According to @ByScottPowers, the #Blackhawks have agreed to an entry-level contract with Czech right winger Matej Chalupa. Had 24 points in 50 games last season for HK Hradec Kralove in the Czech league #NHL pic.twitter.com/8FULjgMI1C

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) May 29, 2020

Great last name aside, the 21 year old Chalupa played for HK Hradec Kralove of the Czech League this past season, scoring 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) in 50 games. He is left-handed and listed at 6’2″ 194 lbs. The two year entry level deal will start for the ’20-21 season and is worth $925,000 AAV.

The newest Blackhawks prospect was teammates with another name familiar to Chicago fans, Dominik Kubalik, as they played with the 2018-19 HC Škoda Plzeň team in the Czech League. Previous Stan Bowman free agent signings center David Kampf and defenseman Jan Rutta were also plucked out of the Czech League. The Blackhawks are familiar with playing in the Czech Republic, opening this season in Prague against the Philadelphia Flyers as part of the 2019 NHL Global Series, as well.

Where Chalupa fits in the pecking order is yet to be determined, but it’s likely he begins the season in Rockford. Potentially unhappy with their opportunities in the Blackhawks organization, Anton Wedin and Jacob Nilsson made their way back to Europe recently, so there will be positions to fill in with the IceHogs for the 2020-21 season.

We reached out to scout and writer Samuel Tirpak from Dobber Prospects and OhMyHockey.com, who is very familiar with Matej Chalupa. This is what he had to say about Chalupa’s play:

He is very fast and strong winger who likes to play in dirty areas and likes to create chances off the rush with his playmaking abilities. Has a pretty good skillset offensively and is pretty good defensively as well. He is a good bottom-6 talent. Likely starts in Rockford.

— Samuel Tirpak (@SammyT_51) May 29, 2020

The post REPORT: Blackhawks sign free agent Czech Matej Chalupa appeared first on The Rink.

If the Blackhawks wanted to beat the Ducks, they would need to do what they do best and that is to score, preferably first. They did exactly that when Kirby Dach skated to the front of the net and dished the puck of to Adam Boqvist, who found Drake Caggiula to the side of Ducks goalie John Gibson for his ninth goal of the season. Of note, it was the first goal in NHL history involving two players born in the 2000s in Boqvist and Dach, who recorded the assists. The Blackhawks ended the first period up 1–0.

Pass that thing and watch me flex
Behind my back, you know what’s next

Watch #CHIvsANA live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBTGTC pic.twitter.com/5kvPz80JL0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Most people thought the Blackhawks traded the wrong goalie at the deadline and there is evidence on both sides of the argument, but to Crawford’s credit, if the Hawks do by some miracle somehow sneak into the playoffs, it would be in part to his willingness to sacrifice his whole body to keep his teammates in the game. For a goalie that has missed a lot of time the past two seasons due to injury, he gave the Blackhawks everything he had in the first period.

Crawford’s numbers this season only tell one side of the story. The Blackhawks’ defense has been terrible this season so the goalies are saving more shots. The more shots there are, the more likely the opposing team scores. Simple percentages. The home team may have scored the lone goal of the opening period, but the Ducks out shot them 16–6 and were taking better shots due to the Blackhawks’ mismanagement of the puck, a story that has had many chapters this season.

The Blackhawks came out for the second period with a lot more energy and fast-paced play almost as if they knew they were lucky to escape the first period with a lead. A deflected shot off the stick of Duncan Keith took a fortunate bounce off the end boards, right in front of Dylan Strome, who fired it past Gibson’s right side for his 11th of the season for a 2–0 Blackhawks advantage.

Dylan Strome ends a 14-game goal drought and records his 100th career NHL point. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/0PDWMd7lKP

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Shortly after, however, Christian Djoos fooled everyone, including Crawford, into thinking he was taking a shot and he drew the Blackhawks defenders all away from the net in time to pass it to Danton Heinen, who shot it in the gaping net for his ninth goal of the season. The Blackhawks’ lead was down to just one goal, once again, at 2–1.

Crawford continued his fancy footwork when Adam Henrique had a prime scoring opportunity, but the goaltender stretched wide and got his left leg pad in front of the shot. Henrique had about two or three opportunities before the whistle.

The Blackhawks had two good shorthanded chances from Brandon Saad on a breakaway and later Caggiula, but Gibson was there to hold the deficit at one. That was when the Blackhawks’ best puck handler, Patrick Kane, got just past the Ducks’ blue line and fired a pin-point pass to Strome in stride, who redirected the puck past Gibson for his second goal of the game and 12th overall for a 3–1 Chicago lead. Lucas Carlsson got his first career point on the goal, as he set Kane up with an exquisite lead pass to start the play, as well.

Patrick Kane finds Dylan Strome for his 2nd goal of the night! pic.twitter.com/Y43wDqq4fR

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

The Blackhawks would waste little time in queuing Chelsea Dagger again in the second period. Heinen went for a backhand shot on goal on a breakaway, but Boqvist scurried back and got his stick in the way to disrupt Heinen’s attempt. The Hawks quickly transitioned the puck for a three-on-one the other way and Alexander Nylander capitalized. Nylander toyed with Gibson by going forehand, backhand, then short side into the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season, pushing the Blackhawk advantage to 4–1.

Alex Nylander with a pretty move for his 9th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CMoQTUZhDt

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Just 15 seconds later, Nylander would get another point this time on an assist to Kane in front of the goal. This was Kane’s 29th goal of the season. The Blackhawks scored four goals on 18 shots while the Ducks mustered only one goal on 13 shots. This was a very different Blackhawks team in the second period, a team that played both sides of the ice and with a purpose, finishing the second period up 5–1.

Patrick Kane scores 15 seconds after Alex Nylander for his 29th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yfVbs1bosV

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

The third period opened with a scary moment, as Ryan Getzlaf tried to avoid Crawford after he stopped a shot and accidentally kneed the goaltender in the head. The medical staff and concussion spotter must have seen something they did not like because they brought Crawford to the bench and he was replaced by Malcolm Subban, who was making his Blackhawks debut. It ended up being short lived, however, as Crawford only missed little more than a minute of play and came right back in to guard the net. Crawford, despite a history of numerous head and neck injuries in his career, came back into a game where his team was up late by four goals and in control of the game.

Alrighty then.

Corey Crawford re-enters the game, after originally being pulled by the concussion spotter. pic.twitter.com/Op5TmD3O1z

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Just a few minutes later, he got a wellness check on a redirected shot from Carter Rowney and Crawford missed it for the Ducks’ second goal of the game, cutting the gap to 5–2 with Rowney’s seventh goal of the season. The Blackhawks, however, would add one more goal for good measure when Matthew Highmore hit David Kampf for his eighth of the season and a 6–2 lead on Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller, who replaced Gibson for the third period.

What a pass by Matthew Highmore, who connects with David Kampf for team’s 6th goal tonight. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/15ViKUGcGI

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Crawford allowed two goals on 39 shots and the line of Strome, Kane and Nylander had a combined for 13 shots, four goals and three assists. Not a bad day at the office for the Blackhawks, as they took the 6–2 victory and they would hope the rest of the dominoes in front of them would fall their way.

The Blackhawks get the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at the United Center and puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Do not be surprised if Crawford is not in net for that one and Subban makes his “unofficial” Blackhawks debut. With the season likely lost at this point, there really is no need to push a possibly injured Crawford into his seventh start in a row unless they must. Whoever is scheduled in goal probably wishes they were not, as the Oilers are first place in the Pacific Division and show zero signs of slowing down.

The post Along the Boards: Blackhawks take down the Anaheim Ducks 6–2 on the back of Corey Crawford appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton mixed up the lines and defense pairings once again in hopes of something working out. Erik Gustafsson, Dennis Gilbert, and Drake Caggiula were the scratches tonight. Corey Crawford started in net for the visitors.

These were the Blackhawks’ starting lines:

Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Alexander Nylander

Dominik Kubalik – David Kampf – Patrick Kane

Zack Smith – Kirby Dach – Andrew Shaw

Alex DeBrincat – Ryan Carpenter – Dylan Strome

Duncan Keith – Adam Boqvist

Calvin de Haan – Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek – Olli Maata

First period

The first ten minutes of this game could not have been more brutal for the Blackhawks. The Kings circled the puck around them at the start, and they didn’t wait to score on the visitors. Slater Koekkoek and David Kampf pinched along the boards and the puck found an open Kyle Clifford, who wristed the puck past Corey Crawford.

Less than two minutes later, Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan left an open gap for Matt Roy to get a clear wrist shit on Crawford. The Blackhawks goaltender barely reacted to the shot and it went past his right shoulder to give the Kings a 2-0 lead. The linesman then headed over to Chicago’s bench, signaling that Crawford was going to be pulled off by the concussion spotter after being hit in the mask with a shot prior to letting this goal in.

Here's where it appeared Crawford may have been injured and why he was probably pulled to be checked pic.twitter.com/O4WbBNKOiO

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 3, 2019

Slater Koekkoek then tossed the puck over the glass and took a delay of game penalty. Luckily, Robin Lehner didn’t let a shot past him and the Blackhawks killed the penalty off. In the first 8:25 of the period, the Kings outshot the visitors 10-0.

Kings forward Adrian Kempe then took an interference penalty, and Chicago finally got some consistent time in the offensive zone on the power play. Kirby Dach and Alexander Nylander exchanged passes down low until Nylander tossed the puck to Dach in front of the net. He slipped a backhand pass to Dominik Kubalik, who buried the shot past Jack Campbell and brought the Blackhawks within a goal. This goal also broke the team’s 0-for-21 streak on the man advantage.

The good news continued when Corey Crawford returned from concussion protocol just five minutes after going to the locker room. The Blackhawks continued to pressure the Kings and had good scoring chances. Kings goaltender Jack Campbell made some great saves, one in particular on Jonathan Toews with less than five minutes to go in the period.

What a save by Campbell on Toews pic.twitter.com/otpy2JSyJ3

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 3, 2019

Chicago kept pressuring the Kings and eventually, it was too much. Dominik Kubalik, who had an outstanding first period, forced Jack Campbell to turn the puck over to David Kampf. He didn’t miss his chance to score in the empty net.

The Blackhawks and Kings headed into the intermission tied 2-2 with the Kings on the power play after a Calvin de Haan interference penalty. The home team outshot the visitors 17-12, and it was great to see Chicago recover from an abysmal start to the game.

Second period

For everything that happened in the first 20 minutes, the start of the second frame was a bit more calm. The Blackhawks killed off de Haan’s penalty that carried over from the end of the first period. Kirby Dach almost connected with Adam Boqvist for a great scoring opportunity, but the pass was intercepted by the Kings’ defense.

The Blackhawks then got caught in their own zone for what seemed like forever after a botched line change. Los Angeles maintained pressure offensively and none of Patrick Kane, Dominik Kubalik, Adam Boqvist, and Duncan Keith were able to get off the ice for around three minutes. Luckily, Corey Crawford kept every shot out of the net on that long shift.

