As we head towards the mid-way point of December, the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks have a record of 9-17-1, for 19 points and 31st in the league. They just finished a four-game homestand where they fared very well, and head on a two-game road trip this week before hosting the Vancouver Canucks next Sunday afternoon (Dec. 17). We’re in the midst of pretty much a game every other night as we head into the holiday season. Let’s take a look at the latest news and rumors.
Blackhawks Win 2 Games in a Row
They finally did it! The Blackhawks shut out the Anaheim Ducks 1-0 on Dec. 7 and then beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Dec. 9. to win two games in a row for the first time in this 2023-24 season. Sure, it took until early December and they were the last team in the NHL to get this monkey off their backs. But, hey, it should be celebrated nevertheless. It was a step in the right direction.
The team also took the Nashville Predators to a shootout in the previous contest on Dec. 5, earning a point but eventually falling by a score of 4-3. They came out of these three consecutive games with five out of six available points.
The fact that we have to talk about this as a milestone shows you just how much the Blackhawks have struggled with consistency this season. Sure enough, they laid an egg with a 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in their very next contest on Dec. 10.
Well, rebuilding is like this. The Blackhawks simply need to put it all behind them and work on another streak. Baby steps.
Defensive Shuffling for the Blackhawks
There’s been a lot going on with the Blackhawk’s defensive corps lately, so let’s sort out all the details.
On Dec. 2, the Blackhawks assigned defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. In corresponding moves, Louis Crevier was called up and Jarred Tinordi (oblique) was activated from injured reserve.
It was little surprise Kaiser was sent to Rockford. He’d been struggling of late and needed a bit of a reset. Phillips, who’s been playing well, was a little more unexpected. But the two were put on the top defensive pairing with the IceHogs, leading one to believe they might be linked in a way. The Blackhawks seem to like them playing together.
Related – Blackhawks Hoping to Find Consistency for the Holidays
Poor Tinordi only suited up for three contests before being held out again. This time it was for concussion protocol. The Blackhawks put him on injured reserve once again on Dec. 11, retroactive to Dec. 5.
Meanwhile, 6-foot-8, 228-pound Crevier has been deployed on the third defensive pairing with his former IceHogs D-partner Alex Vlasic (who’s 6-foot-6, by the way). It’s impressive the coaching staff felt comfortable tasking Vlasic, a rookie himself, with easing Crevier in at the NHL level. They’ve been doing a standup job.
Crevier registered his first NHL point in his third game, and it was a primary assist on Vlasic’s first goal of the season. Pretty cool for the two of them. Defensively, they’ve taken care of business, being steady and poised and not making any glaring mistakes.
Blueliner Nikita Zaitsev should be mentioned as well. He was credited with two primary assists against the Blues on Dec. 9, as well as a goal against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 4 to give him three points on the season. The irony here is Zaitsev was considered an extra defenseman from the start of the season. He’s only played in 11 of the Blackhawks’ 27 games so far.
On Dec. 9, 19-year-old blueliner Kevin Korchinski was designated to the non-roster list for a family matter. He’s been out the last two games. Phillips was recalled from Rockford and has actually been deployed on the top defensive pairing with Seth Jones for the last two games.
Related – Blackhawks Latest Roster Moves Hope to Bring Positive Effect
Finally, Filip Roos was called up on Dec. 11. 24-year-old Roos played in 17 games with the Blackhawks last season, but this will be his first time with the Blackhawks in this 2023-24 campaign.
All in all, that’s a lot of moving parts on the blue line. The long and the short of it is that rookies Crevier, Phillips and Roos will all be on the road trip this week.
Dickinson Matches Career High in Goals
Don’t look now but Jason Dickinson is on a bit of a run! He’s scored goals in two of the last four games, and he’s currently up to nine goals on the season. This is tied with his career high, and it’s only December!
The cool thing about all this is that Dickinson isn’t known for his scoring. He’s more of a defensive-minded forward. His role is that of a depth forward, which is why it’s so great to see him stepping up with some scoring as well while the team is struggling in this department.
He’s currently playing center on the third line, & winning faceoffs at a 58% pace over the last four games. There’s just a lot to like about Dickinson’s game right now. Especially since he was acquired from the Canucks for a second round pick where Dickinson was basically a salary dump for them that the Blackhawks were willing to take on.
I would argue this 28-year-old veteran could fetch a nice return at the trade deadline, or maybe be somebody to re-sign next season.
Katchouk Put on Waivers
One final piece of business is that depth forward Boris Katchouk was placed on waivers this past Monday, Dec. 11. Katchouk has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, and he’s only suited up for 17 of the Blackhawks’ 27 games. Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks want Katchouk to play games in Rockford. Joey Anderson & Cole Guttman have moved ahead of him on the depth chart.
Well, obviously this is good news for Anderson & Guttman, who just bring a little bit more to the table. Ryan Donato, MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson are also in the mix. Unfortunately, it was just a numbers game for Katchouk.
TV Analyst Tony Granato Taking Leave of Absence
Some unfortunate news off the ice is that Blackhawks’ analyst Tony Granato will be taking a leave of absence in his first year with NBC Sports Chicago. He announced via social media on Sunday he’s been diagnosed with a form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He will begin treatment this week.
— Tony Granato (@TonyGranato) December 11, 2023
The Granato name is well known in the hockey world; Tony’s brother Don Granato is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and sister Cammi Granato was hired as assistant general manager for the Vancouver Canucks.
Before joining NBC Sports, Tony served as the head coach for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team from 2016-2023. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in 1982, and played with the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. He also was an assistant and head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, as well as head coach for the USA men’s hockey team in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
We wish Tony and his family the best during this difficult time. Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery and return to the air soon.
Related – Blackhawks Bytes: Vlasic, Foligno, Beauvillier, Reichel & More
The Blackhawks head out on the road this week with a couple of 9 p.m. starts against the Oilers and the Kraken before hosting the Canucks at the United Center. Among other things, they’ll look to start another winning streak and determine who’s going to stick on the blue line.
Before you know it, it will be the Christmas season. I hope everyone is getting their shopping done in between games.
Let’s go Blackhawks!
