When you see a team like the Chicago Blackhawks that has faced a galore of injuries, topped off with the fact that they are the second-worst team in the NHL, it can be hard to twist the narrative into something positive because it seemed like the hits kept on coming.
However, when you look at the roster today, the one silver lining of having multiple players out at a time is that it gives opportunities to other players who may not have had the chance to prove themselves otherwise. The Blackhawks have many of these “underdog” players who are continuing to look to take advantage of their circumstances. Here are the updates on how some of them are doing.
Jaycob Megna
31-year-old defenseman Jaycob Megna has been an interesting story for the Blackhawks, in a good way! He was claimed off of waivers from the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 3, and at the time, Seth Jones was still on injured reserve. The move allowed the Blackhawks to send 22-year-old Louis Crevier back down to the Rockford IceHogs, so it was an insurance move, but one that is fitting nicely.
Before the Blackhawks, Megna had been bounced around the AHL (American Hockey League) and NHL for the past 10 years, with the most NHL games he had played in a season being 48, which came during the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks. That was also his best defensive season, being a plus-6, in which he was paired with reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson as the top d-pairing for a bit. He was traded to Seattle in February 2023 but only played in six games and was a minus-3. This season, he couldn’t crack the Kraken’s lineup and had yet to play an NHL game. Therefore, the Kraken put him on waivers, and the Hawks snagged him.
Since he has been on the Blackhawks, he has done well. His most consistent defense partner has been Alex Vlasic but he has since been a second-pair with Kevin Korchinski due to Jones drawing back into the lineup. He was described as a big [6-foot-6, 220 pounds], physical, defensive defenseman, and he is undoubtedly that. He hasn’t stood out much, which is a compliment. Most nights, you might forget he is there because he is not flashy but quietly does his job. He is a plus-2 in 10 games, with one assist, 15 hits and 20 blocked shots, while averaging over 17 minutes of ice time.
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Something to note about Megna is that he grew up in Illinois, and his situation reminds me of Vlasic, who is also an Illinois native. Vlasic had mentioned that his success as one of the top defensemen on the team can be attributed to being home and having that comfortability on and off the ice. I see the same in Megna. He said he has been able to reconnect with some of his childhood friends and has had that familiarity since being back. On top of it, he is just excited to boost his career, saying, “I’m just fortunate the opportunity was here. I’m getting a chance to live a dream that I didn’t know I’d ever have a chance to do.” Being eager to prove himself again and happy to be home is doing wonders for Megna.
Rem Pitlick
Rem Pitlick is the typical player that general manager Kyle Davidson likes to acquire: fast, hard-nosed, competitive, playmaking forward. It also helps that he was available when the Blackhawks desperately needed a body. The 26-year-old was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 6 after Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, Joey Anderson, and Tyler Johnson were placed on injured reserve. He was with the Montreal Canadiens last season, where he notched 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in 46 games. Pitlick had spent all season with the AHL’s Willkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists) in 32 games before the Chicago trade.
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When he was acquired, head coach Luke Richardson knew him from when he was an assistant coach with the Canadiens, saying Pitlick had “A lot of speed and was a character guy.” Pitlick also wanted Blackhawks fans to know he could make a difference on offense, mentioning he could bring hockey IQ, a disruptive stick, and a 200-foot game to the lineup. With Chicago, he had primarily been on the first line with Philipp Kurashev and Taylor Raddysh. Still, with Nick Foligno returning to the lineup from a fractured finger against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 22, he was moved to the third line with MacKenzie Entwistle and Ryan Donato.
From watching his highlights before he made his Blackhawks’ debut, I noticed there was something enjoyably sneaky about his game, and I see it on the Hawks. He seemingly comes out of nowhere at times, where he jumps in and makes a pass or takes a shot, and you think, “Oh, that was Pitlick?!” He has had plenty of those moments, even some passing plays and a scoring chance I noticed against the Canucks, but he has nothing to show for it yet, with zero points in seven games. His highlight so far is scoring a shootout goal against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 16, which kept the shootout going and helped the Blackhawks win the game 2-1. He has qualities that can be effective, but he has to break through, and hopefully, his time will come soon. Otherwise, I like the addition.
