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Blackhawks Acquire Michael Chaput from Vancouver

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The Chicago Blackhawks announced a small trade today with the Vancouver Canucks between two players who have been unable to crack their respective lineups as Chicago acquired Michael Chaput from the Canucks in exchange for Tanner Kero.

Chaput has been a valuable commodity for Vancouver’s AHL team as he has bounced back and forth between the Comets and the Canucks. The 26-year-old forward tallied 17 goals and 25 assists last year with Utica in 55 games and only managed to appear in nine games for the Canucks, averaging 9:47 of ATOI and tallying no points. He did appear in 68 games in 2016-17, but couldn’t hold onto that job. With an influx of young talent pouring into the system, it appears that players such as Adam Gaudette or Jonathan Dahlen (unless they make the Canucks outright) will likely take over as top-line forwards for Utica, making Chaput expendable.

A restricted free agent with arbitration rights, Chaput will need to be signed, but again provides a cheap depth forward that Chicago needs with all its bloated, high-priced contracts at the top of their books. Already with 135 games of NHL experience, he provides the perfect bubble addition for the team that has a lot of youth that may or may not be ready for Chicago next season.

As for Vancouver, the team brings in Kero, who also has considerable experience playing between the AHL and NHL levels, but hasn’t been as successful. Kero tallied eight goals and 20 points in 36 games for the Rockford IceHogs last year, while he played eight games for Chicago, putting up a goal and two assists. He has 72 career NHL games under his belt. He provides value at the AHL level for the Comets, who need help at the center position there and he still has one year remaining on a $750K one-way deal.

 

2018 Draft Results By Team

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The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did with accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:

Anaheim Ducks

1-23.  F Isac Lundestrom, Lulea (SHL)
2-54. F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
3-79. F Blake McLaughlin, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-84. G Lukas Dostal, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic-Jr.)
4-116. F Jack Perbix, Elk River HS (USHS)
5-147. G Roman Durny, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6-178. D Hunter Drew, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)

Arizona Coyotes

1-5. F Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2-55. D Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-65. F Jan Jenik, HC Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic-2)
3-73. D Ty Emberson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-114. G Ivan Prosvetov, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
5-142. D Mitchell Callahan, Central Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)
5-145. D Dennis Busby, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-158. G David Tendeck, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
7-189. F Liam Kirk, Sheffield Steelers (England)

Boston Bruins

2-57. D Axel Andersson, Djurgardens IF (SuperElit)
3-77.  F Jakub Lauko, Pirati Chomutov (Czech Republic)
4-119. F Curtis Hall, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
6-181.  D Dustyn McFaul, Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
7-212. F Pavel Shen, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)

Buffalo Sabres

1-1. D Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda HC (SHL)
2-32. D Mattias Samuelsson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-94. F Matej Pekar, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
4-117. D Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Malmo Redhawks (SuperElit)
5-125. D Miska Kuukonen, Ilves (Jr.-Liiga)
7-187. D William Worge Kreu, Linkoping (SuperElit)

Calgary Flames

3-105. F Martin Pospisil, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
3-108. F Demetrios Koumontzis, Edina HS (USHS)
4-122. F Milos Roman, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
6-167. F Mathias Emilio Pettersen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-198. F Dmitri Zavgorodny, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

1-2. F Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-42. F Jack Drury, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
4-96. F Luke Henman, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
4-104. F Lenni Killinen, Espoo Blues (Jr.-Liiga)
6-166. D Jesper Sellgren, MODO (Allsveskan)
7-197. G Jake Kucharski, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

1-8. D Adam Boqvist, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
1-27. D Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
3-69. F Jake Wise, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
3-74. F Niklas Nordgren, HIFK Helsinki (Jr.-Liiga)
4-120. F Philipp Kurashev, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5-139. F Mikael Hakkarainen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6-162. G Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7-193. F Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)

Colorado Avalanche

1-16. F Martin Kaut, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic)
3-64. G Justus Annunen, Karpat (Jr.-Liiga)
3-78. F Sampo Ranta, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4-109. F Tyler Weiss, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
5-140. F Brandon Saigeon, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
5-146. D Danila Zhuravlyov, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
6-171. F Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-202. G Shamil Shmakov, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)Read more

Philipp Grubauer Generating Plenty Of Interest

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Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was very clear after the season that he would try to give Philipp Grubauer a chance to be a starting goaltender. That chance won’t be with the Capitals though, as MacLellan admitted he’d explore the trade market to try and find Grubauer an opportunity where he could step into a bigger role. In doing so, several sets of ears perked up around the league and speculation started swirling around who could afford to acquire the 26-year old goaltender.

