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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Drew Commesso

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The Chicago Blackhawks are adding an impressive goaltending prospect to the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Drew Commesso will turn pro and sign his three-year entry-level contract. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago confirms that the deal will start in 2023-24.

Commesso, 20, just finished his junior season with Boston University, helping lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four. In 34 appearances this year, the 2020 second-round pick posted a 24-8 record and .913 save percentage, continuing what has been an incredible few years.

In 2021, Commesso was included on the US World Championship squad as the extra goaltender, taking home a bronze medal without appearing in a game. He played at the Olympics the following year, posting a perfect 2-0 record with a .964 save percentage.

As a prospect, he ranks among the game’s best in net, and immediately gives the Blackhawks a legitimate “goalie of the future” to develop. With the complete teardown still in progress, it will be years before Chicago is expected to contend. That gives Commesso plenty of time to hone his skills in the minor leagues, where he’ll likely spend all of next season.

Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Lukas Reichel And Alex Vlasic, Recall Buddy Robinson

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The Chicago Blackhawks have shuffled their roster, sending two young players (forward Lukas Reichel and defenseman Alex Vlasic) to the AHL while recalling a veteran (forward Buddy Robinson) to the NHL.

The move allows two of the team’s more promising young players to join the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs as they look to fend off a push from the Chicago Wolves for the final playoff spot in the Central Division, paving the way for the two to play a major role in any playoff series the IceHogs qualify for.

Since the Blackhawks have three games remaining on their schedule, though, an NHL replacement was needed, so the player chosen as the recall is Robinson, who was reassigned to the AHL by the Blackhawks on March 26th.

The biggest name of this group is Reichel, a 20-year-old German winger who was the 17th overall pick at the 2020 draft. While some of his fellow 2020 first-rounders have already played more than 100 games in the NHL, the rebuilding Blackhawks were more patient with Reichel’s development, and that patience seems to have paid off.

Reichel was drafted so high on the back of a strong draft season playing pro hockey in the DEL for Eisbaren Berlin, where he scored 12 goals and 24 points in 42 games. While it was ten points less than third-overall pick and current Ottawa Senators star Tim Stutzle managed that same year, it’s still an impressive feat for any draft-year player to be a productive regular in a professional league playing against grown men.

The Blackhawks opted to have Reichel spend 2020-21 with Berlin, and that choice paid off as Reichel scored 27 points in 38 regular-season games and five points in nine DEL playoff games.

That successful sophomore season in Germany’s top pro league gave the Blackhawks the green light to bring Reichel across the Atlantic, and they allowed him to spend most of his year in the AHL, save for some brief cameos at the NHL level.

Reichel was a star AHL rookie, scoring 57 points in 56 games, an extremely strong number for a player who spent most of the season still in his teens.

This season, knowing that their roster was unlikely to provide Reichel the most comfortable developmental environment, the Blackhawks opted to keep Reichel in the AHL, and he scored well yet again, potting 46 points in 51 games.

A three-point performance in an overtime victory over the Calgary Flames likely gave Chicago increased confidence that Reichel might be ready for a more extensive stretch in the NHL, and they gave him just that in the month of March. Reichel began growing into more of a go-to option for head coach Luke Richardson, and he now likely finishes his season with a strong 15 points in 23 games.

If he can help Rockford go on a deep playoff run, or at least put some finishing touches on what has been a successful sophomore season, Reichel will likely enter next year’s training camp with his spot on the team’s NHL roster virtually guaranteed.

As for Vlasic, he’s spent almost the entirety of the season with the IceHogs, save for the past two weeks or so that he’s been on the NHL roster. The 21-year-old is a hulking six-foot-six blueliner who turned pro last season after three years at Boston University.

While there isn’t a ton of offense to speak of (he scored 20 points in his NCAA career and has 17 in 52 AHL games this year) Vlasic is an imposing physical force with serious crease-clearing potential. He’s been utilized as a top-pairing blueliner for the IceHogs, and the organization is hopeful that he can soon develop into an NHL option.

As for Robinson, he’s a 31-year-old minor league veteran who has 60 NHL games on his resume. The six-foot-six crash-and-bang winger last played in the NHL in a March 25th, 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild and has not yet registered a point in seven NHL games this season.

With 20 points in 50 AHL contests, any NHL games Robinson can skate in during the remainder of the Blackhawks’ season will be an important opportunity as his one-year league-minimum two-way deal is set to expire, meaning he’ll want to put some quality play on tape before he possibly lands on the open market in a few months.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Taylor Raddysh Out For Regular Season

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  • Since the separate trades that sent forward Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, and Max Domi to the Dallas Stars, the Chicago Blackhawks have a new leading point-scorer in Taylor Raddysh. Having an above-average season since his trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning last year, the forward has 20 goals and 17 assists in 78 games for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, that will be his final point total, as Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Raddysh has a groin injury that will keep him out of Chicago’s remaining regular season games.

