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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Matej Chalupa

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The Chicago Blackhawks have dipped into the European free agent waters once again, this time signing Matej Chalupa out of the Czech Republic. Chalupa has agreed to terms on a two-year entry-level contract that will start with the 2020-21 season.

The 21-year old Chalupa went undrafted but has continued to progress and recorded seven goals and 24 points playing in the highest Czech professional league. That was actually good enough for fourth on his team in scoring and obviously grabbed the attention of the Blackhawks.

Chicago has had success bringing over free agent European talent in the past, including fellow Czech forward David Kampf who has played 179 games over the last three years for the club. Even if Chalupa only becomes a depth piece for the team, finding any NHL-level talent on the open market is a way to support your organization and work within a tight salary cap.

Blackhawks Forward Anton Wedin Signs With HV71

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May 9: HV71 announced that they have indeed signed Wedin.  It’s a three-year deal which means he won’t be trying his hand in North America again anytime soon.

May 3: Last year, Blackhawks winger Anton Wedin decided to try his hand in North America and signed as an undrafted free agent with Chicago.  It appears that his stay will be short-lived, however, as Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros reports that Wedin will be returning to Sweden and is expected to sign with HV71 of the SHL.  Farjestad was also believed to be interested in his services.

The 27-year-old played in four games with the Blackhawks this season but had a very limited role in those contests, averaging just 9:04 per game while being held off the scoresheet.  However, he was much more productive with AHL Rockford, recording seven goals and ten assists in 31 contests but he also missed time due to a knee injury.

He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason but considering his lack of NHL experience, it would be hard to imagine him getting much interest if he stuck around and waited for the market to open up.  Considering the NHL’s intention is to resume play, free agency may not be until September or later and by that time, international leagues may already be up and running.  As a result, reaching a deal back home now is likely a smart decision for Wedin who could always retry the NHL if things go well next season.

Brent Seabrook Three-To-Four Months Away From Resuming Hockey-Related Activities

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  • Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook participated in a fundraiser for Chicago’s Community COVID-19 Response Fund earlier this week. NBC Sports Chicago’s Scott King relays an important note from the blueliner who mentioned that there haven’t been any setbacks from his three surgeries from earlier this season (both hips and his right shoulder) and that he’s hopeful to resume hockey-related activities in the next three to four months.  He has been a speculative buyout candidate as of late but even if there is a compliance buyout put in as a result of a levelled out salary cap due to this pandemic, the extended timeline to resume hockey activities may make him ineligible to be bought out unless the official offseason is delayed long enough for him to be cleared.

Chicago Blackhawks Release CEO John McDonough

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The Chicago Blackhawks have sent shockwaves across the hockey world today, announcing that they have “released” John McDonough from his role as team president and CEO. Chairman Rocky Wirtz explained the decision:

Thirteen years ago, I recruited John to the Blackhawks because of his leadership, direction and vision. John brought all of that to the table and more. His contributions went well beyond leading the team to three Stanley Cup Championships. He rebuilt the front office and helped guide the organization toward a winning vision. As difficult as this is, we believe it was the right decision for the future of the organization and its fans.

The club will immediately begin a search to fill the role of team president. Daniel Wirtz, who currently serves as vice president and alternate governor, will serve as president in the interim.

Immediately questions will be raised about the future of Stan Bowman, who took over as general manager in 2009 when Dale Tallon was fired weeks after signing Marian Hossa to a 12-year $63.3MM contract. The Blackhawks have failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, causing many fans to believe that the hockey operations should be under new leadership. Change near the top often drips down an organizational chart, meaning there could be further changes in the coming months.

Still, McDonough’s contribution to the Blackhawks should not be overlooked. When he took over as president in 2007 (CEO wouldn’t be added to his title until 2011), the Blackhawks were drawing just over 12,000 fans per game according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. As he leaves, they are currently on a 531-game sellout streak and won the Stanley Cup three times during his tenure.

Just over a month ago, Wirtz told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that there would be no changes in the front office after a frustrating season. In fact, he went so far as to say “if I wasn’t confident (in McDonough, Bowman and head coach Jeremy Colliton), they wouldn’t be employed. Yeah, I’m very confident.”

Chicago’s Jacob Nilsson To Return To Sweden

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Just two years after leaving his native Sweden, Chicago Blackhawks forward Jacob Nilsson is heading back. Farjestad BK of the SHL has announced that they have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the 26-year-old forward. Nilsson, who signed a one-year extension with Chicago last year, was poised to become a restricted free agent this off-season but has seemingly already made his decision.

