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Tim Soderlund Loaned To Almtuna

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The Chicago Blackhawks have loaned another young player overseas, sending Tim Soderlund to Almtuna IS of the Swedish second league. Soderlund is coming off his first year in North America after signing his entry-level contract in 2019.

Now 22, Soderlund was a fourth-round pick from 2017 that has always been an interesting prospect because of his blazing speed. Before coming to the Rockford IceHogs for this season, he played two full years at the SHL level, also suiting up twice for Sweden at the World Juniors (winning silver in 2018).

The 5’9″ forward scored just three points in 29 games for Rockford, but could be back for his sophomore season if the Blackhawks feel it necessary. Of course, it’s not exactly clear when the AHL season will begin, meaning Soderlund will have to focus on his game overseas for now.

Joni Tuulola Signs In Finland

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When the Chicago Blackhawks go to sign their restricted free agents this offseason, they’ll have to convince at least one to return from Europe. Joni Tuulola has signed a one-year deal with KooKoo in Finland, but the deal includes an NHL out-clause should he reach a new agreement in North America.

Tuulola, 24, has spent the last two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, recording 22 points in 110 games. The 6’3″ defenseman was a sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2015 and was part of the 2016 gold medal-winning Finnish team at the World Juniors.

As his entry-level deal is just coming to an end, Tuulola is scheduled to be an RFA this offseason and is arbitration-eligible. In order to retain his rights, the Blackhawks would need to extend him a qualifying offer. For now, he’ll spend his days playing in Europe and continuing his development.

Offseason Keys: Chicago Blackhawks

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As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, it means that the offseason has arrived for several more squads.  Having covered the teams that weren’t a part of the NHL’s return and the ones ousted in the Qualifying Round, we shift our focus to the ones that were eliminated in the official first round.  Next up is a look at Chicago.

The regular season wasn’t kind to the Blackhawks as when the pandemic hit, they were well out of playoff contention and had already traded their starting goalie to Vegas.  However, they were among the teams invited back in the NHL’s Return to Play and they made their presence felt as they eliminated Edmonton before falling to the Golden Knights with Robin Lehner between the pipes.  While Chicago now has some momentum off what was shaping up to be a tough year, GM Stan Bowman has some work to do this offseason.

Free Up Cap Space

Over the last couple of years, Chicago was able to get out from under their perpetual salary cap concerns.  The flattening of next year’s Upper Limit will put them right back into that familiar refrain of cap difficulty, especially since they won’t have the LTIR of Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw to rely on as both plan to be ready to return next season.

With those two on the roster, the Blackhawks have more than $74MM in commitments for next season and a lingering bonus overage penalty of more than $877K which can either be taken in full in 2020-21 or split evenly over the next two years.  Out of that remaining cap space, they have three regular forwards in need of new deals including a Calder candidate while neither of the goalies they had to finish the year is under contract.  (More on those two situations shortly.)  Clearly, something has to give.

One of the speculated options would be to use a buyout or two.  Forward Zack Smith, a healthy scratch at times during the year, seems like a logical candidate with a $3.25MM price tag but a back issue at the end of the season could complicate things if he isn’t cleared by the offseason.

On the trade front, defenseman Olli Maatta had a quiet year (though he did better in the playoffs) and isn’t quite living up to his $4.083MM AAV.  Calvin de Haan ($4.55MM) is also pricey and is coming off an injury-plagued year which won’t help his trade value.  Connor Murphy ($3.85MM) is less likely to be moved but may have a bit more value.  With Seabrook and Duncan Keith ($5.538MM) on the books and not being moved, trimming from their veteran rearguards to save some cap space is a logical place to look but other options will have to be considered as well.

One way or another, the Blackhawks are back in familiar territory where they will have to trim from their roster to keep the rest of it intact.  Until that happens, they’ll be limited with what they can do this offseason.

Re-Sign Or Replace Crawford

When Chicago traded Lehner to Vegas, it opened up the starting role to once again be filled by Corey Crawford and he held his own down the stretch and in the playoffs.  However, the 35-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent in October and while he indicated last week that he’s leaning towards staying in Chicago, having the starting role will ultimately play a role in that decision.

What’s the right price tag to keep Crawford around?  His expiring deal carries a $6MM AAV which may be a bit on the high side but not by too much.  Platoon goalies have been exceeding $3MM over the last few years and Crawford, if he re-signs, is at least going to at least be lined up for playing time equivalent to someone on the strong side of a platoon.  With minimal cap space to bring in a quality backup, perhaps he’d be up for even more game action which would only bolster his negotiating leverage.  As a result, it’s out of the realm of possibility that Crawford’s next contract winds up close to the $5MM in salary he received this season.  If that happens, most of their cap space will be wiped out in the process.

