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Minor Transactions: 02/17/21

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It has been a rare slow day for internal NHL transactions, with few recalls and assignments to and from the taxi squad and AHL. Yet, down in the minors there continue to be other notable moves, as well as constant changes for familiar names overseas. Here are some of the day’s key minor transactions:

  • Sam Vigneault has requested and been granted a release from his AHL contract, the Laval Rocket announced. The team provided no other details beyond that it was a mutual decision to part ways. Vigneault, 25, signed with Laval this off-season but had not had the opportunity to play with the club yet. After three seasons within the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, all spent with the Cleveland Monsters including on an AHL contract last year, Vigneault’s first pro foray away from the club was short-lived. It remains to be seen if the forward will look for another opportunity in the AHL (or ECHL) or instead head overseas.
  • It has already been a whirlwind start to the season for goaltender Angus Redmond. The former Anaheim Ducks prospect was traded to the Edmonton Oilers last year and, while he wasn’t re-signed by the team, attended training camp with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Still unable to earn a contract, Redmond signed with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks just this past weekend and played in a pair of games with the team. Now, he’s on to a new team. With the Toronto Maple Leafs currently using intended AHL starters Michael Hutchinson and Joseph Woll for themselves right now and another keeper, Ian Scott, currently injured, the Toronto Marlies have announced that they have signed Redmond to an AHL contract for the remainder of the year. Once the Toronto goalie pipeline returns to normal, Redmond will likely return to the ECHL but will have an opportunity to prove himself in the AHL for the time being.
  • The ZSC Lions, currently sitting pretty in second place in the Swiss National League, have announced a number of extensions to keep their successful roster together. Among those returning is NHL veteran Marcus Kruger, who has battled injuries this year but has been even better on a per-game basis than he was in his first season with ZSC last year. Kruger, 30, is just two year removed from competing in the NHL, but seems content to stay in Switzerland, signing a one-year extension. Other notable names earning new contracts are former NCAA standout Garrett Roe, who has found stardom in Europe and and even played for Team USA at the 2018 Olympics, and Dario Trutmann, formerly of the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers and a World Juniors hero for the Swiss.

Chicago Shopping Brendan Perlini

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There’s been no shortage of turnover in Chicago this summer, with the team acquiring Olli Maatta, Calvin de Haan, Andrew Shaw, and Alexander Nylander, signing Robin Lehner, and drafting Kirby Dach, while watching Dominik Kahun, John Hayden, Gustav Forsling, Marcus Kruger, and Henri Jokiharju depart. Yet, the re-shaping of the roster may not be done yet. Blackhawks insider Jay Zawaski of the Madhouse Chicago Hockey Podcast reports that the team is actively shopping young forward Brendan Perlini. 

Perlini, 23, is currently a restricted free agent looking for his first deal following the expiration of his entry-level contract. While the big winger was trending towards a nice pay day through his first two NHL seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, the status quo is much less clear since Perlini was dealt to the Blackhawks this past season alongside Dylan Strome. While Strome took off in Chicago, Perlini struggled and only began to find his game late in the season. Altogether, Perlini recorded just 15 points in more than half a season with the Blackhawks and never looked to fully gain the trust of the coaching staff. While it’s obvious that this could cause a rift between the team and player when it comes to contract negotiations, there was never any indication that it went so far as Chicago seeking to trade Perlini rather than re-sign him, at least until now.

With very little salary cap space remaining – approximately $2.04MM according to CapFriendly – and a lineup that still needs three more forwards, the Blackhawks have to be both creative and careful with how they fill out the roster. If the team is struggling to convince Perlini, a player they might not be sold on, to take a deal that fits within their cap constraints, then shopping him makes sense. On the other hand, they could be giving up too quickly on a young player who dealt with a change of scenery but has previously looked like a future 20-goal scorer. It never hurts to test the trade waters and see what the return may be for a player, but Chicago will have to make sure that they’re moving Perlini for the right reasons and for a fair return or risk ending up on the wrong side of a potential deal.

