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The Chicago Blackhawks are an incredibly bad hockey team. Their roster needed to be torn apart because of horrid mistakes made by Stan Bowman before he was forced out of town. Now, Kyle Davidson is in that chair trying to rebuild it from the ground up. It is unfortunate that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have to deal with this.

The problem is that they have these two aging superstars that are in their 30s making over 10 million dollars on expiring contracts. They are both still very good players and could have a lot more hockey left in them but they aren’t 22 anymore.

Of course, Kane and Toews are easily two of the five greater players to ever put on Chicago Blackhawks uniforms. You can make a solid argument for them as the two undisputed greatest and a lot of people would agree with you.

That doesn’t change that the right move right now is to trade them while they are on these expiring deals. They both have no move clauses and can help decide on where but it is hard to see either of them choosing this last-place lottery season over a chance to win the Cup.

The Blackhawks should really try to trade Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Once they get past that part, then the contract number becomes the problem. Very few teams can take on a ten-million-dollar cap hit so there would have to be deals worked out. There are ways to get stuff like that done though.

A Stanley Cup that could use a two-way player like Jonathan Toews might do whatever they can to get him. He can score goals with the best of them, kill penalties, and make everyone around him better in all three zones.

As for Patrick Kane, he can help bring someone a valuable scoring winger that can make incredible plays. If he was put on another team with better wingers and centers to play with, he’d start to look like prime Patrick Kane again. This roster isn’t helping him get the most out of these skills.

Another thing that they both bring is incredibly valuable playoff experience. They have both won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs to go with their three Stanley Cups. There are also multiple other awards and All-Star Game appearances between them.

Now, the Hawks have no reason not to try and trade them. This team is going nowhere this season. It will also help them in the draft lottery if they removed two players this good. At this point, trading them should be a must.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of needs following their incredibly disappointing 2022 season. One of the biggest needs that they have is another starting pitcher. This is a spot that can help them win a lot more games in 2023 and maybe even make the playoffs.

Reynaldo Lopez and Garrett Crochet are trending toward becoming full-time bullpen guys so that leaves Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Michael Kopech as the four starters that they have ready for the 2023 campaign.

Dallas Keuchel was DFA’d in the middle of the 2022 season and Johnny Cueto was his replacement. They also got some starts from David Martin who was decent for a good amount of the season.

Cueto might be on his way out the door which means that someone new is going to have to come in. We know it won’t be Jacob deGrom or Justin Verlander so they are going to have to think smart. Even Carlos Rodon might be out of their price range.

The Chicago White Sox need someone that can help them with their rotation.

They are rumored to be in on Mike Clevinger which wouldn’t be a terrible upgrade at all. No matter who it is, they need to decide on someone. If it is Davis Martin, there are certainly worse options but also there are plenty of upgrades out there.

Having a guy that you can rely on as the number five guy is very important because that will help you win as many games as possible. Lots of teams don’t really have that luxury.

If they signed a good pitcher, Lucas Giolito would probably end up being the fifth guy in the rotation until he proves that he is fully back. That is very possible but nobody can be sure just yet. He got better down the stretch in 2022 but not enough to make you confident in him long-term.

Carlos Rodon is probably the best realistic option. The only reason it is a realistic possibility is because of the fact that he was once a Chicago White Sox pitcher and could want to return. He was amazing for the San Francisco Giants in 2022 and should be good for a while. The White Sox desperately need someone like this but any good starter will do at this point.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a terrible hockey team. Their roster is up there amongst the worst in the entire National Hockey League. They are starting to build up a really nice farm system though which is a part of a five-year rebuild plan.

One mistake that they made that could have helped them rebuild right now came in the 2019 NHL Draft. They were still trying to win at that point for some reason but that is beside the point. They selected Kirby Dach with the third overall pick in the draft.

The Hawks had that third overall pick because of a little bit of lottery luck. It was obvious that Bowen Byram should have been the pick at the time and now we know that a guy like Trevor Zegras also would have been a better pick.

