- With the World Junior Championship just eight days away, Hockey Canada announced its leadership group for this year’s World Juniors team. Captaining the group will be Seattle Kraken forward and fourth-overall pick in 2022, Shane Wright. Assisting him will be Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther, Dallas Stars draft pick and current Kamloops Blazers forward Logan Stankoven, Anaheim Ducks draft pick and Quebec Remparts forward Nathan Gaucher, as well as Chicago Blackhawks draft pick and Mississauga Steelheads defenseman Ethan Del Mastro. Canada will kick things off against Czechia on December 26th.
Blackhawks Rumors
Alex Vlasic Out With Broken Fibula
The Chicago Blackhawks filled up their NHL roster with veteran names this summer so that they could keep top prospects developing in the minor leagues, competing for a Calder Cup championship. Unfortunately, that development only happens if they can stay healthy, and today the Rockford IceHogs announced some bad news. Alex Vlasic will miss six weeks with a right fibula fracture.
Vlasic, 21, is one of the Blackhawks’ top prospects, drafted 43rd overall in 2019. The 6’6″ defenseman spent three seasons at Boston University eliminating the competition’s best players on a nightly basis and didn’t look out of place during a 15-game stint with Chicago at the end of last year This season, the hulking defender had six points in 21 games with the IceHogs and sat second in +/- with a +13 rating. A standout even among a talented young group in Rockford, there are many more NHL games in Vlasic’s future.
He’ll now miss a big chunk of his first full professional season as six weeks will take him out until nearly February. Rockford, 7-1-2 in their last ten, will have to keep up the pace without him, as even with that strong stretch they remain in third place in the Central Division.
Blackhawks Activate Tyler Johnson Off IR
The Blackhawks will welcome a veteran forward back into their lineup tonight as the team announced that center Tyler Johnson has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against Washington.
The 32-year-old had gotten off to a nice start to his season with two goals and four assists in his first six games. However, in that sixth contest back in late October, he suffered an ankle injury, one that has kept him out for the last 20 contests.
With Chicago certainly isn’t looking to make a push for the playoffs, getting Johnson back and into game shape will help give them some stability in their middle six while he should be able to at least slightly bolster an offense that comes into tonight’s action ranked last in the league in goals scored. He’ll start on the third line for the time being.
While the Blackhawks will be sellers over the next few months, Johnson almost certainly won’t be among those that they’re able to move. He has another year left on his contract after this one with a $5MM AAV plus partial no-trade protection. In this market, with so many teams lacking cap space, that’s not a deal they’re easily going to be able to move.
The team also confirmed that goaltender Petr Mrazek was activated off IR and he will get the start against the Caps. Jaxson Stauber has been returned to AHL Rockford in a corresponding move. However, it’s not all good news on the injury front when it comes to players returning as Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes (Twitter link) that defenseman Caleb Jones isn’t quite ready to come back from his hip injury.
Chicago Blackhawks Re-Assign Filip Roos
After 15 games in the NHL, Filip Roos is going to get to experience the minor leagues. The young Chicago Blackhawks defenseman has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago.
Roos, 23, was signed to an entry-level contract out of the Swedish Hockey League this offseason, after going undrafted during his junior years. Stepping directly into the NHL lineup, he registered three points in 15 games with Chicago, averaging a little over 16 minutes a night. Like so many other Blackhawks players, Roos did look out of place at times. But overall put up relatively strong results for a player still familiarizing himself with the North American game.
The 6’3″ defenseman appears to be found money for the Chicago front office, who have added depth to an important position without using so much as a draft pick. While he may never become an impact player, Roos has shown enough to at least receive another shot at NHL minutes down the line.
For now, he can go and experience the AHL, testing himself in more high-leverage minutes and situations. He’ll be joining a loaded Rockford team that has its eyes clearly set on a Calder Cup championship, though things haven’t gone exactly to play so far. The IceHogs are 12-7-3 on the year.
Petr Mrazek Nearing Return
- Chicago Blackhawks starting netminder Petr Mrazek suffered his second groin injury of the season, but thankfully for Chicago, it seems to have been just a minor setback. Per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Mrazek is aiming to return for the Blackhawks’ game against the Washington Capitals.
