The Chicago Blackhawks knew this was going to be a tough season, basically their second campaign of a full-on rebuild. But they had no idea it was going to be this bad. Injuries have absolutely derailed any sort of plan for the squad at this point. The losses of cornerstone player Connor Bedard and de-facto captain Nick Foligno are the latest additions to the injury list.
The Blackhawks currently have nine players on injured reserve, giving them more salary on their IR list than on their active roster. Needless to say, the team is icing quite the ragtag group. But the show must go on. It’s a next-man-up mentality, and there are some players who are getting opportunities they never might have had otherwise. Let’s talk about who’s left, and what they’re doing to make the most out of a difficult situation.
Katchouk Carries the Day
The game that broke the camel’s back was when the Blackhawks faced off against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 5. In the first period, Bedard took a big hit from Devils’ defenseman Brendan Smith that knocked him down hard. He left the ice holding his face and did not return. He was later put on injured reserve with a fractured jaw.
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Foligno, in an effort to stand up for his downed teammate, instigated a fight with Smith in the second period. While this was commendable according to the player’s code, it resulted in Foligno sustaining a fractured finger. Such is the recent luck for the Blackhawks, and how they got into this difficult situation.
#Blackhawks injury list:
• Joey Anderson (shoulder)
• Andreas Athanasiou (groin)
• Anthony Beauvillier (wrist)
• Connor Bedard (jaw)
• Nick Foligno (finger)
• Tyler Johnson (foot)
• Seth Jones (shoulder)
• Taylor Hall (knee)
• Taylor Raddysh (groin)• Corey Perry (cut)
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 6, 2024
Enter Boris Katchouk. This depth forward was put on waivers on Dec. 12, and consequently sent down to the Rockford IceHogs. Wouldn’t you know it, the Blackhawks’ injury situation resulted in Katchouk being recalled to the Blackhawks on Dec. 30. To add insult to injury, he was a healthy scratch the next game. But he’s drawn into the lineup for the last four contests, and came up big with this play against the Devils.
Boris Katchouk scores a shorthanded goal and then holds his ear up to the New Jersey crowd.
This game is wild 😂 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Y04MshkkUC
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 6, 2024
Yep, that’s a shorthanded goal to put the Blackhawks up 2-1, even after the losses of Bedard and Foligno. Those are some nifty moves by an guy that just came back from the AHL. Katchouk is so worked up he holds his hand to his ear to taunt the crowd. He took his opportunity and made something happen.
Blackwell Builds on Adversity
Is anyone knows what it’s like to be injured, it’s Colin Blackwell. The Massachusetts native dealt with concussion issues during his sophomore year while playing hockey for Harvard University. He couldn’t play for two years, and was even forced to withdraw from college while he dealt with his situation. He thought he might never play hockey again.
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But he recovered, and embarked on a successful NHL career. In July of 2022 Blackwell signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks. But he was sidelined once again in Feb. 2023, this time missing 11 months because of sports hernia surgery. After a longer than expected recuperation with many ups and downs, Blackwell was finally able to re-join the Blackhawks’ lineup in late December of 2023.
Which is exactly why his two goals and one assist against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 7 was so special. Blackwell, usually a third or fourth line grinder, played on the Blackhawks “top line” due to all the injuries. Boy did he make the most of it, with a 5-on-5 goal, a power play goal and a primary assist. Here’s his 5-on-5 goal, which was also the first goal of the night.
BLACKWELL GETS US STARTED pic.twitter.com/Xpmxndv1uE
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 7, 2024
When interviewed after the game, Blackwell attributed his hair-on-fire style of play to the adversity he’s suffered. “I don’t take the game for granted. When you miss a lot of time, you’ve got a little extra pep in your step. A lot of people don’t necessarily think very highly of me and I keep the receipts and it pisses me off a little bit.”
Now I don’t know who doesn’t like Blackwell, but at least he’s channeling his anger the right way, by playing with a big chip on his shoulder. He’s been a bundle of heart and energy since he’s been in the lineup, and the other players feed off that.
Sanford Sees Another Chance
Forward Zach Sanford has played with six different teams in his seven-year NHL career. Make that seven teams, as the Blackhawks picked him up off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 6. Sanford’s been back and forth between the AHL and the NHL, and it’s been hard for him to find a regular spot in any lineup.
But the Blackhawks needed warm bodies, and they took a flyer on the 6-foot-4, 206-pound winger. Sanford showed up for one practice (an optional one at that), taking no reps with his new team before being thrust into the lineup.
No problem! Sanford registered a primary assist on a power play goal by Blackwell in his first game with his new team. Yes, he was playing on the power play. This is the dire straits the Blackhawks are in. Said Sanford after the game,
Zach Sanford, who had a point in his Blackhawks debut:
“[If] you ask anyone around the league, they’re never really seen anything like what’s been going on with the Hawks here. But for me, it’s exciting. It’s a…great opportunity, so I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 7, 2024
Regardless of the Blackhawks’ long-term intentions with Sanford, he’s trying to prove himself with his new team. Who knows, perhaps it will lead to something.
Defense Stepping up on Offense
The Blackhawks’ defensive group isn’t nearly as depleted as their offensive group, but they are currently without top defenseman Seth Jones. In his absence, there has been a committee approach among the defensemen, with each taking on a little more to cover the loss.
22-year-old Alex Vlasic is handling way more responsibility than he might otherwise, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time and quarterbacking the Blackhawks’ second power play unit. 19-year-old Kevin Korchinski is third on the team in ice time (behind Jones and Vlasic), averaging 19:56 minutes, and quarterbacking the top power play unit.
Defenseman Alex Vlasic has been a bright spot this season for the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
And let’s not forget about those veterans. Connor Murphy, Nikita Zaitsev and Jarred Tinordi are all being tasked with doing a little extra and leading the way. 31-year-old Jaycob Megna was picked up off waivers from the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 3. He’s only been with the team for three contests, but is averaging a healthy15:45 minutes of ice time nonetheless. He was credited with an assist in his first game with the team, against the New York Rangers.
The offensive contributions were especially noticeable in the last contest against the Flames, a surprising 4-3 victory for the Blackhawks. Zaitsev was credited with a goal and an assist, Tinordi with two assists, Vlasic with an assist and Murphy with an assist (the 100th of his career, by the way). With the forward group depleted, the defensemen have been doing their part.
Richardson Rallies the Troops
Head coach Luke Richardson is proving once again that he’s the right man for this job of navigating the Blackhawks through these rough waters. When asked recently how he’s handling the plethora of injuries, he responded, “Exercise and wine. I’m not lying…”.
He might not be lying, but he has a way of adding levity to difficult situations that is good for this young team. It’s important that they maintain a healthy attitude and not get too down on themselves. Regarding the situation at hand, Richardson put a good spin on how the depleted Blackhawks can respond moving forward.
Richardson: “We’ve got to be the underdog and play that card like we did a bit at the end of last year… Other teams might take us a little lightly, but the way we started the first shift of the game is indicative of how we’re going to have to play against these teams — catch…
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 7, 2024
Let’s face it folks, this is not an easy position the Blackhawks are in. There’s a fine line between players being in over their heads and players being put in difficult situations where they learn to adjust accordingly. Richardson seems like he’s got a good handle on making this the latter of those two options.
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It’s not over, Blackhawks fans. All these injuries aren’t going away all at once. While it’s very unfortunate, the players that are left will need to continue to step up. While they do, they’ll be building character and resiliency that will benefit them, and the team, moving forward.