Salary Cap
The likelihood that Duncan Keith retires is extremely low given past interviews in recent years where he has stated his desire to play into his 40's. Keith turns 39 next month. There's also been no indication by him that he's hanging up the skates.
While the tread on his tires may be wearing down -- and if the Oilers part ways with him this offseason -- a contender may still see value in Keith as a proven winner, multi-Cup champion, and veteran blueliner on the 3rd pair if not the 2nd.
Even if Keith were to retire with one year remaining on his current contract, the recapture penalty assessed to the Blackhawks salary cap -- $5.5M in 2022-23 and $2.0M in 2023-24 -- wouldn't be overly detrimental during the early phase of the rebuild.
Sure, it's never ideal to carry financial dead weight but the Hawks are in a situation where they can help take on the cap burden of another team or two in exchange for futures for the rebuild such as high draft picks and NHL-viable prospects.
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Prospect Exhibitions
For the first time since before the pandemic hit, the Blackhawks will have an in-person prospect development camp in July. Then in September, a subset of those prospects will comprise the host team for the 2nd annual Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase versus the Wild.
Although the roster for both prospect exhibitions won't be announced until after the NHL draft, many youngsters stand out as some to watch -- and not counting those who have played at least one season for the IceHogs including top prospect Lukas Reichel.
Amongst the Hawks youth to keep an eye on are the big yet mobile blueliners such as Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, Ethan Del Mastro, and Taige Harding. It would be interesting to see these defensive defensemen show off balance of physicality and puck moving.
Assuming he is able to participate and not have offseason commitments to his NCAA team, another rearguard who may actually headline the entire group is Wyatt Kaiser. He's arguably the best skater in the system and an all-around player at any position.
Other collegians who could make names for themselves this summer to impress Hawks brass and fans alike are goalie Drew Commesso and forwards Landon Slaggert, Ryder Rolston, and even Jake Wise. Quite possibly on his last leg, Wise needs to make an impact.
Then there are Jalen Luypen -- who just won the WHL championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings -- as well as Kirby Dach's younger brother Colton. Luypen can start to carve out his niche as a Brandon Hagel clone. And excitement needs to swirl again for the Dachs.
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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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