Chicago Blackhawks Re-Assign Lukas Reichel, Place Petr Mrazek On IR
Dec 7: So much for that. Reichel has been returned to the AHL.
Dec 6: A top prospect is on his way up to the NHL. According to the AHL’s transactions log, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Lukas Reichel from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs today. In a corresponding transaction, they also placed goalie Petr Mrazek on injured reserve retroactive to December 3, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.
The move comes as Jonathan Toews is set to miss tonight’s game with a non-COVID illness, so it’s feasible that Reichel doesn’t stay up long-term. However, the team’s 17th overall pick in 2020 again dominates the minors and could force the team’s hand.
For the second consecutive season, Reichel is operating at more than a point-per-game pace in the AHL and sits second on Rockford, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 19 games. With depth players like Jujhar Khaira and Colin Blackwell struggling to produce, Reichel might have the opportunity to get in a meaningful string of NHL action if he performs well tonight.
Mrazek is dealing with his second groin injury of the season, an issue that plagued him last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. Those injuries have limited the team’s presumptive starter to just nine games this year, and his .884 save percentage and 4.06 goals-against average are the worst among the team’s top three goalies. He can return as soon as this weekend.
Athanasiou, Domi Expected To Fetch Mid-Round Picks If Traded
The Chicago Blackhawks are the team to watch when it comes to selling at the trade deadline, with so much focus on Patrick Kane’s potential destination. Scott Powers of The Athletic examined the situation regarding Kane and Jonathan Toews, but also touched on the trade market for lesser players like Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou.
Signing those two always seemed like a move destined to lead to trade deadline flips, but the Blackhawks may not get as much as they think for them. One executive told Powers that Domi and Athanasiou would likely cost third or fourth-round picks in a trade, though admitted things can change if teams get “desperate.”
Petr Mrazek To Miss At Least A Week
- Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek will be out at least a week after suffering a groin injury in last night’s contest against the Rangers, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The veteran is no stranger to dealing with groin trouble over his career although fortunately for him, this one appears to be a shorter-term issue. The fact he’ll be out for at least a week will make him eligible to be placed on IR which would give Chicago an extra roster spot. They had one available yesterday but used that to bring up goalie Jaxson Stauber earlier today.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Jaxson Stauber
The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled netminder Jaxson Stauber from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
This news comes after Chicago’s veteran starter, Petr Mrazek, suffered an injury in last night’s game against the New York Rangers.
With the team’s other veteran goalie, Alex Stalock, still sidelined with a concussion, this recall gives head coach Luke Richardson and the Blackhawks an extremely young goalie tandem, as both of his healthy netminders are 23 years old.
Stauber is in his first professional season after two successful seasons at Providence College. In six AHL games this year Stauber has an .892 save percentage.
While that’s obviously not a strong number, Stauber’s NCAA performance does indicate that he has some promise. In 37 games last season Stauber went 21-14-2 with a 2.10 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage.
The Blackhawks are back in action again tonight, and it’s possible that Richardson turns to his new call-up. But since Arvid Soderblom played just one period of action in relief of Stalock, it seems more likely that Richardson will turn to the more experienced name in order to not simply immediately thrust Stauber into the heat of battle.
Nonetheless, this move has put the 23-year-old Stauber in a position to make his NHL debut despite having just six total professional games played on his resume.
Ian Mitchell Recalled From Rockford
Dec 1: Wth Tinordi now heading to injured reserve, Mitchell is back up with the big club.
Nov 24: The Chicago Blackhawks, no longer without Seth Jones, have returned Ian Mitchell to the minor leagues. The opportunity for Mitchell was limited, and he’ll have to wait for his next NHL chance after being scratched last night.
Jones returned from a thumb injury and played more than 21 minutes for the Blackhawks in their game against the Dallas Stars, scoring a goal and recording three shots on net. All six Chicago defenders actually recorded at least one point in the 6-4 loss, with depth options like Jarred Tinordi even crossing the 18-minute mark.
In a normal situation, it might be surprising that the Blackhawks would send Mitchell back down given his obvious upside, but the team has been very careful to keep young players in Rockford this season. If the 23-year-old Mitchell was going to sit in the press box with the NHL club, they might as well give him back to the AHL so he can play in regular games. With seven other defensemen in Chicago seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart, it doesn’t make much sense to keep him up.