🎬 HIGHLIGHTS

1. Cody Bellinger re-signs with the Cubs!

2. Chris Chelios jersey retirement

3. Patrick Kane returns to the United Center

🏒 Chicago Blackhawks

TROPHY TRACKER

1-❌-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

Results:

L - Hurricanes 6, Blackhawks 3

The Hawks came off their win with a dud against a very good Hurricanes team. Connor Bedard showed out again with 1 goal, 2 assists, and yet another disallowed goal due to an offsides call.

• Hurricanes jumped out to a dominant 4-0 start and ended up killing the Hawks in shots on goal 42-17 🤢

• 2 Power Play goals for the Hawks! I didn’t even know that was allowed!

• Anthony Beauvillier returned from injury

L - Flyers 3, Blackhawks 1

And there’s the ONE GOAL Hawks we’re used to…They were outworked, outmatched, and couldn’t find enough opportunities in the Flyers’ zone.

• Colin Blackwell had the lone goal

• Arvid Soderblom got the start and saved 30/33 shots

• The Hawks’ top-heavy defensive core (especially due to injuries) is clearly getting exposed. Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, and Kevin Korchinski continue to get heavy minutes

L - Jets 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

The sequel to the last Jets OT game (Dec. 27th) ended only 25 seconds into overtime. The Jets quickly got the puck from Nick Foligno and scored on their first shot attempt, all while Connor Bedard waited to get on the ice.

• Hawks outworked the Jets for a good portion of the game and ended up out-shooting them 35-31

• Colin Blackwell had an impressive breakaway goal (can the Hawks re-sign this man!?!), Tyler Johnson tied up the game with 43 seconds left in the 3rd period after a sick setup from Jones and Dickinson

L - Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

Storybook night. Chris Chelios' #7 jersey was retired in front of a packed and star-studded UC (more on this below). Patrick Kane returned to Chicago and put on an absolute show - winning the game in OT for the Red Wings. Another very good effort by the Blackhawks ended in a loss.

• Old friends Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane scored the game tying and winning goals

• Hawks outshot Detroit 35-31 and were in control for most of the game

Week Record: 0-2-2

Season Record: 15-39-5

Star of the Week: Colin Blackwell

Blackwell was the bright spot, yet again, in a couple of these losses. He had 2 goals this week, and the Blackwell-Dickinson-Anderson line has been extremely steady as of late on both ends of the ice.

Play of the Week: Patrick Kane OT Winner (Yes, an opponent’s play is allowed in this one case)

Shoutout to Blackhawks fans for the standing ovations honoring Patrick Kane. He had to take THREE laps around the ice because of the roaring cheers and also got a standing ovation after winning the game for the opposing team!

News & Notes:

1. Chris Chelios’ #7 was retired on Sunday night!

   🏠 It was a mob scene at the UC as fans packed the house to honor the Blackhawks legend

   ⭐ Stars were everywhere! Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jeremy Roenick, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Theo Epstein, Eddie Vedder, Cindy Crawford, and many others were in attendance

   😢 “The day I got traded to Chicago was the greatest day of my life.” - Chris Chelios

   ⁉ Will Brent Seabrook end up side-by-side with Chelios in the rafters someday?

2. Puck luck was not in the team’s favor this week - Louis Crevier was hit in the face with a puck during practice on Tuesday, Seth Jones took a puck to the neck during practice on Wednesday

   🤕 Crevier broke a tooth and needs multiple root canals

3. Blackhawks still have the lowest point percentage in the league and the best odds for the #1 draft pick

🏀 Chicago Bulls

TROPHY TRACKER

❌-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

Results:

L - Celtics 129, Bulls 112

The Bulls turned it around after a slow start to take the lead at halftime, but the Celtics were on fire in the 3rd quarter and never looked back.

• 3 point shooting was key: Celtics 23-47 (48.9%), Bulls 10-28 (35.7%)

• Derrick White (28 points) and Jayson Tatum (25 points) had big nights and each hit 5 3s

• Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls in scoring with 22p/14r

W - Bulls 114, Pelicans 106

This was an impressive team win by the Bulls against Zion and the Pelicans. As always, it was a nail biter, but the Bulls hit clutch shots at the end of the 4th quarter to close it out.

• Streaky game - Bulls went on an 18-3 run in the 1st quarter and an 11-0 run to end the 3rd quarter

• Ayo Dosunmu had 14 points JUST in the 1st quarter and finished with 21

• DeMar DeRozan had 24p/7a/6r and hit a key 3 pointer with less than a minute left in the game

Week Record: 1-1

Season Record: 27-30

Star of the Week: Nikola Vucevic

Vooch put up identical shooting lines in each game - 10-19 from the field. He had 22p/14r and 22p/13r in two very solid showings.