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Jonathan Toews Undecided On Playing Future

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It was suggested last month that Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews was leaning towards retirement as he continues to battle lingering symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.  However, the veteran told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription link) that he remains unsure of his playing future at this point:

Right now, you ask me that question and the honest answer is, I got no idea. No idea whether I return to play for the Blackhawks next year, or play for another team, or I decide to move on to other things.

The 34-year-old was able to return to the lineup last Saturday after missing more than two months due to the symptoms which took away any possibility of Toews being moved at the trade deadline.

To his credit, Toews has had a decent season given the circumstances as he has 14 goals and 16 assists in 49 games so far.  While those numbers are certainly below his career averages, they’re still pretty strong for a player on a bad team playing through lingering challenges.

But the key word here for Toews is lingering.  These symptoms cost him all of 2020-21 and had him at far from his best last season.  The fact they continue to exist in 2023 suggests this will continue to be a challenge for him; he acknowledged that he hasn’t truly been 100% healthy since 2020.  Knowing that, is it worth trying to carry on?  That’s the decision he’ll be weighing over the next little while:

But at this point, I’ve realized there’s no point in continuing to stomach this struggle. So if it’s not a hell yeah, then it’s a hell no.  There’s more to life than hockey, so it’s a weighing of my options and what feels right,” he said. “All these years, hockey’s been the One Thing. There hasn’t been much else in my life. And part of me is seeking some balance. So I guess we’ll see.

Toews, a 15-year veteran, has spent the entirety of his career with Chicago after being the third-overall selection back in 2006 and ranks fifth in games played and sixth in points.  It’ll take a little before he decides if he tries to move up higher on those leaderboards or if the time is right to hang up his skates.

Chicago Blackhawks Waive Joey Anderson

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April 3: Anderson has cleared waivers, although he isn’t expected to be assigned to Rockford until the Blackhawks finish their season.

April 2: The Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Joey Anderson on waivers, according to The Athletic’s James Mirtle and CapFriendly. The 24-year-old was acquired by Chicago just over a month ago in the team’s trade of Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Anderson is a 2016 New Jersey Devils third-round pick who has split time this season between the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies and NHL with both Toronto and Chicago. At the NHL level, Anderson scored three points in 14 games for Toronto, and has five points in 18 games with the Blackhawks.

He’s been in the NHL since a late January recall, one that came after Anderson played in a nine-game stretch for the Marlies, a run where Anderson and the Marlies won all nine games. In total, Anderson has been more of a difference-maker at the AHL level, where he has scored 27 points in 30 games this season and 120 points across 163 career AHL games.

It’s his abilities as an impactful AHLer that likely inspired the Blackhawks’ decision to waive him, as their affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, is currently looking to fend off the Chicago Wolves and secure the fifth and final playoff spot in the AHL’s Central Division. Should Anderson clear waivers and land in Rockford, he’ll be expected to shoulder a significant offensive load and be one of the team’s go-to forwards.

Given that Anderson is a proven AHL commodity and on a league-minimum deal with some team control remaining beyond this season as a restricted free agent, it’s possible a team in need of some help up front decides to put in a claim.

Hockeybuzz’s Michael Augello notes that while Anderson’s former team, the Maple Leafs, might be tempted to claim Anderson to get him back in their organization, they are currently at 49 contracts and their last slot is believed to be reserved for University of Minnesota forward and team top prospect Matthew Knies.

But from the Blackhawks’ perspective, it’s a risk worth taking in order to give their AHL squad a spark. Rockford is on a three-game losing streak, and have been shutout in back-to-back games.

With the reigning Calder Cup champion Wolves just a few points behind them with seven games remaining, getting Anderson to Rockford could be what the IceHogs need to avoid letting a playoff berth slip through their fingers in the final stretch of the regular season.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Gavin Hayes

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward prospect Gavin Hayes to a three-year, entry-level contract through 2025-26 with a cap hit of $896,667, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.

Hayes, who’s still just 18 years old, is having a spectacular post-draft season with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. The left winger finished second on the team in scoring during the regular season, posting 41 goals and 81 points in 66 games. His season could be coming to an end soon, though, as Flint has gone down 2-0 in its first-round playoff series against the Saginaw Spirit, losing by a combined score of 11-2.

Drafted 66th overall in 2022, Hayes is a skilled puck handler with a goal-scoring ability that appears translatable to the professional ranks. He’s a nice secondary addition to a quickly-growing pool of Blackhawks prospects and projects as a middle-six scoring winger.

