Chicago Sports

The Blackhawks have the 5th most salary cap room in the NHL, what could they do with it?

With Blackhawks training camp and pre-season kicking off recently Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson met with the media to discuss some topics. One of them was salary cap room. The Blackhawks currently sit in an intriguing position. They are 5th best in terms of most salary cap room in the NHL and are looking to take advantage of the space they have by taking on some bad contracts through trade to pick up some draft capital for the 2023 NHL draft. Here are a few candidates the Blackhawks could trade for.

1.Alex Killorn- $4.45 million AAV

The Blackhawks could look to a familiar trade partner in the Tampa Bay Lightning to pick up a bad contract. The Blackhawks and Bolts recently completed a trade in July of 2021 that saw center Tyler Johnson being sent to Chicago. The Lightning are currently $7 million over the cap so Killorn being in the last year of a 7-year $31 million dollar contract makes him the perfect candidate for the Blackhawks. Alex Killorn would bring a strong veteran presence to the team and add yet another player to the Hawks roster who has Stanley cup experience and knows what it takes to win.

2.Craig Smith- $3.10 million AAV

The Hawks and their fans are definitely familiar with Craig Smith. Smith spent 9 seasons in the central division with the Nashville Predators. Smith is now a member of the Boston Bruins. Craig Smith is coming off an okay year with Boston. He was able to find the back of the net 16 times and add 20 apples. Smith also had a +/- of 2. Smith is currently in the final year of a 3-year $9.3 million dollar deal and the Bruins are $2 million over the cap which makes him the perfect target for the Blackhawks to acquire via trade.

3. Milan Lucic- $6 million AAV

I know trading for a 34 year old forward who doesn’t have the highest offensive upside is not the sexiest of ideas but that is the point of trading for “bad contracts.” You acquire a contract attached to a player who is probably overpaid in comparison to his output in exchange for draft capital, something the Chicago Blackhawks really want based off their moves throughout the offseason. Lucic is a guy who has seen it all in the NHL and has won it all once before. He is very physical and would provide by way of an enforcer position for the Hawks.

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Bears kicker Cairo Santos is back at Halas Hall on Monday after missing Sunday’s game and two practices last week with a personal issue, head coach Matt Eberflus said.

The Bears signed Michael Badgley on Saturday to take his place, and on Sunday he made all three field goal tries. Eberflus credited Badgley for his performance, but said Santos’ personal issue had been handled.

“His personal matter is all set and I’ll let him talk about that– but everything looks good in that regard, which is outstanding,” Eberflus said. “And Badgley, what a great job by him coming in, filling in in a short notice. … He he did an awesome job for our football team.”

Another Bears veteran got worse news Monday. Eberflus said Cody Whitehair will miss significant time with a right knee injury after leaving Sunday’s game. He expects Whitehair to return at some point this season, though he was non-committal when asked whether he was an injured reserve candidate. IR trips require players to miss at least four games.

“The guy started 99 games and has missed two during that career, so you talk about tough,” he said. “And a guy that really shows Chicago Bear toughness. That’s Cody Whitehair. We’re going to miss him for a little bit of time.”

With Whitehair out, the Bears will continue to play the lineup with which they finished the 20-12 loss to the Giants. Lucas Patrick will play left guard, while Teven Jenkins will stay at right guard. The two had been rotating at right guard entering Sunday’s game.

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Justin Fields faced a lot of pressure in the Week 5 loss to the New York Giants

Sunday’s matchup against the New York Giants was a tough one for the Chicago Bears offensive line as they had a difficult time protecting quarterback Justin Fields.

It’s no secret that Wink Martindale doesn’t shy away from calling blitzes and the Bears saw that a good amount in Sunday’s game. But they also allowed pressure without a blitz.

Per Pro Football Focus and Lorin Cox, Justin Fields was under pressure on 51.4% of his drop backs against the Giants. But when he was kept clean in the pocket, Fields was really good as he completed 10 of 14 attempts for 168 yards:

The biggest culprit in this might be center Sam Mustipher. Of the 14 pressures the Bears allowed in the game, Mustipher was responsible for 7 of those pressures. YES, SEVEN. That’s half of the pressures allowed.

Look, Fields hasn’t played well this season and there is a lot of blame to go around for the woes of the offense. But until they can solidify a good starting offensive line, we are going to continue to see struggles from the offense and more from Fields as well.

This might become a throwaway year in a hurry for the Bears and building towards the future should include investing more in the offensive line.

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The Bears are off to a 2-2 start to begin the season, but is there something a little more important than their record?

