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Hog Warts

May 16, 2022, 3:57 AM ET [62 Comments]
Theo Fox
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Blackhawks Notebook

Many figured it would have been an uphill battle anyway for the Wild to advance far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so losing out on the 2022 2nd round pick upgrading to a 1st isn't too much of a shock. The question now turns to where does Marc-Andre Fleury go from here.

Fleury did indicate that he would be up for playing another season. Speculations have circulated throughout the latter half of the regular season that he would sign with the team that originally drafted him in the Penguins with whom he won multiple Cup rings.

With retirement not likely in the cards, would Fleury consider a return to the Blackhawks? Would that even be shrewd for the rebuild? As far as how much it would cost monetarily, the Hawks aren't in any cap trouble so a one-year deal at $4-$5M wouldn't hurt financially.

But the concern may be more about his caliber of goaltending and ability to play his part in keeping a team relevant in a competitive regular season and amplifying their chances of earning a playoff berth. In that case, such a goalie may not be what a rebuild needs.

The chances of Fleury coming back to Chicago are slim anyway. The Hawks may be better off re-signing Kevin Lankinen and snagging a free agent netminder this summer to share the net with him. Fellow Finnish goalie brother Joonas Korpisalo could be one to watch.

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IceHogs Notebook

After sweeping the Stars in the opening round, the IceHogs were completely dominated by the rival Wolves in the Calder Cup Playoffs and found themselves swept in not-so-fine fashion in the 2nd round. The Hogs were outscored by a total of 14-4 across the 3 games.

Now with their campaign officially over, the Hogs are in the same boat as the Hawks by turning full attention to shaping the roster for the 2022-23 season. Obviously, one impacts the other to some degree as prospects acquired by the parent club may go to the farm.

Here are a few Rockford personnel decisions to keep an eye on this summer:

* Garrett Mitchell will return as captain but which other veterans will join him? Unless he's traded or bought out, Brett Connolly could be one vet. So is Ryan Stanton for the blueline but the Hogs can do much better than him as he was arguably their worst defender.

* Who will be the 3rd string goalie if Arvid Soderblom and Jaxson Stauber are the starter and backup? Cale Morris could get another shot but he hasn't proven much in two seasons. Tom Aubrun is ECHL material. Another NCAA free agent could get an AHL deal.

* Are the Hawks going to have Alex Vlasic start next season in the minors to hone his craft as a big mobile defensive defenseman or continue his development in the NHL? He will vie with Ian Mitchell, Jakub Galvas, and Alec Regula for starting spots in Chicago.

* Will Colton Dach, Jalen Luypen, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, and Ethan Del Mastro play one last season in juniors or make the jump to the pros? All but Luypen have inked their ELCs already. Out of this bunch, Crevier may be the one who advances to the AHL this fall.

* What about Jake Wise and Antti Saarela? Wise is a 2018 draft pick while Saarela was taken in 2019. If signed, Wise would best be groomed as a middle 6 scoring center and Saarela as a shutdown 4th liner with some offensive punch. Both would be long-term projects.

* Stanislav Demin has left a lot to be desired as a D prospect. It's doubtful the Hawks sign him. Perhaps an AHL contract or ATO is a possibility similar to former 7th rounders Jake Ryczek and Cole Moberg. Another 7th round D-man Joshua Ess never got a contract.

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IIHF World Championship



The IIHF World Championship could be a showcase in more ways than one for Seth Jones. The international exhibition may help general manager Kyle Davidson advertise him to other teams. Also, Team USA teammates could entice Jones to join them on their NHL squad.

It's fairly unrealistic that a Jones trade out of Chicago before starting his 8-year $9.5M AAV contract goes down. It would take a lot for both the Hawks and a potential partner to say yes to a deal but a strong showing at the World Championship could perk interest.

However, one thing to note is Jones didn't play in the World Championship a year ago even though his team at the time -- the Blue Jackets -- didn't qualify for the NHL playoffs. Likely nothing to read into but it's interesting how he's in the tourney this year.

Additionally, Scott Powers from the Athletic reported on Friday that Seth's younger brother Caleb incurred a left wrist injury during an exhibition game before the start of the World Championship and has left Finland to be examined more back in Chicago.


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See you on the boards!

Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago

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