Blackhawks

Reichel has skated well and looked more active and assertive in his first four games since returning from the AHL, but he hasn’t yet been able to penetrate the interior of the offensive zone and earn some points.
The bottom of the NHL standings has largely solidified with the Sharks at 40 points, the Hawks at 45 and the Ducks at 52 — gaps none of those teams seems likely to bridge.
The NHL Players Association and the league had agreed in January to extend Perry’s grievance-filing deadline to allow more time for a settlement to be reached.
Kurashev has enjoyed a breakout season on Bedard’s wing, tallying 31 of his career-high 40 points to date with the rookie phenom beside him. He’ll face significantly renewed competition for the first-line role next season, however.
Bedard tied the Hawks’ rookie record with five points in a 7-2 rout Tuesday. Andreas Athanasiou notched two points in his long-awaited return from injury.
The Hawks are targeting Friday against the Kings for Slaggert’s debut, meaning he could accumulate up to 16 games of NHL experience during the stretch run — on top of his now-complete senior season at Notre Dame.
The defensive corps has contributed a mere 12 goals all season, but a recent tactical emphasis on low-to-high puck movement has at least led to the blue-liners getting more active shooting the puck.
Blackwell had his first career hat trick and Bedard (two goals) nearly did the same as the Hawks rallied for a 7-4 win Sunday, continuing their recent success against Arizona.
It didn’t take long to get a deal done after Slaggert’s senior season at Notre Dame ended Saturday. He is expected to join the Hawks for the rest of the NHL season.
The Hawks were burned by messing up line changes twice Saturday against the Capitals. Plus, Tyler Johnson feels relieved to stay past deadline, and prospect Landon Slaggert is now free to sign with the Hawks.
The Hawks fell 4-1 on Saturday in Washington, losing for the 23rd time in their last 24 road games. But their power play, despite an 0-for-4 showing in the box score, produced a plethora of chances — continuing an encouraging recent trend.
Athanasiou still skated Saturday morning, despite not playing against the Capitals, so it seems likely he’ll return this coming week. Plus, more tidbits from general manager Kyle Davidson.
Davidson said his phone calls didn’t have much substance Friday, which proved even quieter than expected for the Hawks. The only news was Boris Katchouk getting claimed off waivers by the Senators.
During the preseason, the 74.5 point total had been whittled by five points, and it was further shaved by savvy bettors who today must be licking their chops.
The Hawks gave up a fifth-round pick to get Beauvillier in November and got a fifth-round pick back for him Thursday.
With their only assets being depth forwards and salary-cap space, the Hawks could benefit from the top trade targets around the league moving early and teams further shrinking their own cap flexibility.
The Hawks scored four power-play goals in a game for the first time since January 2018 and won 5-2 in Arizona on Tuesday, earning their first road victory since Nov. 9 after 22 consecutive losses.
Blackwell has finally found a comfort level with the Hawks and is expecting his first child this summer — two reasons he would prefer to stay in Chicago past the trade deadline Friday.
Caleb Jones, who has landed in Colorado as a depth defenseman, came out on top in his first NHL matchup against Seth Jones as the Avalanche beat the Hawks 5-0 for the second time in a week.
Since returning from injury, Bedard has averaged 1.25 hits and 0.88 blocked shots per game, up from 0.64 hits and 0.33 blocked shots per game previously.
To Ryan Donato, the most encouraging aspect of this horrendous season is that the Hawks’ young players — the players who really matter long-term — are seriously upset about it.
The lowly Jackets — who have won only 18 of 58 games this season against teams other than the Hawks — cruised to a 5-2 victory Saturday, outscoring the Hawks 12-5 across their two meetings this season.
The Hawks should be fairly quiet ahead of the deadline Friday, but Johnson is one of a few guys who might be moved. The former Lightning forward admitted it’s “pretty hard to not completely think about it.”
With 22 games left, the Hawks remain tied with the Sharks for last place in the NHL standings, but coach Luke Richardson and his players are still trying to find areas — like defending plays behind the net — where they can improve.
Connor Bedard punched the boards, Petr Mrazek yelled at Jaycob Megna and everything else went equally poorly for the Hawks in a 5-0 defeat Thursday.
When the puck is in the offensive zone and they have nothing to do, Arvid Soderblom and Petr Mrazek have their own techniques to stay focused and prevent their thoughts from wandering.
The 18-year-old rookie isn’t a “rah-rah” kind of guy and is still learning the ways of the NHL, but he’s comfortable giving teammates advice, particularly in one-on-one settings.
Athanasiou, who hasn’t played since Nov. 9 because of a groin- and hip-related issue, dealt with “many doubts” during his seemingly never-ending recovery period. The Hawks have missed his speed and production, too.
Korchinski has endured a couple of disastrous games this month, exposing some decision-making issues and a tendency to stop moving his feet. But the Hawks — and Korchinski’s defensive partner, Jaycob Megna — still see his sky-high potential.
Two beloved former Hawks — Kane and Alex DeBrincat — led a late comeback for Detroit en route to a 3-2 overtime decision on an emotional day at the United Center.
Stories of Chelios’ equally legendary on-ice accomplishments, off-ice training and away-from-the-rink antics were shared with many generations of Hawks fans during his jersey retirement Sunday.
“Driving back downtown, seeing the skyline and everything like that, it hits home a little bit more,” the legendary Hawks-turned-Red Wings forward said Sunday.