Connor Bedard had a flashy hat trick, four points and 11 shots in a dominant debut on Saturday night in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. So it was no surprise the Chicago Blackhawks gave the top pick in the 2023 NHL draft Sunday off for their game against the Minnesota Wild's rookies at the TRIA Rink in St. Paul.
This time an older Wild prospect, center Sammy Walker, notched three goals to lead Minnesota to a 7-4 win.
Nick Lardis, Colton Dach, Martin Misiak and Ryder Rolston scored for Chicago. Misiak, a second-round draft pick (55th overall) in 2023, took Bedard's place between Lardis and Dach on the Blackhawks top line.
Mitchell Weeks was in goal for Chicago's squad, which seemed to run out of gas late in its second game in less that 24 hours.
Taking a cue from Bedard's show on Saturday, Chicago came out firing in the first period and dominated to build a 3-1 lead. Lardis, Rolston and Dach connected.
Dach's tap-in from the edge of the crease was set up by defenseman Nolan Allan, who skated in from the right point and dished deftly in front. See video: https://x.com/CRoumeliotis/status/1703505308260135282?s=20
The Wild pushed back in the second, forced Chicago mistakes and eventually took a 4-3 lead on Maxim Cajkovic's doorstep deflection during a delayed penalty call.
Misiak tied it at 4 later in the second with a tip-in of Kevin Korchinski's drive from the right point. See video: https://x.com/CRoumeliotis/status/1703520442336592287?s=20
Walker completed his hat trick off a cross-ice pass early in the third to put Minnesota ahead, 5-4. Louis Boudon and Rasmus Kumpulainen iced it in the final minutes.
The 24-year-old Walker is from Edina, Minnesota and played four season with the University of Minnesota before skating the bulk of 2022-23 with the AHL Iowa Wild. Expect to see more of Walker in preseason games. The Blackhawks and Wild meet twice.
The Wild also signed former Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira on Sunday.
NHL training camps open on Friday. The Blackhawks will be back at the Fifth Third Arena for informal skates and training this week.