This is your daily thread to talk about the latest hockey news.
BLACKHAWKS
What recent NHL history says about the Blackhawks’ options with the No. 4 pick ( SCH )
Exploring additional options available to the Blackhawks with the No. 4 pick ( SCH )
Musings on Madison, Episode 210 — A deflating draft lottery ( SCH )
Blackhawks drop two spots following draft lottery; will select No. 4 overall ( SCH ) ( Sun-Times ) ( Tribune ) ( Athletic )
What long-term role is the be...
It’s a headline that’s grammatically difficult to write. It’s a concept that’s rationally hard to stomach. The Cincinnati Reds have lost back, to back, to back games to the Chicago Cubs to begin this four-game series, and they’ve been walked-off in all three of them. The last two of them have even come in extra-innings. […]
I keep telling you that there’s something special about this Cubs team. Maybe if they keep pulling out wins like the one Wednesday night against the Reds, you’ll believe me. I almost have no words… oh, wait, I’ve got about 1,700 words to describe Wednesday’s amazing comeback win. After the team had one of their […]
The bulk of the NFL’s acquisition period is in the rearview mirror, which means all 32 teams will shift their focus to rookie minicamps and the offseason program. Despite coming off an 11-6 season and their first NFC North title in seven years, the NFC North is once again expected to be hotly contested. While […]
I’ve been a lifelong Cubs fan, so to see them win their 13th straight at Wrigley is awesome. If you want them to lose at home, I have an idea…send me. I’ve been to the friendly confines 7 times and yet to see them win. I’ve seen them lose to the Astros, Reds, Giants (x2), […]
Today’s Reflections I was just wrapping up Cub Tracks for you good folks, checking for mistakes and broken links, giving the news feed one last refresh— I (and probably a lot of Cub fans) feel like they are standing on the precipice of either the second World Series appearance in a decade (the Dodgers just […]
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in for a while. We always have a seat for a friend, new or old. There’s no cover charge. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage. BCB After […]
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has rejoined the Iowa Cubs. Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs embargoed the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 3-2 in 11 innings. Charlie Barnes pitched the first five innings without allowing a run. Barnes allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four. Luke Little pitched the two extra innings. He let the automatic runner […]
Go get ‘em, Colin.
For a minute there in the top of the second when the Good Guys got on the board first, it felt like they might actually take the series. Then the bottom of the second inning happened, and poof, the vibes from the past couple of weeks packed up and left the building. Chicago dropped the […]
Brady Singer needs a good outing. The Cincinnati Reds need a good outing. The vibes, they are not good on this five-game slide. They’ve lost back to back games on walk-offs after having the game in their lap both times. Tejay Antone is back, which is an insanely good positive boost to said vibes. The […]
Cubs 7, Reds 6: Michael Busch walks it off… with a walk
Cubs vs. Reds, Wednesday 5/6, 6:40 CT live!
Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Wednesday 5/6, 6:40 CT
We’ve already looked into what has happened in the recent past when teams trade a top pick for established veteran talent. The results weren’t great.
It’s worth noting again that none of the trades referenced in that article included a team knowingly giving up a top-five pick in the salary cap era, which is key with the Blackhawks sitting at No. 4. It’s pretty rare that a such a pick is traded at all , much less for an established player as the central piece. However, rare doesn’t mean ne...
It’s been an exciting few days of Cubs baseball at the corner of Clark and Addison. Last night the Cubs walked off the Reds in the bottom of the tenth inning for their second walkoff win in a row. Tuesday night Michael Conforto hit the first walk-off home run of his career and the first […]
An argument that has been made ad nauseum to undercut the Chicago Bears’ 2025 success was their seemingly easy strength of schedule. At the end of the 2025 season, the Bears finished with the 4th-easiest strength of schedule, based on opponent records, with a 0.458 win percentage. This ranked behind the Cowboys, Broncos, and Patriots […]
The White Sox are back in the saddle this afternoon with a rubber match on tap against the Angels. The South Siders get a shot to prove this little hot streak isn’t just a mirage. They’ve won their last two series, and a victory today would make it three straight. They also have six wins […]
The worst-case scenario happened for the Blackhawks in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery: they fell back two spots and now hold the No. 4 overall pick. That’s still a valuable asset and the Blackhawks will land a very good player, but the slide likely takes them out of the range where they could realistically expect immediate NHL help next season from their selected player.
Only Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg feel likely to step directly into the NHL next season and move the needle in a meaning...
The Rays claimed Jesse Scholtens in August 2025 after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox. Despite a fairly significant overhaul of the roster this offseason, Scholtens was able to hang on to a coveted 40-man roster spot, and has performed well in his limited time with the major league club — maintaining […]
You all know that the Cubs struggled for the first 16 games of 2026, going 7-9. Since then it’s been almost all winning — 10 straight, then three losses, and now entering Wednesday night’s game against the Reds on a seven-game winning streak (and also 13 consecutive wins at Wrigley Field). I decided to see […]
Although it might be hard to believe, the two primary acquisition phases of the offseason have come to a close. Now, that doesn’t mean that teams won’t continue to churn their rosters over the next several months, but outside of a handful of quality veteran free agents still left on the market. A few surprise […]
1903 The White Sox were charged with 11 errors in a game in Chicago vs. Detroit. While that’s a big story in itself, it’s not the most remarkable item to come out of this game. What is the most remarkable item to come out of this game is the fact that the Sox won the game, 10-9, scoring three […]
It took one extra inning to get there, but ultimately, the result was the same. The Cubs have now won seven straight and 13 in a row at home. They’ve won 17 of 20. The team is scorching hot. For my point of reference, I’m going to say this. When a team digs itself an […]
Live reactions to Chicago's slide from No. 2 to No. 4.
Honestly, I am running out of superlatives to describe what the Chicago Cubs have done over the last three weeks. For quite some time, Tuesday’s game against the Reds at Wrigley Field looked like one of those “tip the cap to the other guy” games. Andrew Abbott was dealing and the Cubs couldn’t really do […]
Out with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. In with Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman. Did Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles simply reload at the Safety position, or did he restock with a completely new product? Like most of you, I was ecstatic when former Oregon Ducks Safety Dillon Thieneman fell to pick 25 in […]