The offseason is many months away so we will revisit the Blackhawks free agent crop in the spring especially after the trade deadline has passed and the fate of the team's playoff contention is known. For now, here's an early projection for each pending free agent.
Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)
Andrei Altybarmakian is a great top 9 talent for the IceHogs with potential to crack the NHL if he can add consistency as he's uber competitive and the ultimate space creator for skilled linemates when he's on his game. A sub-$1M one-year renewal may be worth it.
Kirby Dach is no doubt getting re-signed but -- to his personal chagrin and to Chicago's financial advantage -- his post-ELC deal will be for less term and money than if he was lighting the NHL on fire. Expect a contract in the neighborhood of 2-3 years at $3-$4M AAV.
Reese Johnson was liked by former head coach Jeremy Colliton and still is by interim head coach Derek King. While he may be a dime-a-dozen 4th line agitator, Johnson can be effective if his role is limited as a reserve forward and PKer. A cheap renewal at 1-2 years is realistic.
Dominik Kubalik is one of the few players who can garner a decent return in a trade without any sweeteners added yet he's a valuable player to retain when he's on point as a high-octane scoring winger. If he sticks around, a 3-year deal at $4M AAV may be the investment.
Philipp Kurashev teases with his 3-zone game and offensive talent -- including a laser of a shot and playmaking vision -- and so is just scratching the surface with his contributions. He won't break the bank to be re-signed to a renewal of 2-3 years at around $1.5M AAV.
Cam Morrison was injured all of last season and has been pretty forgettable this season in Rockford. As a power forward, he needs to be noticeable in the tough areas but he has been the opposite. It would be no surprise if he's not offered another contract. Maybe an AHL deal?
Alex Nylander is on a one-year contract at an ELC price and has had positive development as he's added an increased compete level especially without the puck and in traffic. Yet, he hasn't had a chance to translate that to the NHL and increasingly seems he won't with the Hawks.
Dylan Strome has played a much more assertive game of late so that's eye catching. What's working against him is he's not piling up points despite his excellent vision and sleek passing. Even if he really turns it up here on out, he's still likely traded to recoup a decent asset.
Caleb Jones had his strong preseason cut short and Blackhawks debut delayed but is showing incremental growth en route to becoming a reliable D starter. With big brother Seth's new contract kicking in next season, retaining little brother more affordably may be doable.
Wyatt Kalynuk also had his season start sidetracked by an injury and has been slow to get back on track as the top D prospect after being supplanted by Ian Mitchell. Regardless, the potential is still there for Kalynuk so a 2-3 year deal at $1-1.5M AAV may be in the cards.
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs)
Ryan Carpenter is good as gone as he makes way for the next wave of 4th liners in MacKenzie Entwistle, Josiah Slavin, Mike Hardman, and Johnson playing alongside veteran Jujhar Khaira. While his $1M AAV contract was as team friendly as you can get, it's time to pass the torch.
Kurtis Gabriel is in the same boat as Carpenter: in a new postal code either by the trade deadline or simply not re-signed and allowed to walk this offseason. Even though King asked for an enforcer, whoever the general manager will be needs to expel that dated roster trope.
Andrew Shaw is technically retired and is also technically a free agent as the final year of his current contract expires. Obviously, nobody is re-signing him. His $3.9M comes off Chicago's books. The likelihood his cap hit gets traded dwindles more and more as this season progresses.
Calvin de Haan is almost as certain as Carpenter to be a goner and could have some value at the trade deadline to a contender seeking experienced blueline depth for the playoffs. The Hawks shouldn't expect much in return, most likely no greater than a 4th round draft pick.
Erik Gustafsson entered the season as a "why is he on the team (again)" player but really hasn't been as bad as expected. He will never be a defensive rock yet there has been relative improvement. Nonetheless, this is still insufficient to warrant more years with the Hawks.
Collin Delia has been perceived as winning out between he and Malcolm Subban as the latter went to the Sabres. However, for all we know, the Hawks could have dangled them both but teams wanted Subban. Either way, Delia runs too hot and cold. Keep him only if absolutely necessary.
Marc-Andre Fleury is the most valuable trade chip the Hawks have not named Patrick Kane. If the goal is to get a 2022 1st round pick back, Fleury can certainly attract that return if the deal is right. He could always re-sign in Chicago this summer if there's mutual interest.
Kevin Lankinen is seemingly the only viable goalie in the organization who's capable of holding his own against NHL competition especially when assuming Fleury's tenure with the Hawks is a single season. Expect Lankinen to get a contract renewal for 2 years at $1-$1.5M AAV.
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Roster Updates
Great opportunity for Arvid Soderblom to be able to practice with the big club as he takes his perch on the taxi squad. Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia are the de facto starter and backup while Marc-Andre Fleury is in COVID protocol. Soderblom is the emergency backup.
This leaves Cale Morris and Tom Aubrun as the duo in Rockford. One question to ponder is whether this opens the door for the Blackhawks to sign another goalie to an AHL deal or at least an amateur tryout (ATO) in order to have an insurance policy for the goalie depth.
It's doubtful the Hawks dip into the ECHL with the goalie tandem for the Indy Fuel. Michael Lackey is in his 2nd ECHL season after an NCAA career at Harvard University and Providence College. Mitch Gillam is in his 6th ECHL season after 4 years of college at Cornell University.
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IceHogs Updates
With today's game against the Milwaukee Admirals already confirmed as canceled, it seems inevitable that Friday's game against the Chicago Wolves will get nixed, too, unless a critical mass of IceHogs players presently in COVID protocol are cleared to exit it.
Newly added to COVID protocol:
* Jakub Pour (W)
* Lukas Reichel (C/W)
* Jakub Galvas (D)
Previously added to COVID protocol:
* D.J. Busdeker (W)
* Carson Gicewicz (C/W)
* Mike Hardman (W)
* Garrett Mitchell (C/W)
* Dmitri Osipov (W/D)
* Nicolas Beaudin (D)
* Ian Mitchell (D)
* Anders Sorensen (interim head coach)
* Jared Nightingale (assistant coach)
Liam Folkes is the only player in the organization on an AHL contract who is playing for the Fuel in the ECHL and who hasn't been recalled to Rockford. While he could be recalled to take a forward spot, that's still not enough to ice a team. A healthy Kale Howarth would help.
Nylander - McLaughlin - Slavin
Teply - Barratt - Altybarmakian
Folkes - Yetman - Morrison
McKay
Kalynuk - Regula
Stanton - LeGuerrier
Phillips - Watson
Morris
Aubrun
With the remainder of the World Junior Championships officially canceled now, Michael Krutil should be on his way back to Rockford to rejoin the Hogs once he clears COVID protocol as the Czech Republic team was stricken with a positive case in the host city of Edmonton.
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NHL COVID Protocol
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World Junior Championships
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See you on the boards!
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