Blackhawks captain said what everyone was thinking and he needs to be applauded

Do you know what kind of people I respect more than anyone else? Those who are audacious enough to say what everyone’s thinking. One of the key characteristics I look for when adding someone to my network of friends is if they’re real enough to say what’s on everyone’s mind. 

That said, what Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno stated about the team’s recent trades shouldn’t shock anyone. At least a strong contingent of Blackhawks fans and those directly involved with the organization were probably thinking the same and maybe even whispering it among their peers. 

But Foligno took the high road and told everyone what was on his mind. Foligno said, "There’s a cohesiveness with the group. We’ve gotten rid of some distractions, so to speak, and now there’s a group that’s trying to get better.

"Sometimes when you make hard decisions, they end up benefiting the group, and you’re seeing that."

Was Nick Foligno referring to a specific former Blackhawks player?

At this point, it doesn’t hurt to ask whether Nick Foligno was referring to former Blackhawk Seth Jones. The key buzzword here is ‘distractions,’ and it was clear to everyone that Jones may have been just that during his waning days with the Blackhawks. 

We know Jones wasn’t shy about wanting to leave Chicago, a wish that transformed into a reality in the days leading to the trade deadline. In the six games without Jones, the Hawks are 3-1-2, good for eight points. So, if Foligno was talking about Jones, at the moment at least, he’s in the right. 

Hey, should he have been talking about Seth Jones, it just means Foligno was saying what many of us were thinking. And I get it. Jones was frustrated, just as we’d all be, and if it were me in that situation, I’d have been saying the same thing. 

But it doesn’t mean it’s not distracting to the team. It is, and Nick Foligno drove that point home. Considering the Blackhawks track record since Jones’ departure, it’s also becoming clearer his presence was a distraction. If this, I don’t want to call it a turnaround, but better play continues, then it’s case in point. 

How the Blackhawks perform will tell the entire story

Now, the burning question is whether the Blackhawks will continue to play better hockey without Jones. If they do, then maybe Jones was such a problem that they should’ve just traded him away sooner, but better late than never, right?

Secondly, unless the Blackhawks embark on a massive winning streak or something close to it, they’re well in the running for the No. 1 pick once again. So, should they improve while giving their young players a chance to show what they got, yet still end up with the top (or No. 2) pick in the draft, consider it, ironically, a win-win. 

There’s just over a month left in the 2024-25 season, so we won’t need to wait long to see what the results look like for the Hawks.