Grubauer is a restricted free agent this summer, meaning a trade is the best outcome for the Capitals as well. Even with the increase in the salary cap from $75MM to $79.5MM, Washington doesn’t have a ton of room. Unrestricted free agent John Carlson may take half of their projected $15.7MM in cap space should they re-sign him, while Tom Wilson and others are also restricted free agents looking for raises. Grubauer, with all his success as the backup to Braden Holtby, is a luxury the team may not be able to afford.

He does have a successful resume though, which is likely why several teams have been calling with interest. Bob McKenzie of TSN was on the radio this morning reporting that there is plenty of interest in acquiring Grubauer, and listed the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche as teams that are “in” on the RFA goaltender. McKenzie suggests that teams may be willing to part with a first or second round pick if they believe Grubauer can step into a starting role, or at least a tandem with one of their current options. That goes along with the reports from Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) and Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the Capitals are looking for—or perhaps expecting—a late first or early second-round pick in exchange for their backup goaltender.

None of this means that the team will definitely trade Grubauer at the draft this weekend, but a draft pick today is worth more than one down the line in terms of development. The Capitals are looking to compete for a second consecutive Stanley Cup in 2018-19, but are also committed to building a program that can continue contending long-term. They are one of the few contending teams that did not give up their first-round pick at this year’s trade deadline, and are in good shape to keep adding prospects to a pipeline that has produced several key players over the years. If they can procure a pick in tonight’s first round, it would by default be higher than their first selection and allow them some more currency to try and work with as they strengthen their roster for another run.

Blackhawks Looking To Move Up; Have Looked Into Trade Options For Marian Hossa

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The Blackhawks have expressed an interest in moving up from the eighth spot in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.  However, GM Stan Bowman admitted that given the uncertainty of who will be picked starting at the number three selection, teams thus far have been hesitant to move down.  He also acknowledged that the team is “looking at our options” when it comes to possibly trading the contract of winger Marian Hossa.  While his career is over, he isn’t filing his retirement papers yet so he remains on the salary cap.  While Chicago can just put him back on LTIR for next season (and beyond), a team looking to stay at the cap floor while spending less in actual dollars may have some interest, similar to what Arizona did a couple of years ago with the additions of Pavel Datsyuk and Dave Bolland.

Draft Notes: Tkachuk, Blackhawks, Flyers

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One of the most well-known players in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft will be Brady Tkachuk, brother of Matthew Tkachuk, both who are sons of Keith Tkachuk. And while many know his name on sight, the 18-year-old physical and fast-skating wing is one of the most debated players in the draft with some having him go as high as the No. 3 pick with others having him slip out of the top-10.

While there is little doubt that he will succeed in the NHL, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, but how he will compare to his brother. At 6-foot-3, the powerful Tkachuk posted eight goals and 31 points in his inaugural season at Boston University. Matthew, meanwhile, who went sixth-overall in the 2016 draft, scored 30 goals in his lone junior season with the OHL London Knights before getting drafted. But, there is a split between which sibling is better with many thinking that Brady might be the better player.

“He has a little more finesse to his game,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. “Matthew and their dad could go right through the door at you, but Brady may be a little more deceptive with his skill set. But he still has the same drive and tenacity that drives him to the net — except he can also get there with an end-to-end rush.”

  • Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down the draft, team by team, to judge how willing each team is to trade their first-round pick. The most interesting observation is Custance notes that the Chicago Blackhawks are the most likely team to trade their first-round pick at No. 8. He notes that general manager Stan Bowman intends to make a major move this offseason, which could come in the form of center John Tavares or winger James van Riemsdyk, but the Hawks might consider trying to acquire a major player for their first-round pick instead as they want to make one last run with their core group of players.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that considering the draft success over the last four years by Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall and the fact that the team has nine draft picks, including the No. 14 and No. 19 picks in the first round, don’t be surprised to see some wheeling and dealing during the draft next weekend. While Carchidi said he trusts Hextall to draft two quality players with those two first picks, he wouldn’t be surprised if Hextall considers moving up in the draft, using both picks to move into the top 10. With many scouts suggesting that the No. 3 through No. 12 picks are interchangeable, the Flyers may be interested in moving into that range. The scribe adds that one legitimate possibility is trying to acquire Vancouver’s No. 7 pick, which the team is dangling.

