Dietz: A Q&A with concerned Blackhawks fans
After a scintillating start, things have suddenly gone from bad to worse to downright depressing for the Blackhawks.
Injuries are obviously a fact of life for any team, but the Hawks have now lost captain Nick Foligno (broken hand), and forwards Connor Bedard (shoulder) and Frank Nazar (jaw) over the last five weeks.
Nazar, the 21-year-old who had stepped into Bedard’s role as the No. 1 center, took a puck to the face early in the Hawks’ 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Saturday. He will miss approximately four weeks, according to head coach Jeff Blashill.
I did learn Sunday that Nazar did not lose any teeth, he will be able to eat soft foods and could begin skating in a week.
The Hawks are already in a free fall — having lost 12 of 15 — but with Bedard’s timeline still up in the air, it’s anyone’s guess how low they can go.
“Our depth is getting tested,” Blashill told reporters in Ottawa. “So guys in those roles have to ultimately play at a higher level. As you play more minutes and more important roles you have to play that much better. And it’s a challenge. … As a group we’ve got to get more out of more guys.”
With that out of the way, let’s address a few questions from fans in a recent online mailbag:
Q: What happened to the team? They played so good the first month and have gone in a tailspin lately. — Corrado Infantino, Harwood Heights
A: Here’s the thing about the hot start: While the Hawks did go 10-5-4 through mid-November, the underlying analytics were awfully concerning.
I’m not a huge advanced metrics guy, but one stat that tends to show how a team will do over the long run is known as High Danger Chances for your team vs. High Danger Chances allowed. During that 19-game run the Hawks were generating only 9.4 High Danger chances per game while yielding 12.9. That percentage of 42.2 was the third-worst in the NHL. So how were the Hawks winning? Simple: Goaltender Spencer Knight (.924 save percentage, 2.42 goals-against average) was standing on his head. The Hawks only gave up 13 high-danger goals over that stretch while scoring 25.
Nothing has changed in these last 15 games, where the Hawks’ High Danger chances are at a league-worst 41.1%. The difference is they’ve given up 22 high-danger goals. Knight has also looked human, with his save percentage dipping to .899 and GAA rising to 2.73.
Bottom line: The Hawks won’t turn into consistent winners until D-men and forwards in front of the goaltenders tighten things up.
Q: Why aren’t the Hawks giving goaltender Laurent Brossoit a chance to showcase himself in the NHL? It’s not like Arvid Soderblom’s playing at a level where he’s demanding the starts. — Rick Marrs, Hawthorne Woods
A: My thoughts exactly!
For a little background, the Hawks acquired Brossoit via free agency in July 2024 by giving him a two-year, $6.6 million contract. The 32-year-old veteran underwent meniscus surgery in August 2024 and has never suited up for the Hawks. He is currently playing for Rockford in the AHL.
So why not bring him up, especially considering Soderblom’s save percentage of .873 and goals-against average of 4.04 rank 55th and 61st, respectively, among 61 qualified goalies?
It’s a great question, and one only GM Kyle Davidson can answer. One theory is that the Hawks are trying to trade Brossoit, who cleared waivers on December 16. Since he was not claimed, a team can now trade for Brossoit and assign him to their AHL affiliate.
We’ll see how it plays out, but if I’m the Hawks I would certainly give Brossoit a few games in the coming weeks to hopefully help his trade value. And who knows? Maybe he proves worthy of another short-term contract to become Spencer Knight’s backup.
Q: What is the timeline for re-integrating Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski into the Hawks’ defensive corps? — Rowen Bell, Woodbury, Minnesota
A: Rinzel and Korchinski were drafted in the first round in 2022, so expectations for both are obviously very high. The 6-foot-4 Rinzel began this season with the Hawks, playing 28 games, while Korchinski basically struggled in 92 games during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns. He spent most of last season and all of this one in Rockford.
Unless there’s an injury, both may be with the IceHogs until at least the NHL trade deadline of March 7. If that’s the plan, it’s a good one as it normally takes a long time for defensemen to develop into full-time NHLers.
Gustav Forsling is an excellent example. The Hawks let Forsling get away in 2019 when he was only 23 years old. Now, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup winner playing on an 8-year, $46 million contract for the Florida Panthers.
This is a lesson the Hawks do not want to learn again, so have patience while this duo continues to develop in the minors.
John Dietz, a sports writer at the Daily Herald from 1998-2024, covered the Blackhawks from 2014-24. You can reach him at jdietz6917@hotmail.com.