Welcome to ‘Brooke’s Blackhawks Notebook,’ a recurring series that will discuss all the latest topics surrounding the team in a notebook fashion. This means all grievances will be aired, and all peaks will be celebrated (depending on the day, of course!). If you have strong opinions on all the latest happenings in the Blackhawks’ world, you have come to the right place!
There’s been a dark cloud over the Chicago Blackhawks lately. They’re losing games badly most nights, and there is a lot of anger and despair surrounding the team, making for a whirlwind week. There’s much to unpack, whether it concerns Seth Jones’ performance, line changes, or even the dad’s trip.
Nazar and Bedard Get Chance Together
If there is one thing to look forward to from the Blackhawks, head coach Anders Sorensen’s practice lines showed that Frank Nazar will be on the first line with Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 16.
When Sorensen was asked what he’s seen from Bedard and Nazar that makes them want to keep them together, he replied, “I thought we saw moments last game, right? Some high IQs, some plays that were made, and I thought Frank had one of his better games in terms of his work rate. So, a little reward for him, and they’re like-minded players, so excited to see them together.”
Bedard has been complimentary of Nazar’s game, saying he sees him getting better every game and creating a lot. He’s right. Besides Bedard, he has been the one forward on the team, consistently creating chances, so they deserve to get a longer leash together. Nazar and Bedard have gotten shifts together during games since Nazar was recalled from the Rockford IceHogs on Dec. 13, but have never started on a line together this season. It should be a fun offensive line, and with Bertuzzi added for the extra grit and chemistry with Bedard, it could work.
At this point, the Blackhawks have nothing to lose. The Hawks must let the prospects have a more prominent showcase in a lost season, and it’s extra support for Bedard; win-win.
Jones’ Struggles Can Be Remedied
I can’t do a notebook and not mention Seth Jones. He has been a hot topic since returning from his foot injury that kept him out of the lineup for over a month, and it hasn’t been going well for him since, where the Hawks are purging goals with him on the ice.
It can be uncomfortable to talk about Jones because of his situation, being in the third year of an eight-year contract ($9.5 million AAV), and that carries a lot of discourse.
However, not talking about his play would be disingenuous since he is the team’s top defenseman. What concerns me about Jones’ stretch is that he is missing the basic defensive plays, whether it’s not boxing the opponent out in front on the penalty kill or losing his guy with the puck standing right by him. Hockey players have always relied on confidence, so when things are going wrong, they snowball, which is what I feel is happening.
His game against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 13 seemed like a wake-up call. He had the lowest ice time of his Hawks’ career (16:19 minutes) when he usually averages over 24 minutes, and he also had the ugly turnover heard around the world. He turned the puck over in the neutral zone on a five-minute power play for Chicago, in which Calgary scored, making it a 5-2 lead for the Flames in the second period.
I had tweeted that Jones is better than his recent play, and I believe that. Any NHL defenseman, including him, is better than that turnover and being a minus-4 in a game.
Jones talked about his recent play, saying, “All I can do is try to be better. I know I have to be better.” (from ‘Seth Jones understands Blackhawks’ fans boos: ‘They’re paying for a product they’re not getting’ – The Athletic – 01/14/2025)
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He admirably acknowledged that things need to change. Blackhawks fans know things need to improve, but it boils down to what happens on the ice, and it takes one game to get the ball rolling again. Jones is a big part of the team, so I’m rooting for his success for his and the team’s sake. He has made mistakes but has also had good moments with the Hawks throughout his tenure. He can turn things around.
Dad’s Trip Lifts Blackawks’ Spirits
With all the negativity surrounding the Blackhawks, the one wholesome storyline is that they are currently on their Dad’s Trip. The dads are accompanying their sons to Nashville, and according to what captain Nick Foligno said on Jan. 7, the team was looking forward to this:
“Usually dads tell you how it is. Moms can be worse, but dads usually are the ones to tell you how it is. So I think it will be good timing to have some dads around, and I’m not the only dad on the team. But it’s a special thing that we get to do, and I don’t think anyone should take that for granted to have some family around. I think all the guys are looking forward to that.”
I wanted to share this because leave it to Foligno to make that humorous remark about not being the only dad on the team. Having the dads around during this tough stretch will hopefully lift the team’s spirits. Seeing all their smiles is great to see.
The Blackhawks have had a season to forget, but there are still a lot of storylines to follow. As the league gets closer to the trade deadline on March 7, in which Chicago already made a minor trade involving defenseman Isaak Phillips on Jan. 15, things will surely get interesting.
