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Chicago Unlikely To Be Active In Trade Market

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Over the last couple of years, the Chicago Blackhawks have gone for it at the trade deadline.  Last season, they made moves with Winnipeg and Montreal to land forwards Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise, and Tomas Fleischmann while the year before that, they dealt for center Antoine Vermette and defenseman Kimmo Timonen.  In the process, they moved first and second round picks in each of those seasons (though the second rounder to Montreal last year was a 2018 pick).  The Hawks are once again near the top of the NHL standings, but as ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun writes, they’re not expected to be as willing to move picks for that final piece or two again this season.

There are a couple of reasons for the plan to not be as aggressive moving their picks this year.  For starters, they are pretty much capped out – they sit less than $50K under the cap according to CapFriendly – so unless the team trades away a big salary (unlikely given that they’re not expected to be sellers) or someone gets hurt long-term opening up some potential LTIR relief, they’re not going to have a whole lot of money to work with.

The other main reason is that Chicago is hosting the draft in June and are looking to hold on to as many picks as possible to make the event as fun for the hometown fans as possible.  The Blackhawks have ten selections so far and as GM Stan Bowman noted, they’ve been stocking up on picks for this year by design:

“We did that on purpose. We do have a lot; we want to make a splash out of it. Hopefully it will work out well. I don’t know if it’s a great draft; early returns are mixed on it. But there are always players in the draft.”

Barring any changes to their cap situation, Chicago will more or less be forced to be on the sidelines on the trade market this season.  Instead, they’ll be looking to their rookie class (which consists of forwards Nick Schmaltz, Tyler Motte, Vincent Hinostroza, and Ryan Hartman as well as blueliners Gustav Forsling and Michal Kempny) to take steps forward between now and the end of the season with their progression acting basically as their in-season or trade deadline acquisitions.

[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart]

Blackhawks Notes: The Athletic’s Scott Powers Talks to PHR

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The Athletic’s Scott Powers was kind enough to sit down with Pro Hockey Rumors and answer some questions about the Chicago Blackhawks as the season approaches the 25% mark. Answered were a varying array  of questions, from the Blackhawks jump to the top of the West to the likelihood of Artemi Panarin re-signing with the Hawks. Make sure to follow Scott on Twitter (@ByScottPowers) and also read his work at the Athletic.

PHR: Everyone expected a good season from the Hawks, but the main questions rotated around the kids being infused into the lineup. How do you think those kids have done? 

Powers: The kids have had varied results, but the Blackhawks have to be pleased about their early play. The start of the season could have been a disaster if those younger players didn’t carry some weight. It says something that the Blackhawks have yet to recall anyone from the AHL.  As expected, too, those younger players are beginning to improve. Ryan Hartman has played well. Tyler Motte showed some early signs before his injury. Vinnie Hinostroza broke out with a three-point game last week. Nick Schmaltz is getting a chance on the top line. Gustav Forsling is still working some things out, but he’s also a 20-year-old defenseman.

PHR: At the 25% mark of the season, Chicago looks like the team to beat. Teams who were supposed to challenge have either underachieved (Nashville), or been ravaged by injury (Dallas, and Los Angeles). Who do the Hawks need to watch, and how can the Hawks upgrade before or at the trade deadline—-if they choose to?

Powers: I feel like it’s still too early to really gauge the contenders and pretenders. Even with the Blackhawks, they have certainly played well, but plenty of people are still skeptical about them. They have some inflated stats that may even out over time. I think you can say who likely isn’t going to contend after 20 games when you look at the bottom of the divisions.
Overall, though, I’d wait until 40-plus games to start talking about who is going to challenge whom. As for upgrading, I really don’t expect the Blackhawks to be active at the trade market. Their salary cap situation is as tight as it’s ever been. They don’t have the financial space to make a trade unless they move someone with a significant cap hit. The Blackhawks’ hope has to be their younger players continue to develop and make the team better throughout the season.

Nov 18, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks goalie <a rel=

PHR: If Corey Crawford keeps up this pace, it’s highway robbery if he doesn’t win the Vezina, right? And outside of Crawford, who has been indispensable for this team?