Marcus Kruger Signs In Switzerland

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Marcus Kruger’s NHL career appears to be over, for now at least. The 29-year old forward has signed a two-year contract with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA. Kruger was an unrestricted free agent.

Kruger was an integral part of two Stanley Cup runs with the Chicago Blackhawks, serving as a defensive center tasked with shutting down some of the offensive stars opposite him. That didn’t lead to much scoring of his own over the years, but it did let him raise the trophy over his head and garnered him Selke votes on two different occasions. After a short stint in Carolina during the 2017-18 season (and even shorter one in Arizona), he was back with the Blackhawks last season where he recorded 12 points in 74 games. With the team moving on to a younger center group there was unlikely to be room for him to return.

It is interesting though that he will leave North America entirely. The fifth-round pick has been playing in the NHL since 2011, spending only a handful of games in the minor leagues and mostly suiting up on a regular basis. He even has 87 games of playoff experience, something that’s not easy to come by in a player under 30. His age may indicate there is potential for a return, though it’s hard to imagine anything he does in Switzerland would impress an NHL team more than his professional career to this point.

If he doesn’t return, he would finish his NHL career with 123 points in 520 regular season games.

Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden

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The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.

In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.

Central Notes: Honka, Gustafsson, Hayden, Seabrook

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With a trade already completed earlier today, the Dallas Stars are continuing to look for help at the forward position. To do that, and with the addition of Ben Lovejoy today, Dallas may be ready to part ways with defenseman Julius Honka who has worn out his welcome, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required).

The team has lost faith in the play of both Honka and Connor Carrick, who both were considered inconsistent and with the fact that the team has shown they would give more minutes to Gavin Bayreuther and Joel Hanley, both currently in the NHL, moving Honka would make sense. The 23-year-old was a first-rounder in 2014 and was highly-touted before arriving to the NHL, but he has struggled adjusting to the NHL, especially with his confidence. Regardless, many teams might be willing to give up a scorer to get their hands on a project like Honka.

Shapiro writes that while the Stars have some room under the salary cap and could acquire a player who makes up to $2.05MM, the team has a number of players who could be placed on long-term injured reserve, which could open up close to $8MM in cap room if needed due to the injuries of Martin Hanzal, Stephen Johns and Tyler Pitlick.

While general manager Jim Nill said that there are seven or eight forwards the team is looking at, there is no word who those might be, although Shapiro believes that the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello is near the top of Dallas’  list.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made it clear to inquiring teams they have no intention of moving defenseman Erik Gustafsson, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The team has been impressed by his offensive skills as he has 43 points in 59 games this season. He’s also tied for second among all NHL defensemen with 11 primary assists in 5-on-5 play and tied for seventh among all defensemen with 20 primary assists in all strengths. However, the team is still trying to trade John Hayden, who has played less than 10 minutes in 17 of his last 19 games.
  • Sticking with the Blackhawks, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus writes that defenseman Brent Seabrook, who has been out since Feb. 16 with a abdominal strain, could potentially return Sunday. The 33-year-old still averages 19:47 in ATOI this year and has five goals and 23 points for Chicago this year. Marcus Kruger, who is out with a foot injury, remains day-to-day.

 

Blackhawks Notes: Deadline Status, Kampf, Crawford, Snuggerud

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When the Boston Bruins snapped the Chicago Blackhawks’ winning streak at seven games last night, it brought to light how little the run actually meant in the bigger picture. The Blackhawks have certainly improved in the second half, but are still on the outside looking in by a substantial margin. Even after stockpiling points over the last few weeks, Chicago is currently 12th in the Western Conference and virtually tied with the Edmonton Oilers in points percentage, who trail by two points but have two games in hand. The Blackhawks are four points behind the Minnesota Wild in for the final wild card spot and would have to leapfrog three more teams to get there, two of which hold games in hand, too. The upcoming schedule for the ’Hawks is light; it features five home contests and six non-playoff teams out of eight games. However, the schedule is not as easy the rest of the way. If management takes another small stretch of success before the deadline to mean that the team should not be sellers this season, it could be a mistake. Given that Chicago’s top rentals are not imperative to winning anyway – Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen, Cam Ward – the best and most likely course of action will be for the Blackhawks to entertain all trade offers over the remaining days before the deadline and not engage in any buyer talk.