Penalty trouble hit the Blackhawks as Ryan Carpenter sat for hooking, but the visitors killed it off. Still, they were never able to gain momentum and the ice was heavily tilted in favor of the Kings. Olli Maatta took the second penalty of the period for the Blackhawks with around four minutes to go, but Crawford and the penalty kill units didn’t allow a goal with a man down that time, either. They were also blessed by Alex Iafallo hitting the crossbar.

#GoKingsGo | #HNILA pic.twitter.com/XjkGbkylxN

— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 3, 2019

In the last minute or so of play, the Blackhawks finally got a few decent chances, but nothing went in the net. Chicago and Los Angeles remained tied at 2 heading into the second intermission. The Kings outshot the Blackhawks 18-8 in the middle frame and led 35-20 in shots for the game.

Third period

Bad times continued for the Blackhawks in the final twenty minutes of regulation. The Kings continued to dominate offensively while the visitors generated very few scoring opportunities. They did not even record a shot on goal in the first ten minutes of the period.

Corey Crawford continued to stop chance after chance while his team let the Kings skate in circles around them, but you can’t stop everything when pressure is being put on you like that. Andrew Shaw let Dustin Brown skate right by him along the boards. Brown slid a pass to a wide-open Michael Amadio for an easy tap-in goal to give Los Angeles a 3-2 lead.

The Blackhawks didn’t play like a team down a goal, though. They continued to let the Kings create all types of offense while they scrambled in the defensive zone, forcing Crawford to bail them out time and time again.

With about two minutes left in the third, Jeremy Colliton pulled Crawford to make it 6-on-5. And then it was the Patrick Kane show. He held onto the puck along the boards and searched for a passing lane, specifically eyeing the other side of the ice. Kane found Toews with a cross-ice pass, and the captain didn’t miss burying the snap shot to tie the game at 3.

Jonathan Toews ties the game for the #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/x1O8WhWfx7

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) November 3, 2019

The Blackhawks and the Kings headed into overtime with the Los Angeles holding a 45-25 shot advantage over Chicago.

Overtime

The Blackhawks started 3-on-3 overtime with their usual trio of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith. Chances were exchanged at both ends of the ice, with Campbell and Crawford stopping some great shots.

In the middle of the overtime period, Alex Nylander had a burst of speed and created a 2-on-0 chance, but it looked like he attempted to pass the puck instead of take the shot. The Kings flew the other way and had an opportunity of their own.

With a minute and a half left, Adam Boqvist had himself a great scoring chance, but didn’t get back in time to stop the 2-on-1 the Kings had on Nylander. Corey Crawford made a nice stop on Tyler Toffoli, but had no idea the puck was sitting behind him. Drew Doughty did, though, and he slid the waiting puck home to win the game for the Kings.

Drew Doughty ain't missing from there
LA KINGS WIN #GoKingsGo | #HNILA pic.twitter.com/5ywu17CfhD

— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 3, 2019

The final shot totals were 49-27 in favor of Los Angeles. The Kings also out-attempted the Blackhawks 79-47.

Pluses

• The penalty kill surprisingly looks great. The Blackhawks killed all four penalties they took tonight. With how brutal their defense is 5-on-5, it’s good to see they’ve figured out something when they’re down a man.
• Jonathan Toews had his best game of the season tonight. He drove play, had some edge to his game, and scored the game-tying goal in the final minutes of regulation. The captain had a few great scoring chances and was finally rewarded. Hopefully this game can ignite Toews and get him on a roll. This team really needs him.
• After a tough start to the game, Corey Crawford looked fantastic. He was the sole reason the Blackhawks even got a point out of tonight’s game. That’s a great sign for a player who’s struggled to begin the season.

Minuses

• The line blender from Jeremy Colliton has to stop. I get that they’re struggling offensively right now, but they’re also not going to get anything going if the lines are being switched every game, during practice, and also every game. There’s obvious chemistry between certain players. Figure it out because this team has way too much offensive firepower to be struggling this much night in and night out.

The Blackhawks will head down the highway tomorrow night to face the Anaheim Ducks as they continue this road trip. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4-3 to Kings in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

Four or five years ago, tonight’s matchup between the Blackhawks and the Kings would have featured two dynastic NHL powerhouses at the top of their games. Tonight, it featured two sub-.500 teams struggling to score and establish any kind of consistency.

Prior to the game on the NBCSN warmup, Hawk color man Ed Olczyk pronounced that the Kings are “in a rebuild.” Well, perhaps the same should be said of the Blackhawks.

Robin Lehner, who has clearly been the better of the Hawks’ two goalies early this season, took the net for Chicago, facing Jack Campbell for the Kings.

Of note, veteran defenseman Brent Seabrook was a healthy scratch—something to watch as the season progresses.

The Hawks’ lines and pairings were:

Drake Caggiula — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Alexander Nylander
Brandon Saad — Kirby Dach — Andrew Shaw
Dylan Strome — Ryan Carpenter — Alex DeBrincat

Duncan Keith — Calvin de Haan
Olli Maatta — Dennis Gilbert
Slater Koekkoek — Erik Gustafsson

First period

If Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton was trying to send a message to Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome by demoting them to the fourth line, it seems to have worked—Strome took a DeBrincat set-up off transition and buried it from the slot at just 2:33 into the contest, making the score 1–0 Chicago.

The Kings then took a minor penalty at 3:36, which Chicago failed to capitalize on.

Broken record time (and prepare for more of it): The Kings’ bigger forwards had a target on 18-year-old Kirby Dach’s back from the get-go. Overall, the early going featured a fair amount of banging, with Drake Caggiula and (go figure) Andrew Shaw running around quite a bit for the Hawks.

Calvin de Haan took an unintentional delay of game at 10:56, giving the Kings their first power play of the night. After extended LA offensive zone pressure, Lehner made back-to-back strong saves at 11:43. But, King left wing Ilya Kovalchuk evened it up with a tripping penalty 195 feet from his own net at 12:14, which eventually turned into a brief Blackhawk man advantage that was then killed off by LA.

The Hawks mounted another flurry late in the period led by Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, but the period ended with the Hawks up by one. Shots were 12–11 Chicago.

Second period

The Hawks struck early again, with David Kampf corralling a pass from a falling Alex Nylander and putting it past Campbell at 2:26 for a 2–0 Chicago lead.

Shaw took a holding the stick minor at 5:24, putting LA on the man advantage, which the Hawks killed with Lehner strong on a few late King chances.

Nylander and Dominik Kubalik had a nice two-on-one opportunity at 9:46 that Nylander could not squeak through Campbell’s pads.

There was a bit of controversy when Saad was caught in the face by the follow-through of an LA player’s stick after taking a shot. Saad fell to the ice, but play continued until the refs blew it dow with the Hawks offside at 15:19. The Hawks cashed in just seconds later when DeBrincat picked up a puck behind the LA net and fed Strome again in the slot, which Strome held on to long enough to draw Campbell down then converted up high at 15:55, extending Chicago’s lead to 3–0.

Strome and DeBrincat clicked yet again at 19:52, this time with Strome feeding DeBrincat out front to make it 4–0 Hawks, which was how the period would end. The Kings outshot Chicago 12–8 in the frame.

Third period

Strome almost made it three goals for the night at 2:35 when he got in behind the King defense. But Campbell was up to the challenge to deny the hat-trick bid.

The Kings finally solved Lehner at 3:35 on a Sean Walker blast from the right circle to cut the score to 4–1.

Toews took a hooking minor at 12:18 which the Hawks effectively killed. DeBrincat and Strome again almost converted a two-on-one at 16:00, but to no avail. But, at 17:43, Drake “Caligula” Caggiula finally broke the Cat-Strome spell and tipped a puck home, making it 5–1 Chicago, which would prove to be the final score.

The good

The Strome, Ryan Carpenter, DeBrincat line. Crazy good. Three goals, seven points. Lehner was also very strong (38 saves, .974 save percentage). Nylander made plays all over the ice.

The bad

Hard to find on a night like this against a really bad Kings team. So, yeah, the Kings. Well, the Hawks were yet again outshot, 39–26.

The ugly

The guys in black, again.

All we have on this one. Comment below.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks down Kings 5–1 appeared first on The Rink.

The lineup featured some extra players, as both squads agreed to it beforehand. The lines looked mostly like this, with Anton Wedin coming in as the 13th forward and Dennis Gilbert slating in as the seventh defenseman in the lineup:

Alexander Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw
Drake Caggiula — Ryan Carpenter — Brendan Perlini
Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Anton Wedin

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek — Carl Dahlstrom
Dennis Gilbert

Corey Crawford — Robin Lehner

Kirby Dach, Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy and Zack Smith were all scratches from today’s action.

The post Blackhawks take to bigger ice, get better results appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” rush to the The-Rink podcast studio to discuss the big trade today, the Andrew Shaw trade, and the UFA signings on July 1st.

• Now that the Andrew Shaw trade has marinated, what do we think?  You might be surprised…or not.
• What happened with the Blackhawks and Henri Jokiharju?
• Is this trade as bad as first thought?  Can Alex Nylander help the Blackhawks?
• Following JJ’s revelation that the Blackhawks might swing big on the goalie market they did just that.
• A hearty thank you to the Rink fans and our amazing staff for a great year.
• We are only scratching the surface.  Many good things and guests to come!!!!

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 55 – UFA/Nylander Trade Reactions appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks sign Carpenter, Kampf to multi-year deals

With the Blackhawks making a number of trades leading up to the beginning of the NHL free agency window opening, the holes that were glaring on the roster were beginning to be filled. With Calvin de Haan, Olli Maatta and Andrew Shaw coming into the fold, there was little left for Stan Bowman and the front office to do besides shore-up deals with Kampf and Brendan Perlini. With the bottom-six forward position still a question mark for Chicago, the Blackhawks signed forward Ryan Carpenter to a three-year deal just over a half hour into the opening of the free agency period and followed it up with a two-year extension for Kampf.

Carpenter took the fifth most faceoffs for Vegas last year. He had a 52.61 overall winning percentage (306 faceoffs taken), 53.05 percentage in 5-on-5 (262 faceoffs) and 50 percent on the PK (30 faceoffs). The Blackhawks will likely be looking for him to take more next season.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) July 1, 2019

Carpenter has skated in 132 career NHL games, tallying 16 goals and 37 points in parts of five seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights. He holds a 50.6 percent mark at the faceoff circle, winning 52.6 percent of faceoffs last year with the Golden Knights. He averaged 12:37 of ice-time per game with Vegas last season, with an average of 1:15 of shorthanded ice time per game.

Chicago could have been a playoff contender had they not had the league’s worst penalty killing units last season. Carpenter is expected to fill a bottom-six centerman role with the Blackhawks and is a player who is known to win faceoffs and be an asset on the penalty-kill. At a $1 million dollar annual value, Carpenter can be a cheap, depth option for the Blackhawks to improve on their awful penalty kill and their 19th-ranked faceoff percentage (49.5) in the NHL last season.