Nilsson, who Farjestad accurately calls a “late bloomer” in their press release, played in the junior and minor league levels in Sweden until 2017-18 when his former club, Mora IK, was promoted to the SHL. After just that one lone season, Nilsson’s strong two-way play caught the eye of the Blackhawks and earned him an entry-level contract. However, last season Nilsson appeared in just two games with Chicago and had not played in an NHL game this season.

With that said, Nilsson has been fairly productive in the AHL, recording 22 goals and 53 points over two seasons with the Rockford Ice Hogs. He may not have NHL ability, but Farjestad is excited to bring in the skilled center. He joins fellow Swede and former Blackhawks teammate Victor Ejdsell with his new club and they hope to lead Farjestad to a similar or better result as this season, in which the team finished second in regular seasons standings but lost their shot at a title due to the cancelled postseason.

Ian Mitchell Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have convinced one of their top prospects to finally turn pro. Ian Mitchell has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks, foregoing his senior season at the University of Denver. Details of Mitchell’s deal haven’t been announced, as the start date has “yet to be determined.” That likely means that Mitchell’s contract will either begin in the 2019-20 season should it resume at any point, or alternatively 2020-21.

Should the season return this summer and Mitchell signs for 2019-20, he would be immediately eligible to suit up for the Blackhawks. Either way, you can bet he’ll be challenging for a full-time spot on the roster to begin next season.

Now 21, Mitchell has been an absolutely dominating offensive presence during his three seasons at DU. Through 116 games he recorded 18 goals and 89 points, impressive totals for a forward, let alone a defenseman. Those totals may have been even higher had he not left during the 2018-19 season to serve as an alternate captain with Team Canada at the World Juniors, or this season when he was part of the gold medal-winning Spengler Cup team.

That sort of international success is exactly why so many Chicago fans are excited about the premise of Mitchell joining the Blackhawks. Originally selected 57th overall in 2017, he is a natural puck-mover that is more often than not the best skater on the ice. Not only does that skating ability allow him to carry the puck up the ice himself, but his quick weight transfer and lateral movement open passing lanes to teammates that might not otherwise present themselves. It also allows Mitchell to close the gap on defense quickly, though his small stature—5’11” 173-lbs—still leads him to get outmuscled at times.

In all though, the package that Mitchell brings will be well received in Chicago after they lost Erik Gustafsson at the trade deadline and will see Duncan Keith turn 37 in July. He’ll join a group of young defenseman including Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin that have tremendous upside and could turn Chicago’s back end into a puck-moving machine over the next few years.

Michal Teply Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have inked another interesting prospect, this time signing Michal Teply to a three-year entry-level contract. Teply broke the news himself on Instagram, thanking his family and friends for supporting him in his journey so far.

Still just 18 years old, Teply was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft and spent this season playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL. During his 53 games with Winnipeg he registered 63 points, while also taking part in the World Juniors for the Czech Republic.

Even though he was a mid-round pick, it’s hard to know exactly where the ceiling is offensively for Teply. Standing 6’3″ 192-lbs, he is big enough to lean on defenders and use a long reach to protect the puck, but is also an excellent playmaker that almost always looks to pass first. There is still a lot to polish in his game, but the Blackhawks obviously felt he had shown enough to reward him with an NHL contract already.

Interestingly, even though he played in the CHL this season Teply could potentially spend the 2020-21 season in the AHL if the Blackhawks wanted him to. Drafted out of the Czech leagues, he could also return to Europe should they feel he needs to compete against players older than him. There are plenty of options for his next step, making his development path one to keep an eye on going forward.

Snapshots: Laviolette, Darling, AHL Signings

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It’s been quite a while since former Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette has coached a game. The 55-year-old coach was fired by Nashville on Jan. 6 and was later hired to coach the U.S. at the World Championships which was cancelled on Mar. 21. However, the head coach has made it clear that he wants to return to the NHL coaching ranks as soon as possible, according to Adam Kimmelman of NHL.com.

The coach has gone back and looked at his successes behind the bench in hopes of improving as a coach.

“Right now, I think I’m just focused on going back to what I found has worked for me as a coach and go back to that,” Laviolette said. “I don’t have a team, I don’t have any players, but what I can focus on is what happens when I can go to a team and I can start to get involved with the players and the identity of the team and building that team, building the organization.”

