Trading Frenzy As Bears Land Two Upgrades At Guard

Good morning Chicago fans! What a crazy week full of trades. It really feels like offseasons and trade deadlines are our Super Bowl! There are a lot of new faces in town, and the Dark Knight has already made a great impression.

The hero Chicago deserves:

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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

W - Blackhawks 5, Kings 1

The Dark Knight Rises!!! Spencer Knight wins his debut

• In a shocking contrast to his time in Florida, Knight was peppered with 42 shots (17 in the 1st period) and was impressive all night at the extra loud United Center

• 5 different Hawks scored a goal, including Alec Martinez against his former team

L - Senators 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Controversial game winner leaves Blackhawks hanging

• Hawks stayed on their bench for a LONG time after what looked like goalie interference AND a kick on the confirmed Tim Stutzle OT goal

• The new energy was still evident - Hawks came back from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits

W - Blackhawks 4, Hockey Club 3 (OT)

Connor Bedard OT magic!

• Impressive 3-goal 2nd period gave the Hawks a commanding 3-1 lead

• Frank Nazar converted on a penalty shot with a sweet backhand shot

• Knight looked sharp again in his 2nd start!

L - Predators 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

Arvid Soderblom wills the Hawks to a 5-game point streak

• Soderblom saved 38 of 41 shots and survived a ton of high danger chances

• Steven Stamkos completed a hat trick with his OT winner

Star of the Week ⭐ Spencer Knight

2-0 in his 1st 2 starts, .951 SV%, 1.95 GAA

Play of the Week 🎥 Spencer Knight save sequence in his debut

🚨 Traded Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith to the Detroit Red Wings for C Joe Veleno 🚨

I have no idea why any team was willing to take on Petr Mrazek’s $4.25M cap hit for next season, so this was a pleasant surprise. Providing clarity in the goalie room for Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom was the big accomplishment here. Mrazek was no longer needed as the Hawks look to the future.

Veleno is an intriguing acquisition, especially in a deal that should not have provided much value in return. He’s only 25, is a former 1st round pick (2018), has one more year under contract with a $2.275M cap hit, and is a big 4th line center (6’1”).

His production has dipped this season (10 points in 57 games), but he is 46.6% on faceoffs in his career and had 28 points as a checking-first center last season. For an organization looking to build out their forward depth and comb through options at the center position, he was a good find.

Shoutout Craig Smith! He was a fun addition this season and made the Maroon-Reichel-Smith 4th line an effective group. 9 goals in only 40 games for the veteran!

🚨 Acquired F Aku Raty, D Victor Soderstrom, and the contract of retired D Shea Weber for a 2026 5th round pick 🚨

This feels like a “meh” deal that will probably end up being inconsequential.

Kyle Davidson said they were legitimately impressed with the prospects they targeted and received in the deal. Raty is a 23 year old AHLer coming off a 44 point season last year. However, Soderstrom was the main prize for Davidson. He’s currently playing in Sweden and has impressed the Hawks over the years. He’s a former 1st round pick, and the Hawks may try to sign him for next season.

Trading for a retired player is always awkward. The NHL contract system is strange!

Having Weber on the books will feel like the end of the Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa eras when the Hawks were stuck with their money. In this case, it was intentional. Weber’s $7.857M cap hit won’t restrict the Hawks’ spending this summer, and it could be used to get them to the salary cap floor if needed.

Recalled Louis Crevier from the AHL, reassigned Andreas Athanasiou to the AHL

Recalled Artyom Levshunov from the AHL - the #2 overall pick should make his NHL debut this week!!! It’s an Arty Party!

Blackhawks broke some streaks!!! Their last:

• Consecutive wins ➡ Dec 15-19, 2024

• Consecutive wins by > 1 goal ➡ March 2024

• 5-game point streak ➡ February 2023 😮

Prospect F Nick Lardis is making history in the OHL:

SCHEDULE 📅 M/TH/SAT

CHICAGO BULLS

L - Cavaliers 139, Bulls 117

Missed opportunity against the NBA’s #1 team

• Bulls somehow had a 15-point lead midway through the 2nd quarter. The game was tied 107-107 with 7 minutes remaining before a ridiculous 32-10 Cavs run.