With all of that said, Dach is still a really good player that can become a top-six forward on a good team. The Blackhawks traded him to the Montreal Canadiens over the summer and now we are seeing him thrive with his new team.

Kirby Dach is showing the Chicago Blackhawks that they didn’t handle him right.

On Friday afternoon, he made his return to Chicago to play against the Blackhawks and he was a difference-maker. He didn’t score or record a point in regulation but he scored the shootout game-winning goal. He let the crowd know it too which was honestly really nice to see.

Dach was never put in a good position by the Chicago Blackhawks. He was a bit over-drafted and that is not his fault. It is also not his fault that he was thrown into the fire of the NHL at 19 years old without just a little bit more development.

He absolutely could have used another year with his junior team before making this jump to the NHL but he didn’t. Even Jack Hughes (who was the number one pick in the same draft and an absolute superstar now) struggled at that age and could have used another non-NHL year.

Of course, the same struggles (if not worse) would exist for Kirby Dach. Now he is in a good situation with his new organization and the Hawks have moved on with a new regime in charge of things. It is a good deal for both sides at this point.

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The Chicago Bears are a bad football team with a great quarterback in development. Justin Fields has made things exciting for Bears fans all season long despite the fact that most of the games end in a loss. It is clear that big things are coming for this franchise.

Unfortunately, he gets hit a lot because the offensive line is terrible. He also puts himself in a position to be hit from time to time but that comes with the territory of his style of play. These are things that will improve over time as he learns the NFL game.

Right now, he is dealing with an injury. His nonthrowing shoulder was separated and he left last week’s contest via a cart. That is always going to be something that scares any Bears fan as he is the most important player in the entire organization.

Fields is day-to-day with this injury and his status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets remains unknown. He very well could play but it also wouldn’t surprise anyone if he didn’t.

To be honest, he should not be playing if he is even slightly injured. It would be nice to see him go but this game against the New York Jets is irrelevant. If anything, it would be better to lose to continue tanking their own draft stock.

The Chicago Bears should keep Justin Fields out if he isn’t healthy enough.

There isn’t even going to be the Justin Fields vs Zach Wilson storyline because of the fact that he was benched despite his 5-2 record. Fields doesn’t need to get into this game if his injury is even slightly painful.

If this was in the middle of a division race and it was this same shoulder on his non-throwing hand, that would be one thing. However, they aren’t even coming close to the playoffs and they should want a higher draft pick.

It might even be smart to rest him against the Green Bay Packers in the following game too because the bye week is right after that.

This way he would have three weeks to rest his shoulder so he could try to come back and finish strong. Regardless of the future plans right now, he should sit if he is even slightly uncomfortable. If he is 100 percent fine, then he can play.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a bad team but they have stayed in a lot of the games that they’ve played so far this season. That was the same against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday afternoon for a Black Friday matinee.

The Hawks didn’t get off to the best start as Joel Edmundson scored his first of the season from the Montreal blue line to give the Habs a 1-0 lead. Blackhawks might remember Edmundson from his days with the St. Louis Blues where he was very good.

The Hawks answered back though when Caleb Jones scored his first of the year as well to tie the game. Each defender isn’t much of a goal scorer but they got it done early in this game.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki answered back though to give Montreal a 2-1 lead just a few minutes later. It took a while but Taylor Raddysh scored to get the game tied at two with about four minutes left in regulation.

The Hawks are inferior to almost every NHL roster but they don’t get outplayed very often. Unfortunately, they can be out-skilled on many occasions.

The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t get the result that they wanted on Friday.

That happened once they reached the shootout on Friday afternoon. Nobody on either team scored in overtime so this shootout was necessary to determine a winner. Jonathan Toews scored on a beautiful move as he often does but that wasn’t enough.

With the game on his stick, former Blackhawk Kirby Dach scored to give his new team a road win in the shootout. When he scored, he let the crowd have it a little bit as they were booing him in his return to the team. Honestly, good for him.

