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Morning Chirps: Sharks trade for defense, Foligno may not be done just yet

Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno might not be hanging up his skates just yet.
ByGreg Boysen|
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Jan 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal against the Washington Capitals in a shootout at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jan 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal against the Washington Capitals in a shootout at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It’s crazy season in the NHL as teams prepare for the Draft and free agency. Wednesday saw two new head coaches get hired and a trade involving first-round picks. Let’s get Chirping!

Blackhawks Chirps

  • As the NHL Draft approaches, we are going to start to see trade chatter heat up. With that in mind, Justin Lynch gives us who he thinks the Blackhawks’ untouchables are this offseason.
  • Jay Zawaski and I discussed what it might take to woo John Carlson to Chicago on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast. We also took trade proposals from the viewers and gave our thoughts.
  • On this date in 1993, the Blackhawks traded goaltender Jimmy Waite to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations, which turned out to be defenseman Neil Wilkinson. He played 15 games for the Sharks before he found his way back to Chicago in 1995. He is still a part of the organization, serving as the goaltending coach since 2014.
  • Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, June 18: Boris Katchouk.

NHL Chirps

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs named Jim Hiller their new head coach. With all the candidates we’ve heard over the past few weeks, Hiller was not a name that came up. This will be Hiller’s second stint in Toronto, as he was one of Mike Babcock’s assistant coaches for four years. He most recently was the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. He likes a defense-first system, and that doesn’t exactly jive with the current Maple Leafs roster.
  • As expected, the Vegas Golden Knights hired Ryan Craig, promoting him from their AHL affiliate. He was an assistant in Vegas from 2017 until 2023, and was given the Henderson Silver Knights job after the Stanley Cup win. While I applaud the Golden Knights for not going with another retread, there is a lot of pressure on Craig. The Golden Knights have a cut-throat attitude when it comes to winning, so it could be a short run if the team struggles early under the first-year NHL head coach.
  • The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Michael Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres. The two teams also swapped first-round picks, with Buffalo getting 20th overall after giving the Sharks 27th. The Sabres move up seven spots to give the RFA rights of Kesselring to the Sharks. San Jose gets a solid defenseman to help replace some of the depth they will lose this offseason. Some felt this means they won’t take a blueliner with the second overall pick, but I’ll have more on that later today.
  • According to Aaron Portzline, former Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno has not ruled out playing another season. He has already started his offseason training and will see how the market shapes out when free agency opens on July 1.
  • NHL Birthday Roll Call, June 18: Joe Lamb, Dennis Herron, Bob Rouse, David Volek, Doug Bodger, Martin St. Louis, Kyle McLaren, Jan Hejda, Chris Neil, David Hale, Derek Stepan, and Mason Marchment.
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