Nov 23, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA: Chicago Blackhawks center David Kampf chases the puck during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. (Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)

As for Kampf, the Blackhawks did not extend a qualifying offer to him, but remained in contract talks. Kampf ended up with a two-year deal worth $2 million dollars over the length of the contract. In 109 NHL games with the Blackhawks, Kampf has eight goals and 30 points. He averaged 13:55 of ice-time last season with Chicago in a fourth-line role. He is expected to return to that role in the bottom six with Chicago, along with newly acquired Carpenter.

While there is still work to be done for the Blackhawks’ front office, the major moves have been made. With the money being thrown around in free agency, Bowman decided to go the trade route for major moves and smart, budgeted moves with restricted and unrestricted free agency.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks sign Ryan Carpenter, David Kampf appeared first on The Rink.

Join your fellow Rinkrats below to discuss what the Blackhawks accomplished (or didn’t accomplish) this year as the market opened.

Player	Pos	Previous Team	Age	Ht / Wt	Term/Dollars	Notes
Ryan Carpenter	C		28	6' 194 lbs	3 yrs/$3M	---
David Kampf	C		24	6'2" 194 lbs	2 yrs/$2M	---
Robin Lehner	G		27	6’4” 240 lbs	1 yr/$5M	---

These are Blackhawks trades relevant to this offseason

Ryan Carpenter

David Kampf

Robin Lehner

The post Blackhawks 2019 Real-Time Free Agency Ticker appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks submit handful of qualifying offers, according to reports

Through the NHL Draft weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks had 11 players that were restricted free agents with Victor Ejdsell, Anton Forsberg, Gustav Forsling, Blake Hillman, Luke Johnson, David Kampf, Anthony Louis, Brendan Perlini, John Quenneville, Dylan Sikura and Spencer Watson meeting the RFA status.

Quenneville was acquired on Day Two of the draft in a trade with the New Jersey Devils that sent forward John Hayden to New Jersey. Also involved in a trade were RFAs Anton Forsberg and Gustav Forsling that sent them to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Aleksi Saarela and Calvin de Haan.

As the 4 p.m. Central deadline for RFA qualifying offers to be submitted, it was reported by Scott Powers of The Athletic, that Ejdsell, Kampf, Perlini, Quenneville and Sikura were given qualifying offers and some were already in new contract negotiations. Adding to those reports, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times confirmed that Perlini was in negotiations for a new deal with the Blackhawks.

NOTE: since publishing this article, reports have surfaced that David Kampf did not receive an offer from the Blackhawks, but it still negotiating a deal with the team. 

Mar 13, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN: Chicago Blackhawks forward Dylan Sikura (95) skates with the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. (Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

For a player as divisive around the Blackhawks fan community as Dylan Sikura became last season, Chicago is not giving up on the former sixth-round draft pick. After showing promise in his brief first NHL stint, and then proving himself in the AHL in 2018–19, Sikura failed to show the same production or growth in the NHL this past season. He is still a young player that can continue to develop his game to fit more of the NHL style, and, if he does that, can be a quality option for Chicago up and down their lineup on either wing.

While it may be confusing that Chicago would extend an offer to Ejdsell after he confirmed that he was moving back to Sweden to play in the SHL next season, the Blackhawks are doing so to keep his NHL rights if he were to decide to return to North America in the near future. Worth a shot in the dark on Ejdsell, who showed promise at times, but lacked consistency. Also reported by both Powers and Pope was that RFA Luke Johnson was not confirmed to have had a qualifying offer given to him, stating his agent had not returned an answer to their inquires.

Note: since publishing this article, it was confirmed that Luke Johnson did not receive an offer from the Blackhawks. 

Nov 23, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA: Chicago Blackhawks center David Kampf (64) chases the puck during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. (Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)

Chicago is keen on keeping Kampf around to play in their bottom-six forwards group. Having made himself a key piece on the fourth line with the Blackhawks, Kampf looks to return to that role and potentially be the replacement for unrestricted free agent Marcus Kruger, who is not expected back with the Blackhawks.

Also in the mix for Chicago in the bottom-six group is Perlini. Acquired from the Arizona Coyotes along with Dylan Strome for Nick Schmaltz, Perlini was a bit of an added bonus for the Blackhawks in that deal last season. While Strome was the focal point as the year went on, Perlini showed flashes of potential as a piece to Chicago’s bottom-six forward group. His deal is tricky, as he was scratched at times late last year, but his potential did show enough for the Blackhawks to want him to stick around.

Brendan Perlini (center) and the Blackhawks celebrate a goal last season. (Photograph by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

Making a one-for-one trade is always a tricky spot to be in. Chicago and New Jersey reached a deal to swap big-bodied forwards, giving both players a change of scenery and the ability to grow their games with new opportunities ahead of them. Quenneville, the second cousin of former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, is expected to sign with Chicago and could very well find himself also in the mix for a bottom-six role with the organization. Since being a first-round selection by the Devils in 2014, Quenneville has skated in 33 NHL games and 138 AHL games, tallying five career NHL points and 119 career AHL points.

As for players not receiving offers, the really is no surprise. Spencer Watson was an ECHL/AHL in-betweener, while Blake Hillman and Anthony Louis had their opportunities with the Rockford IceHogs but failed to show the organization enough talent and growth to keep them in the fold, given the amount of promising younger talent coming to the IceHogs for the 2019–20 season.

What’s next?

With the passing of the 4 p.m. Central qualifying offer period on Tuesday, the next time and date to know is 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday, June 26. That is when NHL teams can officially begin talking to and interviewing RFA players, although official deals cannot be announced until July 1. Following that, the next date to look out for is June 30, when the first player buyout window closes. Then, NHL free agency officially opens on July 1.

The post Report: Blackhawks qualify handful of RFA players appeared first on The Rink.

I am here to tell you something that you might find surprising coming from the “noted Stan Bowman basher.” The Blackhawks standing pat yesterday is good for the long term future of this team. Certainly, better than most of the alternatives, that is.

Welcome back…

This is exactly the scenario John Jaeckel, Tyler Cameron and I spoke about on last week’s Rinkcast. Outside of a few big names, at the all wrong positions, there was not much of a market for what the Blackhawks need. Defense comes at a premium price and an even higher price at the deadline. Rather than pillaging what little depth they have in the system; Stan Bowman chose to survive to fight another day.

I can respect that.

Another thing that this told me is that maybe (just maybe) the front office was smart enough to not buy into this recent playoff nonsense and were able to look at this team from 30,000 feet. The Blackhawks are a team using several improbable hot streaks to make their team look better than any of the supporting statistics. To put it bluntly, the defense is far too bad to fix with a panicked over payment at the deadline.

The Blackhawks need to be smarter than everyone else. Like I have been saying for weeks, they need to be shrewd with their moves. Sometimes shrewd means packing up your briefcase and calling it a day.

Still, the internet (and casual fan) outrage is almost embarrassing. There is simply too much irrational outrage over this year’s lack of deadline moves. Either people are not properly informed, or they just want the team to make moves for the sake of making moves. Regardless of need or common sense.

Let me debunk some myths and meatball outrage that’s floating around this wonderful thing called the internet.

The Hawks could have and should have made and offer for Mark Stone.

Sure. They might have been able to put together a comparable deal to what Vegas did in acquiring the former Ottawa wing. He is a great player. I cannot deny that. Mark Stone is definitely an upgrade over Dominik Kahun, Dylan Sikura, or John Hayden. The question is: Does Mark Stone, alone, make this team a legit Stanley Cup contender?

No, he does not.

Mark Stone can put a very good team in the conversation as a contender. Much like another meatball pipe dream, Artemi Panarin, Mark Stone does nothing to help keep the puck out of the back of the Blackhawks net. This is not the only conundrum, though. If the Blackhawks were to “beat” the Vegas offer, it would have started with a deal resembling Adam Boqvist, David Kampf (who is injured), and a second-round draft pick. This also takes absolutely nothing else into account.

One would have to assume that if the Senators were going to deal Stone, it was going to be to a legit cup contender. Not some house of smoke and mirrors that will most likely end up in the lottery before the playoffs. Then the only thing you’re really acquiring is the right to sign Stone to an extra eight year on a long-term deal. Is giving up your top prospect worth still getting swept in the first round or not making the playoffs at all?

No, it is absolutely NOT worth it.

Another thing that the casual observers are discounting is that Mark Stone is a top line right wing that will make roughly $9.5M (we’ll talk about this later) and expects to play 20 plus minutes a night. Guess who else is a top line right wing that makes $10.5M and expects to play 22 plus minutes a night?

Patrick Kane.

There is simply not enough time in a game to accommodate these players. One of these players would have to cut their time significantly and when you’re paying $20M for two players, that is a tough pill to swallow. I promise you Patrick Kane is not getting pulled off the ice for anyone.

The Blackhawks top six of Caggiula, Toews, Kane, DeBrincat, Strome and Kahun is pretty solid. Keep in mind, this scenario still has Brandon Saad playing on the third line. If you swap Saad for Caggiula, that’s an even more solid top six. Mark Stone is a very nice player, if you don’t have Patrick Kane. Would he ever earn his keep? Probably not.

The last point that needs to be brought up is the tax-vs-salary implications. Now, I am certainly no accountant but this might add a wrinkle into the “supposed” UFA deal Stan Bowman could have offered Stone.

Quick note on Stone’s new 8-year, $9.5M AAV deal… Vegas has no state tax. That’s equivalent to almost $13M in Ottawa

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) February 25, 2019

In Illinois, this would equate to approximately $350,000. Little things make a difference.

This brings me back to my original point. Who is helping to keep the Blackhawks from facing 35 shots a night and the most high-danger chances against in the league? Not a right wing, that’s for sure. Can he help? Certainly “some“, but not enough to drop a second mortgage on the United Center.

Why didn’t the Hawks trade for the defenseman/defensemen they need? Buncha failures!

My gripe with the casual outrage on this subject is that the market for defenseman was either nonexistent or grossly overpriced. The defensemen that were moved Monday were Nick Jensen, Ben Lovejoy, Connor Carrick, Brandon Montour, Adam McQuaid, Oscar Fantenberg, Erik Gudbranson, Bogdan Kiselevich, and Chris Wideman. Do any of these guys keep the puck out of the Blackhawks net?

Maybe; but probably not. They are certainly not worth over paying to acquire and none of them make this current Blackhawks team a legit cup contender.

Bowman would be better off dealing at the draft, or during the summer, to acquire defensemen. He will get better market value and will have more roster flexibility. I said this on twitter yesterday, but it looks to me that the front office took a “lose-without-losing-on-purpose” mentality. We should all be OK with this.

Where I would have liked to see some movement is players that don’t have a place with the team going forward, like Gustav Forsling, but not worth making an issue over. Let’s see what Bowman does at the draft in June before we freak out, eh?