Powers: You never know with the Vezina. The NHL general managers vote on it, and they almost always go with the goalie who has the most victories. It’s obviously not the best way to measure a goalie’s play, but I don’t see it changing. But, yes, Crawford’s been outstanding. The last two years he’s really been an elite goaltender. He’s shown that during some of the Blackhawks’ playoff runs, but his overall numbers had suggested he was a slightly above average goalie. He’s elevated his standing now. Aside from Crawford, it’s been the usually suspects. Patrick Kane, Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa are playing well among the forwards. With the defensemen, it’s depended on who has been paired together, but Michal Kempny and Brent Seabrook’s play has been pretty consistent.

PHR: Artemi Panarin is having another great season. Could a bridge deal get done to keep him in the fold, does he take a hometown discount, or do you see him holding true to the reports of $6MM per season? 

Powers: I wrote about the Panarin contract at length today. He’s not looking for a bridge deal. He’s also probably worth more than $6MM. There are a lot of different factors and I explained in today’s story, but it’ll be interesting to see how it play out. He may take a bit of a discount to stay in Chicago, but it won’t be significant. I don’t think he owes that to the Blackhawks either. He’s not real young at 25 and wants to get paid.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Central Notes: Hitchcock, Bowman On Expansion, Avalanche

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While some have speculated that St. Louis head coach Ken Hitchcock could be at risk of losing his job, GM Doug Armstrong was quick to shoot that down, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Speaking with Rutherford, Armstrong said that Hitchcock isn’t in danger of losing his position:

“The guy has the best winning percentage in hockey over the last six years.  If he’s in danger, then everybody’s in danger.”

Hitchcock’s unique situation has been well documented.  With associate coach Mike Yeo set to take over next season, some have suggested it may make sense to make the transition early and eliminate any ‘lame duck’ situation.  The team has had a decent start to the season overall, sitting second in the Central Division but have had some lulls along the way.  The up-and-down start doesn’t really surprise Armstrong, however:

“This season was going to have more peaks and valleys than years in the past. It’s part of the growing pains that you go through.  Obviously you’d like to have smooth waters all the time, but I don’t think it’s realistic.  When you look how many games we’ve played, we’re competitive.”

Still with the Blues, Alex Steen missed his second straight game on Saturday with an upper body injury.  Hitchcock noted that Steen is quickly getting better and remains day-to-day.

More from the Central:

  • Although some teams are beginning to plan around next June’s expansion draft, Chicago GM Stan Bowman isn’t too worried about it at this point, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Bowman tells Lazerus that the team has some flexibility when it comes to the expansion draft; as the roster currently stands, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and center Marcus Kruger would be among the more notable players that would be left unprotected.
  • After shuffling back and forth between center and the wing in the past three years, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon is feeling much better this season as a full-time player down the middle, notes Terry Frei of the Denver Post. MacKinnon is winning a career best 51.4% of his faceoffs (his previous high was 48.4%), taking an average of over 18 per night.  However, the former first overall pick in 2013 off to another slower start offensively with 12 points in 17 games and has had to adjust to several different wingers lately thanks to injuries to Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog.  In a separate article from Frei, Duchene noted that he hopes to return from a concussion on Monday while Landeskog isn’t quite ready to return from his lower body injury but shouldn’t miss too much more time.

Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Kane, Expansion Draft, Crawford

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The Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus answers fan questions and begins by looking at the Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane pairing. After a shaky start, the Blackhawks have been on fire since, rocketing to the top of the Western Conference thanks to Vezina-like goaltending from Corey Crawford and timely goal scoring.  Something fans wanted for a long time, a line featuring Toews and Kane together, was successful in boosting the Hawks to an 8-2-1 record since its construction. The downside? It hasn’t been as dominant as some fans want it to be. Lazerus points out that Toews has four goals and six assists in 11 games with Kane while the latter has four goals and seven assists. While it hasn’t been a “dumpster fire,” as Lazerus put it, it hasn’t been as successful as fans would have thought–or wished.

With that said, Lazerus believes it to be foolish separating the lines, especially since Marian Hossa has experienced a resurgence and is playing exceptionally well with Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin.

