Morning Chirps: Commesso injury update, new favorite emerging in Panarin sweepstakes

The Chicago Blackhawks are off today as they try to figure out how to snap the current four-game losing streak they are on. They will return to practice tomorrow as they prepare to finish strong in the final two games before the Olympic break, hosting the San Jose Sharks on Monday and traveling to Columbus for a rematch against the Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are taking their game to the next level. As I wrote in my postgame thoughts, they need the rest of the team to join them there.

• After I left the United Center, I broke down the game and the news of the day with Jay and Mario on the CHGO Blackhawks Postgame Show.

• Rockford IceHogs goaltender Drew Commesso left his start on Tuesday. The team announced on Friday that he had entered the AHL’s concussion protocol. There is no timeline for his return at this point.

• Marek Vanacker scored the opening goal in the Brantford Bulldogs’ 4-1 win over the Owen Sound Attack. He later picked up his 100th career assist on the final goal of the night. He leads the Ontario Hockey League with 35 goals and is eighth in overall scoring with 59 points.

• Jack Pridham picked up his 31st assist of the season in the Kitchener Rangers’ 7-2 blowout win over the Windsor Spitfires. He is second behind Vanacker with 31 goals, and his 62 points are third in the OHL, just two behind Nathan Aspinall of the Flint Firebirds.

• Vaclav Nestrasil had an assist and four shots on goal to help UMass to a 3-2 overtime win against Northeastern. The Minutemen have won six games in a row and could find themselves in the Top 25 next week. Nestrasil has 11 goals and 23 points in 25 games this season.

• On this date in 1963, the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 9-2 behind hat tricks from both Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Hull added two assists to finish with five points, while this was the first three-goal game in Mikita’s career.

• In 2016, the Nashville Predators hosted the NHL All-Star game featuring the league's new 3-on-3 tournament format. The weekend is best remembered for the fiasco surrounding former Blackhawk John Scott. The large defenseman won the fan vote, but the NHL did its best to prevent him from playing. The fans got their wish, and he played for the Pacific Division, despite being traded from the Arizona Coyotes to the Montreal Canadiens two weeks earlier. However, the fans were not denied; not only did he play, but he also scored two goals, won MVP honors, and had a “fight” with Patrick Kane.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Jan. 31: Camille Henry, Bob Turner, and Brandon Bollig.

NHL Chirps

• The NHL is still buzzing after Kane became the highest-scoring U.S.-born player of all-time on Thursday. The league released a cool video of some of the top American players sharing their memories of watching Kane play for the Blackhawks growing up.

• The Nashville Predators were left for dead after a poor start to the season, but their playoff chances are still not great as we head into the Olympic break. The trade rumors surrounding veteran stars Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault have died down, but they will likely still look to move some pieces before the March 6 deadline. According to Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, they are assessing the market for forwards Michael Bunting and Michael McCarron.

• Friedman also weighed in with the latest on the imminent trade of Artemi Panarin. He reported that most of the league’s top contenders will be priced out of the bidding for the star forward. Panarin seems to be more interested in getting a big extension than chasing a Stanley Cup this spring. Friedman mentioned that the Washington Capitals are emerging as his favorite to get a trade done with the New York Rangers, but don’t count out the Sharks.

• It’s been a rough season for New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes. Missed about two months after cutting his hand during a team dinner here in Chicago. He did not travel with the team for tonight’s game with the Ottawa Senators after suffering another injury on Thursday against the Predators. It’s uncertain if he will play again before the Olympic break, but according to Pierre Lebruin, he should be ok to play for the United States at the Winter Games.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Jan. 31: Rick Dudley, Bobby Dollas, Mikhail Grabovski, Jacob Markstrom, and Tyler Seguin.