Central Notes: Crawford, Steen, Bouwmeester, Rinne
The Chicago Blackhawks have started the new season on a high note after bowing out early in the playoffs a year ago. The team has shown off its offense with 15 goals in two games, showing they have no intention of slowly fading away into obscurity. However, despite the success of the team’s offense, there is little attention focused on another key player, that of goaltender Corey Crawford, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Tracey Myers.
The veteran netminder has allowed just one goal in each of his first two starts, but has made many tough saves to keep the team’s lopsided scores as impressive as they were. Crawford’s .968 save percentage has been critical and has gotten the team off to another impressive start to start the season as he has stopped a few breakaway and second chances against him. While no one thinks those numbers are sustainable after just two games, Crawford spent much of the offseason working with former goaltender Jimmy Waite on the little parts of his game.
“I mean, he made several key saves,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I like him around the net. He’s cutting off plays that they’re trying to make that could generate even more chances. His anticipation in that area has been outstanding, he’s been moving the puck well, he’s square and seems like he’s very involved. A lot of good things have happened in a couple of games, but Crow’s been rock solid.”
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues forward Alex Steen is closing in on returning to practice with the team during their four-game road trip that starts on Monday. Steen, who broke his hand on Sept. 19 when he was slashed by the Stars’ Antoine Roussel, has been skating on his own prior to some practices, but is closer to rejoining the team than defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who is recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered in a preseason game on Sept. 17. However, Thomas writes that even Bouwmeester is inching towards a return, but Steen has the advantage.
- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes that the Nashville Predators went with Juuse Saros Saturday due to Pekka Rinne‘s lack of success when it comes to playing in PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Rinne, who lost all three of his starts there in the Stanley Cup finals (to go with a .755 save percentage there) and has never won there in six career starts. Saros, making his first start, allowed the first goal after 66 seconds of play, but played better once he settled down. He still allowed four goals, while Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray picked up his third shutout in a row against Nashville, including two shutouts in the Stanley Cup finals.
Nick Schmaltz To Miss At Least Two Games
- After suffering an upper-body injury in Saturday’s win over the Blue Jackets, Blackhawks winger Nick Schmaltz will miss at least the next two games as the team announced (via Twitter) that he will not join the team on their two-game Canadian road trip. The sophomore is off to a strong start this season with two goals and an assist through Chicago’s first two games of the season.
2017-18 Primer: Chicago Blackhawks
With the NHL season now underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Chicago Blackhawks.
Last Season: 50-23-9 record (109 points), first in Central Division (lost in the first round to Nashville)
Remaining Cap Space: $0 in regular space per CapFriendly, $2.44MM with LTIR
Key Additions: F Lance Bouma (free agency, Calgary), G Anton Forsberg (trade, Columbus), D Cody Franson (free agency, Buffalo), D Connor Murphy (trade, Arizona), D Jordan Oesterle (free agency, Edmonton), D Jan Rutta (Piráti Chomutov, Czech Extraliga), F Brandon Saad (trade, Columbus), F Patrick Sharp (free agency, Dallas), F Tommy Wingels (free agency, Ottawa)
Key Departures: D Brian Campbell (retirement), G Scott Darling (trade, Carolina), F Andrew Desjardins (free agency, unsigned), D Niklas Hjalmarsson (trade, Arizona), F Marcus Kruger (trade, Vegas – later dealt to Carolina), D Johnny Oduya (free agency, Ottawa), F Artemi Panarin (trade, Columbus), F Dennis Rasmussen (free agency, Anaheim), D Trevor van Riemsdyk (Vegas, expansion)
[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Brandon Saad – The trade that saw Saad return to the Blackhawks was among the biggest of the offseason. While he didn’t have a ton of pressure on him in his first stint with the team (one can only have so much pressure on an entry-level contract), that won’t be the case now.
Chicago will be counting on Saad to jump onto the top line alongside Jonathan Toews and that’s a role he didn’t find himself in too often with Columbus. They will also be asking him to help replace Panarin’s offense which is easier said than done; Saad’s career high in points is 53 (a mark he hit each of the past two years) while Panarin has reached 77 and 74 points over his two NHL seasons.
GM Stan Bowman admitted that a big part of the reason they did the trade was his familiarity with the team (although the two extra years on his contract were also important). Can that make enough of a difference for Saad to have a career year and hold down that top line spot while at least coming close to replacing Panarin’s offense? They’re certainly hoping so and expectations are quite high as a result.
Key Storyline: It wasn’t all that long ago that the Blackhawks were among the deeper organizations in the league. With the salary cap starting to flatline and more big contracts kicking in, the annual tradition of purging talent for cheaper options continued this summer. While they have always had enough talent in the system to fill out the roster with quality talent, their opening roster looks shallower than usual.
