- Elliotte Friedman says the Blackhawks are looking around for scoring help
- Chicago is 4-13-1 after a 9-2 loss to Carolina on Saturday
- Read below for what Friedman said and where the Blackhawks stand
The Blackhawks are shopping, at least according to Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman said on NHL Network that Chicago is “looking around, legitimately” for help to put next to Connor Bedard.
“I do think the Blackhawks are looking around,” Friedman said. “I think they really want to find some scoring help and some help for Bedard if they can.”
Watch Friedman’s comments:
The “if they can” part matters. Friedman had touched on Chicago a day earlier in his 32 Thoughts column, when the Nikita Kucherov trade chatter came up:
Friedman doubted a player like Kucherov would end up in Chicago, but said that kind of player is what Bedard needs. He also pointed out that 30 other teams would say the same thing.
Saturday’s game showed the problem. Carolina beat Chicago 9-2, the Blackhawks’ sixth straight loss. Spencer Knight allowed six goals on 17 shots before Arvid Soderblom replaced him.
Bedard had a goal and an assist in the loss. Rookie Roman Kantserov also scored, his ninth goal of the season, which leads all NHL rookies.
The Blackhawks are 4-13-1 and have missed the playoffs six years in a row. Head coach Jeff Blashill has ripped his team’s effort in recent games, and the results haven’t changed.
Friedman didn’t say a deal is close. Right now, the Blackhawks are just looking.
