Things have already gotten spooky for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, well before Halloween. The Blackhawks have a ghoulish 4-9-0 record in 13 games and a spooky 0-5-0 road record.

After a frightening 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings two days ago, the Blackhawks look to rebound and earn their first road win of the year in a Halloween matinee matchup with the Boston Bruins this afternoon.

While the Bruins have dropped back-to-back games entering Saturday, they’re 5-1-0 in six home games, outscoring opponents 27-8 at TD Garden. It’s yet another devilish test for the young Blackhawks on the road.

More in the links for the Blackhawks Game Day Preview against the Bruins, with the two-game dad’s trip wrapping up in Beantown.

Also in Blackhawks news, two NCAA defensemen prospects potted their first collegiate goals on Friday, and the Rockford IceHogs allowed (double-checks notes) FOUR shorthanded goals in a 6-3 loss to Manitoba.

Around the league, Nikita Kucherov has requested a trade out of Tampa Bay, Connor Hellebuyck remains undefeated with his new team, and Russia has been reinstated for 2026-27 IIHF tournaments.

All that & more in the Daily!

Blackhawks Game Recaps, News & Trade Rumors

Chicago Hockey Now: For today’s Halloween matinee, here’s everything to know for the Original Six matchup between the Blackhawks and Bruins at TD Garden! Chicago hopes to avoid a season-opening sixth straight road loss. It could be a battle of the backups between Arvid Soderblom & Michael DiPietro.

More CHN: From Thursday — after another ugly loss in Detroit, it’s time for the Blackhawks to make some changes. The offense was way too quiet behind Connor Bedard, scoring two goals or fewer for the fifth straight game. Anton Frondell also played a season-low ice time against the Red Wings and has no points in eight of the last nine games. Frondell needs a different look in the lineup.

Chicago Sun-Times: Ben Pope feels the same way about Frondell’s defensive-minded role and usage. It’s time to free up the 2025 No. 3 overall pick. Pope wrote about Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi’s ineffectiveness in recent weeks and suggested playing one of the two on Bedard’s wing.

The Athletic: Scott Powers also recently wrote a column about how something has to change for the Blackhawks. Powers reports that GM Kyle Davidson continues to hit the phones for scoring wingers, but that’s not all he’s searching for in the trade market. Davidson is also looking for reliable defensemen.

With eight defensemen currently on the NHL roster, including Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro, who are both no longer waivers-exempt, the Blackhawks would likely need to send a blue-liner back to another team in a trade. Something to be mindful of moving forward.

Also in Blackhawks news, congratulations to 2026 draft picks Xavier Villeneuve and Samu Alalauri for scoring their first collegiate goals on Friday!

After playing on Boston University’s third defensive pairing to begin the season, Villeneuve was bumped up to the second pairing on Friday and made the most of his promotion. He tallied a goal and an assist in the first period, helping the Terriers defeat Maine 7-2. Villeneuve now has seven points in his first seven NCAA games.

Alalauri tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal in the first period. Fellow Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil recorded an assist on the game-winning goal in the third period, with UMass defeating Harvard 4-2. Alalauri has three points in his first nine NCAA games.

In AHL news, the Rockford IceHogs lost 6-3 to the Manitoba Moose on Friday, allowing a jaw-dropping four shorthanded goals in the game. That… just cannot happen. On a positive note, Nick Lardis scored his third goal of the season and now has seven points in six AHL games. Gavin Hayes also scored for the fourth straight game.

Hayes is someone who’s gotten lost in the shuffle in recent years, but he’s been terrific for the IceHogs to start his third pro campaign. He leads the team with six goals and 10 points in nine games. The Blackhawks need offensive help, so keep an eye on Hayes in the coming weeks.

NHL Game Recaps, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Uhhh, so that came out of nowhere, right? Nikita Kucherov has informed his teammates and the Tampa Bay Lightning that he will not be re-signing with the organization and has requested a trade. Curiously, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois almost immediately released a statement saying he has no interest in trading the Russian winger. This should get interesting.

San Jose Hockey Now: According to Elliotte Friedman, the San Jose Sharks have made a serious offer for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Detroit is reportedly looking for a young center in return for the former first-round pick.

NHLtraderumors.me: Connor Hellebuyck has been excellent in his first two games with the New Jersey Devils. Hellebuyck has allowed only three goals in two games, giving New Jersey exactly what the doctor ordered. The Devils took down the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 on Friday, with Hellebuyck making 19 saves.

Florida Hockey Now: Anton Lundell entered Friday with one goal in 13 games, but he walked out of Amerant Arena with a hat trick on Friday. Lundell tallied three of the Florida Panthers‘ five goals in a resounding win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Colorado Hockey Now: The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman Josh Manson for an extended period due to an ankle injury. Manson, who’s in his fifth season with the Avs, is expected to miss roughly eight weeks. The Blackhawks face the Avalanche on Monday in Chicago.

ESPN: Matt Coronato recorded a career-high four points (1G, 3A) in the Calgary Flames 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Don’t look now, but Calgary has won five of their last six games. Dustin Wolf stepped in for Devin Cooley and stopped 20 of 22 shots.

The Athletic: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to let Russian teams play in its events, meaning Russia must be allowed to compete in all events run by the IIHF in the 2026-27 season. This is major news for the 2027 NHL Draft Class, which is loaded with Russian talent.

More Athletic: NHL insider Pierre LeBrun goes through Dylan Larkin’s newest trade list, Jason Robertson’s negotiations with the Dallas Stars, and whether San Jose is a fit for Simon Edvinsson. Quite the newsworthy column from LeBrun.