On defense, mainstays Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook return while Murphy is a serviceable top-four blueliner. However, the rest of their back end is full of question marks with either flawed veterans or youngsters who may or may not be able to be impact players. Bowman had to make a trade for defensive depth last season and he’ll likely need to do so again.
Up front, they have just five forwards making more than $1MM. As a result, they’re hoping that some cheap veterans and some unproven talent can hold down the fort; in particular, they’re hoping rookie Alex DeBrincat will be able to produce right away and also help replace Panarin’s production. Again though, the depth isn’t close to what it once was and will need to be supplemented.
Even with Marian Hossa, Jordin Tootoo, and Michal Rozsival all on LTIR, Bowman won’t have a whole lot of money to work with but some holes to fill. How will he bolster this roster as the season progresses with the limited financial resources he has? Bowman has gotten creative with the cap before and it wouldn’t be surprising if that happens again between now and the trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Montreal Canadiens Trade Andreas Martinsen To Chicago Blackhawks
The Montreal Canadiens weren’t done wheeling and dealing just yet, as the team announced that they have traded Andreas Martinsen to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kyle Baun. Like Nicolas Deslauriers, who was acquired earlier in the day by the Canadiens, Baun will report directly to Laval in the AHL.
The Canadiens had assigned Martinsen to Laval already this training camp, but with the addition of Deslauriers—who plays a similar game—apparently he was no longer needed. The Canadiens had traded for Martinsen at last season’s deadline when they decided to get bigger, but he was held scoreless for them down the stretch and into the playoffs. A big body without much offensive touch, Martinsen will provide some NHL experience for the Blackhawks at the AHL level.
Martinsen is on a one-way deal, but won’t impact the Blackhawks’ cap situation unless he’s recalled to the NHL. Since he cleared waivers this week, he can report straight to Rockford and help the IceHogs. The undrafted forward has played in 119 NHL games since coming over from the DEL in 2015, but has registered just 18 points. The skill he showed in his breakout season for Dusseldorf has never materialized in the North American ranks.
Baun also went undrafted, but has just five games of NHL experience under his belt. It’s unlikely he’ll see the Canadiens other than as an injury fill in, but will help the new AHL Rocket to have success in their first season since moving closer to Montreal.
Blackhawks Place Hossa On LTIR, Sign Cody Franson
The Chicago Blackhawks have completed what may be the worst kept secret in the league, by moving Marian Hossa to long-term injured reserve and signing Cody Franson to a one-year deal worth $1MM. Franson was technically in camp on a professional tryout, but those around the team had long guessed that he had a handshake deal in place to sign after the season was underway.
Franson will come in to help a defense that has more questions than ever for the Blackhawks. After trading away Niklas Hjalmarsson this offseason, the team will be relying on several inexperienced players to fill out the pairs behind Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Franson, with his 527 games played in the NHL has more league experience than Connor Murphy, Michal Kempny, Jan Rutta and Jordan Oesterle put together, making him a welcome sight for coach Joel Quenneville.
Still, Franson doesn’t come without his faults. During his time with Nashville, Toronto and Buffalo, Franson has garnered a reputation as an excellent puck-mover and powerplay quarterback that has trouble keeping up with speedy forwards and can sometimes find himself floating out of position in his own end. He’s seen the most success when sheltered with offensive zone starts and an easier matchup, something that he may not be welcome to in Chicago. While Keith will certainly take the toughest matchups on a nightly basis, Franson will likely be given his fair share of responsibility at both ends.
With Hossa going on LTIR (joining Michal Rozsival and Jordin Tootoo) and Franson signed, the Blackhawks now have several million dollars in cap room to play with this season. Alex DeBrincat and Gustav Forsling have been recalled for the season opener, eating into that cap space, but the team will still have a chance to bolster their defense corps in-season. It won’t be easy for the usually powerhouse Chicago franchise, but with a forward group that still boasts some of the very best players in the league, they certainly can’t be counted out.
Bryan Bickell Signs One-Day Contract With Chicago, Retires As Blackhawk
As the end to one of the most emotional stories in recent hockey history, Bryan Bickell has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in order to retire as part of the organization. Bickell released a statement regarding his retirement:
As any professional athlete will tell you, stepping away from the game is extremely difficult especially given my circumstances. I’m honored to be retiring a Chicago Blackhawk-a team that has given me and my family so many great memories.
At the start of last season, Bickell was told by doctors that he had multiple sclerosis and would likely need to end his hockey career. It was a devastating diagnosis for a player who was only 30-years old and just heading into the next chapter of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes. Bickell was not fazed though, and would work as hard as he could with the Hurricanes’ medical staff to return later in the season. He would be cleared to play just a few months later, and suit up for the Hurricanes in early March.