It’s also worth that Malcolm Subban, acquired as part of the Lehner trade, is a restricted free agent.  It’s possible that he could return while Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen could be in the mix as well.  If Crawford stays, they’ll have to go with a cheaper backup option which means one of those three would likely be his backup.

But if Crawford decides to go elsewhere, Bowman may have to change plans quickly.  There aren’t many proven starters available in free agency and the ones that are will likely command more than Crawford.  In that case, Chicago may have to pivot back to their strategy from this season with a platoon.  Out of their backup options, none are qualified for that role so the Blackhawks may then have to shop for a new tandem altogether despite not having much to spend.  If Crawford stays, things are pretty simple but if not, things get a lot more complicated quickly.

Kubalik Deal

Of the three regular forwards that are set to become restricted free agents, winger Dominik Kubalik is the most intriguing one.  Contract negotiations are based on comparable players and situations but when it comes to Kubalik, there are no real comparable circumstances.  There have been plenty of 30-goal scorers that hit restricted free agency but as a 24-year-old in his first season in North America?  That’s a new one.  Add in arbitration eligibility due to his age and you have the makings for a case to keep an eye on.

Given his limited NHL track record and their salary cap situation, a short-term contract is all but a certainty.  After making $925K in base salary plus signing bonuses this season (he also hit half of his ‘A’ bonuses for $425K), he’s looking at a sizable raise and could conceivably surpass $3MM, even on a one-year deal.  Kubalik finished in the top-20 in goals this season with that low price tag.  Of the others in that group, the next cheapest player was Florida’s Mike Hoffman at just under $5.2MM.  The majority of the players in that group can’t be used as comparables in an arbitration filing as they were UFA-aged deals but it just goes to show how impressive his rookie performance was.

The futures of their other two forward RFAs (Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula) are in question.  The former has been in trade speculation dating back to the regular season while the latter could be a non-tender candidate to save some money.  There is no such question with Kubalik.  Instead, it’s just a matter of when he signs and for how much.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dominik Kubalik To Speak With Agent Over Next Couple Of Weeks About His Next Contract

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Blackhawks winger Dominik Kubalik is one of the more intriguing restricted free agent cases to watch for this season.  The Calder Trophy finalist had 30 goals during the regular season and was one point off the team lead in their playoff run.  At 25, he’s also eligible for salary arbitration and when you combine that with the other factors, you get a rather rare combination.

However, it’s something that Kubalik hasn’t really given much thought to yet as he told Jay Cohen of the Associated Press that he’s just happy to be back home in the Czech Republic right now and that he anticipates that he’ll speak to his agent about his contract situation over the next couple of weeks.  The Blackhawks only have roughly $7MM in cap space with which to re-sign Kubalik and Dylan Strome plus a goaltending tandem.  It’s safe to say GM Stan Bowman has some work to do.

Free Agent Notes: Top-10, Pietrangelo, Crawford

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After the morning news was dominated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins completing a trade, you might be wondering what is next for clubs looking to improve their lot. While the trade market is apparently open, free agency—set to start in October—is where a number of exceptional names will be available for nothing more than money. Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down the ten names he believes are at the top of the list, including three different Florida Panther forwards.

Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all set to hit the open market and it is not clear if the Panthers will try to retain any of them. In fact, it’s not very clear what the Panthers want to do with any members of their team given the uncertainty in the front office. Florida is still on the search for a new general manager, who will have to quickly make some tough decisions (or engage in brief negotiations) with his trio of pending free agent forwards.

  • The very top name on Seravalli’s list however is Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues captain and one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Pietrangelo actually spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic today and explained how much the Blues franchise means to him after a decade manning the blueline in St. Louis. Pietrangelo has always indicated a desire to remain in St. Louis, but in a flat-cap world it’s not going to be easy for the Blues to pull off. The team currently has nearly $79.5MM in salary committed to next season already including expensive extensions that kick in for Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. That doesn’t leave room for Pietrangelo, meaning they’d have to clear the deck if they want to bring the 30-year old back.
  • Speaking of players who want to stay put, Corey Crawford was clear in his intentions when speaking with reporters today. As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports, Crawford explained that he’s “definitely leaning towards staying in Chicago” but that he does want to be a starter still. Crawford admitted that a short-term deal might work for both him and the Blackhawks—which makes sense given the salary cap situation and the fact that Crawford will turn 36 in December.