  • The Blackhawks announced today that center David Kampf has been placed on injured reserve. Although the placement is retroactive to February 5th, do not expect Kampf back soon. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis notes that the timeline to return is three to four weeks, making a reappearance by Kampf before the end of the month unlikely. Kampf has 16 points in 50 games for the Blackhawks this season and has been a solid bottom-six forward for the team in his second year since making the jump from Europe.
  • The silver lining to Kampf’s injury, as Roumeliotis points out, is that it opens up a roster spot for goaltender Corey Crawford to potentially make his return. Crawford has reportedly been getting close to game readiness and after missing the past two months while battling concussion symptoms. If Crawford is able to return and at least show that he is capable of splitting time with rookie Collin Delia, that would give the Blackhawks even further encouragement to peddle veteran backup Ward before the deadline rather than carry three goalies.
  • Luc Snuggerud worked quickly to find a new team after his contract was terminated by the Blackhawks on Monday. The young defenseman has signed with a rather obscure club, the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. The team announced a contract for the remainder of the season with Snuggerud. While hockey is growing in Norway, the national pro league is not considered to be among the elite in Europe. In fact, on the entire Oilers roster, including eight North American skaters, only Greg Mauldin has any NHL experience. As such, Snuggerud is expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Stavanger, which is what he was unable to do in the Blackhawks organization.

 

Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we keep going with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already made a major move. GM Kyle Dubas got a jump start on the deadline market and acquired Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin two weeks ago. It was a much-needed addition of a top-pair caliber defender to a team that had concerning depth. However, Toronto also surrendered their 2019 first-round pick and arguably two of their top five prospects in the process.

With a major asset added and significant trade capital lost, should Dubas and the Maple Leafs refrain from making any more moves? Absolutely not. Toronto has the luxury of cap space this season and it will be a very, very long time before that happens again. The team must be mindful of entry-level bonuses and the cap impact next year if they carry over, but should take advantage of this opportunity to spend. As good as the team has been this season, there are still holes in the lineup that can be filled. The Leafs are also trying to hold off the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens in the divisional race, but almost surely will face one or the other in the first round of the postseason and then, if they’re lucky, the league leading Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The Atlantic Division is stacked and if Toronto wants to take advantage of a strong roster and ample cap space before an impending salary crunch potentially reshapes their roster this summer, they should be all-out buyers at the deadline. A Stanley Cup title is within reach, but reinforcements would certainly help.

Record

34-18-3, second in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$20.09MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, STL 4th, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, DAL 7th, TOR 7th
2020: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 6th, EDM 7th, SJ 7th, TOR 7th

Trade Chips

The Maple Leafs are more likely than not going to make several smaller moves as the deadline approaches rather than another Muzzin deal. Fortunately, that means that the team can likely get away with making young roster forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson and top prospect defenseman Rasmus Sandin untouchable.

However, everything else will still be on the table. That includes more draft picks, although the team’s second-round selection this year will likely be difficult to pry away after losing their first-rounder already. More so, it includes several other intriguing prospects that belong to the team. Some believe that another high-end defensive prospect, Tim Liljegren, is also an untouchable for the Leafs, while others say that he can be had in the right deal. If Toronto is pursuing one of the top names at their positions of need and no longer has a first-round pick this year to offer, Liljegren could be the next-best thing to sellers. Fellow AHL defenseman, Calle Rosen, is having quite a year for the Marlies and could also draw interest. 2017 second-round pick Eemeli Rasanen, currently skating in the KHL, is an interesting trade possibility, as is OHL standout Mac Hollowell, a fourth-round pick last year.

