A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing -- it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world's attention.

The Chicago Blackhawks rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the first period with two goals in the second, but they lost 3-2 in a shootout. Connor Bedard scored for the second straight game.

The Chicago Blackhawks youth score against a dominant Colorado Avalanche team in Wednesday night's 3-1 win. In addition, Connor Bedard now has 18 points in his last 15 games including an eight-game point streak.

The Colorado Avalanche created plenty, but Petr Mrazek made 36 saves to help the Chicago Blackhawks upset the Avs, 3-1, Wednesday night at United Center.

“The Blackhawks — like every other team in the league — should be trying to move heaven and Earth to pry Elias Pettersson out of Vancouver,” Lazerus wrote. “Pettersson can make Bedard and the Blackhawks better immediately, and he’s young enough to fit Chicago’s longer-term timeline.”

If Reichel can emerge as a useful player for Chicago, it would be a huge development for a team that has all but written him off already.

Steven Stamkos scored in regulation and had Nashville’s third straight shootout goal in the Predators’ 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Nashville went 3-for-3 in the team's first shootout of the season with goals from Gustav Nyquist, Ryan O'Reilly Steven Stamkos,

It has been a while since the Central Divison rivals the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators faced off. They last met in October when the Blackhawks lost 3-2 at home.

Connor Bedard is frustrated by the Blackhawks’ struggles but encouraged by the prospect pool’s progress. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Share NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Connor Bedard is frustrated ...

The Blackhawks signed Brian Campbell a year later, and Marián Hossa a year after that. There was no distant future. There was just now. And within three years, they were Stanley Cup champions. “We just expected to win,

6:30 into the second period, Connor Bedard tied things up. This new-look first line of Bedard in the middle of Tyler Bertuzzi along with Frank Nazar seemed fun before the game and they lived up to it.