are ready to see their team play again. I’m sure the players are also anxious to get back to work.
The Hawks went into the break with some momentum, having earned four out of a possible six points in their last three games (a win over the Nashville Predators plus an overtime loss and a shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers and the St. Louis Blues, respectively). They also tallied 14 cumulative goals in said three contests. Since it’s been some time since the Hawks last hit the ice, let’s get up to speed with some updates headed into the stretch run of the season.
1. Blackhawks Forward Lines Consistent
As mentioned above, the Blackhawks were playing well before the break. Which is why it was no surprise the forward lines remained relatively the same when practices picked up again. Barring any last-minute changes, this is what the lines will look like for the Blackhawks on Saturday (Feb. 22) when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Landon Slaggert – Connor Bedard – Ryan Donato
Phillip Kurashev – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi
Teravainen – Nick Foligno – Ilya Mikheyev
Pat Maroon – Lukas Reichel – Craig Smith
There are a few minor tweaks in the middle-six, with Nazar now being flanked by Kurashev and Bertuzzi, while Foligno has Teravainen and Mikheyev alongside him. But these combinations have been used before. The Foligno line now becomes more of a shutdown line, while Nazar and Bertuzzi have worked well together in the past. The first and fourth lines remain the same.
Jason Dickinson sustained a high ankle sprain from an awkward fall on Feb. 5 while playing the Oilers, and will likely be out for at least a couple more weeks. In the meantime, Kurashev is getting a big opportunity after being on the outside of the lineup, and Nazar and Slaggert are being deployed in the top-six.
The Blackhawks are currently rolling with just 12 forwards, so a call up from the Rockford IceHogs might be in order. Colton Dach would make the most sense, as he played all of January up with the big club. He’s currently dealing with a right hip flexor strain, but is expected back any day.
2. Blackhawks Heavy on Defense
Here are the defensive pairings from practice, which is the expected deployment for the weekend’s contests.
Alec Martinez – Seth Jones
Alex Vlasic – Connor Murphy
T.J. Brodie – Ethan Del Mastro
Extras: Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier
Notable updates are that Del Mastro was recalled from the IceHogs on Monday (Feb. 17) after spending a week with the IceHogs. It appears he’ll get the not on the third defensive pairing against the Blue Jackets. Crevier has been in concussion protocol since getting hit along the boards in the contest versus the Florida Panthers (Feb. 1). But he practiced in full on Wednesday and Friday, and interim coach Anders Sorensen said Crevier was cleared to play. Update: Crevier was hit in the face in practice on Friday and will require stitches.
Interestingly, the Blackhawks are working with eight defensemen right now, while they are short on forwards. We’ll see if there’s a reason for that, or if adjustments are made, in the coming days.
3. Jones & Blackhawks Exploring Trade Options
Big news came out on Wednesday (Feb. 19) that Jones and his agent have been having some talks with general manager Kyle Davidson regarding if they can move his contract. Jones is signed for five more seasons after this one with an annual cap hit of $9.5 million.
Related – Seth Jones & Blackhawks Exploring Trade Possibilities
In the past, this would have been too big of a contract to move. But with the salary cap going up, it’s more feasible now. It’s fair that the 30-year-old blueliner wants to “give himself a chance to win” in his career, and he never signed on for a rebuild. We’ll see if anything comes of this as the Mar. 7 trade deadline approaches.
4. Donato Looks to Continue Hot Streak
Donato is currently riding a four-game point streak, having accumulated four goals and eight points in the four contests before the break. His 37 points surpasses his previous career-high of 31 points, and his 19 goals is three more than his previous career-high of 16. This also currently leads the team. The 28-year-old only needs one more assist to usurp his previous career high in assists (he’s currently at 18). And there’s still 27 more games to go.
Yes, Donato is having a career year, leading him to be a top target for the Blackhawks to trade at the deadline. Whether he plays all 27 games with Chicago is up in the air. But it’s safe to say that wherever he ends up, that team will be very happy with what the scrappy forward brings to the table.
5. Bedard Wants to Avenge Naysayers
Bedard is currently on a three-game points streak that includes a goal and four points. While I’m sure the 19-year-old wants to keep his streak going, the most recent criticism heading into the break was about his play off the puck. National TV outlets were calling out Bedard for not being responsible enough defensively. I guess this is what happens when you’re considered a generational talent; your play is thoroughly dissected.
Related – 4 Nations Face-Off Gives Connor Bedard a Much-Needed Break
Bedard claims he’s not paying much attention to the outside noise, but he has taken on the challenge of matching up against the opponents’ top lines the last handful of games.
“We challenged Connor. He wanted the challenge. He wanted to play against those guys.”