  • Former NHL goaltender Scott Darling spent the 2019-20 season in Austria, quite a step down from the NHL after he was bought out by the Florida Panthers at the start of the season. While his team Innsbruck struggled last season, his numbers didn’t project those of a former NHL player as he finished with a 3.34 GAA and a .898 save percentage in 33 games. However, the 31-year-old, who played with the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes, made it clear that his primary goal is to return to North America and resume his career there, even if that means signing an AHL deal and working his way up from there, according to John Dietz of the Daily Herald. “This pandemic has kind of sidetracked everything,” Darling said. “I was talking to some teams here. Ideally I’m going to try and play here next year, whether it be starting in the (AHL) or whatever.”
  • Two junior players signed their first professional contracts as the Toronto Marlies announced they have signed defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer and forward Jeremy McKenna to two-year AHL contracts. the 21-year-old Hoefenmayer was the biggest prize after leading all OHL defensemen in scoring last season with 26 goals and 82 points last season for the Ottawa 67s. Hoefenmayer was originally a fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes, but was never offered a contract by the Coyotes. McKenna scored 40 goals and 82 points with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL this season. Both will join the Marlies next season, a team well-known for developing their minor league players.

Ryan Shea Not Expected To Sign With Blackhawks

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Soon after a report surfaced that Luke Martin was unlikely to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, news that another top collegiate defenseman will test free agency has popped up. According to Rinkside Rhode Islander reporter Mark Divver, Ryan Shea will not sign with the Chicago Blackhawks and instead will become an unrestricted free agent later this summer. Shea recently completed his senior season at Northeastern University, where he served as captain.

Unlike Martin, whose game almost entirely revolves around his defensive play, Shea has blossomed offensively over the years at Northeastern and recorded 31 points in 34 games this season. The left-handed defenseman was a fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks back in 2015 but played a year in the USHL before heading to college. He can become an unrestricted free agent after August 15th—though that date may change depending on how the league ends up scheduling the coronavirus-delayed offseason.

Chicago announced four signings earlier today, including Evan Barratt, one of their more highly-touted college prospects, but Shea shouldn’t be completely overlooked. The 23-year old has improved his skating and defensive play every year and was relied on in all situations by the Huskies.

Earlier this year, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke to Shea and asked him if he felt any loyalty to the Blackhawks organization. At that point, the young defenseman told Powers that his relationship with Blackhawks director of player development Mark Eaton was “very strong” and that Chicago felt like the right spot by “all indications.” Obviously, things haven’t gone exactly according to that plan.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Four Players

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had a busy morning, signing new contracts with four different players. The team has announced two-year contract extensions for both Matthew Highmore and Kevin Lankinen, while also inking Evan Barratt and Andrei Altybarmakyan to entry-level deals.

Highmore’s contract will carry an average annual value of $725K and is a two-way deal in 2020-21 and a one-way deal in 2021-22. Lankinen meanwhile gets an $800K average annual value, though it is also a two-way deal in 2020-21 and a one-way contract in 2021-22. Due to their ages, Barratt has signed a three-year entry-level deal, while Altybarmakyan’s contract is only for two years.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the team would extend Highmore, after the 24-year old proved he could be a full-time member of the NHL squad. The undrafted forward had six points in 36 games with the Blackhawks this season, mostly playing an energy role on the fourth line. His near-minimum cap hit will help the Chicago front office navigate an offseason in which they have several tough negotiations. Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome are both scheduled for restricted free agency, but the team won’t have much room if the salary cap is adversely affected by the stoppage as expected.

Lankinen meanwhile lands a new deal as a depth goaltender, one that may be very important to the organization depending on what happens with Corey Crawford. The veteran goaltender is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, leaving the Blackhawks without a clear starter for next year.

It is Barratt who is perhaps the most interesting player signed today, after finishing another excellent season at Penn State. The 21-year old forward was originally a third-round selection in 2017, but has turned in three strong years at the collegiate level and was even selected for Team USA at the 2019 World Juniors. Barratt will turn pro and try to work his way up a Blackhawks organization that will be looking for young, cheap talent in the coming years.

Altybarmakyan is another third-round pick from 2017, selected out of Russia 20 spots higher than Barratt. The 21-year old winger has played the last two seasons for Sochi in the KHL, scoring six goals and 17 points this year. Despite arriving in the Blackhawks organization at the same time, Altybarmakyan could have actually been picked a year earlier—he went undrafted in his first year of eligibility. Since his birthday is nearly six months earlier than Barratt, his entry-level deal will expire a year sooner.

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