- Also during the Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger provided an update on Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Brandon Hagel. Dreger mentions that while Chicago would like to keep Hagel as part of their rebuild, they would not be opposed to moving him. However, the return would have to be at least a first-round draft pick and something else. Hagel has been one of the better producers for the Blackhawks this season, scoring 17 goals along with 14 assists in 51 games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks. While the asking price on Hagel might seem a bit excessive to some, the 23-year-old Hagel is viewed as part of the long-term solution in Chicago, and carries just a $1.5MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, where he will still be a RFA.
Blackhawks Rumors
AHL Shuffle: 03/08/22
It’s an extremely busy Tuesday in the NHL, with 11 games on the docket. That includes a big eastern matchup between the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, and an incredibly important match between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. Those two central teams are neck and neck in the playoff race, meaning any head-to-head action is a huge opportunity to gain ground. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Dillon Heatherington to the AHL, after he failed to get into any games on this most recent recall. The veteran minor league defenseman last played for Ottawa in December but continues to be a depth piece that’s recalled as injury insurance. He has zero points in nine NHL games this season.
- The Florida Panthers have sent Spencer Knight back to the AHL, after he stopped 29 of 30 shots yesterday against the Buffalo Sabres for his tenth win of the season. Knight continues to bounce up and down in order to get the most playing time possible, while the Panthers rely on Sergei Bobrovsky for the vast majority of the NHL action. Jonas Johansson, technically the NHL backup, has seen just a single game since being acquired in December.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs returned Mac Hollowell to the minor leagues today, as they welcomed Rasmus Sandin back to the ice after dealing with an illness. It’s unlikely Sandin plays tonight, though with him at least a possibility the team no longer needed Hollowell on the NHL roster.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Alec Regula to the NHL once again, and he was skating on the third pairing at practice according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. The 21-year-old defenseman has played in four games for the Blackhawks this season and is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The Dallas Stars have sent Marian Studenic to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, something that’s understandable given he hasn’t played since the Stars claimed him off waivers last month. Studenic has appeared in 17 games this season, all with the New Jersey Devils, and has one goal.
- Per The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, the St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Alexey Toropchenko from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds (tweet). The forward has zero points in five games in the NHL this season, but does have a solid 20 points in 42 games at the AHL level.
Pacific Division
- The San Jose Sharks have reassigned Jasper Weatherby and Santeri Hatakka to the AHL, suggesting that some players–particularly Erik Karlsson—could be available to play in the coming days. Weatherby, meanwhile, has spent most of the season with the Sharks, playing in 45 games so far and racking up ten points. The 24-year-old forward is still waiver-exempt, meaning he can move up and down without issue whenever the team needs him again.
- Earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers sent defenseman Markus Niemelainen down to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The 23-year-old has split time between the NHL and AHL this season, tallying 7 points in 23 games at the AHL level and just one assist in 20 games at the NHL level.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Update on Dominik Kubalik's Trade Status
- Like the Blue Jackets, the Chicago Blackhawks also have to consider the long-term fits of certain players on their roster. As the deadline approaches, one name being discussed is Dominik Kubalik. In a piece detailing the Blackhawks’ overall trade deadline situation, Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers of The Athletic add some more detail to the team’s situation with Kubalik. (subscription required) They assign Kubalik an “80%” likelihood of being traded, and report that a source indicated the Blackhawks’ asking price for the Czech Winger to be a second-round pick. Kubalik is an interesting trade candidate because of his scoring pedigree and relative youth. He scored 30 goals as a rookie and 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games last season, which is a 25-goal, 55-point pace. That’s strong production for a player who had not played North American professional hockey before arriving in Chicago. But Kubalik has been a bit less productive this season, with only 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games, and he is due a qualifying offer of around $4MM if a team wants to retain his rights as a restricted free agent. The Blackhawks’ new GM Kyle Davidson indicated that he would be embarking on a long-term rebuild of the team, so perhaps Kubalik becomes one of his first major moves to add draft capital to support that endeavor.