The Hawks didn’t do him any favors with his development. For one, Stan Bowman should have never picked him third overall but he did so he should have treated him better. He probably was in the NHL too soon and they didn’t give him the tools needed to win.

This is just another example of former Blackhawks coming back and making the team look bad in one way or another. It was probably the right move to trade him but that was the right move because of prior mistakes made by the franchise.

Chicago will be back in action again on Sunday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets at home. That is another very tough matchup for them that will need their A-game if they are even going t compete.

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Some concert options for tonight, if you’re looking to listen to something other than your digestion:

“Accidental TikTok star” and Chicago rapper Sonny opens for Midwxst and Dro Kenji tonight at Reggies Rock Club; read Reader senior writer Leor Galil’s feature on him to learn more. (8 PM, 2105 S. State, $25, all-ages, go to Ticketweb for advance tickets)
Philadelphia “shoegaze revivalists” They Are Gutting a Body of Water play a show at Beat Kitchen tonight headlined by Southern California band Modern Color; Soft Blue Shimmer and Colorado’s Mofie join them. Reader contributor Luca Cimarusti writes about the band here. (8 PM, 2100 W. Belmont, $20, 17+, tickets at Ticketweb)
Chicago singer and producer TheMIND headlines Schubas tonight; take a look at Leor Galil’s concert preview here. Qari and Moyana Olivia open. (9 PM, 3159 N. Southport, $25, 18+, tickets at the venue’s website)

Even though the midterm results earlier this month offered a few bright spots for pro-choice advocates, there’s no denying that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision earlier this year fits a pattern of attacks on reproductive health and freedom that’s been present virtually since Roe was first decided. Artemisia Theatre’s artistic director, Julie Proudfoot, began researching the history of abortion rights and access during the pandemic for her new play, Title Ten (named after the landmark federal family planning legislation). Performances begin tonight at 7:30 PM at Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont), and it runs through 12/18. Proudfoot, who codirects the play with Willow James, told Reader contributor Jack Helbig that Donald Trump’s attempt to impose an abortion gag order on Title X clinics was one of the events that spurred her thinking about the play. “When I first read about this, I saw red. And I started to think about the way in which women’s rights are constantly on the chopping block. Whether we’re talking about safety in the workplace, equal pay for equal work, or the right to exercise your right to choose.” Planned Parenthood of Illinois is a production sponsor, and the performance on Sun 12/3 at 7:30 PM performance is Planned Parenthood Night, including a talkback after. Tickets ($25-$44) and information at artemisiatheatre.org. (KR)

The Island is only running through 12/4, and since Reader contributor Sheri Flanders describes it as “a riveting, philosophically sophisticated play that is a must-see for fans of meaty theater,” you should probably get tickets ASAP and head on down to Court (5535 S. Ellis). Created in 1973 by South African playwright Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona (the latter two originated the roles in the two-character play, and the characters are named John and Winston), the play follows two inmates of Robben Prison, the infamous island penitentiary where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for 27 years. John and Winston attempt to create a production of Sophocles’s Antigone for their fellow prisoners, but tensions arise, especially when one of the men learns he will be getting an early release. Tickets and information for this production, directed by Court’s associate artistic director, Gabrielle Randle-Bent, are at courttheatre.org; tonight’s performance is at 7:30 PM. (KR)

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Some concert options for tonight, if you’re looking to listen to something other than your digestion:

“Accidental TikTok star” and Chicago rapper Sonny opens for Midwxst and Dro Kenji tonight at Reggies Rock Club; read Reader senior writer Leor Galil’s feature on him to learn more. (8 PM, 2105 S. State, $25, all-ages, go to Ticketweb for advance tickets)
Philadelphia “shoegaze revivalists” They Are Gutting a Body of Water play a show at Beat Kitchen tonight headlined by Southern California band Modern Color; Soft Blue Shimmer and Colorado’s Mofie join them. Reader contributor Luca Cimarusti writes about the band here. (8 PM, 2100 W. Belmont, $20, 17+, tickets at Ticketweb)
Chicago singer and producer TheMIND headlines Schubas tonight; take a look at Leor Galil’s concert preview here. Qari and Moyana Olivia open. (9 PM, 3159 N. Southport, $25, 18+, tickets at the venue’s website)