Up front, Jeremy Bracco has established himself as the next impact young forward for the Maple Leafs, if he can survive that long. Bracco, a 2015 second-round pick, is enjoying a point-per-game campaign with the Marlies that is sure to have caught some eyes around the league. Toronto would hate to part with an affordable scoring option for next season, but offering up Bracco could go a long way in trade talks. Trevor Moore could also fight for a spot on the Leafs next year, but is older and has less upside and would hurt less to part with. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is an intriguing junior prospect to keep an eye on, too.

The Maple Leafs are hoping that Boston College goaltender Joseph Woll, a 2016 third-round pick, will turn pro after his junior year and provide some upside and talent in the AHL. However, does that make Woll untouchable? If Toronto thinks he may return for his senior season at BC, they could be willing to move him. The team may also feel more strongly about another goalie prospect, WHL star Ian Scott, as their keeper of the future, making Woll more expendable. It’s doubtful that the team moves Woll, but there are factors that could convince them to part with the promising netminder for the right return.

Then there is a subset of the players that Toronto is hoping to use as trade chips at the deadline. While there are positions of need at the deadline, cap space moving forward is the most important asset for Toronto. The Maple Leafs have a near-impossible cap crunch coming this off-season and could benefit from moving out expensive long-term contracts for extraneous players. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is the main target; the 27-year-old has five seasons remaining at $4.5MM AAV and has regressed greatly this season. The Leafs will move him if at all possible. Forward Connor Brown, signed through next season at $2.1MM, has also seen his production slip this year and could be used in a hockey deal for a similar style rental.

Five Players To Watch For: D Tim Liljegren, D Calle Rosen, F Jeremy Bracco, D Nikita Zaitsev, F Connor Brown

Team Needs

1) Fourth-line Center: Last season, the Maple Leafs traded for Tomas Plekanec at the deadline. The year before, it was Brian Boyle and Eric Fehr. This is a team that loves to strengthen their checking line, particularly down the middle, and that is a need once again this season. It could be a need that is met very cheaply by any number of veteran two-way centers on expiring contracts. Players that fit that description aren’t often hard to come by. In fact, Fehr may even be available again if the Minnesota Wild fall out of the playoff race. Toronto has been connected to the Detroit Red Wings’ Luke Glendening, but the term on his contract is a concern. Another interesting possibility is the Chicago Blackhawks’ Marcus Kruger.

2) Right-shot Defenseman: Even after acquiring Muzzin, there is still talk that the team would like to add a natural right-handed defenseman. The team has decent depth in right shots in Zaitsev, Igor Ozhiganov, and Justin Holl, but the thought is that they could acquire an upgrade to that group, effectively making them all backup options in the postseason. How much trade capital the Leafs want to spend on a yet another defenseman remains to be seen, but a physical veteran like the New Jersey Devils’ Ben Lovejoy or the New York Rangers’ Adam McQuaid would be a good fit.

3) Depth Forward: Reiterating the intro, if there is cap space available – in consideration of bonus overages – the Leafs need to use it. Another rental forward, even without an obvious fit in the lineup, would come in handy. The team has previously been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes’ Micheal Ferland and the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello, among others. If they can make it work to add another scoring forward like that, they may as well pull the trigger. Any team in the Atlantic Division can use all the help they can get surviving the postseason.

Evening Notes: Karlsson, Rask, Kruger, Byfuglien

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The Tampa Bay Lightning got a break Saturday when the San Jose Sharks revealed that they had scratched star defenseman Erik Karlsson despite the fact that he participated in the pre-game skate. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Karlsson is nursing an injury, but it isn’t expected to be very serious.

