The Blackhawks are off today. We got some good news on Wyatt Kaiser yesterday; he might even join the Blackhawks on their four-game trip coming out of the Olympic break. And we will hopefully see bronze medal-winner Teuvo Teräväinen with the team tomorrow before they leave for Nashville, at which point we should get a better idea of what the forward lines could look like as we sprint toward the trade deadline.
I really don’t want to over emphasize the whole Blackhawks — Gavin McKenna thing, but it’s impossible to ignore on social media and in the comments. So here we are. Ben Pope wrote a really good piece for the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday about the Blackhawks — like the rest of the hockey world — warming up to McKenna as his game continues to show rapid growth since the World Juniors. McKenna is on a legit heater offensively (10 points last weekend certainly helps), but his overall game is aligning more with the types of players this Blackhawks front office has preferred at the draft. With all of that being said… the way McKenna has played over the past six weeks has him more solidly in the top three overall conversation than he may have been immediately following the World Juniors. He’s going to make a general manager somewhere very, very happy. But I’m still not sure McKenna would be ahead of Ivar Stenberg on the Blackhawks’ draft board if there is somehow a miracle and the Hawks land the No. 1 overall pick again. Furthermore, And, right now, the general manager he’s going to make happy is most likely working for the Canucks, Blues or Rangers. If you can put your head on the pillow more comfortably knowing McKenna is “where he should be” on the Blackhawks’ draft board because of this excellent story from Ben, God bless. But it’s becoming increasingly likely the Blackhawks won’t have a chance to draft him because he’ll be long gone by the time they’re on the clock.It sounds like the Blackhawks have noticed Gavin McKenna rapidly improving his all-around game since early January.He's fitting their draft mold better as time goes on. The dropped felony charge against him likely won't affect his stock.New story: t.co/eYjhspbZCm
The Blackhawks are planning for Korchinski to be in the NHL to start next season. He’ll no longer be waivers-eligible then, and there’s zero chance they’ll expose him to waivers. So ideally, he’d prove he’s capable of consistently playing in the NHL. That doesn’t mean they need him to be perfect, just reliable enough to play and develop in the NHL, because the AHL probably won’t be an avenue for him next season.
10 things I'll be watching for with the Blackhawks for the remainder of the season t.co/rlhFfGaXqv
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 23, 2026 Speaking of the blue line, a guy we talk about here but isn’t in the macro conversation as much is Ethan Del Mastro, who continues to develop in Rockford. He, too, is headed to RFA this summer. He’s been playing very well lately as guys come up to Chicago around him on the IceHogs’ blue line. Here’s what IceHogs head coach Jared Nightingale had to say about Del Mastro’s recent play:With injuries, call-ups and trades, Ethan Del Mastro has elevated his game from the blue line every single week."He's playing his best hockey right now… it's all about the team with Delly, he wants to win hockey games." pic.twitter.com/RdqzRduwVA
— Dana Grey (@DanaGrey0) February 23, 2026 Let’s talk about the Olympics now that the dust has settled from the USA winning gold. A few pieces dropped on Monday that are worth reading as we now transition quickly into NHL Trade Deadline season. It’s gonna be a sprint, folks. One interesting development on Monday evening: the Dallas Stars placed Mikko Rantanen on IR (retroactive to Feb. 20). Rantanen is eligible to return as early as Saturday against Nashville if he’s healthy. That’s the extent of the update from the Stars, however. Dallas head coach Glen Gulutzan would only say “we are going to miss him for a little bit.”We have placed Mikko Rantanen on IR (lower body), retroactive to Feb. 20.
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 23, 2026 The first piece I liked was Matt Larkin at Daily Faceoff looking at which players helped or hurt their draft stock at the Games. One name that could influence the Blackhawks’ deadline was Philadelphia defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland). He had a good tournament and, if available, could contend with Connor Murphy on the trade market.Olympic Stock Watch:Which players altered their NHL Trade Deadline values, for better or worse, with their showings in Milan?My latest for @DailyFaceoff t.co/Y2O4kFJS3u
— Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) February 23, 2026 Steven Ellis, also at Daily Faceoff, profiled some non-NHL players who showed well at the Games. Some of these guys could be free agent opportunities for teams like the Blackhawks. One name that intrigued me was left-handed defenseman Martin Gernát of Slovakia. He’s currently playing in the KHL and has good size (6-4, 205). Even though he’ll be 33 in April, a short-term look in the NHL could be intriguing and the Blackhawks could have some level of interest in an older LHD.Which non-NHLers stood out at the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament?Even though the real draw were the NHL superstars, a handful of those from around the globe managed to shine through in Italy, writes @SEllisHockey: t.co/NOfovQuYns
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) February 23, 2026 Finally, David St-Louis at Elite Prospects look at some young players who stood out in Milan. Likely top-ten pick Alberts Šmits, a big left-handed defenseman from Latvia, is once again mentioned. Here’s part of what St-Louis wrote about Šmits:He closed on opponents in between blue lines, blocked shots, boxed out some of the league’s top stars, pinned them to the boards, and then sealed the puck from them. With short rims, he got the puck away from the opposition and into his team’s hands. His ability to get the interior position on loose pucks, protecting and pushing them toward teammates in space, will make him a highly useful NHL blue-liner. Those are difficult plays, but they fuel most of the top league’s offence.
The 2026 Olympics proved to be a stage well-suited for the NHL's young stars @DavidSt_Louis evaluates the performances of U23 NHL players and top prospects over the last two weeks in Milan Unlocked to read : t.co/VaFth8UnzK pic.twitter.com/kemRVEiYfP
— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) February 23, 2026BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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