The post Analysis: How Did Stan Bowman do at the Trade Deadline? appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago was able to steal a win on Saturday evening on the back of Corey Crawford heroics, as the Blackhawks won 4-1 in Columbus. On Sunday, Chicago looked to rebound and take advantage of a tired Lightning team, who went to overtime with the Minnesota Wild the night before. Chicago’s lines were as follows:

Debrincat – Toews – Kahun
Schmaltz – Anisimov – Kane
Kunitz – Kampf – Saad
Fortin – Kruger – Martinsen

Keith – Jokiharju
Gustafsson – Seabrook
Davidson – Rutta

Ward

First Period

As the first period begun on Sunday night at the United Center, both teams came out visibly tired after having played road games the evening before.  The early portion of the first period was sloppy, as both teams traded chances with nothing to show for it.

After about three minutes, Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov found himself open between two Blackhawks’ defenders as teams were changing. Kucherov skated in hard on net and finished with a backhand past Cam Ward to give Tampa Bay the early 1-0 lead.

Chances continued to be traded throughout the first period. Chicago seemed to have found their spark, as they visibly looked like the better team after Tampa Bay took the lead.

At the 11:40 mark in the first period, Blackhawks rookie forward Alexandre Fortin snuck in behind the defense where he was wide open at the opposing blue line. Jan Rutta found Fortin on a beautiful stretch pass and Fortin skated in on goaltender Louis Domingue. Fortin fired the puck five-hole to tie the game and, finally, give the rookie his first NHL goal.

Alexandre Fortin's first @NHL goal was a BEAUTY!#NHLFirsts #Blackhawks https://t.co/igDeINLTgZ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 21, 2018

Chicago would head to the powerplay on the shift following Fortin’s first career goal, only to waste the opportunity. Neither team was able to generate much for the rest of the period. The teams went to the locker room tied 1-1 after one period. The Blackhawks held the shot advantage 17-12 after the first twenty minutes.

Second Period

The Blackhawks came out slow in the second period, while Tampa Bay quickly took over the pace of play.

At the 4:22 mark in the second period, forward Anthony Cirelli potted his second goal of the season to give Tampa Bay a lead which they would never relinquish. The puck looked to have been stopped by Cam Ward, but the referee never lost sight of it and the Lightning were able to jam the puck in over Ward’s right pad prior to any whistles.

Chicago took a slew of penalties in the middle period, giving Tampa Bay’s dangerous powerplay chances to capitalize. At the 12:07 mark in the second period, Yanni Gourde scored on the powerplay on a nice tic-tac-toe passing play to the visitors a two goal lead.

Not long after Gourde’s goal, the Lightning struck once again. As the puck laid in the blue paint, it couldn’t be controlled by the Blackhawks defense. After numerous attempts to clear the puck, Brayden Point tapped it into the net to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-1 at the 14:01 mark.

There were virtually no for Chicago in the second period, other than Cam Ward fighting for his life, as they gave up a expansion-era record tying 33 shots to Tampa Bay, recording only 6 of their own.

The teams would enter the intermission with a 45-23 shot total after two, and a three goal lead for the visitors.

Third Period

Early on, neither team looked like they wanted to play the third period. The Blackhawks looked completely deflated, while Tampa Bay wanted to get out of Chicago with no injuries and their commanding win.

As play paced back and forth, Tampa Bay finally took advantage of a play at the 9:40 mark in the period. Defenseman Victor Hedman struck with a top shelf snipe on Cam Ward to give Tampa Bay a 5-1 lead. The game looked over at that point, and for a few minutes that seemed to be what Chicago thought too.

However, later in the period, at the 15:17 mark, a Jan Rutta dump into the offensive zone would catch the skate of the linesman, who jumped up on the boards to avoid the puck, and took a perfect bounce onto David Kampf’s stick. Kampf fired the puck past Louie Domingue, who was out of position from the crazy bounce, and make the score 5-2. The Blackhawks looked to have a little life left in them.

Not more than two minutes later, Chicago made their way to the powerplay and pulled Cam Ward to give themselves a two man advantage. Patrick Kane found Nick Schmaltz open on the left wing side only for him to be robbed by Domingue, or so we thought. After review, it was determined that Domingue caught the puck after it had fully crossed the goal line and the goal counted for the Blackhawks, giving Schmaltz his first tally of the season.  Side note, It was also the Lightning’s first powerplay goal against this season.

#Schmaltzy pic.twitter.com/9AWaC8aqjq

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 22, 2018

The two late goals were too little, too late however, as Ryan Callahan scored an empty net goal at the 17:55 mark to put the game out of reach. Tampa Bay went on to win 6-3 in Chicago.

The Good:

• Saad: Brandon Saad looked like himself tonight playing on the third line with David Kampf and Chris Kunitz. He was creating chances down low, playing strong on the forecheck and on defense. This type of game has allowed Saad throughout his career, to be one of the better two way forwards in the league. If he can continue this play, look for #20 to start putting some pucks in the back of the net.
• Fortin’s first: Alexandre Fortin (whom we also found out is former NHL goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere’s nephew) scored his first NHL goal. He was all over the ice, creating big chances with his speed. Fortin’s speed and hard work are two traits that earned him a contract two seasons ago out of training camp.  Now that he is fully healthy, he has proven himself valuable since prospect camp.
• Ward: Surprisingly, Cam Ward was fantastic in the outing against the Lightning. He faced 54 total shots, and early on, kept Blackhawks in the game. Sadly, too many shots and high quality chances wasted a solid outing from Ward on the tail end of a back to back.

The Not-So-Good:

• Powerplay: The powerplay continues to be terrible for Chicago. They currently sit at #29 in the NHL on the powerplay. Only Vegas and Carolina are worse on the man advantage. If the Blackhawks want any kind of sustained success this season, that powerplay number needs to hover around the middle third of the league.
• Physicality: This team continues to be bullied by just about every team they play. Stan Bowman wanted this team to be tougher to play against, however, they have not been able to match up to other good teams’ physicality. Martinsen and Kunitz are playing to provide that physicality, however both have been completely ineffective.
• Too many shots: Teams in the NHL rarely ever win when giving up 55 shots in a game. When the Blackhawks were dominant between 2010 and 2015, they were usually outshooting teams in the manner that Tampa Bay did tonight. That is a winning recipe when you are outshooting opponents by a large margin. If the Blackhawks are to contend this season, these shot numbers need to  (obviously) decrease dramatically. Otherwise, we will see many more results like last night: really good goaltending overwhelmed by a barrage of shots (and high quality chances).
• Fun fact: Tampa Bay’s 33 shots on net in the second period were tied for the record of shots recorded in one period since the expansion era, which began in 1967.

Chicago stays home as the Anaheim Ducks will visit the United Center on Tuesday, October 23rd. Puck drop is at 7:30pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Fall to Lightning 6-3 appeared first on The Rink.

In one of the more memorable season’s in Rockford IceHogs AHL history, the team accomplished a tremendous amount together and individually in the 2017-18 season. To note a few:

• Furthest run in the Calder Cup Playoffs, including deepest postseason run since 2007 Colonial Cup win (UHL).
• Chris DiDomenico sets franchise record for postseason point total (18 points, 13 games)
• Matthew Highmore sets franchise rookie goal-scoring record (24 goals)
• Adam Clendening sets franchise all-time assists and points record for a defenseman (122 assists, 148 points)
• Carl Dahlstrom becomes 100th IceHogs player to reach the NHL
• Vince Hinostroza and Erik Gustafsson named AHL All-Stars, replaced by Matthew Highmore and Carl Dahlstrom at AHL All-Star Classic

Rockford IceHogs Exit Interviews

(Key: Regular Season Stats / Calder Cup Playoff Stats)

Head Coach Jeremy Colliton

In his first season coaching in North America, Colliton led the Rockford IceHogs back to the Calder Cup Playoffs after a last-place finish in the Central Division last season. At just 33-years old, Colliton is already proving his worth to the Chicago Blackhawks organization and maybe, just maybe, a possible replacement for Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville in the near future.

Cody Franson, Defenseman – 37 GP, 9 G, 19 A / 13 GP, 6 G, 7 A

Cody Franson‘s 2017-18 season did not go as planned. He signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, expecting to be a top-six defenseman for the NHL club. Those plans changed mid-way through the season and he finished the year with the IceHogs. One of the leading point scorers in the regular season and playoffs, Franson made the most of his stint in Rockford and helped propel the IceHogs offensively and defensively.

Adam Clendening, Defenseman – (38 GP, 4 G, 26 A / 13 GP, 1 G, 13 A)

Much like Franson, Adam Clendening did not expect his 2017-18 season to wind up with the Rockford IceHogs. Acquired via trade with the Arizona Coyotes, Clendening re-joined the IceHogs late in the season and made his reunion count. Leading all Rockford defensemen in points in the regular season and playoffs, Clendening was a big part of the trio of veteran players that led the IceHogs through the Calder Cup Playoffs alongside Franson and Chris DiDomenico.

Chris DiDomenico, Forward – (22 GP, 8 G, 15 A / 13 GP, 7 G, 11 A)

Rounding out the trio of players who all joined the IceHogs late in the year, but had some of the biggest impacts in their time with the team, Chris DiDomenico also found his 2017-18 season come to a close with the IceHogs via a trade. Late in the season, DiDomenico  joined Rockford and immediately made his presence known on the ice and in the locker room. Head Coach Jeremy Colliton praised DiDomenico’s contributions to the roster mentally and physically, saying he brought the feeling to the group that on any given night, they should come away winners. Over his last 35 games combined, DiDomenico put up 41 points.

Jeff Glass, Goaltender – (28 GP, 15-9-2, 2.82 GAA, .904 SV% / 3 GP, 2-1, 1.48 GAA, .955 SV%)

What a ride the 2017-18 season was for goaltender Jeff Glass. A journeyman net-minder, who has played the majority of his career in the KHL, becomes the starting goalie for the Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Blackhawks at different points of the season. At 32-years old, Glass made his NHL debut with Chicago and tallied three wins in the big league. With Rockford, Glass continued to lead the IceHogs through tough stretches of the season and graciously took a back seat at the beginning of the Calder Cup Playoffs to Collin Delia. When called back upon in the postseason, Glass gave the IceHogs every chance to complete an improbable comeback, before ultimately coming up just two wins short of the Calder Cup Final.

Collin Delia, Goaltender – (28 GP, 17-7-4, 2.72 GAA, .900 SV% / 10 GP, 7-3, 2.34 GAA, .924 SV%)

Speaking of wild rides this season, Collin Delia had one of the more unbelievable start to finishes this year for the IceHogs. Starting the year with the Indy Fuel in the ECHL, making his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks, and leading the Rockford IceHogs into the Calder Cup Playoffs, Delia was the most improved player from day one. Having a stretch from early January to the end of the regular season, Delia lost just a handful of games, with the majority of those losses coming in overtime or the shootout. It goes without saying that the IceHogs would not have been in the position they were in the final six weeks of the season without Delia. Oh, and he was named the Rockford IceHogs Man of the Year.