The Bears have established a dominant run game to this point in the season. It has not just come against poor defenses, either, as they put up 180 yards on the ground against a solid defense in the Green Bay Packers.

Their run game has been solid, but are they beginning to rely on it a little too much? The Bears are currently running the ball more than double the amount that they are passing the ball. On the season they are averaging 34 rushing attempts a game, compared to just 16.75 pass attempts per game.

Typically a dominant rushing game is something to rely on, but is there a certain reason they should look to throw the ball more?

That potential reason is the fact that they have a 23-year old sophomore quarterback in Justin Fields.

Justin Fields really needs to develop as a passer in the NFL and the current direction of the Bears is not helping him much is that aspect of his game. We already know that Fields is a solid rusher, but it is important to develop his passing game, especially considering the Bears are most likely going to search hard for wide receivers in the free agent market. He has proven that he can sling it, and his arm strength was on display for this beauty of a throw to Mooney down the field.

The Bears are not in a position to compete this year, so it may be best for the Bears to worry more about the development of their young guys.

Bears fans are eager to see improvement from Justin Fields as they do not want a repeat of the Trubisky era. It is not to say Eberflus is doing a poor job, as his job is to do what helps the team to succeed. But, maybe a push from the front office to develop their young arm is something that should be done once it is clear the Bears don’t have a chance to compete with such a young and inexperienced roster.

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A 3-year-old boy shot while riding in a car with his mother was among six people killed by gunfire over the weekend in Chicago, and a 7-year-old boy was among 34 other people wounded.

Mateo Zastro was shot while riding in a car with his mother in the West Lawn neighborhood. The boy was riding with his mother and three other children about 8:40 p.m. Friday in the 4400 block of West Marquette Road when someone in the rear seat of a red sedan opened fire, striking the boy in the head, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead hours later.A Chicago police officer shot and killed a man in the Old Town neighborhood Sunday morning, officials said. About 5:05 a.m., the man, believed to be in his 20s, was fatally shot by an officer in the 400 block of West Blackhawk Street, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters Sunday morning. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died from his gunshot wounds, Chicago Fire Department officials said.Casey Rodriguez, 30, was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 11:40 a.m. Saturday inside a home in the 2000 block of South Michigan Avenue, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Details of the shooting were not available.About an hour and a half later, a 30-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Roseland on the Far South Side. He was shot in the head about 1:20 p.m. in the 300 block of West 110th Street, police said. A 21-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds later Saturday in the same block. He was found about 9:05 p.m. by responding officers and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.A man was fatally shot early Sunday after an argument on the Near North Side. About 5:20 a.m., the man, 38, was found on a sidewalk in the 300 block of West Division Street where he had been shot multiple times by someone he was arguing with, police said. He was taken to Northwestern, where he died, police said.A 7-year-old boy was shot Sunday morning as he and family members were on their way to church, police said. One of the relatives noticed someone inside their parked car in the 10800 block of South State Street, police said. As the relative confronted the person, the man brandished a weapon and opened fire, striking the boy in the leg. He was taken to Roseland Hospital then transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, officials said.Two teens were wounded by gunfire Saturday night in Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side. A boy, 14, and a 19-year-old man were standing in the 7200 block of South Dobson Street about 6:20 p.m. when someone pulled up next to them in a car and an occupant started shooting, police said.Another 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. He was walking about noon in the 800 block of West 87th Place when someone approached him and fired a gun, police said. The boy was struck in the shoulder and leg.Early Saturday on the South Side, a man was shot during an attempted robbery in the Kenwood neighborhood. About 12:45 a.m., the man, 29, was walking in the 1400 block of East 47th Street when he was shot as two suspects were trying to rob him, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.A man was shot during a carjacking early Monday on the Near West Side, according to police. The man, 46, was sitting inside his vehicle about 1 a.m. in the 300 block of North Western Avenue when someone in a dark sedan pulled up in front of his car and three gunmen exited. They opened fire on the 46-year-old after the man refused to surrender his vehicle, striking him in the groin and right thigh. The man was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital. The gunmen fled in the man’s vehicle and the dark sedan.

At least 28 other people were wounded by gunfire between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday across Chicago.

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Chicago Blackhawks Forward, Boris Katchouk, is set to miss the beginning of the season and it’s no thanks to an ankle sprain.

The Blackhawks organization, Sunday, announced that forward Boris Katchouk will be out approximately 4-6 weeks with a left ankle sprain.

Katchouk left Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings late in the third period and appeared to be in some discomfort. He went straight to the locker room and did not return.

He was acquired in a multiplayer trade with Tampa Bay last March.

