In their first preseason game of 2025, the Chicago Blackhawks traveled to Detroit for a game against the Red Wings. The road team needed a spark to tie the game after a rough first period.
Artyom Levshunov skated into the offensive zone and passed the puck to Aidan Thompson. The forward found a wide open Wyatt Kaiser, and the young defenseman scored for the tying goal. It was the best play of the night for a team that was shaking the rust off.
“It’s nice to always score, but you hate to do it in preseason,” Kaiser, 23, said. “It’s definitely good to get on the board.”
The goal may have meant a little more to the defenseman. After all, Kaiser wasn’t signed until the night before training camp began.
“It definitely was a new part for me, figuring out the business side of things,” Kaiser said. “There’s always a whirlwind of emotions and different things that go into that. It’s a pretty fun process, learning all about how contracts and negotiations work. It’s good to get it over with.”
Kaiser and the Hawks agreed to a two-year, $3.4 million deal, which would make the defenseman a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season. With the contract talks behind him, he’s ready to work — putting an emphasis on the details.
“How can I get my gaps better, where am I positioning myself away from pucks (and in the) D zone, how can I stick, how can I break up pucks?” Kaiser said. “A lot of these little details that you (get) into a little bit and work on.”
Last season, Kaiser posted career highs in goals (four), assists (four), points (eight), blocks (93) and hits (54) while averaging 18 minutes, 7 seconds of ice time over 57 games.
As he looks to increase those numbers, he finds himself feeling more confident in camp. He sees it in his teammates while skating with coach Jeff Blashill.
“Everybody’s been getting better (and) we’re growing,” Kaiser said. “A lot has been thrown at us (in camp). I feel like there’s a level of hesitation (in the new system), but eventually it becomes a subconscious where you just know what you’re going to be.”
Kaiser is a part of a pool of high-potential defenseman. Sam Rinzel is poised for a top pairing with Alex Vlasic. Matt Grzelcyk, 31, in camp on a professional tryout, would bring veteran experience if signed.
Kaiser has spent extended time alongside Levshunov during the preseason with promising results. Kaiser didn’t point to one skater who stood out but emphasized that everyone is skating with confidence.
“I wouldn’t say there’s just one guy, but there’s a lot of different guys that do things really well and (have) grown over the summer,” Kaiser said. “I definitely feel like we’re getting faster.”
Notes
- Regarding trade rumors, Blashill preached that the best way to focus is to concentrate on practice. “I’m a believer in you can control what you can control,” he said. “That’s all you have an impact on is what’s in front of you.”
- Alex Vlasic will not play this weekend in the final two preseason games because of a lower body injury but he’s expected to be ready for the opener Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
- The Hawks lineup for Friday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild will be “close” to the one in the opener, while Saturday’s preseason finale against the St. Louis Blues likely will feature players from the Rockford IceHogs.
