Tyler Johnson Placed On Injured Reserve
After suffering an ankle injury on Tuesday, Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson has been moved to injured reserve. While it might seem like placement on regular IR is encouraging for his timeline, that’s not necessarily the case. With the Blackhawks nowhere near the salary cap ceiling, there is no need to use long-term injured reserve. It is not clear how long Johson will be out.
It’s a tough blow for Johnson, who was experiencing something of a renaissance with Chicago this season after some down years. The versatile forward had six points through six games, including an assist against the Florida Panthers before exiting. Playing top-six minutes with powerplay time, the 32-year-old was setting himself up to have a nice bounce-back year.
With Johnson unavailable, Jujhar Khaira will move onto the second line with Jonathan Toews and Taylor Raddysh and play the net front on the second powerplay unit according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. The Blackhawks have been steadfast in keeping top prospects in the minor leagues to play with the Rockford IceHogs, and this injury likely won’t change that. For now, it appears as though they’ll go with 12 forwards on the roster, though that may change once they head out on the road.
Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Evan Barratt
The Chicago Blackhawks are busy today. After already completing one minor trade with the Montreal Canadiens, the Blackhawks have sent Evan Barratt to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Cooper Zech. The pair of young players will each report to their new minor league affiliates.
Barratt, 23, was a third-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2017 and has spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues after signing his entry-level contract. That contract expires at the end of this season and it is obvious that the new Chicago front office is focused on changing the entire organizational depth chart. The young forward was rather successful last year, with 28 points in 63 games, but hadn’t scored yet in his first two matches with Rockford this year.
He’ll join Lehigh Valley and try to prove to his new organization that he deserves a qualifying offer at the end of the year. Like the earlier trade, which sent Nicolas Beaudin back to where he grew up, Barratt is also headed home. The Bristol, Pennsylvania native played three years at Penn State and now gets a chance to play in front of friends and family once again.
Zech, meanwhile, is an undrafted defenseman that signed with the Flyers in 2021 after playing a few years on AHL contracts with the Providence Bruins. The 23-year-old is the kind of undersized player that can only climb the ladder by putting up big offensive numbers, but unfortunately only had 11 points in 53 games last season for Lehigh Valley.
While he may be a fine depth piece for Rockford, this is another player that could potentially be non-tendered by the Blackhawks at the end of the year. It should be noted that with so many draft picks coming into the organization, Chicago will need to keep contract slots to sign them open over the next few years. The moves today allow two players that are buried on the depth chart go play near their hometown, and hopefully make a bigger impact than they were ever going to have in Chicago.
Montreal Canadiens Acquire Nicolas Beaudin
The Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens have completed another trade that will see a former first-round pick head north. Nicolas Beaudin, selected 27th overall in 2018 by the Blackhawks, has been traded to Montreal in exchange for Cameron Hillis.
Similar to the move for Kirby Dach, this brings a struggling former top prospect to Montreal where he will likely get a better opportunity. Beaudin, 23, has played 22 games in the NHL but had obviously been passed by other young defensemen in the Chicago system. He cleared waivers earlier this month and was playing with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
With the Canadiens, there’s at least a chance that Beaudin can make good on some of his potential and help them fill out the NHL lineup at some point down the road. The team did send Corey Schueneman to the AHL today, opening a roster spot, but are expecting Joel Edmundson back soon to fill it.
Of course, this is also an example of the Canadiens bringing in another hometown kid, as Beaudin is from Châteauguay, a Montreal suburb. He was a star for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL as a junior player and should be extremely excited about the move.
Hillis, meanwhile, is a third-round pick of the Canadiens from 2018 that has had a very odd professional career so far. Last season, when the team was struggling with injuries, Hillis was brought up straight from the ECHL to make his NHL debut. He was back in the ECHL this season and looks like he might be a potential non-tender candidate for the Blackhawks unless he finds a new level of play with Rockford, where he will initially report.
Mostly, this deal looks like it was made to find a new home for a young player buried in the depth chart, one that the Blackhawks had no intention of using.