Even though the midterm results earlier this month offered a few bright spots for pro-choice advocates, there’s no denying that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision earlier this year fits a pattern of attacks on reproductive health and freedom that’s been present virtually since Roe was first decided. Artemisia Theatre’s artistic director, Julie Proudfoot, began researching the history of abortion rights and access during the pandemic for her new play, Title Ten (named after the landmark federal family planning legislation). Performances begin tonight at 7:30 PM at Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont), and it runs through 12/18. Proudfoot, who codirects the play with Willow James, told Reader contributor Jack Helbig that Donald Trump’s attempt to impose an abortion gag order on Title X clinics was one of the events that spurred her thinking about the play. “When I first read about this, I saw red. And I started to think about the way in which women’s rights are constantly on the chopping block. Whether we’re talking about safety in the workplace, equal pay for equal work, or the right to exercise your right to choose.” Planned Parenthood of Illinois is a production sponsor, and the performance on Sun 12/3 at 7:30 PM performance is Planned Parenthood Night, including a talkback after. Tickets ($25-$44) and information at artemisiatheatre.org. (KR)

The Island is only running through 12/4, and since Reader contributor Sheri Flanders describes it as “a riveting, philosophically sophisticated play that is a must-see for fans of meaty theater,” you should probably get tickets ASAP and head on down to Court (5535 S. Ellis). Created in 1973 by South African playwright Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona (the latter two originated the roles in the two-character play, and the characters are named John and Winston), the play follows two inmates of Robben Prison, the infamous island penitentiary where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for 27 years. John and Winston attempt to create a production of Sophocles’s Antigone for their fellow prisoners, but tensions arise, especially when one of the men learns he will be getting an early release. Tickets and information for this production, directed by Court’s associate artistic director, Gabrielle Randle-Bent, are at courttheatre.org; tonight’s performance is at 7:30 PM. (KR)

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Some concert options for tonight, if you’re looking to listen to something other than your digestion:

“Accidental TikTok star” and Chicago rapper Sonny opens for Midwxst and Dro Kenji tonight at Reggies Rock Club; read Reader senior writer Leor Galil’s feature on him to learn more. (8 PM, 2105 S. State, $25, all-ages, go to Ticketweb for advance tickets)
Philadelphia “shoegaze revivalists” They Are Gutting a Body of Water play a show at Beat Kitchen tonight headlined by Southern California band Modern Color; Soft Blue Shimmer and Colorado’s Mofie join them. Reader contributor Luca Cimarusti writes about the band here. (8 PM, 2100 W. Belmont, $20, 17+, tickets at Ticketweb)
Chicago singer and producer TheMIND headlines Schubas tonight; take a look at Leor Galil’s concert preview here. Qari and Moyana Olivia open. (9 PM, 3159 N. Southport, $25, 18+, tickets at the venue’s website)

Even though the midterm results earlier this month offered a few bright spots for pro-choice advocates, there’s no denying that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision earlier this year fits a pattern of attacks on reproductive health and freedom that’s been present virtually since Roe was first decided. Artemisia Theatre’s artistic director, Julie Proudfoot, began researching the history of abortion rights and access during the pandemic for her new play, Title Ten (named after the landmark federal family planning legislation). Performances begin tonight at 7:30 PM at Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont), and it runs through 12/18. Proudfoot, who codirects the play with Willow James, told Reader contributor Jack Helbig that Donald Trump’s attempt to impose an abortion gag order on Title X clinics was one of the events that spurred her thinking about the play. “When I first read about this, I saw red. And I started to think about the way in which women’s rights are constantly on the chopping block. Whether we’re talking about safety in the workplace, equal pay for equal work, or the right to exercise your right to choose.” Planned Parenthood of Illinois is a production sponsor, and the performance on Sun 12/3 at 7:30 PM performance is Planned Parenthood Night, including a talkback after. Tickets ($25-$44) and information at artemisiatheatre.org. (KR)

