How the Blackhawks' leadership and vibe has changed without Nick Foligno

LAS VEGAS — After one of Nick Foligno's last practices with the Blackhawks, he pointed at an iPhone.

"Because of these," Foligno said while gesturing, "there's not a lot of talking."

Indeed, the Hawks had just spent much of the practice working on communication between forwards and defensemen on breakouts. Twenty years ago, that skill might've come to players more instinctively.

"You used to meet at a coffee shop or bar, and everyone would be sitting and talking," Foligno added. "Now you're sitting on your phone. There's a little bit of disconnect in the generation coming up.

"But that doesn't mean [communication] can't be taught. It doesn't mean it's not a big part of the game. The teams that do it are the ones that are pretty successful. It's [about having] an understanding and an unselfishness to [think], 'OK, I've got to push myself in that direction.'"

One week since Foligno, the world's most loquacious man, was traded — along with fellow veterans Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson and outspoken, mischievous youngster Colton Dach — the new vibe of the Hawks' locker room is still being sorted out.

"'Fliggy' is very talkative, and once you don't have that, it's a stark contrast," Matt Grzelcyk said. "It's not that everyone has to be talking every minute, but you [need to] pick up the slack a little bit here and there."

Said Frank Nazar: "[I'm not] trying to think of the things that he says and say them. [I'm going to] just stick to saying what I say and being me, and other guys are going to do the same."

Grzelcyk, 32, is actually now the Hawks' oldest player, and his teammates have been playfully teasing him about it.

He's fairly quiet and private, though. He said he tries to "lead by example" — surely one of the most common refrains spoken across the league — but he's an unlikely candidate to step into Foligno's or even Murphy's shoes, leadership-wise.

If anyone, the Hawks' new rallier-of-men might be Tyler Bertuzzi.

He's an unconventional alternate captain, considering how much he dislikes interviews and other public-facing appearances. But he apparently showcases a radically different side of his personality when alone with his teammates, and coach Jeff Blashill unabashedly loves him.

"He's a boisterous guy," Blashill said. "You can hear his laugh from a mile away. He's a fun guy that way, and he won't change that, but he also isn't afraid to say when he thinks guys need to do things better, including himself.

"The most important thing, when you get things like a letter put on you, is that you don't change who you are at all. Certainly, I didn't have to worry about that with him. One thing I know...is Tyler is going to be Tyler. And good for him."

On the ice, however, there's no doubt the Hawks' emotional leader is Connor Bedard. His off-the-charts competitiveness shined Thursday in Utah, and he always seems to perform best when he's in that kind of fiery, venomous mood.

Is Bedard chatty like Foligno? Absolutely not. Is he, like most Gen Z kids, addicted to his phone? Probably.

But having matured significantly on and off the ice over the last three years, the 20-year-old seems qualified for the captaincy and prepared to push the Hawks forward in his own unique way.

Asked last week if he intended to step up as a leader in the wake of Foligno's departure while simultaneously staying true to his genuine self, Bedard had the perfect response ready: "I think my genuine self is a leader."

The Hawks are also confident that more young leaders will emerge within their group as time progresses.

"When others are leading, guys are going to follow suit," Blashill said. "Then when those guys aren't there anymore, people step up into those leadership roles more easily."