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Blackhawks To Burn First Year Of Lukas Reichel’s Entry-Level Contract

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Generally speaking, the nine-game threshold for junior-aged players only comes into effect at the beginning of the year when teams need to decide what to do with their prospects that are pushing to make the team out of training camp and can’t go to the minors.  That wasn’t the case for the Blackhawks and winger Lukas Reichel as he was able to play in the AHL and has spent most of the season there.

However, the 19-year-old is in his third stint with Chicago this season and has played in nine games so far.  Interim head coach Derek King indicated to reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago that he will play in his tenth this afternoon against Nashville.  Reichel, the 17th pick in 2020, hasn’t recorded a point yet in the NHL but has played quite well with AHL Rockford, recording 21 goals and 28 assists in 49 games.  He’s expected to return to the IceHogs at some point over the next couple of weeks as well to help in their playoff run.

Roumeliotis suggests that burning the first year this season may actually be more beneficial to the Blackhawks from a longer-term planning perspective.  When he’s up for a new deal in the 2024 offseason, he’ll only have at most two full NHL seasons under his belt which should keep the AAV lower, giving Chicago a bit more short-term cap flexibility.  Chicago will have some pricey contracts expiring by then – particularly those of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane at $10.5MM each – but having a core piece on a cheaper second deal certainly can’t hurt.

It’s worth noting that Chicago will not lose a year of team control by doing this.  In order to receive a year of service time, Reichel would have needed to have gotten to 40 games on the active roster and that’s clearly not going to happen with the Blackhawks already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.  As a result of this, Reichel will need his second contract a year sooner but Chicago will still have seven years of team control remaining.

Could A Change Of Scenery Makes Sense For Blackhawks And Jonathan Toews?

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  • Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn’t exactly hidden his disappointment with Chicago’s decision to embrace a rebuild. While he hasn’t requested a trade, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if it would be best for both sides to find a change of scenery for the center for next season.  Toews has one year left with a $10.5MM AAV and holds a no-move clause which will give him the chance to pick his next organization if they do decide to seek a trade.  Toews recently indicated he’d like to speak with GM Kyle Davidson on a regular basis to “know exactly what’s going on in some detail” which suggests he’s looking for some more concrete information about their plans before deciding what’s next for him.

Kirby Dach Out With Shoulder Sprain

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  • The Chicago Blackhawks were without Kirby Dach at practice today, and Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that he is now out with a right shoulder sprain. Dach left last night’s game after just 8:46 of ice time, and it is not clear how long he will be out. In what has become another underwhelming season, the young forward has just nine goals and 26 points in 70 appearances, despite averaging more than 18 minutes a night–including substantial powerplay time. Dach is a restricted free agent at the end of the year.

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Reese Johnson

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The Chicago Blackhawks have reached a two-year contract extension with Reese Johnson, signing him through the 2023-24 season. The deal comes with a cap hit of $800K, and means that the young forward will avoid restricted free agency for the time being. PuckPedia reports that the one-way deal carries a salary of $750,000 in year one and $850,000 in year two.

If there’s an opponent that Johnson doesn’t want to hit, he hasn’t found it yet. The 23-year-old forward has racked up 111 hits in just 28 games this season, his first semi-regular NHL campaign. Coming into the year he had seen just five games with the Blackhawks and was still looking for his first NHL point, and he now has six of those to his name, including one goal.

While he might not offer much offense, the undrafted free agent signing can certainly provide some energy and physicality in a fourth-line role, and now appears to be penciled into that spot for the next few years. With the Blackhawks starting into a full tear-down, and other players likely traded out this offseason, there may be a full-time opportunity coming down the pipe for Johnson and other cheap forwards like him. This deal avoids arbitration and locks him in through his age-25 season at a price barely above the league minimum.

That’s certainly some job security, especially given Johnson would have to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the minor leagues starting next season. The two-year term on the deal likely helps him clear, should that be the Blackhawks’ plan at any point.