• Tre Jones got his first start as a Bull (9p/7a/8r), Talen Horton-Tucker was the 6th man and answered with a season-high 22 points

• Bulls only shot 11/44 (25.0%) from 3PT

W - Bulls 125, Magic 123

Career night for Mr. Coby White!

• This is Coby’s team and Coby’s league! 44p/5r, 16/28 FG, 7/15 3PT

• Coby and Tre combined for 27 of the Bulls’ 29 4th quarter points

• Zach Collins and Jalen Smith BOTH fouled out, leaving the Bulls with small ball lineups to finish the game. The Bulls still outrebounded the Magic 48-33.

W - Bulls 114, Heat 109

4th quarter comeback for the Florida trip sweep!

• Bulls overcame a 17-point deficit and 26.2% 3PT shooting night

• Josh Giddey hit the dagger 3 and recorded another triple-double (26p/12a/10r)

• The Coby and Tre 4th quarter show is here to stay 🎬 23 combined points

Star of the Week ⭐ Coby White

30p/3.6a/4r per game, 44-point explosion in Orlando

Play of the Week 🎥 Coby White poster

Due to injuries, the starting lineup in the last two games was:

Tre Jones / Coby White / Josh Giddey / Matas Buzelis / Zach Collins

And they’re 2-0 as a unit! Might just be the best 5 right now!

Ayo Dosunmu said an MRI found a 1+ year old fracture in his injured shoulder, and he frequently dislocated his shoulder during games this season. The doctors finally got to the point of recommending surgery when the pain worsened. Sounds like a brutal situation for the Chicagoan.

Ayo is rooting for his teammates from the sidelines. He texted Dalen Terry, “It’s your time.” It’s too bad DT went out and scored 4, 5, and 3 points in the 3 games since that text…

SCHEDULE 📅 M/TH/SAT

CHICAGO BEARS

OFFSEASON

🚨 Acquired G Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 4th round pick AND Acquired G Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams for a 2025 6th round pick 🚨

O-LINE HELP IS HERE!!!

I had no idea Ryan Poles would jump out in front of the free agent market to attack his deficient offensive line early and often. Reports are saying the guard market may be extremely inflated this week, so these trades already look really successful.

Jackson was a possible target since he was allowed to pursue a trade a few weeks ago. He started at guard for 4 years under Ben Johnson in Detroit (2020-2023). Unfortunately, his time with the Rams didn’t work out due to injury and roster fit. He only played in 4 games as others jumped him on the depth chart.

The new Bears head coach clearly believes in Jackson’s abilities and wanted him back in the trenches. Jackson has mainly played LG in his career, but with the acquisition of Thuney, he may shift over to RG.

Acquiring Thuney was a stunner!

I thought Trey Smith was the only potential Chiefs trade target after he was franchise tagged. It turns out the Chiefs were more willing to let the 32 year old Thuney walk out the door, and Poles took advantage.

Since he has more experience and is more accomplished, I assume Thuney will play LG. I’m hoping the Bears extend his contract when he walks in the door because he is an ELITE player. He’s only played for 2 organizations (guess which ones), has already played in 6 Super Bowls, won 4 Super Bowls, and has only missed 2 games in his career.

Everyone who plays with Thuney says he’s a leader. He’s a tone setter. He’s the key to the offense. (More on Thuney below in Mild Take)

The Bears are on the hook for $33.5M total for these 2 players in 2025. It won’t break their bank, but it’s a significant commitment. They’re finally investing real money into their offensive line. We’re actually witnessing an overhaul. Center is up next!

Re-signed CB Josh Blackwell to a 2-year, $6M contract

• Richard Hightower’s favorite player and the Bears’ best special teamer is back!!!

Re-signed LB Amen Ogbongbemiga to a 2-year, $5M contract

• Another main special teamer is back after 1 season with the Bears!

Signed TE Durham Smythe to a 1-year contract

• Ben Johnson was the Miami Dolphins’ WR coach in Smythe’s rookie season AND Smythe played with Cole Kmet at Notre Dame

• Mainly utilized as a blocking tight end

Non-tendering restricted free agent LB Jack Sanborn 😢

• Hopefully he tests the free agent market and returns on a new deal! I don’t want to see my fellow LZHS grad leave Chicago.