Blackhawks Make Front Office Changes
After announcing that Kyle Davidson would be the franchise’s next GM earlier this week, the Blackhawks have made further adjustments to their front office. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the team has parted ways with two longtime executives: Mark Kelley and Ryan Stewart. This comes as the Blackhawks begin plotting a change of course as a franchise, with Davidson stating to the media that the team was planning on “more of a rebuild” of the club. The Blackhawks are currently 20-27-8, they do not figure to be in this season’s playoff race, and the departure of two long-term fixtures in the team’s front office adds to what has been a season of significant upheaval for one of the league’s most historic franchises.
For both Stewart and Kelley, rebuilding is not something they have had much experience with in their careers. Both have been with the Blackhawks for fifteen years, and both were working for the team for each of its three Stanley Cup victories in the salary cap era. In a story he penned about Stewart last year, Scott Powers of The Athletic wrote that Stewart was “responsible for a staff that scouts a wide array of amateur and pro players, including drafted pros in North America and Europe and potential free agents.” As for Kelley, as VP of Amateur Scouting for the past fifteen years he also had a significant role in the team’s cultivation of young talent. Drafting is an inexact science, and it is difficult to pin any draft success or failure on one person, given how scouting for an NHL team is very much a team process. That being said, as managers responsible for overseeing much of the team’s scouting operation, both Stewart and Kelley bear at least some responsibility for the state of the team’s roster and prospect system.
With their departures Kelley and Stewart leave a significant hole in the Blackhawks’ scouting operation. The club lacks draft capital thanks to the offseason trade for Seth Jones and the organization as a whole has a prospect pool that is not considered to be among the league’s deepest or most talent-rich. In order for Davidson to be able to execute on his grand plans to rebuild the franchise, the pipeline of young talent feeding Chicago’s roster needs to be strong. These moves, therefore, are part of the larger process to re-shape Chicago’s established order on that front. As for what the team will do from here, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports that the Blackhawks will have Director of Player Personnel Mike Doneghey oversee amateur scouting while the pro scouts will report to Davidson himself.
Jonathan Toews, Tyler Johnson To Return For Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting a whole bunch of reinforcements tonight. Jonathan Toews, Tyler Johnson, Calvin de Haan, and Riley Stillman will all return, as Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago reports. Henrik Borgstrom and Erik Gustafsson will sit, while Alec Regula was returned to the minor leagues earlier today.
While de Haan wasn’t technically on injured reserve, the other three were, with Johnson not playing since the end of October. The 31-year-old forward underwent the same artificial disk replacement surgery that Jack Eichel did, and will be playing in just his ninth game of the season. Toews meanwhile has been out since January dealing with a concussion issue. His return will hopefully come with a resurgence offensively, as the Blackhawks captain was able to score just four times through his first 43 games.
That has been a huge part of why the team has struggled this season, and the future for Toews is now very murky. He missed all of 2020-21 with Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, and now seems a shell of the player that was an annual Selke and Hart trophy candidate. With new Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson indicating that a rebuild is coming for Chicago, and Toews having just one year left on his contract, it’s hard to envision him playing there for many more seasons unless he can really find his game at some point. Only 33, (34 in April) getting back on the ice tonight will be a good start.
In de Haan specifically, his return represents a very different situation. The 30-year-old defenseman is on an expiring contract and could be a nice trade deadline piece for the Blackhawks if he can show he’s healthy and relatively effective over the next few weeks. In 48 games this season he has just five points, but a physical defenseman who can play both sides and penalty kill will always be sought-after at the deadline.
Stillman meanwhile is potentially a piece for the future, as the 23-year-old signed a three-year $4.05MM contract extension last spring. In 28 games this season he actually has ten points, despite averaging fewer than 15 minutes a night. If players like de Haan are moved out at some point, the opportunity for a player like Stillman should be increased.