Prospect Notes: Misa, Savoie, Struble, Busdeker

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Is another “exceptional” player arriving early to the OHL? Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey Federation are currently considering an application for Exceptional Player Status for 15-year-old forward Michael Misa. Those players granted Exceptional Status are allowed to join a CHL league a year early due to their generational talent. Previous OHL exceptions include John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, and presumptive 2022 first overall pick Shane Wright. While Exceptional Status was clearly the proper decision in most of these cases, Day was a considerable error and has caused decision makers to tread more carefully in recent years. As a result. Marek notes that the applications for Misa and two others were expected to be declined. However, Misa’s recent efforts at the OHL Cup for his Mississauga Senators U-16 team have pushed the envelope. Misa recorded 10 goals and 20 points in seven games during the tournament en route to a championship and MVP honors, looking like a player ready to take his talents to the top junior level. A decision from Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey Federation is expected soon, with the OHL Draft coming up on April 29. If granted Exceptional Status, Misa would be the favorite to go first overall in the draft. If he is denied, Misa is expected to play in the USHL next season. Either way, the promising prospect is already a name to keep an eye on for the 2025 NHL Draft.

  • Marek also reports that newly-anointed NCAA champ Carter Savoie is also eager to move to the next level. Although only a sophomore with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, Savoie is expected to turn pro and sign with the Edmonton Oilers. A fourth-round pick in 2020, Savoie performed well with Denver last year but took his game to new heights this season, jumping out to an early scoring lead in the NCAA and ending the season with 23 goals and 45 points in 39 games. A key cog for the National Champion Pioneers, Savoie will hope to play a similar role in Edmonton before too long. The Oilers are always in need of affordable scoring and Savoie could play that part perfectly on his entry-level contract if he can make a quick transition to the pro game.
  • One player who will not be leaving school early is Northeastern defenseman and Montreal Canadiens prospect Jayden Struble. When the Habs selected Struble in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft directly out of the prep school level, he was expected to be more of a long-term project. Instead, Struble went directly to Northeastern the following year and developed into a capable two-way defenseman. However, it seems that the two sides disagree one whether he is pro ready just yet. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman reports that Struble is expected to return to the Huskies next season for his senior year rather than turn pro. It does not seem as though this is related to Struble not wanting to play for the Canadiens, though he will be able to elect free agency after next season if he so chooses.
  • Rockford IceHogs forward D.J. Busdeker has signed a one-year extension, the AHL club announced. It’s a nice move for the team, as Busdeker has been a reliable presence this season in just his second pro campaign. Busdeker leads the IceHogs in games played and is among the top scorers in points and assists. However, it begs the question of when or if Busdeker might earn an NHL contract from the Chicago Blackhawks. Just 22 and translating his ability well from the OHL, where he was also a consistent scoring threat for the Saginaw Spirit.

 

Pontus Andreasson, Filip Roos Linked To NHL

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Two more undrafted free agents could soon be coming to North America, as Aftonbladet.se reports that Pontus Andreasson and Filip Roos have both agreed to entry-level contracts with NHL clubs. The Swedish news outlet notes that Andreasson has agreed to a deal with the Detroit Red Wings, while Roos is in agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Andreasson, 23, has exploded onto the SHL scene this season, scoring 18 goals and 38 points in 52 games with Lulea HF. It’s his first season at the highest level after spending the last two in the Allsvenskan, and it seems as though it’s been enough to draw the interest of an NHL team. Undrafted, Andreasson’s development has been relatively unnoticed, given he was never involved in any international play at any level. An entry-level contract would be limited to just one year, as he turns 24 in August.

Roos, meanwhile, would be signing a two-year deal as he only turned 23 a few months ago. He too has burst onto the SHL scene after two years in the Allsvenskan and is playing regular minutes for Skelleftea AIK. The 6’3″ defenseman had only eight points in 50 regular season games, but did show a little more scoring upside last season at the lower level, when he racked up 28 points in 52 games. Similarly overlooked when it comes to international competition, Roos is also an undrafted prospect has been relatively under the radar to this point.

The SHL quarter-finals get underway tomorrow, meaning contracts for both players would have to wait until after their team is eliminated or win the championship.