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) February 8, 2025
—Anders Sorensen on Connor Bedard matching up against other teams’ top lines pic.twitter.com/881zSXZLFw
Like Coach Sorensen said, “When you’re the top No. 1 center, you’re gonna play against other team’s No. 1 centers.”
Bedard’s main job is to produce offensively, but part of his “learning curve” is to improve his all-around game. Look to see the youngster working on improving on both sides of the puck for the remainder of the season.
6. More Trade Rumor Updates
While Donato and Jones might be the biggest names on the trade block, there are certainly others that could garner some interest. Some veteran names include defensemen Murphy and Martinez, along with forwards Maroon and Smith. Even goaltender Petr Mrazek has been brought up in trade rumors.
But Murphy has ongoing injury issues that are hard to ignore. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, both Martinez and Maroon would like to stay with the Blackhawks through the end of the season. (from ‘What I’m interested in learning throughout the rest of the Blackhawks season’, The AthleticCHI – 2/18/2025)
The Blackhawks are likely to honor this wish for these veterans. Smith might fetch a decent return, but that remains to be seen. Finally, it’s also not very common to trade goaltenders at the deadline.
7. Will Soderblom Start More Down the Stretch?
Netminder Arvid Soderblom has shown significant improvement since last season, when everyone had pretty much written him off after a rough 2023-24 campaign. But this season he boasts a .906 save percentage in 25 games played. Mrazek, on the other hand, is looking at a .897 save percentage in 31 games played.
While both goalies started out the season strong, Soderblom has emerged lately as the more consistent of the two. His rebound control has greatly improved, and he’s confident and tracking the puck well.
To be fair, Mrazek has dealt with some groin issues this year, which has been an ongoing problem the last handful of seasons. But because of that, combined with Soderblom’s strong play, it will be interesting to see how the last 27 games are split. Will it be even, or might Soderblom actually get more starts down the stretch?
8. Power Play a Positive
The Blackhawks’ power play currently sits at eighth in the league. They’ve converted 32 times out of 130 chances for a 24.6% conversion rate. Bertuzzi leads the team with eight PP goals, and Bedard is right behind him with seven goals. The Hawks have improved throughout the season in this area, having built up chemistry that’s led to strong play and solid puck movement on the man advantage.
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Now, just to earn more power play opportunities! The Hawks’ 130 chances is currently 30th in the league. If the Blackhawks have more possession time, perhaps they can draw more penalties and get more PP opportunities. There’s also the argument that this young, rebuilding team doesn’t get the same respect and calls from the referees as other more established teams. Something to keep an eye on.
9. Penalty Kill Killing It
On the flip side from the power play, the Blackhawks’ penalty kill ranks seventh in the league. They’ve allowed only 29 goals on 161 attempts, which is good for an 82% success rate.
The PK unit will be missing Dickinson for at least the next few weeks; he’s currently the forward with the most ice time on the PK. But newcomers Nazar and Slaggert have been added to the rotation, and they’ve both looked strong in their contributions so far. This will be one more area where they can prove their worth with the team.
10. What Coach Sorensen Is Looking For
Finally, Coach Sorensen spoke at Tuesday’s practice (Feb. 18) about what he’s expecting from the team in these last two months of games.
Anders Sorensen on what he wants to see from the #Blackhawks through the final 27 games of the season pic.twitter.com/CSt78d1UZ9
— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) February 18, 2025
Keep improving offensively, cut down on D-zone time, and create more off the rush. It sounds so simple when it’s said like that. But we all know this is a young team, and when they start to struggle it tends to snowball.
In that vein, I’d say we should be looking for more consistency for the Blackhawks as a team. They play so well in stretches, but can they do it for a full 60 minutes? I’m sure this is something they will be focusing on.
It’s also important to remember that Sorensen is trying to prove he can be the head coach moving forward, without the interim tag. How the Blackhawks perform down the stretch will be important for his future.
Related – Blackhawks’ Prospect Nick Lardis is Dominating the OHL
Sure, we can already say this is yet another lost season. The Blackhawks will likely finish 30th or 31st in the league, but then they’ll have another top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Even so, it’s important the Blackhawks “take strides”, both individually and as a team. This is what we should be looking for as games resume.
The Blackhawks face the Blue Jackets on Feb. 22 and host the Toronto Maple Leafs the very next day on Feb. 23. Nothing like getting right back into the groove! They’ll then hit the road to face the Utah Hockey Club on Feb. 25 and the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 27. March holds a full slate with 15 games, and April will wind down the season with eight contests, culminating against the Ottawa Senators on Apr. 15.
Let’s hope we can see the right kind of progression in these last 27 games that will build momentum for a better 2025-26 campaign.