Lance Bouma, Forward – (20 GP, 7 G, 7 A / 13 GP, 1 G, 1 A)

Lance Bouma found himself in similar shoes as Cody Franson did with the Chicago Blackhawks this season. Signing a one-year contract, Bouma started the year as a regular in the Blackhawks’ lineup, but as the year progressed his play wasn’t what Chicago needed and the opportunity to give players with more of a future with the organization arose. Thus, Bouma headed to Rockford and made the most of his situation, providing a physical presence on the ice and a leadership quality in the locker room.

Tanner Kero, Forward – (36 GP, 8 G, 12 A / 12 GP, 0 G, 3 A)

Tanner Kero dealt with injuries on and off this season, which was a factor in him having a less-than-stellar outing with the Chicago Blackhawks this year. Being one of the players on the fence between the NHL and AHL in the organization, Kero saw his spot as a bottom-six center with Chicago go to David Kampf and found himself with the IceHogs. Once healthy, he was a consistent presence for Rockford during the regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs.

John Hayden, Forward – (24 GP, 5 G, 12 A / 13 GP, 3 G, 0 A)

One of the younger players that plays on that same NHL/AHL fence for the Chicago Blackhawks organization, John Hayden could have taken his assignments to the Rockford IceHogs this season as a negative. But, to Hayden’s credit, he played well and understood that his time with the IceHogs this season was to give him time to develop his game. Playing with Chicago, Hayden’s game started to deviate from size and skill, to size and slam. Hayden has more to offer than just a big-bodied player and with Rockford, Hayden was able to play more meaningful minutes and find his skill-set at the pro level. A restricted free agent this summer, the Blackhawks will more than likely sign Hayden and make him a part of the bottom-six in Chicago next season.

Tyler Sikura, Forward – (74 GP, 23 G, 16 A / 13 GP, 5 G, 1 A)

Next to Collin Delia, Tyler Sikura was one of the most improved players over the course of the season. In his first full-year in the AHL, Sikura scored 23 goals (2nd on the team) and earned himself his first NHL deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Sikura can find himself in a position battle for a bottom-six forward spot with Chicago next year as he showed that he has a scoring touch around the net for the IceHogs and can play physical when called upon.

Andreas Martinsen, Forward – (64 GP, 12 G, 16 A / 13 GP, 2 G, 3 A)

Joining the IceHogs right as the 2017-18 season began, Andreas Martinsen was brought in to the organization to help lead a young locker room early on. Far from a grizzled veteran, Martinsen brought some NHL experience to a locker room in Rockford that started the year with nearly a dozen players making their first year pro debuts. Martinsen was a leader on and off the ice for the IceHogs and provided consistent physical play throughout the year and into the Calder Cup Playoffs. Martinsen was also able to get a few NHL games under his belt with the Blackhawks late in the NHL season.

David Kampf, Forward – (33 GP, 7 G, 11 A / 13 GP, 1 G, 0 A)

David Kampf came into the Chicago Blackhawks organization with a ton of question marks surrounding him. A free agent signing from Europe, the 23-year old Czech Center joined the IceHogs out of training camp and was a player that head coach Jeremy Colliton gave a large amount of ice-time to. It worked in Kampf’s favor as he was recalled to the Blackhawks mid-way through the season and would only re-join the IceHogs with a few games remaining in the regular season. While only scoring one playoff point, Kampf created a ton of offensive chances. He’ll figure to be in the mix for a bottom-six position with Chicago next year.

Carl Dahlstrom, Defenseman – (64 GP, 3 G, 25 A / 13 GP, 3 G, 6 A)

The 2017-18 season narrative of the Rockford IceHogs continued to be young talent making huge improvements all season, and for defenseman Carl Dahlstrom, that narrative rang true. A sizable defender, Dahlstrom more than doubled his point production from last season in fewer games played. Named an AHL All-Star replacement for Erik Gustafsson, Dahlstrom also made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks during the 2017-18 campaign and will figure to challenge for a spot on Chicago’s blue-line next season.

Gustav Forsling, Defenseman – (18 GP, 2 G, 3 A / 13 GP, 1 G, 4 A)

One of the more interesting defenseman in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Gustav Forsling had a difficult 2017-18 season. Bouncing between the Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs, Forsling dealt with injuries that hindered his season. But, when healthy, Forsling showed flashes of why the Blackhawks still have a ton of faith that he will be able to play the role of a defenseman who can jump into the offense and produce points in the NHL. At 21-years old (turning 22 in mid-June), Forsling still has room for development, but figures to be in the mix for a spot on Chicago’s blue-line next season.

Robin Norell, Defenseman – (63 GP, 2 G, 5 A / No Playoff Stats)

Robin Norell had an odd 2017-18 season. As a defenseman, Norell played solid on both ends of the ice for the IceHogs, but ultimately found himself dressing for more games as a forward than a defender. Once the latter half of the season rolled around, and the Rockford blue-line took shape, Norell saw his spot in the lineup go away and he did not dress for the Calder Cup Playoffs. He’ll more than likely figure to be a part of the IceHogs defensive core again next season.

Viktor Svedberg, Defenseman – (73 GP, 6 G, 18 A / 13 GP, 0 G, 5 A)  

A stalwart in the Rockford IceHogs organization for the last few years, Viktor Svedberg had arguably his best season of his career in 2017-18. His highest point total in his AHL career (24 points), Svedberg had a decent shot with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2015-16 season, playing in 24 NHL games, but it seems as if the organization may have moved on from the towering Swedish defenseman. An unrestricted free agent this summer, it will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks bring Svedberg back, as he has become an integrated part of the Rockford organization, but may not have an NHL future with Chicago.

Matt Tomkins, Goaltender – (8 GP, 1-4-2, 4.04 GAA, .871 SV%) / (No Playoff Stats)

Another goalie for the IceHogs who did a fair share of bouncing around this season was Matt Tomkins. While largely only playing in a backup role with the IceHogs, Tomkins was another first-year pro who made his debut with Rockford this season. Tomkins figures to be a starting option in net for the ECHL Indy Fuel next season, but could be a challenger for some AHL time too.

Victor Ejdsell, Forward – (5 GP, 0 G, 1 A) / (13 GP, 7 G, 5 A)

Acquired in the Ryan Hartman trade with the Nashville Predators, Victor Ejdsell came into the Chicago Blackhawks organization late in the year and quickly took the sting away from the Hartman deal for many fans. A big-bodied forward, Ejdsell played a handful of game with the Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs once he arrived in North America and showed flashes of quick hands and a powerful shot from the wings. Ejdsell was a huge factor for the IceHogs in the Calder Cup Playoffs, scoring two overtime goals over the 13-game run. Ejdsell should get a chance with the Blackhawks early on next season.

Henrik Samuelsson, Forward – (25 GP, 9 G, 3 A) / (4 GP, 0 G, 0 A)

Henrik Samuelsson joined the IceHogs late in the season from the ECHL Idaho Steelheads and jumped right into the lineup in a way. Scoring a goal in each of his first three games, Samuelsson is a former-first round pick making his way back to the top leagues of North America. A big-bodied forward, Samuelsson was scratched to start the Calder Cup Playoffs for the IceHogs, but found his way back into the lineup later in the postseason. Samuelsson signed an extension into next season and should factor into the Rockford lineup as a regular.

Graham Knott, Forward – (70 GP, 4 G, 5 A) / (No Playoff Stats)

Another first-year pro making his debut with the Rockford IceHogs this season, Graham Knott had an underwhelming first year. Nine points in 70 games played for the former second-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, Knott played a fourth-line role all season for Rockford before being scratched for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Another large-bodied forward, Knott will need to improve his strength and skating over the summer, but will have a spot with the IceHogs next season.

Darren Raddysh, Defenseman – (66 GP, 5 G, 17 A) / (9 GP, 0 G, 2 A)

Making his professional debut with the Rockford IceHogs this season, Darren Raddysh played his way into and NHL contract with the Chicago Blackhawks while in the midst of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Raddysh was a regular in the IceHogs defensive core, but was a scratch for the final few games of the postseason. He’ll be a factor in the Rockford blue-line again next season, maybe with an outside chance at making his NHL debut in 2018-19.

Luke Johnson, Forward – (73 GP, 13 G, 17 A) / (13 GP, 4 G, 4 A)

Luke Johnson made a huge leap from the 2016-17 to 2017-18 season. Playing in 73 games again this season, Johnson doubled his point production from last season and saw his on and off-ice responsibilities increase under head coach Jeremy Colliton. Johnson should be a key player for the IceHogs next season and could even make his NHL debut with the Blackhawks next season if Chicago gets bitten with injuries.

Nathan Noel, Forward – (17 GP, 1 G, 0 A) / (No Playoff Stats)

Nathan Noel had a tough season in his first year as a pro. Dealing with injuries and playing on the fence between the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL and the Indy Fuel in the ECHL, Noel made the most of his time with Rockford but left more to be desired. Next season should provide more opportunities for Noel at the AHL level, but he’ll need an impressive summer.

Matheson Iacopelli, Forward – (50 GP, 11 G, 8 A) / (No Playoff Stats)

One of the more interesting cases for the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs organizations, Matheson Iacopelli has the skill-set to be a regular contributor at the AHL level and his shot has been said to be NHL quality. But, for some reason, although scoring at a 0.40 point per game pace over his 58 AHL games, Iacopelli was scratched and even sent to the Indy Fuel in the ECHL late in the season. In 10 games with Indy, Iacopelli scored 10 points (9 G, 1 A) and was quickly brought back to Rockford, but didn’t see any action in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He’ll factor into the IceHogs lineup next season, but wouldn’t hurt to have a standout summer.

Matthew Highmore, Forward – (64 GP, 24 G, 19 A) / (13 GP, 2 G, 7 A)

One of the more impressive first-year players with the Rockford IceHogs this season, Matthew Highmore went from undrafted free agent signing out of the QMJHL, to Rockford’s top goal-scorer in 2017-18. Setting the rookie goal-scoring record with 24 goals in 63 games, Highmore took over the production role, alongside Anthony Louis, when Vince Hinostroza left Rockford for his permanent stay with the Blackhawks early in the season. The Chicago Blackhawks took a flyer on Highmore and it has already paid off in one year for both organizations. He made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks late this season, including his first NHL goal, and will again be looked at as an option for the Blackhawks next season.

Anthony Louis, Forward – (70 GP, 14 G, 44 A) / (9 GP, 0 G, 5 A)

As mentioned above, Anthony Louis was one of the key players for the Rockford IceHogs all season. The 2017-18 points leader for Rockford, Louis emerged as one of the go-to players after Vince Hinostroza was recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks. In his first full year in the AHL, Louis showed that he has the speed and vision to create for his teammates offensively. He’ll need more time in the AHL to round out his game and will undoubtedly be one of the key players for the IceHogs next season.