  • Lazerus also answers questions about the expansion draft and who the Hawks are likely to protect come this summer. Aside from Toews, Kane, Hossa, and Anisimov, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson who all have non-movement clauses, the younger players are also exempt. Lazerus predicts that Trevor van Riemsdyk, Marcus Kruger, or even Richard Panik (should his contract be extended) will be taken by Las Vegas.
  • Meanwhile, Scott Powers looks at a number of statistical measures for the Blackhawks that ranges from Corsi to the impressive dominance of the Blackhawks over the season.  From Powers:
  • 50.29: The Blackhawks are 12th in the NHL with a 50.29 Corsi percentage in 5-on-5 play. They’re 24th with an average of 52.82 Corsi for per 60 minutes and seventh at 52.22 Corsi against per 60. They’re 26th with 27.5 shots on goal for per 60 minutes and 21st at 30.58 shots on goal against per 60.
  • 96.00: Corey Crawford is fourth in the NHL with 96.00 save percentage in 5-on-5 play this season. He’s allowed 13 goals on 325 shots. Only two other goalies have faced more 5-on-5 shots than Crawford this season. He’s also fifth with 90.14 high-danger save percentage and leads the league with 13.55 goals saved above average.

The piece about Crawford is valuable because his play has paced Chicago through their torrid run since the end of October. Often believed to be the beneficiary of a great defense, Crawford has been a rock between the pipes and the advanced stats bear that out. Many are taking notice.

Though he was snubbed last season by not even being listed as a Vezina candidate, Crawford should find his name on the ballot this year if his dominant play continues.

Central Notes: Iginla, Blackhawks, Bortuzzo

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Last season, Colorado right winger Jarome Iginla was insistent that he would not waive his no-trade clause under any circumstances.  When Adrian Dater of Bleacher Report asked Iginla whether he’d be willing to do so this year, he gave a noncommittal answer while stopping short of saying an unequivocal no:

“I’m really not thinking about that. It’s too soon in the season.”

The Avalanche are currently in a playoff position but have a sub-.500 record at 7-8-0 through 15 games.  If they start to fall out of the race as the season progresses, it’s likely that they will become sellers and Iginla as a rental player will be towards the top of the list for several contending teams.  For his part, Iginla remains confident that the Avs can make it to the postseason this year:

“I want to play in the playoffs. I think it will be here, that we have the ability to get there.”

Iginla is off to a slow start this season with just two goals and an assist while he has been dropped to the bottom six in recent weeks.  Despite that, his style of play is suited to postseason hockey while he has a track record of success in the playoffs.  However, with a cap hit of $5.3MM, there may not be many teams that will be able to afford him on their cap come the trade deadline.

Iginla is no stranger to being a rental player after he was shipped to Pittsburgh back in 2013.  Back then, the Penguins were believed to be the only team he’d waive his no-trade clause for.  Will we see another situation like this in a few months?  It’s still too early to tell but the possibility seems a bit more realistic than it did before.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • The Blackhawks’ exhaustive search for a top line winger continues with no end in sight, writes Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Since the beginning of last season, no fewer than 12 different left wingers have been tried with Jonathan Toews.  Head coach Joel Quenneville acknowledged that they’re still looking for the right fit but considering that six different wingers have already been tried this season, they’re starting to run out of internal options in a hurry.  In the meantime, they’ll likely keep rotating the players they’ve already tried in the hopes of finding some short-term chemistry.  Given their cap situation (less than $50K of space per CapFriendly), going outside of the organization to find a new option doesn’t seem like a likely scenario at the moment.
  • Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo could make his return to the lineup tonight, report Jeremy Rutherford and Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He has missed the last eight games with a lower body injury and participated in his first full practice yesterday.  The team is hoping that Bortuzzo, who has played in just four games so far this season, will get the green light from team doctors later today and then will decide on whether or not to insert him into the lineup at that time.

Snapshots: Harding, Expansion Rules, Saad

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Josh Harding knows exactly what Bryan Bickell is going through.

The retired 32-year-old goaltender was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) back in 2012 during the last lockout. Harding told ESPN’s Scott Burnside that he considered keeping his diagnosis private, but didn’t because he have to take time away from the game for treatment, and he felt that going public would do some good. Harding says having MS is nothing to be ashamed of.

Harding returned to the NHL that season, playing five regular season games and five playoff games. He won the Masterton Trophy for dedication to hockey. He played 29 games the next season, posting a remarkable 0.933 SV% and a 1.65 GAA. Unfortunately, that was the end of his hockey career. As Harding told Burnside, “when the doctors say enough’s enough, you kind of have to listen to them.”

