At 4:52 of the second period, Mikko Rantanen scored his first goal as a member of the Hurricanes. One minute later (5:59), Jaccob Slavin made it 3-1. For a team as offensively challenged as the Blackhawks, that felt like a hill too steep to climb.

"We have star players, too, that don’t seem to be protected as well as some of the other teams’ stars," Blackhawks captain Foligno said.

Hall was acquired from the Bruins, along with current captain Nick Foligno, on June 26, 2023, to help Bedard, then an 18-year-old rookie, transition to the NHL from the Western Hockey League. Hall had four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 games before having season-ending ACL surgery on his right knee in November 2023.

The Chicago Blackhawks teamed up with the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes on a monumental three-team trade earlier this week, sending forward Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes and receiving a draft pick in return.

With all the recent upheaval surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks, the focus has really turned to rookie standout Connor Bedard and his thoughts after Taylor Hall's exit. It's been quite a week for the team,