Blackhawks News: Norris Trophy Nominees; Oilers Advance

The NHL announced its nominees for the Norris Trophy on Wednesday afternoon. The players named are Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers are the latest playoff team to advance.

All three of these players deserve the recognition that comes with being one of the top three. Makar and Josi have both won it but Hughes is probably the favorite to take it home of the three.

Regardless of the results here, nobody would argue that Cale Makar isn’t the best in the league. He dominates play in all three zones and it is a joy to watch. You can make an argument that he is the best player in the NHL. Regardless, Hughes did some incredible things this season and that will allow him to finally get his despite the greatness of Makar.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars won their third straight game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas had a 2-0 lead in the series but Dallas has come back to take a lead.

Now, the Stars have two chances to close out the defending champions. This has been one of the best matchups of the first round so seven games feels necessary but that will be determined later this week. It is hard to see Vegas winning two in a row against Dallas after blowing the 2-0 series lead.

In the late game, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers came in with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close this thing out.

The Oilers ended up getting it done on home ice. For the third straight year, they got a big first-round playoff win against the Kings. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and this incredibly skilled team have a long way to go but this was a great start. They both have Conn Smythe Trophy types of starts going right now.

It seems like a distant memory when the Oilers were buried in the standings.

On Thursday, the playoffs will continue in the NHL with one great game. The Boston Bruins are going to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in game six of their first-round series. It should be a treat to watch for all hockey fans.

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

• In Blackhawks Lets Make a Deal, a look at how the value Chicago has received by drafting and developing over the last few years should open up opportunities to bring in talent elsewhere
• Nick Foligno went above and beyond for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season.
• The Chicago Blackhawks were wounded during the 2023-24 season and Jaycob Megna helped them get through it.
• Kyle Davidson has a lot going on this off-season. There are some big things he could do to make this team better.

Hockey Now Playoff Focus

• Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins are poised to win game six in Toronto with Jeremy Swayman in the net.
• Florida Hockey Now: The Florida Panthers are headed to the second round thanks to a dominant performance by Sasha Barkov.
• Nashville Hockey Now: The Nashville Predators are still alive thanks to a big-time third period in game five against the Vancouver Canucks.