Now that Bickell has been diagnosed with MS, he and Harding have been in contact about their awful common illness. Harding has told Bickell what treatments worked for him and shared strategies for dealing with the incurable disease. However, Harding can’t tell him for sure that he’ll play in the NHL again. He told Burnside that “if there was a blueprint for what you have to do, I really think I’d still be in the league.”

While Harding was only able to play for 39 more games after his diagnosis, he says he’s rooting for Bickell and hopes that his experience with the disease will be different than Harding’s. Harding says he’s at peace with his career path, and enjoys spending time with his two children as well as helping coach a local high school team.

Another former goalie with MS, Jordan Sigalet plans to be in touch with Bickell to offer their support.

  • There has been much talk about expansion at the NHL GM meetings. The rules for which players need to be protected have been finalized, and the GMs are receiving guidelines about all possible ways of circumventing the rules and why they’re not allowed. Some GMs are concerned about the exclusive free agency window, where Las Vegas GM George McPhee will be able to meet with pending free agents. Could the something Knights make a handshake deal with a free agent to sign on July 1, but not sign them then in order to select another player from that team? No. Can other teams make “wink, nudge” deals with McPhee to not select a certain player? No. All trades will have to be done through a trade call to the NHL and documented. The penalties for trying to circumvent the rules are going to be stiff, possibly a first round pick. As Devils GM Ray Shero pointed out to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, all deals will have “pass the smell test with the league.”
  • In his weekly “30 Thoughts“, Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Blue Jackets would be interested in parting ways with Brandon Saad. Columbus acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in June of 2015 and promptly signed him to a six-year, $36MM contract. Saad has been a solid performer for the Blue Jackets, but the cap-strapped team may want to move his $6MM salary. There appears to be some disconnect between Saad and the club, as he’s fifth in both team scoring and ice-time, but was almost a healthy scratch last week. Friedman reported the Blackhawks looked into re-acquiring Saad last season, but couldn’t make it work. The Blackhawks could certainly use Saad back, with his chemistry with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the downswing. It’s not clear how they could make it work salary-wise, though. There’s always a market for a 30-goal scorer, especially one who is just 24.

West Notes: Anisimov, Hendricks, Jets

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At Chicago Blackhawks practice today there were some notable absences, including one Artem Anisimov. Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune reports that Anisimov is questionable for the next two games with an undisclosed injury he suffered on Wednesday night. When pressed, head coach Joel Quenneville would not comment on whether it was the concussion spotters who removed the forward.

If Anisimov isn’t able to go, Nick Schmaltz or Marcus Kruger would move up to the second line, while Vincent Hinostroza will figure back into the lineup on Friday regardless of the health of the young center. Hinostroza will play wing however, meaning someone would have to move to the middle or come out of the lineup.

  • In Edmonton, head coach Todd McLellan gives an update on injured forward Matt Hendricks. Though he skated with the team today, it was more of a “rehab skate”. McLellan admits that Hendricks is “probably the closest” out of the group of injured players, but still not ready to get back into the lineup.  Edmonton currently has a number of players on injured reserve waiting to return to the ice.
  • Though he’s now signed and practicing with the team, Winnipeg Jets’ defenceman Jacob Trouba will not play tonight. The young blueliner stayed late at practice to get some extra work, and try to get himself into game shape for the rest of the season. His contract holdout ended on Monday.
  • Connor Hellebuyck will start again tonight for the Jets, his fourth game in a row, according to Ken Weibe of the Winnipeg Sun. 2-2 in those four games, Hellebuyck is starting to stake his claim as the Jets No. 1 goaltender. With the struggles of Michael Hutchinson to start the year, and the demotion of Ondrej Pavelec, the door is open for Hellebuyck to run with the job and establish himself as a starter in the NHL at just 23 years of age.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Alex DeBrincat To Three-Year ELC

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Amid a downpour of injury news around the league, some more hopeful news has broken. The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Alex DeBrincat to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry a cap hit of just under $810K per Cap Friendly and also contains bonuses for games played.  DeBrincat was the Blackhawks’ second-round pick this past draft, chosen #39th overall with the pick acquired from Montreal in the Andrew Shaw deal.

DeBrincat is well on his way to another outstanding season in the OHL, where he’s coming off back-to-back 100+ point years. This season he has 35 points in just 14 games, which amazingly doesn’t even lead his team (that honor goes to Taylor Raddysh, who has 39 in 15), though would put him on pace to break the century mark once again.  Last season, he trailed only Arizona Coyotes forward Christian Dvorak in goals with 51 (the same he scored in his rookie season).  If he can reach 50 goals again this year, he would become only the second player in OHL history to score 50 goals or more in three seasons, the other being Dale McCourt from 1974-75 through 1976-77.