Zach Sanford
On the same day the Blackhawks traded for Pitlick, they also claimed 29-year-old Zach Sanford off of waivers from the Arizona Coyotes. He played in 11 games in the desert this season, totaling two points, and was a plus-3. You could infer from the stats that they would be getting defensively responsible forward, but for the Hawks, they just needed a healthy player, and anything else was a bonus.
I have been impressed with Sanford so far. He has been a fourth-line center alongside Boris Katchouk, Donato, and Reese Johnson. Just like Pitlick, he doesn’t play an elite game, but he does many good things. What stands out to me about him is simple plays, like against the New York Islanders on Jan. 19 where he screened goaltender Ilya Sorokin, allowing Katchouk to tie the game 1-1. Funny enough, he described his play as being “simple”, too, “[I’m a] big body [6-foot-4, 206 pounds], I can skate well, and when I’m chipping pucks in getting in on the forecheck and making plays out of it, that’s when I’m at my best.”
He has made some pretty passes and has had some scoring chances as well. He currently has three points in eight games, and one of his points came on the power play, which helps, too, considering the Blackhawks’ power play needs something, being the worst in the league at 12%. Sanford isn’t the fastest guy, but he has made an efficient, complementary player on the fourth line. On joining the team, he said, “For me, it’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s a great organization to come into, a great city, and a great opportunity, so I’m just trying to make the most of it, have fun, and try to help the team win.”
Chicago is Sanford’s sixth team he has been on since 2020, so there is undoubtedly a fire there to show more. Him playing with Katchouk has helped a lot, too. For two players who are eager to prove themselves to the team, I believe this has helped them push each other to be better, which is the perfect segue to the final player:
Boris Katchouk
I can’t say enough about Boris Katchouk right now. When he was part of the Brandon Hagel trade package that also included Taylor Raddysh going to Chicago, I thought Raddysh was going to be the main standout, but from the end of last season, it seems like Katchouk just found another side to his game. As someone who was healthy scratch for a lot of last season, he started turning up the heat in March and finished the season with 10 points in his last 18 games.
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This season Katchouk found himself rotating with R. Johnson for a fourth line spot to start, and found himself on the outside looking in again. The Blackhawks ultimately put him on waivers and sent him to Rockford on Dec. 12, so he could get more consistent playing time. Coach Richardson said at that point that Cole Guttman and Joey Anderson had surpassed him on the depth chart. But he was recalled back to Chicago when Raddysh was placed on injured reserve with a groin strain on Dec. 30, and has has not looked back since.
Katchouk was someone I didn’t think had much more to his game other than being a fourth-line grinder, which is a role he did well with. Now, he has added more of an offensive flair to his game on top of the physicality which has been fun to watch every night. He is truly playing like a man on a mission, like he never wants to be sent back to Rockford or healthy scratched again, and he is a making a good argument for neither scenario to happen. He has three points in his last five games, nine points in 28 games in total this season, and he has just been effective everywhere. He is good on the penalty kill, winning battles, and scoring goals, while averaging 12:34 minutes of ice time, which is the most of his career.
The Hawks have had scoring issues all season, especially now with Connor Bedard on injured reserve. But Katchouk is someone you can be confident can score, which is a surreal thing to say, but that is what makes hockey so entertaining: seeing these unlikely heroes step up. Coach Richardson mentioned the “maturity” in his game, while elaborating, “He’s playing more physical, and that’s exactly what we asked him to do when he was sent down( to Rockford). He wasn’t down there that long, but he made the most out of it and brought the attitude right back.” For reference, Katchouk has 30 hits.
The 25-year-old has really been a model example on the ice for playing with heart and making the most out of every opportunity. His emergence and his confidence has been a pleasurable storyline to follow in a tough season.
These players are on expiring contracts, making their stories more compelling. They’re all battling for jobs, whether it’s in Chicago or elsewhere. The other thing to watch now is the fact that T. Johnson could return to the lineup during their final three games of the road trip before the All-Star break, which means Pitlick or Sanford could end up being on the outside looking in or sent down to the IceHogs, especially whenever Bedard returns. But for now, the stage is theirs, and everyone will look to continue building off their newfound confidence.