Alex Fortin, Forward – (53 GP, 4 G, 21 A) / (1 GP, 0 G, 0 A)

Alexandre Fortin, by all accounts, had a fine first professional year in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs. Outside of dealing with injuries, Fortin made his pro debut and did well in the role he was given by head coach Jeremy Colliton. The problem comes with the expectations that Fortin came into the Chicago Blackhawks organization with. He was a free agent signing and had a monster summer showing, enough to make some people believe he was NHL-ready. But Fortin’s first full pro season left something to be desired. If Fortin can have another decent showing over the summer, he’ll be a regular again in the IceHogs lineup and could potentially get his NHL shot in 2018-19.

William Pelletier, Forward – (69 GP, 14 G, 15A) / (13 GP, 2 G, 0 A)

Guess what? Another first-year pro! William Pelletier made a few appearances late last season for the Rockford IceHogs, but the 2017-18 season was his first full season in the AHL. A former Division III standout at Norwich University, Pelletier is another “water-bug” type of player in the Chicago Blackhawks system that has excelled with the IceHogs. Like Hinostorza and Anthony Louis, Pelletier uses his quick feet and playmaking ability to create offensive chances for his linemates and has an ability for finding open space to find his shot. Over his 77 career games with Rockford, Pelletier is playing at a .47 point per game pace and will be a regular for the IceHogs next season.

Luc Snuggerud, Defenseman – (40 GP, 5 G, 12 A) / (No Playoff Stats)

Another player hinder by the injury big this season, Luc Snuggerud made his pro debut in his first full year in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs this season. When healthy, Snuggerud was a regular part of the Rockford defensive core and showed the ability to play effectively at both ends of the ice. While healthy at the end of the season, Snuggerud was edged out in the defensive rotation and did not dress for any games in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Over his 53 career games with the IceHogs, Snuggerud is producing at a .42 point per game pace which is great from a defenseman. With a solid showing this summer, Snuggerud will be a regular part of the Rockford defensive lineup next season.

A GIANT thank goes out to the great Media and Communications staff with the Rockford IceHogs for providing all the videos of the exit interviews.

As the 2017-18 season comes to an official close for the Rockford IceHogs, it goes without saying that this squad came together under familiar circumstances with a rookie head coach being paired with so many first-year pros. The locker room gelled and added the right veteran pieces to produce some AHL magic and create a renewed vigor in the Rockford hockey community. Adam Clendening’s statement that this group was the most fun group he has ever played with spoke volumes to what Jeremy Colliton, the coach staff, and management did to rebuild the IceHogs from their disappointing 2016-17 run.

While the Chicago Blackhawks regulars have had their spring to relax and recover from last season, the IceHogs have been going through a tough Calder Cup Playoffs run. For most players, the offseason will be short as Summer Prospect Camp gets underway in the latter half of July, leading into the Rookie Showcase in Traverse City before Training Camp in late August. While the additions of new free agent and draft pick signings will re-shape the look of the IceHogs for the 2018-19 season, the organization is back on the right track and provides a hopeful look into the future of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The post Rockford IceHogs 2017-18 Season Exit Interviews appeared first on The Rink.

Game Five: Rockford IceHogs def. Texas Stars, 3-1

The IceHogs hoped to begin Game Five with the same momentum that they ended Game Four with. Early in the first period, they would do just that with a goal from Cody Franson to open the scoring just under three minutes into the period. Franson’s sixth goal of the playoffs gave Rockford the 1-0 lead. Fitting in with that narrative from head coach Jeremy Colliton of getting off to a good start in every game, the IceHogs would net a second goal within the first half of the first period as Luke Johnson would tally his fourth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs and give the home team a 2-0 lead nearing the mid-way point of the period. Assists would go to Adam Clendening and Victor Ejdsell on Johnson’s goal, continuing their respective hot-streaks in the postseason, continuing to drive Rockford’s offense.

Luke Johnson celebrates his goal in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

The IceHogs couldn’t have asked for a better start to another elimination game, including getting the better of a Curtis McKenzie vs. Cody Franson scrap. Jeff Glass would stop a,l 15 shots he faced in the first period and secured the 2-0 Rockford lead into the second period.

Rockford began the second period, weathering an early push from the Stars, as they tried to get off to a fast start to revive their game being down 2-0. Early in the second, the IceHogs were forced to kill-off their first penalty against them in the game and it was Glass that would come to the rescue early. However, as the second period reached the mid-way point, the Stars would find their way to the scoreboard. Roope Hintz scored his third goal of the playoffs and cut the Rockford lead to 2-1.

The Stars would continue to pressure the IceHogs as the second period would go on, forcing Jeff Glass to answer the bell as Texas out-shot Rockford in the period 14-6. Glass was able to make 13 saves in the period, keeping the IceHogs lead at 2-1 heading into the third period.

Jeff Glass makes a save in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

With 20 minutes separating Rockford from forcing a Game Six back in Texas, the IceHogs would have to continue to weather the spirited effort from the Stars early on. Two breakaway chances for Texas came up empty with Glass and his friend, the goal-post, doing what they could to keep the 2-1 Rockford lead alive. That theme would continue as the third period shifted into the latter half, and that would be when the Hockey God’s would smile upon David Kampf. Looking for his first point of the Calder Cup Playoffs after 12 games, Kampf shot the puck on Mike McKenna on a routine dump-in, and McKenna mishandled it into his own net. It would be the luckiest of bounces for Kampf and the IceHogs, leading to a 3-1 Rockford lead late in the third period.

With Kampf’s goal, all 18 regular skaters for the IceHogs have tallied at least one point in the 12 Calder Cup Playoff games played.

GAME FIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Rockford IceHogs def. Texas Stars, 3-1

The final five and a half minutes would have a football-esqe feel, with starts and stops every few seconds as the IceHogs looked to hold onto their two-goal lead and play defensively sound. With just about three and a half minutes to play in the period and having a powerplay opportunity, the Stars would pull McKenna from their net and go with a six-on-four attack. Jeff Glass and the IceHogs would be able to hold off the Stars’ attack in the final moments of the game and get a well-deserved 3-1 win over Texas and send the Western Conference Finals series to a Game Six.

Jeff Glass celebrates a win in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals over the Texas Stars. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Glass made 40 saves on 41 shots faced, making him 68 for 71 on shots faced in Games Four and Five combined. Mike McKenna made 18 saves on 21 shots faced for the Stars. Game Six will be in Texas on Monday night and it will most certainly be Glass back in net for the IceHogs as he has come off the bench and led this Rockford team back from the brink of elimination.

Postgame Reaction

After the game, IceHogs head coach Jeremy Colliton, Jeff Glass, and Cody Franson spoke to the media about getting the win, forcing a Game Six and what it means to play with a never-say-die attitude. Watch the postgame reaction here:

WATCH: Jeremy Colliton Postgame – GAME FIVE

WATCH: Jeff Glass Postgame – GAME FIVE

WATCH: Cody Franson Postgame – GAME FIVE

Game Six will be on Monday night in Cedar Park, Texas, with the IceHogs attempting to avoid elimination, once again, and potentially force a Game Seven.

What’s Next?

This Western Conference Finals series marks the third time in AHL history that the IceHogs and Stars have met in the postseason. Both teams hold a series sweep over the other with Texas winning a first-round series in 2010, and Rockford winning a first-round series in 2015.

Here is the schedule for the IceHogs and Stars in the Calder Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals:

• Game One: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 4-2 (TEX leads series 1-0)
• Game  Two: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 3-2/OT (TEX leads series 2-0)
• Game Three: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 6-5/OT (TEX leads series 3-0)
• Game Four: Rockford IceHogs def. Texas Stars, 3-2/OT (TEX leads series 3-1)
• Game Five: Rockford IceHogs def. Texas Stars, 3-1 (TEX leads series 3-2)
• Game Six: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Monday, May 28th, 7pm
• * Game Seven: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Tuesday, May 29th, 7pm (*If Necessary)

The Winner of the series will advance to the Calder Cup Finals and play the Toronto Marlies. Toronto swept the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Eastern Conference Finals and will have home-ice advantage in the Calder Cup Final. Games One and Two will be held in Toronto on June 2 and 3 to begin the Calder Cup Final.

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No IceHogs Involved In Blackhawks Deadline Moves

The Blackhawks made two deals on Monday, neither one touched the roster of the IceHogs. First, Chicago dealt forward Ryan Hartman to the Nashville Predators.

• Blackhawks Receive: 2018 1st Round pick, 2018 4th Round pick, Victor Ejdsell
• Predators Receive: Ryan Hartman, 2018 5th Round pick

As the clock struck 2pm, the Blackhawks made their second move of Deadline Day sending forward Tommy Wingels to the Boston Bruins.

• Blackhawks Receive: 2018 Conditional 5th Round pick (If Bruins reach Eastern Conference Semi-Finals or re-sign Wingels, pick becomes 2018 4th Round)
• Bruins Receive: Tommy Wingels

While rumors swirled that the Blackhawks may have been trying to deal defenseman Brent Seabrook and/or forward Artem Anisimov, the deals would have potentially needed to involve prospects to sweeten any type of deal. The IceHogs were able to come away from the NHL Deadline without losing any key personnel.

As far as trade reaction goes, the Blackhawks were essentially able to turn Ryan Hartman and Tommy Wingels into 2018 1st and 4th round picks and a “near NHL-ready” prospect, to quote general manager Stan Bowman, in Ejdsell. All-in-all, a decent haul for what was being moved. It hurts to lose a player like Hartman, but the return makes the most sense for trying to rebuild towards the future. With that 1st Round pick coming from the Predators, it’ll more than likely come in the late 20’s, maybe even as high as 30th or 31st, we’ll see.

Pushing Paper

As well as making trades on Monday, the Blackhawks and IceHogs needed to be mindful of the roster limits of the AHL. With the passing of the NHL Trade Deadline, the AHL rosters would be locked for who could participate in any postseason action. With that in mind, the Blackhawks made “paper transactions” to make sure that David Kampf, Carl Dahlstrom, and J.F. Berube would be eligible for any kind of Calder Cup Playoff action the IceHogs may see in the Spring.

Kampf originally was recalled by Chicago on Dec. 27 and since then, he has skated in 27 games with eight points (3G, 5A). In his time with the IceHogs, Kampf played in 30 games with 16 points (7G, 9A).

Dahlstrom, after being named an AHL All-Star in January, was recalled by the Blackhawks on Feb. 9 and since has skated in seven games with two assists. While in Rockford this season, he played in 47 games with 23 points (3G, 20A).

J.F. Berube makes a save against the Cleveland Monsters. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)

Berube has had two stints with the Blackhawks this season, but made his first start with Chicago just a few days ago on Friday, Feb. 23 against the Sharks. In two appearances in the NHL this year, Berube is 1-0-0 with a 1.73 GAA and a .947 save percentage. With the IceHogs, he made 15 appearances with a 7-8-0 record, a 2.37 GAA and .920 save percentage.

