Blackhawks News: Corey Perry update, Nick Foligno contract, and more

The Chicago Blackhawks have been a very interesting team this season. Most of their storylines have revolved around Connor Bedard who they selected first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. 

However, he has a fractured jaw and it required surgery. He is going to be out for a while but he is going to return this season. Of course, that makes it very hard for the team to win considering he provides most of their offense. 

The most important thing for them now is that they continue to have a good “rebuild year”. Their most recent game against the Winnipeg Jets was a perfect example of a good rebuild loss.

Chicago played a very good game against Winnipeg on Thursday night. They even had a 1-0 lead deep into the third period. Winnipeg, to their credit, didn’t give up even though they were outplayed and scored two quick ones to win the game in regulation. 

The Hawks should have their eyes set on the draft again. It may or may not be number one next time but adding another top-five pick would be great for their future. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to keep their rebuild going 

Nick Foligno Contract

The Chicago Blackhawks traded for Nick Foligno last season. He hasn’t come in and been this amazing player but it is clear that he is an outstanding leader. 

Foligno is a very good mentor for young stars like Connor Bedard and all of the youngsters that this team is bringing in. He could score zero goals and still have a positive impact on these guys.

Foligno also plays as hard as he can on every shift. It rubs off on his teammates which will help this team continue building a winning culture once again. 

On Friday, the Blackhawks announced that Foligno was given a contract extension. It is a $9 million deal over two years with an average annual value (cap hit) of 4.5 million. 

Right now, Foligno is out with an injury. He hurt himself fighting Brenden Smith who broke Bedard’s jaw with an open ice hit. It was a clean check by Smith but Foligno stood up for his young star anyway. 

When Foligno returns to the ice, he will do many good things for this team at the rink and away from it. This is an outstanding deal for both sides at this point. 

Corey Perry Update

The Chicago Blackhawks cut bait with Corey Perry earlier in the season due to an off-ice situation. Now, he is looking to come back to the league with a different team. 

We learned earlier in the week that he is eligible to return. This update provided clarity to Perry’s situation when it comes to the league as a whole. We will see if there is a team willing to bring in the veteran forward who has tons of deep playoff experience. 

Next Up

The Chicago Blackhawks will now welcome the Dallas Stars to the United Center on Saturday night. This is going to be a very tough game against an elite opponent once again.