Chicago Blackhawks Place Petr Mrazek On Injured Reserve
10/23/22: The Blackhawks have announced that Mrazek has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 21st. Per the announcement, Mrazek’s injury is a groin strain. Mrazek is unfortunately no stranger to groin injuries, and he has missed time due to similar ailments in the past. Given the relative lack of goaltending depth in Chicago, the team is no doubt hoping that Mrazek’s current groin injury is a minor one.
10/22/22: Staying healthy has been a challenge for Petr Mrazek throughout his 11-year NHL career. The injury bug crept up again last night as head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that the veteran went to him after the second period and indicated he felt he had a small injury that warranted his removal from the game. Alex Stalock came on in relief and the Blackhawks picked up the overtime victory.
However, with Chicago set to play their next game on Sunday, they needed to get a second healthy goalie on the roster so the team has announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Arvid Soderblom from AHL Rockford. Mrazek hasn’t been placed on IR yet so the team needed to clear a roster spot for the youngster so defenseman Alec Regula was sent to the IceHogs. NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relays (Twitter link) that Mrazek has a groin injury; he missed 20 games with that issue last season.
Soderblom is in his second season in North America and made three NHL appearances last year while having a strong season in Rockford, posting a .919 SV% in 38 games. The 23-year-old has suited up twice in the minors this year. As for Regula, he suited up in one of Chicago’s first four games this season and had 26 points in 41 games with Rockford last season.
Colton Dach In Concussion Protocol For The Second Time In A Month
- Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach has been placed in concussion protocol, notes Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). It’s the second time in a month that he has been moved there after entering protocol in mid-September. The 19-year-old had gotten off to a good start with WHL Kelowna with three points in as many games but now, it’s likely he’ll be shut down for a little while. Dach has already signed his entry-level deal with Chicago and will likely turn pro next season.
Blackhawks Not Expected To Shop Seth Jones In The Next Couple Of Years
While there has been plenty of speculation as to when Chicago will trade winger Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, there hasn’t been much trade chatter when it comes to Seth Jones. The Blackhawks are clearly in a rebuilding mode so having a $9.5MM defenseman on a long-term deal runs counter to that approach. However, as Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports, it’s unlikely that the team will even try to move the 28-year-old this season or even next year. With the salary cap situation for many contenders being tight, it’s unlikely they’d be able to accommodate such a contract and even if they were, being able to yield top value would be difficult. Instead, Jones will be counted on to be the top defender for Chicago and should average more than 25 minutes a night for the fifth straight season.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2022-23 season and beyond. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Chicago Blackhawks
Current Cap Hit: $76,467,143 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Alec Regula (one year, $867K)
D Filip Roos (two years, $925K)
Roos signed as an undrafted free agent after spending last season in the SHL but not many were expecting him to make the team right away. That’s what he did, however, as he is logging over 16 minutes a night in the early season thus far. It’s still too early to forecast his next deal as a lot will depend on whether he keeps his lineup spot throughout the season or if they decide time in Rockford is required. Regula spent most of his first two professional years in the minors and has had a limited role when he has been in Chicago. That’s the type of player that will likely receive a short-term bridge deal, perhaps a two-year pact that checks in a little lower than this but with more guaranteed money on a two-way contract with possibly one of those seasons being a one-way deal.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Andreas Athanasiou ($3MM, UFA)
F Max Domi ($3MM, UFA)
D Jack Johnson ($950K, UFA)
D Caleb Jones ($1.35MM, RFA)
F Patrick Kane ($10.5MM, UFA)
F Jujhar Khaira ($975K, UFA)
F Philipp Kurashev ($750K, RFA)
G Alex Stalock ($750K, UFA)
D Jarred Tinordi ($900K, UFA)
F Jonathan Toews ($10.5MM, UFA)
Kane and Toews have been on identical contracts for 13 straight years now but that will come to an end after this season. Kane remains one of the top offensive threats in the NHL and while it’s fair to expect that he’s going to slow down, he still should be an impact player for a few more years. His next deal probably won’t be $10.5MM but something around the $9MM mark should be achievable on a four-year deal or longer. Toews, on the other hand, has only had one high-end offensive season in recent years. While he remains a strong player at the faceoff dot and can kill penalties, his days of being a top-liner are over. Accordingly, his market value might be closer to half of his current price tag.