Hayes, in all likelihood, will be returned to juniors next season, sliding the beginning of his entry-level contract to 2024-25 (or 2025-26, if he’s returned to juniors for two straight seasons).

Jonathan Toews To Return To Chicago Blackhawks Lineup

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On March 28th, we covered reports stating that Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was attempting to make a comeback from the injuries that sidelined him indefinitely earlier this year in order to play some more games before the end of this season.

With Toews reportedly considering retirement, it seemed as though he may have a desire to have a final send-off from Blackhawks fans, similar to the one Carey Price received last season after making his way back from significant health-related challenges.

With the Blackhawks set to take on the New Jersey Devils in a nationally-televised home game tomorrow, it seems Toews will get his wish. Chicago head coach Luke Richardson told the media, including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, that Toews will play in Saturday’s game. It will be Toews’ 47th game of his season, and his first since late January.

In February, Toews issued a statement detailing some of the health-related challenges he was facing, challenges that were seriously threatening his ability to play. In that statement, he disclosed that he was “still dealing with the symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome,” and that he had “reached the point where [he] had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy.”

Thankfully, today’s announcement indicates that Toews’ health has improved since that point, which even putting aside any hockey-related considerations is news to celebrate.

From an on-the-ice perspective, Toews’ improved health also means a great deal to the Blackhawks. While the team is currently in prime contention to earn the best odds for the upcoming draft lottery, Toews’ return isn’t about giving the team a better chance of winning some of the few games they have left this season.

Instead, Toews’ return injects some much-needed meaning and significance to what remains of the Blackhawks’ season, as it could be Blackhawks fans’ final few chances to see a franchise icon take the United Center ice.

So while Blackhawks fans and the Chicago market overall remain wholly fixated on the future and the players who might enter the organization in the coming months, Toews’ return serves as an important opportunity for the organization to celebrate its past, and potentially say an official goodbye to the leader of the most successful era in Blackhawks history.

Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Mike Hardman

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After a two-week-long recall, the Chicago Blackhawks have returned forward Mike Hardman to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.

Hardman, a 23-year-old in his third NHL season, played in eight games with the Blackhawks on this recall, his first of the season. He failed to record a point in eight games and is still looking to score his first goal since the 2020-21 campaign.

A free agent signing out of Boston College in 2021, this year has been a trying one for Hardman. After promising offensive production last year with Rockford, his offense has regressed significantly. In 2022-23, Hardman has managed just four goals and 16 points in 49 games, down from 32 points in 43 games last season.

There’s still some development time left for Hardman, though, and he has one season remaining on his current contract. Set to become a restricted free agent in 2024, he returns to Rockford for the end of the season, looking to gain confidence for a big contract year next campaign.

Chicago returning Hardman to the minors could also be an indication that Jujhar Khaira, currently day-to-day with an illness, is ready to return.

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Brett Seney

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Brett Seney to a one-year, two-way contract extension, per a team tweet Wednesday.

Seney’s two-way deal will pay him the league-minimum $775,000 at the NHL level. The team did not disclose his AHL salary.

Seney, 27, was acquired by the Blackhawks when free agency opened last July. He’s appeared in seven games for Chicago this season, recording one goal.

The 5-foot-9, 157-pound forward has played in 62 career NHL games, registering six goals and eight assists. He’s a much more seasoned veteran in the AHL, where he’s recorded 188 points in 241 games across six seasons. He sits second in scoring on the Rockford IceHogs this season with 48 points in 50 games.

Born in London, Ontario, Seney is a skilled puck handler who’s had back-to-back elite seasons in the minors after a rough COVID-laced 2020-21 season. While the rebuilding Blackhawks will likely give most of their roster spots to younger talent next season for development purposes, Seney could easily challenge for a roster spot and immediately become one of the more seasoned pros among Chicago’s forward core. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 upon the expiration of his contract extension.

Jonathan Toews Attempting To Comeback This Season

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  • Chris Johnston is also reporting that Jonathan Toews is attempting to make a comeback this season for the Chicago Blackhawks. Toews is an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and has hinted at retirement as he has dealt with several health issues the past few seasons. Toews has played just 46 games this season, but has been effective when in the lineup with 28 points. Should Toews be able to dress for Chicago it would be an uplifting story to end what has been an otherwise nightmarish season for both player and team. Chicago is mired in one of its worst seasons in decades as they begin what is sure to be a painful rebuild over the next few seasons. For Toews, he would get what is likely to be a final send off after an era of Chicago hockey that saw the captain raise the Stanley Cup on three separate occasions.

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