With training camp starting on Sept. 21, the Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2023-24 roster will begin taking shape, and opening night will be here before we know it. Though it has been relatively quiet around the team for the last month, there’s still plenty to discuss as the offseason comes to a close. Let’s recap some of the latest storylines from the previous week.
Bedard & Korchinski Participate in Rookie Showcase
The Blackhawks’ next face of the franchise donned his team’s full gear on Tuesday. Wearing No. 98, Connor Bedard was one of 34 players participating in the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Arlington, Virginia. The event included photo opportunities for Upper Deck trading cards and video shoots for EA Sports, along with on-ice drills and a scrimmage.
Despite his star potential, the 18-year-old stayed humble as usual. He said it’d be a privilege if he got to face Sidney Crosby, his childhood idol, in the Blackhawks’ season opener on Oct. 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, that’s pretty much a given at this point. Following a 143-point season (71 goals, 72 assists) for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats, Bedard should immediately become the team’s No. 1 center. Having participated in last week’s BioSteel Camp with Connor McDavid, this event was the next step toward making his Blackhawks debut.
Though much of the attention was deservedly on Bedard, he wasn’t the Blackhawks’ only prospect present, as defenseman Kevin Korchinski also participated. Unlike Bedard, it’s no guarantee the 2022 seventh-overall pick will make the NHL club. But he’s coming off an impressive campaign with the Seattle Thunderbirds, recording 73 points in 54 regular-season games while also being a key part of their Memorial Cup run. The 19-year-old will likely compete with Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Isaak Phillips for a roster spot.
Kane Could Be Eyeing the Red Wings
Chris Chelios and Marián Hossa are just a few former Blackhawks to have played for the team’s longtime Original Six rivals, and it appears another franchise great could soon join that group. According to the Daily Herald’s John Dietz, Patrick Kane may have interest in signing with the Detroit Red Wings and playing with Alex DeBrincat. Arguably the most impactful player in franchise history, Kane is coming off hip surgery but has said he’s progressing effectively and could return sooner than originally anticipated.
Related: Red Wings Shouldn’t Sign Patrick Kane
Obviously, the Blackhawks-Red Wings rivalry hasn’t been the strongest as of late. It has been years since both teams have been in contention, and they’ve been in separate conferences for the last decade. But there’s little doubt this would be intriguing. Kane would be going to another Original Six team, having ended the 2022-23 season with the New York Rangers. He posted 57 points in 73 combined regular-season games with Chicago and New York before recording six points in the Rangers’ seven-game first-round loss to the New Jersey Devils.
With three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, and so much more, Kane’s resumé speaks for itself. With that said, how he performs post-surgery remains to be seen. Even with Kane, the Red Wings would still face competition in a crowded Atlantic Division as they look to break their seven-year playoff drought. This move would make sense, however, as Kane would be a veteran presence for their young core of Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and others. If Kane joined Detroit and stayed healthy, a potential first game back at the United Center would be Feb. 25, 2024, nearly a full calendar year after departing Chicago.
Guttman Ready for Training Camp
After undergoing shoulder surgery last March, forward Cole Guttman is ready for training camp and preseason, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (from “Cole Guttman ready for Blackhawks training camp after recovering from shoulder surgery,” Chicago Sun-Times, 09/02/23). Guttman began the 2022-23 season with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs before getting his first taste of the NHL in February. He skated in 14 games with Chicago before ending his season early due to re-aggravating a right shoulder injury on Feb. 25 against the San Jose Sharks, which he first suffered last November.
In his first stint with the Blackhawks, Guttman recorded six points (four goals, two assists) while averaging 14:34 minutes per game. He also finished with a faceoff percentage (FO%) of 52.1 percent. Guttman’s first professional campaign came after four seasons with the University of Denver, where he skated in 140 combined games from 2018-22. A sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017, the 24-year-old went unsigned before joining the Blackhawks on a two-year, entry-level contract in Aug. 2022.
As Pope discusses, Guttman will be worth keeping an eye on during camp. He exceeded expectations during his NHL debut last season and could easily slot into Chicago’s forward group on opening night. On the other hand, the Blackhawks haven’t shied away from oversaturating their prospects, as we saw with Lukas Reichel last season, despite getting some NHL action in 2021-22. Guttman may not have the same top-six potential as Bedard, Reichel, Frank Nazar, or Oliver Moore. But he could certainly blossom into a reliable, middle- to bottom-six center once the team is competitive.
John Scott Joining Broadcast Team
From Chris Vosters to Darren Pang, the Blackhawks have added many new faces to their broadcast team over the last few seasons. And it looks like another one is coming. On a recent episode of his podcast, “Dropping the Gloves,” former Blackhawk John Scott said he plans to do studio work for NBC Sports Chicago this season. The now-40-year-old recorded just two assists in 69 regular-season games as a Blackhawk from 2010-12, but he’s best known for being an enforcer and winning MVP of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game thanks to online fan voting.
With Vosters and Pang now the full-time duo in the booth, Scott will likely partner with studio host Pat Boyle for pregame, intermission, and postgame shows, along with Caley Chelios and Scott Darling, among others. He’ll become the latest alumnus from the Blackhawks’ “One Goal” era of the late 2000s and early-to-mid 2010s to do TV work, as Darling, Patrick Sharp, Adam Burish, and Jamal Mayers have all appeared over the years.
Related: Blackhawks Fans Should Temper Expectations for Connor Bedard
The Blackhawks have 13 combined nationally televised games on ESPN/ESPN+ and TNT, meaning NBC Sports Chicago will presumably carry the remaining 69. It’s worth noting they’re entering their final season with the network as their exclusive rightsholder, with their deal set to expire in Oct. 2024, along with the Chicago Bulls and White Sox. The two sides have been partners since 2004, and the network has served as the exclusive home of the team’s local broadcasts since the 2019-20 season.
It has been a long offseason, but there’s much to be excited about as the Blackhawks turn the page to 2023-24. Though it could be another season of growing pains as the rebuild continues, there’s no doubt they have a more exciting on-ice product compared to this time last year. After beginning training camp, the Blackhawks will start preseason action on Sept. 28 against the St. Louis Blues before their regular-season opener on Oct. 10.