Blackhawks Looking To Move The 27th Pick For Someone That Can Help Now

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  • The Blackhawks would like to move the 27th overall selection in next week’s draft for a player that can come in and help the team now, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. The pick was originally acquired back at the trade deadline from Nashville in exchange for winger Ryan Hartman.  Although Chicago missed the playoffs, they are still in win-now mode with several big contracts on the books so going for a rebuild doesn’t seem likely at this point.  If they do keep the pick, Lazerus notes that the team likes Drummondville defenseman Nicolas Beaudin who is currently pegged as a late first or early second-round selection.

Chicago Blackhawks Signs Vinnie Hinostroza To Two-Year Deal

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The Chicago Blackhawks are getting their restricted free agents out of the way early. After agreeing to a two-year deal with John Hayden this morning, the team has also agreed to a two-year contract extension with Vinnie Hinostroza. The deal will carry a $1.5MM average annual value.

Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that there is an expectation that Tomas Jurco will also re-sign, making quick work of the bulk of Chicago’s restricted free agents. In Hinostroza they likely have locked up the most important one, after the 24-year old recorded 25 points in just 50 games last season. Though he didn’t get much of a chance to play his natural position of center, Hinostroza was moved around the lineup and seemed to have a knack for finding teammates at important times. His 18 assists actually ranked him fifth among all Chicago forwards, ahead of full-time players like Brandon Saad and Artem Anisimov, and he’ll need to use that playmaking ability to secure a role on the team next season.

Contracts like these to Hayden and Hinostroza are integral to the Chicago salary structure as they continue to deal with mega-deals for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Brent Seabrook. Though those players are still effective—though, that may be argued at this point for Seabrook—they aren’t able to drag the roster to the playoffs by themselves any longer and rely on contributions from the role players on the roster. If Chicago is to make any real upgrades this season they’ll need all the cap room they can get, and Hinostroza locking down a full-time roster spot for $1.5MM is certainly acceptable.

Drafted in the sixth round in 2012, Hinostroza exploded in two years at Notre Dame and proved he could carry over his junior success to a higher level. After leaving school following his sophomore season, he didn’t look back and continued to dominate at the AHL level. He’ll have to make sure his body can handle the grind of an NHL season, but at this point in his short career no level of hockey has stunted his offensive production. If the Blackhawks are in for a 40+ point season in 2018-19, they’ll certainly take it.

The biggest question remaining in Chicago’s free agent pool is what to do with Anthony Duclair, who came over from the Arizona Coyotes but still wasn’t able to prove himself as a reliable goal-scoring threat. He had just two tallies over the 23 games with Chicago, and though he did accumulate eight points there are plenty of questions about whether he’ll take the next step. After earning $1.2MM last season, Duclair would still likely push for a raise in contract negotiations. After signing Hinostroza, the team likely has less than $10MM in cap space for this summer—though Marian Hossa’s contract is expected to be traded or put on long-term injured reserve once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

John Hayden Signs Two-Year Extension With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward John Hayden to a two-year one-way contract extension that carries a $750K average annual value. Hayden was scheduled to become a restricted free agent for the first time, but will re-sign with the Blackhawks without much trouble.

Hayden, 23, was a third-round selection by the Blackhawks in 2013, but ended up spending four years at Yale University. Though he could have waited and become an unrestricted free agent last summer, he instead signed in March 2017 and immediately jumped into games for the team. That burned through the first year of his entry-level deal, meaning this year—which he split between the NHL and AHL Rockford—was the final season of his contract. Hayden didn’t secure the big second contract that some other college players have in the past few seasons, and much of that is because of his unclear role on the team going forward. In 47 NHL games this season he recorded 13 points, but averaged fewer than 11 minutes a night.

If Chicago is to compete for the Stanley Cup again during the Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane window, they need players like Hayden to make an impact on relatively inexpensive contracts. Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat did that this year, but weren’t enough to drag the team to the playoffs. Inconsistent goaltending and a revolving-door blue line took care of that, but with GM Stan Bowman expected to make drastic changes in those areas this summer, players like Hayden will be looked to for a big contribution up front.

Hayden did record 17 points in 24 games for the IceHogs, but isn’t a high-end offensive player. Instead, he’s a big body that can punish defenders on the forecheck and open up some room for teammates. He does have some underrated puck skills, but his role on the Blackhawks going forward is unlikely to be one on the top two lines. Unless he finds a fit like Tom Wilson in Washington, Hayden will have to use his limited minutes to make as much of an impact as he can.