The Island is only running through 12/4, and since Reader contributor Sheri Flanders describes it as “a riveting, philosophically sophisticated play that is a must-see for fans of meaty theater,” you should probably get tickets ASAP and head on down to Court (5535 S. Ellis). Created in 1973 by South African playwright Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona (the latter two originated the roles in the two-character play, and the characters are named John and Winston), the play follows two inmates of Robben Prison, the infamous island penitentiary where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for 27 years. John and Winston attempt to create a production of Sophocles’s Antigone for their fellow prisoners, but tensions arise, especially when one of the men learns he will be getting an early release. Tickets and information for this production, directed by Court’s associate artistic director, Gabrielle Randle-Bent, are at courttheatre.org; tonight’s performance is at 7:30 PM. (KR)

Read More

Some concert options for tonight, if you’re looking to listen to something other than your digestion:

“Accidental TikTok star” and Chicago rapper Sonny opens for Midwxst and Dro Kenji tonight at Reggies Rock Club; read Reader senior writer Leor Galil’s feature on him to learn more. (8 PM, 2105 S. State, $25, all-ages, go to Ticketweb for advance tickets)
Philadelphia “shoegaze revivalists” They Are Gutting a Body of Water play a show at Beat Kitchen tonight headlined by Southern California band Modern Color; Soft Blue Shimmer and Colorado’s Mofie join them. Reader contributor Luca Cimarusti writes about the band here. (8 PM, 2100 W. Belmont, $20, 17+, tickets at Ticketweb)
Chicago singer and producer TheMIND headlines Schubas tonight; take a look at Leor Galil’s concert preview here. Qari and Moyana Olivia open. (9 PM, 3159 N. Southport, $25, 18+, tickets at the venue’s website)

Even though the midterm results earlier this month offered a few bright spots for pro-choice advocates, there’s no denying that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision earlier this year fits a pattern of attacks on reproductive health and freedom that’s been present virtually since Roe was first decided. Artemisia Theatre’s artistic director, Julie Proudfoot, began researching the history of abortion rights and access during the pandemic for her new play, Title Ten (named after the landmark federal family planning legislation). Performances begin tonight at 7:30 PM at Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont), and it runs through 12/18. Proudfoot, who codirects the play with Willow James, told Reader contributor Jack Helbig that Donald Trump’s attempt to impose an abortion gag order on Title X clinics was one of the events that spurred her thinking about the play. “When I first read about this, I saw red. And I started to think about the way in which women’s rights are constantly on the chopping block. Whether we’re talking about safety in the workplace, equal pay for equal work, or the right to exercise your right to choose.” Planned Parenthood of Illinois is a production sponsor, and the performance on Sun 12/3 at 7:30 PM performance is Planned Parenthood Night, including a talkback after. Tickets ($25-$44) and information at artemisiatheatre.org. (KR)

The Island is only running through 12/4, and since Reader contributor Sheri Flanders describes it as “a riveting, philosophically sophisticated play that is a must-see for fans of meaty theater,” you should probably get tickets ASAP and head on down to Court (5535 S. Ellis). Created in 1973 by South African playwright Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona (the latter two originated the roles in the two-character play, and the characters are named John and Winston), the play follows two inmates of Robben Prison, the infamous island penitentiary where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for 27 years. John and Winston attempt to create a production of Sophocles’s Antigone for their fellow prisoners, but tensions arise, especially when one of the men learns he will be getting an early release. Tickets and information for this production, directed by Court’s associate artistic director, Gabrielle Randle-Bent, are at courttheatre.org; tonight’s performance is at 7:30 PM. (KR)

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