According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Karlsson has been struggling with the lower-body injury since the team faced Arizona on Thursday and hasn’t been practicing. He added that Karlsson was limping noticeably after the game against the Coyotes, favoring his left side. While Kurz acknowledged that the injury isn’t serious, the scribe wonders if the Sharks might hold him out until after the All-Star break. San Jose has two games remaining against Florida and Washington on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and then don’t play again until Feb. 2.

  • The Boston Bruins may have lost Tuukka Rask for some time as the team announced that the goaltender suffered a concussion during Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers and will not return. The hit happened late in the first period when Rangers’ Filip Chytil collided with Rask after scoring a goal. Chytil was actually pushed by Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, sending Chytil airborne and sending Rask backwards, where he appeared to hit his head on the right goalpost. Rask remained on the ice for quite a while before skating off with assistance. Jaroslav Halak took over for Rask.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that a league source says the Chicago Blackhawks are attempting to trade Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz and Andreas Martinson. While no names are surprises, Powers writes that the team will most likely find a trading partner for Kruger, who has just a seven-team no-trade clause. He is in the final year of a three-year, $9.25MM deal at $2.75MM AAV, which many teams might be willing to take on for some bottom-six help.
  • NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton writes that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a left leg injury, has resumed skating with the earliest possible return being after the All-Star break. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound blueliner would be an important piece to get back for the Jets, who have missed him in his absence.

Minor Transactions: 12/19/18

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Today is the final day before the holiday roster freeze comes into effect, though there can still be some movement afterwards. Teams are allowed to recall players during the next two weeks, and can also send down any player recalled after December 11th. That would include anyone called up today, meaning we’ll keep our eye on all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Luke Johnson from the minor leagues while putting Marcus Kruger on injured reserve with a concussion. Kruger suffered the injury last night when he was hit by Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman, and will be out indefinitely. Johnson meanwhile returns to the Blackhawks after playing 13 games with the club earlier in the season.
  • Phil Varone is on his way back to the minor leagues, loaned from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms today. Varone has played four games for Philadelphia this season but has been held scoreless in each. The veteran forward is a dominant AHL player though, and has 28 points in 22 games for the Phantoms after posting a 70-point season in 2017-18.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have sent goaltender Adin Hill and forward Conor Garland back to the minor leagues, though with no corresponding moves yet one or two could be back up quickly. Since Hill and Garland were both originally recalled before December 11th, they would not be able to be sent down during the freeze. Now they will be able to freely move up and down throughout, allowing them to get into game action should Arizona activate some of their injured players.
  • The same tact might be taking place in Los Angeles, where Michael Amadio, Sean Walker and Austin Wagner have all been sent down to the AHL. Again, all three players had been recalled prior to December 11th, meaning this move is likely only to create some roster flexibility through the roster freeze.
  • In Vegas however, the Golden Knights have recalled Brandon Pirri and had him at practice today with the club. Pirri has been dominating the minor leagues once again, and with Max Pacioretty headed to the injured reserve, the team needed another forward. The 27-year old Pirri once scored 22 goals in just 49 games for the Florida Panthers, but has struggled to find consistent work in the NHL since. This year for the Chicago Wolves, he has 41 points in 28 games and has looked far too capable for the AHL.
  • Thomas Hickey has been moved to injured reserve, giving the New York Islanders roster room to recall Devon Toews. The 24-year old Toews has yet to make his NHL debut but is a leader for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers all over the ice. The defenseman has 86 points through 130 minor league games since being a fourth-round pick in 2014, and could give the Islanders a decent puck-moving presence going forward.
  • Another Los Angeles Kings player is on his way down, but this time it’s for a conditioning stint. Jack Campbell has been sent to the minor leagues to continue his rehab, an important step on his recovery process from a meniscus injury earlier this year. Campbell is still on injured reserve for the time being.
  • Clark Bishop is on his way back to the NHL, as the Charlotte Checkers announced that the rookie forward has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Bishop, 22, was a fifth-round pick and was never much of an offensive force in his junior years. The two-way center even split his first pro season between the AHL and ECHL. However, Bishop has worked hard and is now a regular call-up for Carolina in his third season. Bishop has two points in 15 games for the ’Canes this year.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert 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 heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of 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: $74,008,045 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nick Schmaltz (one year, $925K)
F Dylan Sikura (one year, $925K)
F Dominik Kahun (two years, $925K)
F David Kampf (one year, $925K)
F Victor Ejdsell (one year, $834K)
F Alex DeBrincat (two years, $778K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kahun: $2.85MM
Sikura: $925K
Schmaltz: $850K
DeBrincat: $133K