Tendering exclusive rights free agents DE Daniel Hardy and OL Bill Murray

Tendering DT Chris Williams (right of first refusal)

Free Agency begins today! I’m hoping for a starting center, expecting a new RB1, and ready for a typical Bears surprise. I mean, D’Andre Swift was the first announced signing last year at this time…Full breakdown in next week’s newsletter 🕕

CHICAGO CUBS

OFFSEASON

Spring Training

• The Cubs fell back to earth and are now 10-4-3 in Spring Training

• Kyle Tucker got a hit in a Cubs uniform!!! He went 0-20 before hitting a monster HR yesterday

• PCA (12/23, 1.587 OPS) and Miguel Amaya (11/21, 1.450 OPS) hit back-to-back HRs on Saturday and are both locked in at the plate

• Ben Brown and Matthew Boyd have given up a combined 13 ER in 16 IP 😐

• Only 2 more Spring Training games (M/T) before they travel to Japan

Signed RHP Yency Almonte to a minor league deal. The additional piece to the Michael Busch trade last offseason was really good for the Cubs before an injury ended his 2024 season. He settled in nicely and was an effective strikeout pitcher (11.5 K/9) out of the pen in just 15.2 IP.

Roster Cuts

• Gage Workman and Vidal Brujan will be on the Cubs roster in Japan after extremely productive performances this spring

• Optioned RHP Ethan Roberts and LHP Luke Little to AAA. I anticipate both will be in the majors at some point this season.

• Nicky Lopez was returned to minor-league camp and will pursue opportunities with other teams

Opening Day ➡ One week away! Tuesday, March 18th at 5am in Japan

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Petr Mrazek

‘‘I’m going to be here to support them. I’m going to be happy around them [to] make sure they feel comfortable.”

After finding out he would be benched in favor of the 2 young Blackhawks goalies, Mrazek was professional and respectable. He acknowledged an opportunity to mentor, a willingness to accept a change of scenery in a potential trade, and remained grateful for a job in the NHL.

He ended up being moved to Detroit, but he would have been a great vet to keep in the locker room for the remainder of the season. Read more here:

MILD TAKE

Joe Thuney was the best possible offensive line acquisition.

Sure, 32 is “old” in the NFL.

It would have been nice if Trey Smith was made available.

Drew Dalman would be the first competent center in a Bears uniform since Cody Whitehair was forced to slide over to the middle.

A host of other players are on the market today.

Despite all of that, Ryan Poles struck gold with Joe Thuney. This Bears offensive line, with its talent deficiencies and coaching nightmares, has severely lacked leadership. The most important piece to the puzzle moving forward was a leader.

Thuney instantly becomes a captain of the offense and THE captain of the offensive line. He’ll play tough. He’s a winner. He’s durable. He has FOUR rings on his fingers.

Players all get behind guys like that. Wright and Jones can now look up to someone else as he shapes the direction of this offensive line. This won’t be the athletic, agile, young line anymore. This will be a dirty-uniform, man-moving, power-wielding line.

In an offseason highlighted by a critical need for an offensive line makeover, Poles somehow unearthed the best one he could find. For a 4th round pick? Who cares? Sign him to an extension and change the identity of this offense. A real lineman just showed up.

HITTING THE LINKS

Sahadev Sharma - End of 2024 gave a glimpse of just how special Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong can be (The Athletic)

Scott Powers - Where do the Blackhawks stand after the trade deadline? 8 thoughts (The Athletic)

Julia Poe - Chicago Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu dedicated to leadership despite season-ending injury: ‘I want to continue to grow’ (Chicago Tribune)

Bob Nightengale - Exclusive: Sammy Sosa talks 'no rules' Steroid Era and 'making people happy' with Cubs (USA Today)

Andy Martinez - How ‘Kung Fu Panda’ helped Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia regain his mojo (Marquee Sports Network)

Andy Martinez - Cubs’ Vidal Bruján believes his speed could make him difference-maker (Marquee Sports Network)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

Thanks for reading! Get some extra sleep this week to catch up from Daylight Savings. And to be ready for 5am baseball next week!