The team also said veteran forward Jujhar Khaira is day-to-day with a right ankle injury.

Khaira, 27, is coming off a season that was cut short  in February due back surgery. He had three goals in 27 games in his first season with the hawks, after agreeing to a two-year contract last offseason that carries a $975,000 salary-cap hit.

The Blackhawks open the season on Oct. 12 in Colorado, against the defending champions, Avalanche.

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A 3-year-old boy shot while riding in a car with his mother was among six people killed by gunfire over the weekend in Chicago, and a 7-year-old boy was among 28 other people wounded.

Mateo Zastro was shot while riding in a car with his mother in the West Lawn neighborhood. The boy was riding with his mother and three other children about 8:40 p.m. Friday in the 4400 block of West Marquette Road when someone in the rear seat of a red sedan opened fire, striking the boy in the head, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead hours later.A Chicago police officer shot and killed a man in the Old Town neighborhood Sunday morning, officials said. About 5:05 a.m., the man, believed to be in his 20s, was fatally shot by an officer in the 400 block of West Blackhawk Street, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters Sunday morning. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died from his gunshot wounds, Chicago Fire Department officials said.Casey Rodriguez, 30, was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 11:40 a.m. Saturday inside a home in the 2000 block of South Michigan Avenue, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Details of the shooting were not available.About an hour and a half later, a 30-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Roseland on the Far South Side. He was shot in the head about 1:20 p.m. in the 300 block of West 110th Street, police said. A 21-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds later Saturday in the same block. He was found about 9:05 p.m. by responding officers and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.A man was fatally shot early Sunday after an argument on the Near North Side. About 5:20 a.m., the man, 38, was found on a sidewalk in the 300 block of West Division Street where he had been shot multiple times by someone he was arguing with, police said. He was taken to Northwestern, where he died, police said.A 7-year-old boy was shot Sunday morning as he and family members were on their way to church, police said. One of the relatives noticed someone inside their parked car in the 10800 block of South State Street, police said. As the relative confronted the person, the man brandished a weapon and opened fire, striking the boy in the leg. He was taken to Roseland Hospital then transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, officials said.Two teens were wounded by gunfire Saturday night in Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side. A boy, 14, and a 19-year-old man were standing in the 7200 block of South Dobson Street about 6:20 p.m. when someone pulled up next to them in a car and an occupant started shooting, police said.Another 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. He was walking about noon in the 800 block of West 87th Place when someone approached him and fired a gun, police said. The boy was struck in the shoulder and leg.Early Saturday on the South Side, a man was shot during an attempted robbery in the Kenwood neighborhood. About 12:45 a.m., the man, 29, was walking in the 1400 block of East 47th Street when he was shot as two suspects were trying to rob him, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.A man was shot during a carjacking early Monday on the Near West Side, according to police. The man, 46, was sitting inside his vehicle about 1 a.m. in the 300 block of North Western Avenue when someone in a dark sedan pulled up in front of his car and three gunmen exited. They opened fire on the 46-year-old after the man refused to surrender his vehicle, striking him in the groin and right thigh. The man was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital. The gunmen fled in the man’s vehicle and the dark sedan.

At least 22 other people were wounded by gunfire between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday across Chicago.

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MILWAUKEE — Last season did not go well for Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson.

He went from the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning to the dysfunctional Hawks. His long-lingering back injury blew up, requiring him to follow in Jack Eichel’s footsteps and have artificial disc-replacement surgery. Even after returning from that, he missed more time with a concussion and never found his scoring rhythm.

So the best part about this season for Johnson might be that it’s not last season. Just listen to how he describes it.

”Last year was a whirlwind with everything going on, and then getting hurt and then coming back and having the season we were having,” he said recently. ”Last year was honestly, right from the get-go, kind of a messed up year.

”Everyone that was there last year that’s here now . . . [is] just refreshed. There are a lot more smiles, and guys are a lot happier than even what they were at the start of last year. It’s a whole different dynamic right now, and it’s really good.”

But the passage of time isn’t the only reason Johnson feels more optimistic about 2022-23. He also finally had the kind of summer — relaxing and rejuvenating — that he needed to enter training camp at his best.

”I’ll be able to be a lot better than I was,” Johnson said. ”A lot of that has to do with feeling healthy, having a [full] summer [and] mentally and physically resetting.”

He got to begin his offseason in April, like normal, rather than in October, like in 2020 (after the Lightning’s COVID-19 bubble title), or in July, like in 2021 (after the Lightning’s delayed title).