Alec Regula Sent To AHL
- Alec Regula has been returned to the AHL by the Chicago Blackhawks, where he can continue his strong minor league campaign. The 21-year-old defenseman looks like he will be a part of the Chicago blueline for a long time when he eventually makes the full-time jump, but for now is still focused on development. In 25 games for Rockford, the 6’4″ Regula has 17 points.
Snapshots: Capitals, Penguins, King
Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan gave a variety of updates in a midseason presser today, recapped in this article by The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell. First and most concerning is the health status of winger Carl Hagelin, who was hit in the eye with a stick during yesterday’s practice. MacLellan called the injury “serious,” and Hagelin has had surgery within the past day. MacLellan says the examination went in a positive direction, but that the next steps for Hagelin are “still to be determined.” However, it’s possible that winger Anthony Mantha could return to the lineup this week in Hagelin’s absence. Mantha had six points in 10 games this season before going down with a shoulder injury.
More notes on this Wednesday evening:
- As the Pittsburgh Penguins embark on a tough schedule ahead with a long string of games against playoff teams, they could be getting two reinforcements back in the lineup. Head coach Mike Sullivan says center Teddy Blueger is now taking full-contact practices but will need a few practices more before he’s ready to return the lineup. Winger Jason Zucker “isn’t as close” as Blueger, but will likely return to practice soon. Blueger has been out since late January with a broken jaw, while Zucker has been out with an upper-body injury since around the same time.
- Newly-named Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson called interim head coach Derek King “definitely a viable candidate” to be the team’s next permanent head coach today. While Blackhawks fans may be frustrated that their management crew won’t see fresh faces, the rebuilding team has kept up a .500 points percentage under King, an impressive feat considering a weak roster and some tough injuries. It would be King’s first NHL head coaching role.
Trade Rumors: Blackhawks & Flyers
It didn’t take long for new Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson to make some waves in his now-official role. In media availability this afternoon, Davidson made it clear that he sees the Blackhawks as a rebuild. If that is indeed the case, then it may be more than just rentals departing Chicago in the near future. Of course, the two big names that could be on the move if Davidson and company move into a full-blown fire sale are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The face of the franchise, Kane and Toews were the lynchpins of a dynastic run in Chicago and have continued to produce as the franchise has struggled in recent years. With just one year remaining on the matching eight-year, $84MM they signed long ago, Kane and Toews are now much more palatable trade targets if the Blackhawks choose to go that route. With that being said, the duo do have trade protection and any move would likely come from cooperation between the player side and the front office. In the latest edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger suggests that those conversations could be on the horizon, but anticipating a move prior to the trade deadline is likely unrealistic.
- While Marc-Andre Fleury has been seen as a much more likely trade victim in Chicago, that may not be the case after all. Chris Johnston notes that there has always been an understanding that the Blackhawks would honor Fleury’s wishes despite only limited trade protection. At this time, he hears that Fleury is leaning toward staying in Chicago through the end of the season rather than accepting a trade. It remains unclear what this means for Fleury’s future, but Davidson’s insistence on a rebuild likely means that his time with the Blackhawks will end after this season, though likely not any earlier. Should Fleury’s mindset on being traded change in the coming weeks, he will remain a highly sought-after target and Chicago could certainly benefit from the trade return.
- Another anticipated top rental target whose status is still unknown is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux. Pierre LeBrun reports that Giroux is still on the fence about moving and controls his own fate with a No-Movement Clause. The 34-year-old certainly would like a shot at a Stanley Cup and isn’t going to get one in Philadelphia this season. On the other hand, with 39 points in 49 games this season, Giroux isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and will have other chances at a title if he decides to ride out the year with the Flyers and save his next move for free agency. From the team’s point of view, Giroux will be worth an exorbitant amount if he does decide he is willing to be traded. LeBrun believes that Giroux could be considered the most valuable rental on the market and initial talks that the Flyers have had with potential suitors reflects that valuation. Philadelphia is expecting to receive a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player (or a package of equal value) for Giroux. Loyalty aside, the team has to be hoping that Giroux is open to a move.