Total: $4,76MM

The team has a number of quality youngsters who will eventually cost them a good deal of money. However, the team has high expectations for Schmaltz, who had a breakout season and was one of the few bright spots in Chicago during a dismal season. Schmaltz, in his second year, scored 21 goals and added 52 points and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 center for a number of years in the future. The only key issue that Schmaltz continues to work on is his struggles in the face-off circle as he had just a 40.1 percent faceoff winning percentage last year, which is horrible.

The team’s other major bright spot was the play of DeBrincat. The 20-year-old made the team and then tallied 28 goals in his rookie campaign and looks to be another solid scorer for Chicago to work with in the top-six. The team hopes for a similar season from Sikura, who the team signed out of Northeastern University, where he posted 58 goals over four seasons there. The 23-year-old winger looks to have a solid chance of joining DeBrincat in the top six this season.

Two other interesting names, who could make an impact with the team are Ejdsell and Kahun. Ejdsell, who the team acquired in the Ryan Hartman trade at the deadline, has an opportunity to beat out Sikura for a top-six spot if he has a good training camp, while Kahun, signed to a two-year deal out of Germany, is another candidate to make the team and contribute immediately.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Cam Ward ($3MM, UFA)
F Marcus Kruger ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Schroeder ($650K, UFA)
F Tyler Sikura ($650K, UFA)

While the Blackhawks offseason was relatively quiet, the team did make a splash in the goaltending market after the team went for much of the season last year without their starting goaltender. Because of their lack of depth, the team added Ward to help fill the backup role, who could also take over starting duties if needed. The 35-year-old Ward played 43 games for Carolina a year ago and posted a .906 save percentage along with two shutouts. While those numbers aren’t great, they are better than the goalies they carried a season ago.

The team also brought in some grit, bringing back Kruger as well as signing 38-year-old Kunitz. Both should fill significant roles in the bottom-six and hopefully boost the production of those lines. Kruger struggled since leaving Chicago. He posted just one goal and five assists in 48 games last season and was demoted to the AHL for 19 games. However, in the offseason, Kruger admitted he played the entire season with a hernia, which is what affected his play. Now, fully healthy, Kruger might be able to bounce back. Both are solid one-year options.

The 28-year-old Rutta showed some solid signs of progress in his rookie campaign. He averaged 19:15 of ATOI, scoring six goals and 20 points, as well as having a (minus) one plus/minus ratio. Another season could boost his production as a top-four defenseman.

Two Years Remaining

G Corey Crawford ($6MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($1.2MM, UFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, RFA)

The Blackhawks success will likely fall on Crawford, who missed most of the season last year with concussion-like symptoms and the 33-year-old netminder has already indicated that he likely won’t be ready for training camp and could miss part of the season next year.

With those issues, there isn’t necessarily a guarantee that he will bounce back and put up similar numbers from his 2015-16 season when he put up a .919 save percentage in 55 games. His numbers were actually even better in the 2017-18 season before he was injured, posting a .929 save percentage to go with two shutouts in 28 games.

Chicago will rely on Gustafsson and Murphy to help man their defense. Both will need to improve quite a bit to improve their weakened defense. Gustafsson showed some promise after being recalled late in the season from Rockford of the AHL and he posted 16 points in 35 games. The defensive-minded Murphy, who came over in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade was solid, if not unspectacular on defense. Both will be needed if the team wants to return to the playoffs next year.Read more

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