Domi and Athanasiou both came on identical deals this summer but at a much lower cost. They’re both looking for bounce-back seasons to build back some value. However, Athanasiou has had some good years lately and still didn’t have a particularly robust market in his previous trips through unrestricted free agency. Unless he gets closer to the 50-point mark this season, it’s hard to see his price tag going higher. As a center, Domi has a bit more potential when it comes to a bigger contract. He has had some down years since his 72-point campaign in 2018-19 but in a bigger role with Chicago, he at least has an opportunity to try to re-establish himself as a second liner which could give him a chance at a small raise.
Khaira has dealt with some injury issues the last couple of years and has been more of a fourth liner in that time. Accordingly, his next contract will come in close to this one. As for Kurashev, he’s on his prove-it deal, one that saw him take less than his qualifying offer to get a one-way guarantee. He has shown some flashes of promise early in his career and if he’s able to even get to 25-30 points this season, he’ll do enough to warrant a raise past the $1MM mark, especially with arbitration eligibility.
The younger Jones is still trying to get himself established as a full-time NHL player and has been on the third line when he has played for most of his career. He’ll be arbitration-eligible again this summer with a $1.35MM qualifying offer and a small raise could come his way if he’s able to stay healthy and on the third pairing. Johnson signed as a free agent this summer after being a depth player in Colorado. He could legitimately sign a similar type of contract in July around this price tag as it’s unlikely he’ll garner a multi-year deal now as he’ll turn 36 in January. Tinordi was somewhat surprisingly claimed off waivers after spending most of last season in the minors. It’s hard to see him getting much of a raise this summer but if he stays up for the full year with Chicago, another one-way deal could be doable.
The last two years have been tough for Stalock who was unable to play for most of that time due to myocarditis and he struggled in limited AHL action last season which limited his market this past summer. At his age (35), he’s probably going year-to-year moving forward but if he stays healthy and has a decent season, he should command more interest in July which would likely push his price tag past the $1MM mark.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Colin Blackwell ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Mackenzie Entwistle ($800K, RFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($2.65MM, UFA)
F Tyler Johnson ($5MM, UFA)
F Boris Katchouk ($758K, RFA)
F Sam Lafferty ($1.15MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.8MM, UFA)
F Taylor Raddysh ($758K, RFA)
Johnson was a cap dump by Tampa Bay and hasn’t produced at a top-six level with consistency for a few seasons now. On top of that, he is more of a winger than a center now which doesn’t help his value. He’ll be in his age-34 season on his next contract and it’s one that should be 50% lower at a minimum as things stand. Dickinson was a cap dump by Vancouver recently and isn’t too far removed from showing some third-line potential. If he can play at that level in Chicago, he could have a chance at a similar contract two years from now. But if he plays at the same level as last season with the Blackhawks, he’ll be closer to the level of a PTO candidate.
Blackwell came over in free agency after being a late-bloomer, only securing a regular NHL roster spot at 27. He has shown some offensive upside in that stretch and a contract like this for a fourth liner that could have a little upside is certainly reasonable. A similar showing to his last two seasons could give him a small bump in pay in 2024. Lafferty hasn’t produced much in his career but showed that he was capable of logging third-line ice time with Chicago last season. Maintaining that role would help his market value two years from now but he’ll need to produce more than single-digit goals to have a chance of really pushing his AAV up.
Entwistle is in a similar situation as Lafferty, just with a shorter track record. He provides Chicago with some physicality but the offense will need to come around if he wants a chance at a seven-figure contract. Raddysh didn’t produce much with Tampa Bay last season but impressed down the stretch with the Blackhawks, producing at close to a top-six level. Similar production coupled with arbitration rights could push him past the $2.5MM mark two years from now. Katchouk also came over from Tampa Bay and once he’s able to return, his priority will be simply securing a spot in the lineup on a regular basis which doesn’t bode well for the chances of a sizable increase in 2024.