Roster Moves To Make

Aside from the paper transactions and trades made on Monday, the Blackhawks also made a pair of moves to open up roster space in Chicago. Forward Lance Bouma was placed on waivers on Sunday and cleared on Monday afternoon. Once clearing, Bouma was assigned to the IceHogs. This season in Chicago, Bouma has skated in 53 games with nine points (3G, 6A) and has 95 games of AHL experience, all with the Abbotsford Heat.

With Bouma being sent down to the IceHogs, the Blackhawks made a corresponding move by re-calling forward Matthew Highmore. A free agent signing in the Summer, Highmore leads the IceHogs with 35 points (21G, 14A) in 56 games played. In his latest game against the Hershey Bears, Highmore netted his 21st goal of the season and in doing so, set the franchise AHL record for goal-scoring by a rookie.

Matthew Highmore drives to the net against the Bakersfield Condors. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)

Along with Highmore, it would not be surprising to see the Blackhawks recall players like John Hayden, Gustav Forsling, or Anthony Louis and give them a shot with Chicago before season’s end. Hayden played in 39 games with the Blackhawks this season before being sent to Rockford on Jan. 8. Since then, Hayden has skated in 19 games with 14 points (5G, 9A). Forsling is another player that began the 2017-18 season with the Blackhawks, but was sent to the IceHogs on Jan. 21 and has since skated in 12 games with three points.

Finally, Anthony Louis has been one of the more underrated forwards for Rockford this season. When players like Kampf, Tomas Jurco, and Vince Hinostroza were recalled by the Blackhawks, Louis and Highmore took the offensive reins. Louis has 32 points (10G, 22A) in 51 games his first full year in the AHL this season. With the trades of Hartman and Wingels, along with the Bouma assignment, the Blackhawks have the roster space and the IceHogs have the players worthy of a look in the NHL.

What’s Next?

The IceHogs return to action on Wednesday as they host the Texas Stars in Rockford. Puck drop is set for 7pm Central Time at the BMO Harris Ban Center. Both the Stars and IceHogs are fighting to keep their Calder Cup Playoff hopes alive as the Stars sit in 3rd place in the AHL Pacific Division with a 29-19-7 record, 65 points and a .591 point-percentage. As for Rockford, they currently are on the outside looking in at the Playoff picture. Sitting in 5th place in the AHL Central Division with a 27-23-6 record, 60 points and a .536 point-percentage, the IceHogs trail the Iowa Wild by .047 point-percentage points for 4th place and a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. As of Monday, Rockford has 20 games to play, while the Wild have 22 to play. There is work to be done for the IceHogs.

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Laurent Dauphin was sent back to Arizona in the Panik/Duclair trade, but the rest of the players have been pretty close to spot on.  Carl Dahlstrom had a really impressive showing at the AHL All-Star festivities, just this weekend, and David Kampf has turned into a really useful mammal for this organization.

As we fly through the summer, and approach that 20 day window of hockey activities, the Blackhawks universe has more questions than anyone can probably remember in this era. It is very well possible that there will be open competitions for several forward spots, and possibly as many as three spots on defense.

Hell, Stan Bowman might have said otherwise, but the spot behind Corey Crawford isn’t as nailed down as he wanted us to think, in June. We have all seen the articles about the big name young players, but there are a few “under the radar” players that could turn into this year’s “out of left field” name. It is more likely that these names could never amount into anything, but what else do we have to discuss in late August? Deep dive time:

David Kämpf

With all the action this summer it has been, sort of, forgotten that the Blackhawks signed this Czech center to a deal “way back” in May.

At first glance, this move seems a little like the Martin Lundberg signing, two years ago, until you look a little deeper. This signing could certainly have a little more substance than originally perceived.

Kampf is considerably younger (22) and slightly taller (6’2″) than Lundberg (25 when signed, and 6’0″). He was a former assistant captain on the Czech U18 team, which could show that he has some leadership qualities, as well as confidence and added responsibilities from his former coaches. Kampf was also a team mate of other Blackhawks signee, Jan Rutta in the Czech league.

With other Czech players Michal Kempny and Michal Rozival on the roster, Kampf could conceivably sneak in as that fourth line center if Joel Quenneville decides that Nick Schmaltz is better suited with Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov to start the season.

Theoretically, Tanner Kero would move up to the third line which would open a spot for a more defensibly responsible, and possibly versatile, player on that fourth line. This also brings me to my next player…but first, here are some Kampf highlights:

 

 

Laurent Dauphin

Dauphin was, what seemed to be, a “throw in” for the Hjalmarsson/Murphy deal, but he was thought of pretty highly in his draft year, reportedly, by this very Blackhawks front office. He was a high second round pick (39th overall), in 2013.

Also, a player that held a captain’s letter with his amateur team, Dauphin has shown a little more scoring ability than Kampf did, but is rumored to be a little weak on the puck. While junior stats can certainly be deceiving, 75 points in the QMJHL and back to back 10+ goal seasons in the AHL as a 20 and 21 year old are nothing to dismiss.

If I had to guess, based on scouting reports, I would give the edge to Kampf for a 4th line role. Dauphin has a little more offense to his game, which Quenneville doesn’t seem to be as worried about in his fourth liners. By all reports, Dauphin sounds like a more “Phillip Danault“ type player, while Kampf seems more like a “Marcus Kruger“ type. Neither is bad, they just fit in different spots of the line-up. After a nice little breakout season last year, Tanner Kero seems to have the edge over both players at this point in time, but that can change pretty quick. Here are some World Junior Highlights of Laurent Dauphin:

 

 

Ville Pokka

Pokka has been the brunt of many jokes here at Puckin Hostile, but the Blackhawks are keeping him around for something. The knock on him is that his skating is just not up to NHL standards, and he may be a bit of an adventure in his own end of the ice. One thing that is not questionable, though, is his ability to create offense. He was voted the Rockford Icehogs best defenseman in 2015-16, and played in the World Cup of Hockey for the Finnish team last summer. He undoubtedly has a great shot that he loves to use, and can be an asset on the offensive side of the ice. You can’t completely overlook those assets but, then again, TJ Brennan am I right?

Where will Ville Pokka fall in Blackhawks lore? My impression is that he has gone the way of the way of Morin and McNeill, but he could have worked on his skating and have a breakout camp. Let us be reminded that this kid is still only 23 years old. If that were to happen, everyone wins. It is certainly true that Gustav Forsling has leapt over him on the depth chart, but that doesn’t mean a mid-season call up is out of the question. Hell, if nothing else, the Blackhawks could showcase him for a team that needs some more offense cost effective from their defense.

 

 

Carl (Calle) Dahlstrom

I certainly have my reservations about Dahlstrom’s skating ability, but he is still only 22 years old and he’s a big guy. One attribute the Blackhawks lack in their system is defensemen with size, and something the Blackhawks seem to love are Swedish defensemen. Dahlstrom checks both boxes at 6’4″ and 230 lbs. If he could actually lose the Frankenstein boots, he has some physical assets that are rare. Some of the reasons that the Blackhawks kept Michal Rozsival around is that he has size, physicality and can make a pass. His mobility, or lack thereof, sure isn’t the reason. In 2015, Chris Block went into depth about the disconnect between Dahlstrom and the Hockey ops staff, and I fully trust he was right.

We are now two years down the road, though, and Dahlstrom has hung around like a good soldier. Hung around to play 70 AHL games last season. There have also been changes in the organization and another big (at the time), tough (often dirty) Swedish former NHL defenseman was added to the coaching staff, in Ulf Samuelsson. I think you see where I’m going with this. If he plays his cards right, Dahlstrom could gain favor and get a legit shot on the depth chart. Of course, this might only be solid minutes in Rockford, but it wasn’t all that long ago that another fairly immobile defenseman with size named Viktor Svedberg saw 27 games with the Blackhawks. That was with a more decorated group around him.

If you look at Dahlstrom’s stats last year in Rockford, they look paltry, but you have to also remember that the team was in total disarray. The golden pony, Gustav Forsling, only had 8 points in 30 games. So, keep an eye out, and have an open mind. The Blackhawks need some surprises this year, if they want to compete at that high level.

 

 

Robin Press/Robin Norell

Press was the most experienced defenseman in Blackhawks prospect camp, in July. Aaron Goldschmidt, Mario Tirabassi and I noticed the bigger of these two defenders, Press, and he did nothing to hurt his stock in our eyes. He has above average size, and looks comfortable with the puck on his stick thanks to the fact that he is a converted forward. He won’t get manhandled too often just based on his size alone. His biggest asset might be that he is right handed. That is something that not only the Blackhawks covet, but the entire NHL. Press is on an AHL deal, but that can easily be converted.

Norell is a smaller Swedish defenseman but, again, a Swedish defenseman. He is actually the smallest of the Swedish triumvirate (Dahlstrom, Press, and Norell) from the 2013 draft, but don’t sleep on him. He could also sneak in some playing time this season, because all bets are off, thanks to the uncertainty of the depth chart and Quenneville’s seemingly unpredictable magic 8-ball. Like Dahlstrom, he played over 60 games in the AHL, so he’s not entirely inexperienced.

 

 

Jean-Francois Berube

I’ve mentioned his name a couple of times, and I believe he’s still a good goalie with pro potential. Berube did take a strange path to the Blackhawks, though. He was drafted by the LA Kings in the 4th round of the 2009 draft, was claimed off waivers by the Islanders in 2015, was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in June and then signed with the Blackhawks July 1st. At the time Islanders claimed him, he was coming off a 37-9-4 regular season with a 2.18 GAA and a .913 sv%, along with a Calder Cup championship. Sound a lot like another goalie in the Blackhawks system, just one year later, eh?

The Islanders are basically where goalies go to die, but he still had decent numbers in 2015-16 between the AHL and NHL despite getting injured in late November and being on IR for a good portion of the season. The tire fire Islanders extended him for 16/17, and he was thrown to the wolves as part of a stupid 3 headed goalie monster with Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak which, like the Islanders arena problems, went badly. Alas, though, one bad season does not a goalie make, right? He has a fresh start, in a new organization, with a new goalie coach.

I really see him having a good season, and possibly pushing Anton Forsberg for the backup job. Both goalies are on 2 year deals with very little salary difference ($50,000), and both would have to go through waivers to get to Rockford. Don’t be surprised if the race is closer than the organization wanted you to think after the Panarin/Saad trade. Adding Berube to the mix was a sneaky good move by Stan Bowman. At the very worst, Berube is a solid number 3 that can log a lot minutes in Rockford and usher in Matt Tomkins and Collin Delia.

Notice who his first NHL game was against, and who the first highlight includes.

The post Revisiting Under The Radar Blackhawks appeared first on The Rink.

On top of the action-packed weekend, Rockford will be without goaltender Jeff Glass and forward David Kampf after they were recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Additionally, the IceHogs recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins from the Indy Fuel to split time with Collin Delia in net.

Entering Thursday’s action, the IceHogs sit in second place in the AHL Central Division with a 17-11-2 record (36 pts, .600 pt%) and trail the Manitoba Moose for the division lead. In the AHL Western Conference, Rockford ranks fourth behind the Manitoba Moose, Stockton Heat, and Texas Stars.

