NEWSLETTER
The season is just about to change from Summer to Fall. Kids are going back to school, temperatures are starting to drop and the hoodies in the back of my closet are coming to the front of the closet now. Only a matter of time before the leaves change and we are full-on into hockey season. We’re approaching just one full month until the Chicago Blackhawks are playing meaningful hockey with the start of the regular season on October 13th, just 35 days away.
• I’m excited, are you excited?
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| 35 days until |
| Blackhawks Hockey |
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|_ |_— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 8, 2021
• I know it’s off-center, so what?
• We usually do our Monday Mailbag on, well, Monday. But because of the Labor Day weekend, we moved it to Tuesday and if you were paying attention, the Monday Mailbag (on a Tuesday) edition wasn’t posted. I felt that it wasn’t right to post a “Mailbag” when I only received one question. But I’m not holding it against anyone, it was a holiday weekend and one of the last of the true summer. So getting just the one question, I’ll answer it here.
• From Eric A. in my email inbox, they ask, “After the Prospect Pyramid, I’m even more confused about Kirby Dach. You had him listed as a franchise player, but every expectation I hear about him is that he isn’t special enough. Is there something I’m missing? It feels like the Hawks missed out on getting a player like (Trevor) Zegras or (Bowen) Byram or (Cole) Caufield.”
• What I’ll say about the players drafted after Dach is that after the top two picks that year (Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko) you could have rolled the dice on as many as eight or nine players for the third-overall pick and the Blackhawks likely wouldn’t have gone wrong. Dach is third in the draft class in games played in the NHL behind Hughes and Kakko, so it’s clear that he belongs at the top. I put him in the “Special/Franchise Player” category because I see him as a player the Blackhawks are going to build the future around. He won’t be the only player they build around, with Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones likely part of the next cornerstones of the club as well. I think he has the ability to be like Ryan Getzlaf in his career. A bigger player who can see the ice well, play heavy minutes, and put up around 20 goals and 60-70 points a year. If he’s that, the Blackhawks for sure got it right.
• Speaking of getting it right, the Blackhawks made the right decision to extend Connor Murphy. Not only is he a reliable defenseman and one of the best the Blackhawks have in the organization, but he is also a great player at reaching out to the Chicago community.
Big thanks to Connor Murphy and the @NHLBlackhawks for bringing @jerseymikes subs Tuesday to Rush University Medical Center's always-busy Emergency Department staff. pic.twitter.com/KGuCTO6JAc
— Rush University System for Health (@RushMedical) September 7, 2021
• Speaking of Blackhawks defensemen, a Happy 31st Birthday to former Chicago blue-liner Michal Kempny!
Happy 31st Birthday to former #Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempný! pic.twitter.com/G3ztZpidck
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 8, 2021
• Kempny, Jan Rutta, and Trevor Daley. The holy trinity of former Blackhawks that went on to win at least one Stanley Cup following being under utilized in Chicago. Good for them.
• In prospect news, the Canadian Hockey League is offering a streaming package this season that will include all three of the Canadian Junior leagues (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) in one offer.
CHL is offering streaming of all three leagues at a reasonable price this season. https://t.co/035mbIwHNu
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) September 8, 2021
• So if you want to see Blackhawks prospects like Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga, OHL) Louis Crevier (Quebec, QMJHL), Colton Dach (Saskatoon, WHL), Jalen Luypen (Edmonton, WHL), and Nolan Allan (Prince Albert, WHL), this is the streaming deal for you! Also you could see players like Shane Wright and Connor Bedard, the projected top picks in the next few NHL Draft classes.
• Staying with Canadian news, Winnipeg Jets Captain Blake Wheeler showed a random stranger some kindness while at the store this week…
https://twitter.com/FansoftheJets/status/1435285097096220674?s=20
• Wheeler is the kind of player I would love to have on the Blackhawks. Great player and person, on and off the ice.
• The Seattle Kraken join the growing list of professional teams in North America and in the NHL that will require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to attend games at the new Climate Pledge Arena this season.
The #SeaKraken & @ClimateArena will require all guests, ages 12+, attending Kraken games, concerts & events at Climate Pledge Arena to provide proof of vaccination to keep fans, staff, players & artists safe.
More info → https://t.co/f2EmV5cXd0 pic.twitter.com/wJY9ElJ0DQ
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 7, 2021
• Good.
• Ah, man. This is no good … not on game week.
Eddie Goldman’s Health Might Be Why the Bears Signed Two Defensive Linemen This Morninghttps://t.co/FIRRt0KmUW
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 8, 2021