In his final game as an NHL player, Bickell would score in the shootout in front of his cheering family, and be congratulated by the entire roster on both sides. Everyone took a moment to forget the outcome of the game and respect the work he’d done to get back on the ice. He announced that he would retire from the game after that, and is now returning home to do so.
Bickell was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round back in 2004, and was part of three Stanley Cup runs during his time there. Though he was never an outstanding offensive player, most fans will remember his incredible 2013 postseason, in which he scored 17 points in 23 games, second on the team only to Patrick Kane. He was a huge part of the win that year, and will end his career with 39 points in 75 career playoff games, well above his regular season rate.
He and wife Amanda now run a foundation to help neglected or abandoned dogs, rehabbing some of them into therapy dogs for others with MS or various other debilitating diseases. Check out their work at the Bryan & Amanda Bickell Foundation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jordin Tootoo Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Chicago Blackhawks have made several roster moves heading into the season, including moving Jordin Tootoo to long-term injured reserve. The list also includes assigning several players to the minor leagues, but both Alex DeBrincat and Gustav Forsling are expected to be back with the club.
Tootoo joins Michal Rozsival on LTIR for the Blackhawks, who are also expected to use it for Marian Hossa after the roster deadline passes today. Chicago is using these transactions to maximize the amount of cap space they’ll be able to use, and set themselves up to sign Cody Franson to an NHL contract. The team is right up against the cap at the moment, but will have some room to play with once the season begins.
Interestingly, both Tootoo and Rozsival signed one-year contract extensions on the same day last season, in order to fulfill some of the expansion draft requirements for the Blackhawks. Now both will start the year away from the team on LTIR, without clear timelines on when they’ll be back with the team. Chicago will instead turn to another crop of young players to contribute this season, including DeBrincat and John Hayden.
Marian Hossa Cleared For Long-Term Injured Reserve
The NHL has made its decision on whether or not Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, and it’s a good one for the Chicago Blackhawks. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the league has decided that the Blackhawks can indeed use the cap-saving measure on Hossa, after they confirmed his skin disorder with an independent physician.
Hossa has dealt with the issue for years, but it has progressed to the point where he won’t be able to play this season. That raised several eyebrows around the league as the 38-year old has four years left on his contract at a $5.28MM cap hit, and the team is once again pushed right up to the cap ceiling. Despite the big cap hit, the contract will only actually pay Hossa $1MM per season, as the deal was signed before the previous collective bargaining agreement. Allowing him to be placed on LTIR will help the Blackhawks out salary-wise, but they would likely rather just have the future Hall of Fame forward in the lineup instead. Hossa’s presence is hard to replicate, and the Blackhawks will have to rely on some younger players to try and fill the gap left by his absence.
Though no one has said that this is basically a retirement for Hossa, it wouldn’t surprise many if it were. The legendary winger will turn 39 this season, and has done just about everything there is to do in his career. A three-time Stanley Cup Champion, six-time All-Star, and Memorial Cup Champion, Hossa has been a perennial Selke candidate as one of the league’s best defensive forwards while also recording 1,134 points in 1,309 regular season games. Add in another 149 points in 205 playoff contests, and participation in four different Olympic Games, and you have the resume of one of the greatest wingers in recent history.
Once Hossa is placed on LTIR, the Blackhawks should be able to add Cody Franson on an NHL contract of some sort. The free agent defenseman attended camp on a professional tryout, but has been expected to have a handshake deal in place since joining the team. Now that the club will get a little cap relief from moving Hossa to injured reserve, they’ll be able to announce whatever contract the two have agreed upon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Cody Franson And Alex Chiasson Should Sign Deals Soon
TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted this evening that Cody Franson and Alex Chiasson are “more likely than not” to sign NHL deals this week. Both were unrestricted free agents who were unable to secure contracts this offseason.
Defenseman Cody Franson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Chicago Blackhawks after failing to land a deal with another NHL team this summer. Franson last played for the Buffalo Sabres, scoring 3G and 16A in 68 games. His last contract with the Sabres was a two year deal worth $3.325MM a year. Part of the delay may be that the Blackhawks are waiting for the NHL to approve Marian Hossa‘s IR status.
Forward Alex Chiasson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Washington Capitals this summer—a team effort to boost forward depth. Chiasson scored 12G and 12A in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. If Chiasson stayed with the Capitals, it would be his fourth team in five full NHL seasons (not including his 7 game rookie season). The Capitals will also have to engage in some creative cap maneuvering because they are currently $39K above the cap.
McKenzie did not specify which teams would sign the above players, but usually players sign with the teams who offered the PTO. Nevertheless—like Kris Versteeg last season—a player could use the PTO opportunity to garner offers from the rest of the league.
Chicago Places Michal Rozsival On LTIR
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.