His shooting has been underwhelming so far this season, but he has turned a corner lately and been a more reliable scorer for the shorthanded Bulls.

Play of the Week: DeMar’s hustle and late 3

News & Notes:

1. As I fearfully expected, Patrick Williams will have surgery on his foot and will be out for the remainder of the season. It didn’t seem like the post-All Star Break timeline ever seemed feasible. Of course, this leaves the Bulls more shorthanded for the rest of the season and adds even more complication to potential contract negotiations with Williams in the offseason.

2. Torrey Craig has a right knee sprain and will be re-evaluated in 2-4 weeks

3. Onuralp Bitim had his two-way contract converted to a standard multi-year deal, which essentially takes the Bulls out of the buyout market for this season

   😅 Of course this news happened the day after I tweeted this:

   

4. Darnell Mayberry had an interesting mailbag article in The Athletic where he described a conversation with a Bulls executive. Apparently, the executive made a clear distinction between “our fans” and “your fans”. I think he’s saying that Mayberry’s fans are the die-hards on social media, and the executive’s fans are the casuals who show up to the UC after work or turn on a random Tuesday night game on TV when nothing else is on. It’s concerning to say the least.

🏈 Chicago Bears

TROPHY TRACKER

1-2-3-❌-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

News & Notes:

1. Matt Eberflus, Shane Waldron, and Eric Washington met the media on Thursday to introduce the new coordinators. Here are some of the highlights:

   😎 Flus is sporting a new swaggy look

   📋 Flus will still call plays for the defense

   📈 O-Line Coach Chris Morgan received a promotion and will also be the Run Game Coordinator in 2024

   🤷‍♂️ As expected, Waldron dodged all questions about specific quarterbacks. He had to. Can you imagine a coordinator slipping up about a team’s plans in mid-February?? Anyways, he did mention that Justin Fields is explosive.

2. Justin Fields was a guest on the St. Brown Brothers podcast and was AWESOME. He did have to handle some awkward moments where he had to explain why he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram (it’s no big deal) and where he wants to end up next year (he wants to stay in Chicago). The St. Browns did a great job of making the conversation seem like a chill hangout amongst friends. Watch here.

   😎 What stood out to me is Fields is a likeable guy who wants to win. His goal for next year is to make the playoffs. And he praised Chicago and Bears fans for their support.

3. Hired Jennifer King as assistant running backs coach - the first female coach in Chicago Bears history 🥇

4. The NFL salary cap for 2024 was announced at $255.4M - a $30.4M increase from last season and higher than earlier projections. This leaves the Bears with approximately $80M in cap space and more flexibility moving forward.

5. Albert Breer reported that teams inquired about Justin Fields at the Senior Bowl, so the Bears were able to gather more information about Fields’ potential trade value

6. The NFL Combine begins today!! Caleb Williams will not throw at the Combine, but the Bears will still be the main talking point of the entire week. Hopefully we get some significant news.

⚾ Chicago Cubs

TROPHY TRACKER

1-2-3-4-5-❌-7-8-9-🏆

News & Notes:

1. Cody Bellinger is back with the Cubs!!!!!

   🥳 After a long stalemate between Jed Hoyer and Scott Boras, the Cubs agreed to a 3 year contract with Belli to remain with the team. The deal is for $80M and includes an opt out after each of the first two years.

   🙂 This seems like a great deal for both parties. The Cubs get one of their best players back for AT LEAST this season. A Gold Glover at two positions. An extremely talented lefty hitter. A leader in the clubhouse. They needed Belli in order to win anything this year. On the other side, Belli gets to stay with an organization he loved last season AND gets the chance to test free agency anytime he wants if his numbers continue to rise.

   ➡ My guess is Belli starts the year as the everyday CF, Busch starts the year as the primary 1B (although they have mentioned playing Wisdom there against lefties), and the DH spot will be a mix of players. I’m assuming Pete Crow-Armstrong will see significant time in the minors this season.

   📣 Shoutout to Lisa on Twitter! She broke the news and had Cubs nation spinning for a couple days!

2. Spring Training games started on Friday!!!

3. Tom Ricketts met the media last Monday and caused quite the uproar.

   😶 He said there were discussions with Cody Bellinger, but they weren’t at the point of having negotiations. To me, that implied Scott Boras' number was too high for teams to even have conversations at that point.