West Notes: Reichel, Nichushkin, Gurianov

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Chicago Blackhawks fans will get one more chance to see one of their top prospects in action at the NHL level this season, but it comes with an asterisk. Chicago recalled forward Lukas Reichel from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs today, presumably for the third and final time this season. But, as NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis notes, how much he plays down the stretch impacts his contractual situation in the long run. Reichel only needs to play five more NHL games to burn the first year of his entry-level contract, as the team still retains the ability to slide his contract a year forward provided he plays nine or fewer NHL games this year. But as Chicago soldiers on toward a rebuild, cost-effectiveness probably isn’t top of mind right now. While Reichel has averaged 14:10 per night in his five NHL games this year without a point, he has 49 points in 49 AHL games this year. You’d be hard-pressed to find a good argument as to why Reichel doesn’t deserve another look in Chicago during the last, inconsequential month of the season.

Elsewhere from the Western Conference tonight:

  • Valeri Nichushkin isn’t playing for Colorado tonight, compounding a long list of current injuries to important players for the Avs. It’s a non-COVID illness holding him out of the lineup, as the bug that everyone seems to be catching has hit the 27-year-old forward. He’s had a breakout season in a near-constant top-six role, potting 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 51 games. That now makes half of Colorado’s top-six out of the lineup for now, as he joins Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri on the scratch list.
  • It’s a pesky non-COVID illness striking again, this time against the Dallas Stars. Denis Gurianov is out of the lineup now as the team continues to battle with Vegas and Nashville for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. The skilled shooter has 30 points in 63 games this season.

Marian Hossa To Sign One-Day Contract With Chicago Blackhawks

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Marian Hossa’s 12-year contract finally expired at the end of last season, though he had not actually played in an NHL game since the 2016-17 campaign. Now that his time as an Arizona Coyote is over, he’s free to sign anywhere as an unrestricted free agent. He’ll do so by inking a one-day contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, in order to officially retire as a member of the team.

Hossa, 43, didn’t start his career in Chicago. Selected 12th overall in 1997 by the Ottawa Senators, he quickly showed how he would impact the game. An excellent two-way player from the very beginning, he finished second to Chris Drury in Calder Trophy voting during the 1998-99 season and was receiving Selke Trophy votes by 2001. He would end up with the Atlanta Thrashers next, where he recorded his only 100-point season, and then would pop between contenders for a few years, reaching the Stanley Cup Final with both the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and Detroit Red Wings in 2009.

Both teams would end up losing, leading to jokes about Hossa being a bad luck charm in the playoffs. He’d put that notion to rest in 2010, when he joined the Blackhawks and helped them to the first of three Stanley Cup championships. Over eight seasons in Chicago, Hossa would rack up 415 points in 534 games, while still being considered one of the very best defensive wingers in the game. In all, he received Selke votes in 13 different seasons, reaching as high as fifth in 2014 at the age of 35.

Throughout his entire career, the Slovakian forward would record 1,134 regular season points in 1,309 games, putting him among the best of all time. He sits 59th in career points and 61st in games played. Even better are his 149 playoff points, which puts him 30th all-time. In 2020, before his NHL contract had even officially expired–Hossa was forced out of the game due to a skin condition–he was chosen to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. Two years later, he’ll now officially retire where he won it all.

Slava Demin Enters The Transfer Portal

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A pair of NHL-drafted prospects have entered the NCAA’s transfer portal as Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports (Twitter link) that Blackhawks defenseman Slava Demin and Michigan State forward Josh Nodler are looking for new schools for next season.  It’s actually the second year in a row that Demin, a 2018 fourth-round pick, has been in the portal as the senior transferred from Denver to UMass for this season but had just three points in 22 games.  Meanwhile, Nodler, a 2019 fifth-rounder, had 15 points in 36 games with Michigan State and will now look for a new place to play in the hopes of having a bigger role for his senior year to help his chances of getting an NHL contract from the Flames or someone else.

Tyler Johnson Activated From IR, Kirby Dach Misses Monday's Game Due To Illness

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The Blackhawks welcomed one center back tonight but found themselves without another.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Tyler Johnson has been cleared from concussion protocol and activated off IR while Kirby Dach was a late scratch with a non-COVID illness.  It has been a tough first season in Chicago for Johnson after coming over from Tampa Bay as injuries have limited him to just 14 games where he has just a goal and two assists while averaging a career low in ice time at just 12:41 per night.  As for Dach, he has also had a quiet year offensively, notching 23 points in 63 games despite being a fixture in their top six.

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