Snapshots: Crawford, Toffoli, Myers, Grubauer, Ritchie

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When Stan Bowman addressed the media Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks general manager made it quite clear he wasn’t going to comment on the team’s plans regarding their goaltending situation and in particular, longtime goaltender Corey Crawford.

Crawford, who hits unrestricted free agency at the age of 35, finds himself in a unique position. He could choose to stay or go, but no matter what, he isn’t likely to meet his 2019-20 salary of $6MM. While Bowman didn’t want to comment on what the teams plans are regarding their goaltending, he did remark that some players might be willing to take a home-town discount to stay with the team. Obviously, Chicago hopes that Crawford might be willing to accept that, according to John Dietz of the Daily Herald.

“It’s fair to say that there is a value to a situation where you’ve been around, not just the city, but coaching staff, players, the whole (thing),” Bowman said. “You’ve lived this. You also have time outside that you’re going to have to experience in a new city. Some people may look at moving as an adventure. Others, it’s daunting. I don’t try to figure that out. That’s something players will have to decide on their own.”

The team hopes to make an even bigger mark in the playoffs next year, but really don’t have a starting caliber goaltender under contract for next year unless they can convince Crawford to re-sign with the team. He finished the season with a 2.77 GAA and a solid .917 save percentage in 40 appearances during the regular season. His numbers weren’t as solid in the playoffs as he finished with a 3.31 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

  • The Vancouver Canucks will have to go without one of their top scorers for another game as Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy reports that Tyler Toffoli will be out for Game 1 against the Golden Knights Sunday with a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old has only made one playoff appearance so far this postseason. He did tally six goals and 10 points in 10 games after being acquired by the Canucks. TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that both Toffoli and defenseman Tyler Myers (also out Sunday) are both getting closer to being ready. However, TSN’s Matthew Sekeres reports that Myers will likely need at least a week before being able to return with a Game 3 or 4 return potentially possible.
  • The Colorado Avalanche will be without a few players for Game 2 of the conference semifinals, according to head coach Jared Bednar. The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers reports that the team will be without goaltender Philipp Grubauer for Game 2 as Pavel Francouz will take over as the starter with Michael Hutchinson as his backup. The team is trying to bring in Hunter Miska into the bubble in Edmonton to serve as the team’s third goalie. Bednar also noted that defenseman Erik Johnson is probably out, while Matt Calvert is questionable to play.
  • With the Tampa Bay Lightning having more size and strength on its side, NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty reports that the Boston Bruins intend to start forward Nick Ritchie to their lineup to add some size of its own. He will likely fill in on the third line, dropping Sean Kuraly to the fourth line. Par Lindholm is expected to drop out of the lineup. The 24-year-old Ritchie does provide some size as he is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and should make a physical difference against the Lightning. However, he hasn’t found the scoreboard yet with no points in four playoff games this year.

Bowman: Likely A Quiet Offseason For Blackhawks

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The Blackhawks surprised many with their upset of Edmonton in the Qualifying Round before being ousted quickly by Vegas.  Still, it was a promising step for a team that was going to miss the postseason altogether in a normal year.  Despite the small change in their fortunes, GM Stan Bowman told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, that he doesn’t foresee much in the way of changes for next season.  The team already has $74MM in commitments for next season with no starting goalie under contract while winger Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome need new deals as well.  That doesn’t leave any room to really add to the roster.

Snapshots: Stars-Avalanche, Dubois, Seabrook

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The NHL hasn’t even finished the first round, with two series playing game six tonight, but they’re already moving on with at least one second-round series. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are set to start their battle tomorrow night according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The league obviously wants to take advantage of a Saturday night, but also is determined to get through the bubble-playoffs as quickly as possible. Both first-round game sevens, should they be needed, are scheduled for Sunday.

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t able to carry the Columbus Blue Jackets to a first-round victory but did show that he’s an emerging star in the NHL. That will only help him when he negotiates his next contract this fall. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examines the young center’s situation, explaining that he believes a three-year deal would make sense. Interestingly though, LeBrun writes that “if Dubois signs longer term, it’s going to be for tangibly more than [William] Nylander.” The Toronto Maple Leafs forward signed a six-year, $45MM deal in 2018.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks are still hoping that Brent Seabrook can be an impact player for them in 2020-21, even after his major surgeries limited him to just 32 games this season and took him out of the postseason. Seabrook, who rehabbed hard to try and be a part of the team in the bubble, will have his role “figured out in training camp” according to Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, who spoke to reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald. The 35-year-old defenseman has four years remaining on his contract.

