Blackhawks Daily: Stanley Cup Final Picks; Guentzel Rumors

Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson spoke to some people at the NHL Draft Combine on Friday afternoon. He addressed a lot that people are going to find very interesting.

The first notable thing were his comments about Patrick Kane. According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, Davidson said that he doesn’t foresee them going for him again this summer.

Nobody can say that Patrick Kane wouldn’t fit well with Connor Bedard. Both of them play an east-west game that would complement each other well.

It doesn’t make sense to not bring him back if he would help them win. If the same player with the same skills and the same contract expectations had a different name, the Hawks would be all over it.

Meanwhile, Davidson also spoke on the Jake Guentzel rumors. Because Guentzel is a midwestern boy and Chicago needs a player like him, it is a great fit. It isn’t like this rumor hasn’t been backed by some of the best insiders in the world.

#Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson on Jake Guentzel rumors: "I’m not going to address any rumor. That’s just the time of year. There’s talking points and there’s things that people talk about. It is what it is. It’s fun. I follow it. I wonder what’s true, what’s not, and the fans do…

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) June 7, 2024

Unlike the Kane rumor, he didn’t shut it down. He also didn’t come out and say that they were actively pursuing him. They have mid-round picks to acquire him and try to sign him before July 1st but they also have the cap-space needed to take a run at him regardless of what time of the summer it is. He danced around the question but that is expected before the off-season truly begins.

It would make a lot of sense to have Guentzel too. Honestly, it is going to be a while before the Hawks have to sign their young guys to big contracts. By that time, some more big contracts will be off the books as well.

A guy like Guentzel would help this team take a step forward. If he got a chance to play with Bedard, he might be a minimum 30 goal guy with a max of much more. It is a no brainer for Chicago as long as his price range isn’t too crazy.

Chicago Hockey Now Stanley Cup Final Prediction

The Stanley Cup Final is set to begin. The Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers are going to take on the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panther. For Edmonton, they are trying to end Canada’s multi-decade long championship drought. For Florida, they are in the Final for the second consecutive year but looking to win it this time.

Each team is loaded with a ton of talent that could push their team over the edge. Here at Chicago Hockey Now, we have our predictions of how the series is going to go:

Vinnie Parise: I believe that the Edmonton Oilers need Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to show up big for this series if the Oilers are going to have a chance against the Florida Panthers. They have good depth but they need the big boys to have the series of their life to get this done.

Florida can win if Sergei Bobrovsky stands on his head with the great defense that he has in front of him. Their forward depth is great too so they can score a large amount of goals. If guys like Matthew Tkachuk, Sasha Barkov, and Sam Reinhart amongst others can outscore the stars on Edmonton, they will get it done and win the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

This feels like the type of season that McDavid gets his name on the Cup for the first time ever. The all-time greats usually win at least one but McDavid wants several. He is going to put his team on his back and win the Conn Smythe Trophy en route to a Stanley Cup victory. Oilers in 6.

Nate Brown:  This is actually a hard pick because I really like what both teams bring. Where I wonder if I’m completely wrong is if the Stuart Skinner we saw shut down Dallas in in the Western Conference clincher can do the same against Florida on a more pressure packed stage. McDavid has played like a man possessed, and showing why he’s the game’s best player. But defense wins championships and the Panthers have that–and the goaltending–to keep the Oilers attack bottled up just enough to eke out some wins. I think it’ll go back and forth, but Florida gets its first Cup.  Panthers in 6

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

Patrick Kane back to Chicago? Kyle Davidson seems to close the door completely.

Who to pick at #18? How about Michael Hage, who starred for the Chicago Steel and continues to rocket up the draft board?

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to build a winning team. They should be going off of the path that Connor McDavid took to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Kyle Davidson has a certain timetable for the Chicago Blackhawks. But there are intervals to bringing Chicago back to success.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to practice patience as they build back to being a contender. This off-season is really important for that.

Hockey Now Network

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