   ⭐ The Cubs are actively trying to get a future All-Star Game at Wrigley Field

   💲 Now for the controversial part - Ricketts essentially said they’re spending ‘enough’ to be in the division race every year. I don’t usually read too much into Ricketts’ comments, and I typically lean towards the side of the conversation that puts more weight into how front offices spend money and if they are winning with the talent they acquire and develop. However, the guys over at Bleacher Nation did an excellent job diving into these comments and explaining why they were intentional and concerning for Cubs fans - check it out here.

4. Signed 3 veterans to minor league deals - David Peralta, Dom Smith, and Garrett Cooper

   ➡ Peralta is a nice veteran to have around for the Spring, but I don’t expect him to make the team. If he does, it’s because the bat shows up. He’s a lefty that can play OF and DH.

   ➡ Smith is a more interesting addition to me. He showed quite a bit of promise back in his days with the Mets. He’s another lefty hitter (I see a trend here - I like the Cubs taking fliers on some guys) who could contribute, but I’d also be surprised if he made the team.

   ➡ Cooper is also a savvy veteran to bring in with a chance to make the team. He’s a righty who can play 1B and DH (and possibly RF). If he rakes in the spring, he could potentially push Wisdom for a roster spot. Wisdom provides more power, but Cooper has had more contact success in his career.

5. The Cubs gave away free tickets on Thursday! Hopefully you found the “C”s around Chicago and won tickets!

6. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers openly called out his front office for not adding more pieces to the roster for this season…in my hunt for stars to join the Cubs, I have been, and still am, on the Devers train. Call up old friend Craig Breslow and trade prospects to Boston for a power-hitting lefty 3B!

7. Now the question becomes…are they done? Do they add any other players before Opening Day?

📣 SAY WHAT?

😎 GOOD ONE ALERT

Anthony Beauvillier

Whoever defends Connor Bedard is a hero.

Bedard was checked against the Jets, and Beauvillier immediately came to his defense. I love seeing this from teammates. This is what everyone looks for in the NFL when quarterbacks get hit. Well, protecting your franchise player in the NHL may be just as important.

If anything, the team chemistry and camaraderie has definitely been present this season for the Blackhawks!

🍽 Follow-up from 2/19: Dinners with DeMar Episode 1 dropped on YouTube, featuring Draymond Green - this is MUST WATCH

Thank you, DeMar, for being honest and vulnerable. The first episode was already very emotional as DeMar talked through the hardships of handling life’s ups and downs while putting on a brave face for your team every night in the NBA.

DeMar and Draymond spent a lot of time emphasizing the need to talk to someone. A friend, a family member, a therapist…whoever it is. You can’t keep everything inside, and you need to process difficult times in life.

🔥 MILD TAKE ❄

The Cubs are the best team in the NL Central.

With the addition (retention?) of Cody Bellinger, the Cubs have the best roster, on paper, heading into the 2024 season.

2023 saw a 2nd place finish with an 83-79 record. Marcus Stroman left, but he was also an ineffective starter after the London game in June. This offseason, the Cubs added two bullpen arms (Neris and Almonte), a starter (Imanaga), and a highly rated prospect to play 1B (Busch).

Oh yeah, and they hired one of the game’s best managers to make sure a collapse like last season does not happen again. The young players will continue to develop, and more prospects will make their MLB debuts this year. And Christopher Morel should play every day.

I see the Cubs realistically shooting for 90 wins and a division championship.

But what about the competition?

The reigning division champs, the Milwaukee Brewers, lost their two aces. Corbin Burnes was traded to the Orioles, and Brandon Woodruff is injured. They added 1B Rhys Hoskins but are otherwise relying on a roster full of young talent who may have outperformed expectations last year (thanks Craig Counsell). I’m not convinced they have enough talent to repeat their 2023 showing.

The Cincinnati Reds have an interesting collection of young players and may end up with an intimidating lineup. However, I don’t see their pitching winning them enough games. Hunter Greene and Frankie Montas would need legitimate bounceback years.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be middling. They signed a bunch of free agents, but their choice of starting pitchers is questionable at best. Sonny Gray will be their ace, but they’re seriously relying on Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to add significant value to their rotation?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are very young and unproven. Their window of contention is many years away.

My early guess is the Reds give the Cubs a run for their money. The Brewers will no longer be the biggest thorn in Chicago’s side. Here’s hoping the Cubs roster on paper actually shows up on the field at Wrigley and clinches the division title.