Thursday and Friday: IceHogs vs Wild

Thursday night, the IceHogs begin the three game stretch in Iowa taking on the Wild. It marks the seventh game between the teams this season with Rockford holding a 3-2-1 record over the Wild. Iowa sits just behind the IceHogs in third place in the Central Division with a 14-9-8 record (36 pts, .598 pt%).

The weekend’s action will have a new face joining Iowa as Zach Parise begins a conditioning stint with the Wild. Parise is recovering from a back injury that has forced him out of action all season. It will be Parise’s first AHL action since the NHL’s lockout season in 2004-05 where he played 73 games with the Albany River Rats, scoring 58 points (18G, 40A).

#mnwild expected to assign Zach Parise to @iawild for a conditioning stint, a huge step in his return from injury → https://t.co/Q2Csh7fvm0 pic.twitter.com/keni6yzPLo

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 27, 2017

Special teams will be a big focus during the home-and-home with the Wild as they enter the weekend with the AHL’s fifth-ranked powerplay unit (20.4 percent) and the league’s top penalty-kill (88.6 percent) compared to the IceHogs’ 22nd ranked penalty-kill (80.6 percent) and league-worst powerplay unit (11.1 percent). Rockford has scored just four powerplay goals since Oct. 28 and have gone without a powerplay goal in their last 22 opportunities.

Puck drop for both games on Thursday and Friday night are scheduled for 7pm CT.

Saturday: IceHogs vs Wolves

After the back-to-back with the Iowa Wild, the IceHogs turn their attention to the Chicago Wolves and another installment of the Illinois Lottery Cup rivalry to close out the 2017 calendar year. In five meetings this season, Rockford holds a 2-2-1 record against the Wolves. Chicago sits in fifth place in the Central Division with a 13-12-6 record (32 pts, .516 pt%).

The previous five meetings between the teams have been consistently physical and have been played tightly with each team scoring 14 goals against the other with the IceHogs having a 15th goal credited in a shootout win. The sixth installment of this year’s rivalry should be no different.

With the losses of Glass and Kampf, the IceHogs will need players like Tomas Jurco and Matthew Highmore to lead to offensive charge and Delia and Tomkins to pickup where Glass left off in net. It will be a challenge for the goaltenders as Delia has just one game of AHL experience under his belt and Tomkins will be making his first trip up to the AHL after spending four years in net for Ohio State.

Puck drop for Saturday night’s game in Chicago is scheduled for 7pm CT.

IceHogs Close The Book On 2017

2017 has been an odd year for the Rockford IceHogs as they are a completely different team in look and feel than when the calendar year started. Ted Dent, Spencer Abbott, Mark McNeill, Kyle Baun, and Brandon Mashinter, to name a few, began 2017 with Rockford. As 2017 comes to a close, none of those players are around and Jeremy Colliton was brought in to replace Dent as Head Coach. In fact, only 13 players who played with the IceHogs last season out of 39 that suited up, are with the club to begin the 2017-18 season or were with the team at some point to begin the new season.

The end of the 2016-17 season saw the IceHogs finish last in the AHL Central Division and 27th out of 30 teams in the league overall. There was a large roster turnover, a change in coaching, and a change in philosophy. It has all worked so far in the 2017 portion of the 2017-18 season. Rockford has skated 10 rookies this season, with five of them scoring double-digits in points at this point in the season, led by an undrafted free agent signing in Matthew Highmore. The IceHogs are younger, faster, more highly skilled and for the first time in a while, have a bright future building up for the Blackhawks organization as a whole.

The post Preview: IceHogs Close 2017 With Three Games In Three Nights appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks Lose Crawford For Second Time This Month

This marks the second time this season that Crawford has been placed on injured reserve this month. Back on Dec. 1, the Blackhawks placed Crawford on injured reserve and recalled J.F. Berube from the IceHogs. He returned to the Blackhawks shortly after and in seven appearances during the month of December, Crawford is 6-1-0 with a .923 save percentage. In his last appearance against the New Jersey Devils, Crawford allowed three goals on seven shots faced and was pulled after just 13:22 minutes of play.

Blackhawks backup Anton Forsberg figures to get the majority of action while Crawford is out. Forsberg this season is 1-4-3 in 11 appearances for the Blackhawks this season with a 3.13 GAA and .909 save percentage. While serving as the Blackhawks starter earlier this month, Forsberg went 0-2-1.

Heading to Chicago from Rockford as goaltender Jeff Glass and forward David Kampf. Glass has been the IceHogs starter since J.F. Berube went down with an injury earlier this month. This season, Glass is 10-4-2 with a 2.60 GAA and .917 save percentage for the IceHogs and has started their last nine straight games. Glass has yet to make his NHL regular season debut after being a third-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2004.

David Kampf will also be joining Glass as IceHogs heading to Chicago. Kampf is playing in his first year of North American professional hockey with Rockford after playing with Chomutov Pirati of the Czech Pro League from 2012-2016. In 30 games with the IceHogs this season, Kampf has 17 points (7G, 10A) and is second in rookie scoring on the team.

Finally, with the IceHogs losing Glass to the Blackhawks and with Berube already out with an injury, the IceHogs recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins from the Indy Fuel. Tomkins rejoins his Fuel teammate from the beginning of the year, Collin Delia, in-between the pipes as they will now split time in net for the IceHogs. Delia has made one appearance for the IceHogs this season, a loss in November in which he gave up four goals on 16 shots faced. Tomkins this season with the Fuel is 4-3-0 in eight appearances, with a 2.73 GAA and .931 save percentage.

The Blackhawks return to action after the Holiday break on Thursday, taking on the Vancouver Canucks in the first of four straight road games. The IceHogs are on the road on Thursday as well, beginning a three games in three days stretch to close out the 2017 calendar year.

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Friday: Rockford IceHogs def. Chicago Wolves, 3-2 (ot)

It took just 41 seconds for the score sheet to get populated as the IceHogs took the early lead on a backhand goal from Alexandre Fortin. His second goal of the season, Fortin broke down the middle of the ice and out-muscled two Chicago defenders to control the puck and put it past Max Lagace.

The IceHogs and Wolves seemed to trade-off scoring chances through the rest of the period until Rockford was called for a delayed penalty. With the goalie pulled, the Wolves were able to tie the game at 1-1 before the penalty was called. Brandon Pirri was able to bang a rebound behind Jeff Glass and the teams headed to the locker rooms knotted at 1-1.

The IceHogs opened the second period with a handful of high-quality chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. It wasn’t until the midway point of the period that the Wolves broke the tie on a Tobias Lindberg breakaway goal, setup by Chris Casto blocking a Viktor Svedberg slapshot. Any momentum the IceHogs had built early in the game slowly faded as the second period went on and the teams would head into the third period, 2-1 Chicago.

Needing a response in the third period, the IceHogs went back to their playbook with what worked earlier in the game: score fast. Just 39 seconds into the period, Tomas Jurco put a shot on net that Lagace saved with a big rebound that David Kampf put home. His sixth goal of the year and the IceHogs tied it up 2-2 early on.

There would be no breakthrough the rest of the period, although both teams continued to generate high quality chances. Lagace made a huge save on a Matthew Highmore wraparound attempt midway through the period, but the game would need overtime.

In the extra period, the IceHogs would control most of the puck possession and with less than a minute left, Highmore found Darren Raddysh on the doorstep to give Rockford the 3-2 win in overtime. Jeff Glass made 23 saves on 25 shots faced to earn his ninth win of the season.

Of note in Friday night’s contest, the IceHogs used two unconventional powerplay units to try to spark the AHL’s worst powerplay. Unit one composed of five forwards: Anthony Louis, David Kampf, Tomas Jurco, Matthew Highmore, and Tanner Kero. The second powerplay unit used a two forwards and three defenseman look with Carl Dahlstrom, Ville Pokka, and Robin Norell controlling the puck near the blue line from point-to-point.

It was an admirable attempt to jump-start the powerplay for Rockford by head coach Jeremy Colliton, but it went unsuccessful against the Wolves in three attempts. Since their four powerplay-goal game on Oct. 28 against the Griffins, the IceHogs have scored four powerplay goals total.

Post-Game Audio: 

Jeremy Colliton:

Andreas Martinsen:

Darren Raddysh:

Saturday: Rockford IceHogs def. Grand Rapids Griffins, 3-2 (so)

Looking to continue their success against the defending Calder Cup Champion Griffins, the IceHogs got on the board first in the second period as David Kampf netted his seventh goal of the year off an Anthony Louis rebound. Kampf’s second goal of the weekend gave the IceHogs the 1-0 lead midway through the middle frame. The lead wouldn’t last long though as the Griffins got on the board with a goal from Matt Lorito to tie it up 1-1 just over a minute later.

The teams would enter the third period tied 1-1 and it would remain that way until five and a half minutes into the period as Tomas Jurco gave the IceHogs the lead back at 2-1. Jurco’s tenth goal of the year and third point of the weekend, he now leads Rockford in scoring for active roster players with 21 points (10G, 11A) in 29 games played.

Rockford held the 2-1 lead late into the third period, but on the final rush of the game with a powerplay and the net empty, Matthew Ford tipped in a controversial goal past Jeff Glass to tie the game at 2-2 with just 1.7 seconds left on the clock. It’s the second time in the last five games that the IceHogs allowed a game-winning or tying goal in the final seconds of a game.

The teams would head to overtime, tied at 2-2 and even with the extra five minutes, the teams couldn’t find the winning goal, so for the third time in six meetings this season, the Griffins and IceHogs would go to a shootout.

Glass would hold off the Griffins first three shooters while Jurco, Highmore, and Kampf were all stopped by Jared Coreau. It would take Rockford’s fourth shooter, Viktor Svedberg to break the tie. Svedberg ripped a slap shot by Coreau to give the IceHogs the advantage. Jeff Glass would then stop Vili Saarijarvi to give Rockford the 3-2 shootout win and remain a perfect 6-0-0 against the Griffins this year. Glass made 31 saves on 33 shots to earn his tenth win of the year, improving his record to 10-4-2, with a 2.60 GAA and .917 save percentage.

Highlights

Post-Game: Jeremy Colliton

With the back-to-back wins over the weekend, the IceHogs improve to 17-11-2, with 36 points in the standings and a .600 points percentage, good enough for second place in the AHL’s Central Division. The IceHogs trail the Manitoba Moose in the Division by 13 points as the Moose have yet to lose in regulation over their last 16 games (15-0-1).

What’s Next?

The IceHogs are off over the Holiday break, but return to action to close out the 2017 calendar year with three games in three days starting on Thursday, Dec. 28. On Thursday, the IceHogs travel to Iowa to take on the Wild before turning around and hosting the Wild on Friday night back in Rockford. Finally, the 2017 calendar year ends for Rockford as they travel to Chicago to take on the Wolves in a Saturday night Illinois Lottery Cup rivalry game. All three games are slated for 7pm CT puck drops.

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