- The Flyers face a trickier situation with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. When he was acquired this summer, the team had a different vision for how this season would play out. That involved a more obvious upward trajectory for the club, which would have made signing Ristolainen to an extension an easy call. However, given Philadelphia’s struggles and Ristolainen’s himself, it is unclear how the two sides move forward, if at all. Darren Dreger notes that the two sides are talking contract and there is a significant possibility of an extension. However, if those negotiations do not yield an agreement before the trade deadline then Ristolainen could hit the block. Despite a down year, the big, two-way defender would draw widespread interest.
Chicago Blackhawks Name Kyle Davidson GM
The Chicago Blackhawks have made it official, removing the interim tag from Kyle Davidson and naming him the tenth general manager in team history. Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz released a statement on the hire:
We have a vision here for the future of Blackhawks hockey and today we are a step closer to that coming together. As an organization, we know we have a lot of work to do on and off the ice and Kyle is the leader we trust to oversee our hockey operations.
The thorough process we undertook affirmed much of what we believed we had in Kyle and he stepped up to lead and make tough decisions during his time in the interim role. He without a doubt met every qualification we were looking for, is passionate about the game and represents the high character across everything we do.
I’d like to thank Jaime and the members of our Advisory Committee for their help in this process. We had several strong candidates; I am confident Kyle is the right answer. I look forward to working with him for years to come and I am excited about what this means for the future of the club.
Davidson, 33, had served as interim GM since Stan Bowman left the organization last October following the investigation into sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich.
Though this appointment comes with huge expectations, not only for the on-ice product but also the off-ice structure, accountability, and public relations of the organization, it is also an incredible rise for an executive that started as an intern with the Blackhawks a little more than a decade ago.
Davidson joined Chicago as an intern in the summer following the 2010 Stanley Cup championship and was hired into the analytics department full-time in 2011. By 2018, he was named assistant general manager.
He now has the daunting task of turning around a once-proud franchise, that has suffered countless losses both on and off the ice over the last year. Transparency and accountability throughout the front office will have to come first, but the on-ice product will also need drastic changes if the Blackhawks want to become a Stanley Cup contender once again. After last summer’s blockbuster acquisitions of Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury, the team has cratered and currently sits 19-27-8 on the season with one of the worst goal differentials in the league.
While the trade deadline will have to be dealt with in the coming weeks, the futures of players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are also hanging in the balance, with each set to become unrestricted free agents following the 2022-23 season.
Chicago Blackhawks To Name Kyle Davidson GM
The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to announce current interim general manager Kyle Davidson as the team’s 10th permanent GM in team history tomorrow, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Davidson was named the team’s interim general manager on October 26, 2021, after previous GM Stan Bowman resigned after he was implicated in the organization’s systemic “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response” as it related to video coach Brad Aldrich’s sexual assault of former Blackhawk forward Kyle Beach in 2010.
The announcement is likely underwhelming to some fans considering the unusually public and transparent nature of the team’s search for a new GM. Unlike other vacancies which are usually met by swirling rumors of potential candidates, the Blackhawks went so far as to announce all their interviewees by name, clearly laying out all the potential candidates for the job.
Three days ago, it was reported by multiple sources, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, that Davidson was one of the final three candidates for the job. The other two finalists were reportedly Tampa Bay Lightning director of hockey operations Mathieu Darche and the MLB’s Chicago Cubs assistant GM Jeff Greenberg.
Seravalli reports that former Blackhawk Brian Campbell, who was notably on the 2009-10 Blackhawks that won the Stanley Cup during the period in which the allegations against Aldrich were brought forward, will take on a “significant role” alongside Davidson as the Blackhawks continue to rebuild their roster.
Davidson’s rise within the Blackhawks organization is somewhat of a meteoric one. He actually joined the team as an intern for the 2010-11 campaign, which he was then able to parlay into a role as the team’s manager of hockey administration from 2011 to 2018. He was brought back to the organization as an assistant GM prior to 2019-20, and was additionally given the title of VP of hockey strategy and analytics in 2021-22 before being promoted.