He experienced no complications with his artificial disc and woke up every morning feeling pain-free. He went fishing in Mexico and spent time back home in Washington state.

And he adopted Hawks strength-and-conditioning coach Paul Goodman’s famous workout schedule and exercises. With the Lightning, summer training revolved primarily around one thing: ”How much you can lift?” Johnson quickly realized this was a bit different.

”That was a lot of cardio, a lot of movement-based stuff, a lot of different stuff that I haven’t really done before,” he said. ”Now I feel like I’m a little more connected to my body. And I didn’t have to worry about my neck or my shoulders at all, so I didn’t have anything that I had to watch or be careful with. It was nice to just push myself.”

Now the most pressing question is how similar Johnson, at 100% mental and physical health, can be to the player he used to be. Can he be close to the version of himself that scored 45 or more points in three consecutive seasons (2016-17 to 2018-19)?

Playing time will be readily available on this Hawks team, and if Johnson rushes out of the gate like a 45-point guy, he could secure a top-six role. On the other hand, he is 32 years old — when/if Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews depart, he’ll be the oldest Hawks forward — and produced at a mere 22-point pace even when he was in the lineup last season.

Only time will tell on that front. In the meantime, new coach Luke Richardson already is appreciating the experience and positivity Johnson brings.

”He’s helpful on the ice at practice — with players and coaches — to make sure that we get a beat on whether things are being ingested properly and understood,” Richardson said. ”He’s got a great personality, he’s smiling and he likes to have fun. I used to hate [coaching] against him . . . because he brought energy to the other team, and that’s what he’s going to do for us this year.”

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A 3-year-old boy shot while riding in a car with his mother was among six people killed by gunfire over the weekend in Chicago, and a 7-year-old boy was among 28 other people wounded.

Mateo Zastro was shot while riding in a car with his mother in the West Lawn neighborhood. The boy was riding with his mother and three other children about 8:40 p.m. Friday in the 4400 block of West Marquette Road when someone in the rear seat of a red sedan opened fire, striking the boy in the head, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead hours later.A Chicago police officer shot and killed a man in the Old Town neighborhood Sunday morning, officials said. About 5:05 a.m., the man, believed to be in his 20s, was fatally shot by an officer in the 400 block of West Blackhawk Street, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters Sunday morning. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died from his gunshot wounds, Chicago Fire Department officials said.Casey Rodriguez, 30, was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 11:40 a.m. Saturday inside a home in the 2000 block of South Michigan Avenue, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Details of the shooting were not available.About an hour and a half later, a 30-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Roseland on the Far South Side. He was shot in the head about 1:20 p.m. in the 300 block of West 110th Street, police said. A 21-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds later Saturday in the same block. He was found about 9:05 p.m. by responding officers and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.A man was fatally shot early Sunday after an argument on the Near North Side. About 5:20 a.m., the man, 38, was found on a sidewalk in the 300 block of West Division Street where he had been shot multiple times by someone he was arguing with, police said. He was taken to Northwestern, where he died, police said.A 7-year-old boy was shot Sunday morning as he and family members were on their way to church, police said. One of the relatives noticed someone inside their parked car in the 10800 block of South State Street, police said. As the relative confronted the person, the man brandished a weapon and opened fire, striking the boy in the leg. He was taken to Roseland Hospital then transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, officials said.Two teens were wounded by gunfire Saturday night in Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side. A boy, 14, and a 19-year-old man were standing in the 7200 block of South Dobson Street about 6:20 p.m. when someone pulled up next to them in a car and an occupant started shooting, police said.Another 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. He was walking about noon in the 800 block of West 87th Place when someone approached him and fired a gun, police said. The boy was struck in the shoulder and leg.Early Saturday on the South Side, a man was shot during an attempted robbery in the Kenwood neighborhood. About 12:45 a.m., the man, 29, was walking in the 1400 block of East 47th Street when he was shot as two suspects were trying to rob him, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.A man was shot during a carjacking early Monday on the Near West Side, according to police. The man, 46, was sitting inside his vehicle about 1 a.m. in the 300 block of North Western Avenue when someone in a dark sedan pulled up in front of his car and three gunmen exited. They opened fire on the 46-year-old after the man refused to surrender his vehicle, striking him in the groin and right thigh. The man was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital. The gunmen fled in the man’s vehicle and the dark sedan.

At least 22 other people were wounded by gunfire between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday across Chicago.

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Patrick Finley and Jason Lieser detail another underwhelming day for Justin Fields and the challenge Matt Eberflus faces in trying to get the Bears’ offense moving in the right direction.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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