Busy Offseason Awaits Chicago After Playoff Exit

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The Chicago Blackhawks were the first team eliminated from the 2020 playoffs (obviously not counting the qualification-round losers) when they were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights last night. An Alex Tuch third period goal proved to be the difference in game five, but the Blackhawks were surprised to even be in that situation in the first place. The expanded return to play format allowed them an opportunity to play postseason hockey despite selling off several expiring contracts at the deadline—including Robin Lehner, the winning goaltender for the Golden Knights.

Those deadline moves aren’t the only tough decisions that need to be made by the Blackhawks before the start of next season.

All of it, as it does so often, comes down to goaltending. As John Dietz of the Daily Herald tweets, the future of Corey Crawford will determine so much of the future of the Blackhawks. The 35-year-old goaltender has dealt with concussion symptoms and inconsistency but still managed to put up a .917 save percentage in 2019-20. He was the obvious choice for the Blackhawks in the qualification and first round of the playoffs, but he’s also set to become an unrestricted free agent when his six-year $36MM deal expires this fall.

Does Crawford come back to the Blackhawks—the only team he’s ever known—on a short-term deal to finish his career? What about Collin Delia, the 26-year old netminder who signed a three-year deal with the Blackhawks in 2019 only to spend this entire season in the minor leagues? Will Malcolm Subban be re-signed to serve as the NHL backup?

All of these questions are where the offseason starts for Chicago, but it won’t stop there. The team also has some extremely important restricted free agents to sign, including Calder Trophy finalist Dominik Kubalik. Unlike many other first-year players, Kubalik turns 25 in just two days and will likely be commanding a long-term deal unless the Blackhawks want to walk him into unrestricted free agency at a relatively young age. He’s already arbitration-eligible, meaning his rookie-leading 30 goals can be used as leverage against the Chicago front office.

There is also Dylan Strome, the third-overall pick from 2015 who reignited his career in Chicago. Though he certainly wasn’t as explosive as 2018-19, he still had 38 points in 58 games and will be looking for a raise of his own.

For those raises, the Blackhawks don’t have a lot of space. If Brent Seabrook comes back from injury and is ready to play, the team has over $74MM committed in salaries for next season. That doesn’t include Kubalik, Strome, or Crawford, three names that would likely eat up the remaining space under a flat $81.5MM ceiling. If that’s the situation they’re in, there may be some trades coming to free up salary.

The name that always seems to come up in those trade talks is Brandon Saad, but this summer could prove to bring about even more chatter. That’s because Saad is heading into the final year of his six-year $36MM deal and a partial no-trade clause will soon kick in. Saad was effective in the playoffs for Chicago, but with the team moving towards a new younger wave of talent is he going to be too expensive to retain?

On defense, the team has already seen what young names like Nicolas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist, and Lucas Carlsson can do. They have Ian Mitchell expected to challenge for a roster spot in training camp after signing his entry-level deal this summer, and other prospects like Dennis Gilbert and Chad Krys pushing for a chance. That means more changes could come on the blueline, which currently has five players earning at least $3.85MM (including Seabrook).

Making it through the qualification round was fun and gave the hockey world another chance to witness what Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane can do in postseason play. But make no mistake this Chicago team is changing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Blackhawks Sign Cameron Morrison

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A total of 21 prospects quietly became unrestricted free agents over the weekend.  Chicago has dipped their toes into the market once again as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Blackhawks have signed winger Cameron Morrison to a two-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

Morrison was a second-round pick of Colorado back in 2016 (40th overall) out of Youngstown of the USHL where he finished tied for second in league scoring.  While his production didn’t entirely carry over to his college career at Notre Dame, he was quite consistent offensively, picking up between 21 and 27 points in each of his four seasons.  He saved the best for last, picking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 37 contests this year.

The 21-year-old didn’t reach an agreement with the Avalanche so with his college eligibility now exhausted, he became a free agent although he wasn’t on the market for long.  Chicago has a long track record in recent years signing college players and several of them have worked their way into the lineup along the way.  On the surface, it’s unlikely that Morrison would crack their roster for next season but he should start with AHL Rockford; as things stand, they’re hoping to start the 2020-21 campaign in December similar to the NHL’s plans.

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