Mrazek was a cap dump from Toronto back at the draft in a move that saw Chicago elevate a second-round pick into a first-rounder. He has shown flashes of playing at a number one level in the past but has struggled with consistency and staying healthy. He’ll need to provide at least some stability if he wants to land a contract around this price tag two years from now; at this point, a dip seems quite likely.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Jake McCabe
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting some veteran depth back on the blueline, activating Jake McCabe from injured reserve today. Recovered from cervical spine surgery that took place earlier this offseason, he’s expected to be in the lineup for the team tonight when they take on the Detroit Red Wings.
McCabe, 29, is one of the key pieces brought in during a 2021 offseason that ended up being too little, too late for the Blackhawks. The team struggled out of the gate, was embroiled in controversy, and quickly turned things over to general manager Kyle Davidson, who promptly started a full rebuild. The four-year, $16MM deal that Stan Bowman handed to McCabe doesn’t seem very practical now, though he is at least still young enough to remain an attractive trade candidate.
That is, of course, if he’s fully recovered from the back surgery, which remains to be seen. The long-time Buffalo Sabres defenseman is known for his physical, all-out style, blocking shots and punishing attacking players with equal frequency. Last season for the Blackhawks he led the team in hits and was behind only Calvin de Haan in blocks, while also putting up a very solid 22 points, only trailing Seth Jones in offense from the defense.
If McCabe can get back to a strong level of play, it’s easy to wonder if he’ll be shipped off like the rest of the valuable chips in Chicago. He does hold a seven-team no-trade clause and has a back-loaded contract, but minute-munching defensemen like him are always in demand at trade deadline time.
Frank Nazar To Undergo Surgery
Just as Kirby Dach makes his first real impact for the Montreal Canadiens, scoring an overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the player the Chicago Blackhawks got for him is going under the knife. Frank Nazar, the prospect that Chicago selected with the 13th overall pick this year, a pick acquired on draft day in exchange for Dach, will have surgery to fix a lower-body injury and could potentially miss the entire college hockey season, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic.
Powers’ information comes from Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naruato, who explained that Nazar was already injured when he arrived at school and will be out until at least February. The Wolverines will not rush back their freshman recruit, with Naurato explaining that he won’t be back until he’s 100 percent healthy.
Nazar, 18, is a brilliant offensive talent that was picked with the Blackhawks’ second of three first-round picks. Kevin Korchinski (7th overall), Nazar (13th), and Sam Rinzel (25th) lead an impressive 11-player draft class that has the potential to drive the rebuild timeline in Chicago. Eight of the picks were in the first 90 selections, and players like Nazar have high hopes for their star potential.
Missing an entire development year at this point can be devastating to the development of a prospect. While Nazar will still be included in team activities and will benefit from the world-class facilities at Michigan, missing out on this much game action at his age can severely limit his ceiling. We’ll have to wait and see what happens for Nazar, but it’s not a great start for the Chicago draft class.
Alex Vlasic Sent To AHL
Alex Vlasic hadn’t actually made it into a game yet for the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’ll have to wait a little while longer. The young defenseman has been assigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, with Jake McCabe on the verge of returning to action.
Vlasic, 21, signed out of Boston University last season and stepped immediately into the NHL, playing 15 games with the Blackhawks down the stretch. The 6’6″ defender has never had much offensive upside but is a potential shutdown option for the team as they continue their rebuild. His reach and skating ability allow him to control the rush easily and break up plays in front of the net, though he’ll have to do it in Rockford for the next little while.
It’s very obvious that the Blackhawks don’t want to rush their top prospects up to the NHL during this tank season. The team has just three players – Mackenzie Entwistle, Philipp Kurashev, and Alec Regula – left on the roster who are under the age of 24. Most of their group is 27 or older, racking up playing time in an attempt by the Blackhawks to flip as many pieces at the deadline as possible.
Vlasic will get his chance, there is little doubt of that, it just might not come this season. The organization is committed to creating a winner at the AHL level, meaning it might be a full minor league season for the hulking defender.