The shifty forward is another in an increasing number of smaller players who will make an impact at the NHL level, following names like Johnny Gaudreau and Mitch Marner in recent years. DeBrincat stands at just 5’7″, but has shown off exceptional offensive skill at every level. If he needs a role model for a smaller player in the NHL, the Chicago organization is a great place to start; Patrick Kane is one of the lightest players in the league but has never been slowed down by it.

Blackhawks Notes: Anisimov, Improved Play

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The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus writes on a couple of topics and one is the strong play of Artem Anisimov. The center, who was acquired by Chicago in 2015 in a deal that cost them Brandon Saad, has made his mark on a Hawks team transitioning several young players onto the roster. Anisimov, Lazerus reports, not only leads the league in scoring, but is also breaking out of the shadows of the more well known Blackhawks on the team. Though Anisimov had a slow start to the season, Lazerus points to the October 18th game against Philadelphia where Anisimov had two goals and two assists in the Hawks’ 7-4 victory. Linemate and reigning Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane couldn’t be happier to have him on the team:

“You know what? He’s a really great person.  He’s one of those guys that’s always calm and relaxed, and [then] he’ll kind of surprise you with a comment here or there that’s really funny. He’s just a really great guy, and a great teammate, too.”

Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune writes that Anisimov is trying not to overthink his hot start–which includes seven goals and 13 points. Hine adds that Anisimov is just two goals off of his career total of game winners–which stands at three through Wednesday.

  • Only a week ago Lazerus wrote about the anemic Blackhawks penalty, but things are certainly looking up in the Second City. The Hawks are 4-0-1 in their last five games (through Wednesday) and in a Central Division that has a bevy of surprises with Dallas and Nashville fighting to stay out of the basement. Chicago, meanwhile, finds itself in a tie for first place. Reasons for improvement? The Blackhawks have successfully killed off nine consecutive penalties, including four against Calgary during their 5-1 victory. And though the Hawks have a packed schedule that sees six games in a ten day span, Chicago is looking much better than they were just a week ago.

Snapshots: Masks, Campbell, Desjardins, Porter

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While there are many days remembered over the years for major trades or signings, today represents a landmark day in the NHL for an entirely different reason.  As John Kreiser of NHL.com recalls, November 1st, 1959 was the first time that a goaltender wore a mask as Montreal’s Jacques Plante put one on following getting hit in the face after a hard shot from Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers.

At the time, Plante was highly criticized and ridiculed but held firm in using one, telling coach Toe Blake that he would no longer play without one.  It took 15 years (until 1973-74) before all goaltenders were wearing them.  Today, the thought of a goalie not wearing a mask is largely incomprehensible with play being whistled down practically immediately if a netminder’s mask comes off during the course of the action.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Brian Campbell’s next game (which, barring any last second surprises, will be tonight against Calgary, will be a very profitable one for him. Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune notes (Twitter link) that Campbell’s contract calls for a $750K bonus to be paid out after Campbell plays in his 10th game of the season.  The 37 year old is off to a nice start this season with a goal and five assists through his first nine games.  The Blackhawks can use the bonus cushion to help defer the cap charge for that amount until next season which is likely their intention given how easy it was made for Campbell to hit that particular incentive.
  • Still with Chicago, they are hoping to get center Andrew Desjardins back in the lineup on Sunday, writes Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 30 year old has not yet played this season after suffering a foot injury at the end of the preseason.  Last year, he had just 13 points in 77 games but logged the most shorthanded ice time of any Chicago forward.  Given that their penalty kill ranks dead last at just 53.1%, Desjardins’ return would be a significant boost for the team in that particular area.
  • Unrestricted free agent center Chris Porter has signed a tryout deal with the Providence Bruins, affiliate of Boston, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). Porter spent last season with Minnesota, playing in a career high 61 games, collecting four goals and three assists in a fourth line role while averaging 9:38 of ice time per night.  He attended training camp St. Louis, where he spent parts of six seasons, but was unable to secure a contract.  PTO contracts in the AHL can last up to 25 games and can be extended for an additional 25 contests.

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