Chicago Prospect Ivan Nalimov Asks For Trade

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It’s not often that a player not under contract requests a trade, but Ivan Nalimov is going for it. The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2014 sixth-round pick has asked for his rights to be dealt to another NHL team, reports The Athletic’s Scott Powers. As one of the KHL’s best young goaltenders, Nalimov feels that he has earned a shot at the NHL next season, but agent Shumi Babaev feels that the opportunity won’t come in Chicago. Nalimov has already terminated his KHL contract for next season and is solely focused on the NHL, but doesn’t want to waste the prime of his career buried in the minors behind the Blackhawks’ many goalies. As a result, the young netminder would like to be moved to a team where he might have a greater chance at play time.

Nalimov, 23, is coming off of a season that was impressive for many reasons. Right away, it is easy to tell that this was a career campaign for the homegrown Russian goaltender and former KHL first-round pick. The big keeper finally put it all together in 2017-18 and posted a .938 SV% and 2.13 GAA in 23 appearances. His save percentage was among the best in the league, fourth among all goalies with 20+ appearances, and his goals against average was in the top 15 of that same group. However, a closer inspection makes those numbers even more impressive, as Nalimov was traded mid-season. Serving behind Igor Bobkov with Admiral Vladisvostok, Nalimov proved himself to be the best backup in the KHL this season with a .942 SV% and 1.98 GAA in 17 games. With his value escalating, he was moved to Salavat Yulaev Ufa to back up Ben Scrivens and hardly missed a beat in six more games there. His numbers fell off slightly, but his performance trumped the team’s existing backup and helped Ufa in their playoff pursuit, earning Nalimov some postseason appearances of his own. Nalimov not only performed at a high level this year, but did so with two teams and was unshaken by the adjustment. It’s understandable why he feels now would be the perfect time to make the ultimate adjustment and try his hand at the NHL.

Yet, Chicago is an unlikely location for that to happen. As Powers writes, the Blackhawks have three NHL-caliber goalies already under contract for next season in starter Corey Crawford and backups Anton Forsberg and J-F Berube, not to mention another pair of prospects signed to pro deals who already seem permanently relegated to the minors next season. In speaking with both Nalimov’s agent and Chicago GM Stan Bowman, Powers states that the ’Hawks really like Nalimov, but perhaps didn’t anticipate that he would develop this quickly or wish to come overseas this soon. They also might have underestimated his ceiling, as Chicago did spend a third-round pick on German standout Wouter Peeters just two years ago. Regardless, the Blackhawks do not have to listen to Nalimov’s request and they can retain his rights perpetually, but this could sour the young goalie on coming to North America altogether. If the decision is between potentially losing Nalimov forever due to a broken relationship or trading him away for at least some type of return, Bowman and company are likely to shop the prospect this summer.

Minor Notes: DiDomenico, Redmond, Crunch

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After fighting his way back to the NHL for 27 contests over the last two seasons, Chris DiDomenico has decided to return to Switzerland. The Rockford IceHogs announced today that DiDomenico had officially signed with the SCL Tigers of the NLA, leaving the minor league club after an outstanding playoff run. DiDomenico had made it back to the NHL with the Ottawa Senators before being traded to Chicago earlier this year. He never saw any time with the Blackhawks down the stretch, but did record 41 points in 35 games for the IceHogs including both regular season and playoff games.

It’s clear that DiDomenico would rather play in Europe than the minor leagues, as he already left back in 2012. Playing in Italy and Switzerland, DiDomenico dominated the lower leagues before recording 76 points in 94 games in the NLA. Once a sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one would have to think this is close to the end of the NHL dream for the 29-year old forward.

  • On the other hand, the Rochester Americans have signed defenseman Zach Redmond to a two-year AHL contract. That’s a big deal for a Buffalo Sabres franchise that is trying to improve the success of their minor league system without hamstringing the NHL club. Redmond is a veteran NHL player with 133 games under his belt, but won’t even take a contract spot away from the Sabres while he’s playing on this deal. The 29-year old must have either liked how the organization treated him after coming over from Montreal, or not believed that he could get a two-way contract anywhere else—or perhaps, both. Redmond recorded 47 points in 66 games for the Americans last season, and could easily be included in their leadership group this year.
  • The Syracuse Crunch have also locked up a pair of players on AHL contracts, signing forwards Troy Bourke and Brady Brassart to one-year deals. Bourke was actually a third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2012, but hasn’t been able to find his footing in the minor leagues and spent most of last season in the ECHL. He dominated that league though, and along with Brassart will try to make the jump to the AHL on a more full-time basis in 2018-19.

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