You can watch Gate’s segment here:

You can watch the entire program right here (highly encouraged):

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In a recent, “Laz and Powers” podcast, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic stated, “They have done really well playing the youth with the goalies and the forwards.” Have they really done a good job of seeing just what they have with the young goalies? I would strongly argue that they have not, or they only have to a lesser degree.

The player with the most NHL experience was Malcolm Subban, who was a throw-in to the Lehner deal to even out the number of goalies on the roster. He was a former first-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins and was not able to nail down a backup role anywhere he has been. In fact, Subban became a bit of a lightning rod for hate in Vegas due to his complete lack of consistency. He was statistically one of the worst goalies in the entire NHL at the time of the Lehner trade.

The second in line was Collin Delia, maybe one of the most underappreciated players in the entire Blackhawks system. A free agent out of Merrimack University, he was a Hobey Baker nominee in 2015 with former Blackhawks Nick Schmaltz and Tyler Motte. Delia earned a contract out of prospect camp after showing some real athleticism in the summers of 2016 and 2017. He made his NHL debut in 2018, then getting his first start (and win) in the infamous Scott Foster game, and then was sacrificed to the gods of no defense with Cam Ward in 2018–19. Despite playing behind the worst defense in the entire league for 16 games, he put up a respectable .908 save percentage. Due to the surprise signing of Lehner in the summer of 2019, Delia was relegated to Rockford once again, which led to the 24-year-old being named an AHL all star for his solid play with the IceHogs.

Unfortunately, Blackhawks Head Coach Jeremy Colliton’s unreasonably short leash this January eventually banished Delia to goalie purgatory.

It is hard to believe now but, in January, Kevin Lankinen was the least experienced and third in line. He had some success in the 2018 IIHF World Championships and was also named an AHL all star in 2020, but no one had any idea if his style would translate. He had never played an NHL game. Realistically, no one could predict he would step in and play .930-plus hockey for the first third of the season. He has won the starting position and there is no debating this.

The biggest wild card (and least probable option) was Matt Tomkins. He was a draft pick way back in 2012 and has been toiling around between the AHL and ECHL since 2017. His stats have not been anything special, but one would assume that if the organization was willing to spend a decade developing a prospect, they expect the final product to be more than a marginal AHL/ECHL tweener.

Fast forward to April where the Blackhawks over-performed so well early on that they have been able to hang on to some very improbable playoffs hopes. They have learned quite a bit about the status of the kids in the organization, but Colliton seems to have cut off his nose to spite his face regarding goaltending by hitching his wagon to just Lankinen and Subban. Not that both have not played well, but could Delia or Tomkins be a solution as an NHL backup? Could they be moved for assets? No one knows because the “great communicator” stopped communicating with his goalies and just left them off on shame island.

Over-performing or not, the goal and focus of this season should never have changed from auditioning the kids that can compete at the NHL level. All of them. After the first 10 games, Delia still had better statistics than Subban and Lankinen, yet the door was slammed shut on him after two rust-filled games for no apparent reason.

Two damn games!

Two games in the first four where even Subban gave up five goals per game, as well. There is simply no justification for icing Delia out of the lineup. His save percentage was better than Subban.

Conventional wisdom and Delia’s previous NHL success should be enough to tell you that he could definitely be a serviceable option as a backup. This was supposed to be a “play the kids and see what you have got” year with forwards and defensemen, but, after Lankinen and Subban, have they done that with the goalies?

No.

It is time to see what everyone has, including the goalies. We know Lankinen has won the starting spot, and Subban has played well, but, in a transition year, you need to know what the rest have as well.

The post Net Perspective: Blackhawks’ Colliton needs to look deeper into goaltending appeared first on The Rink.

That said, the 25-year-old Finland native is just 12 games into his career. Many other goaltenders have flamed out after starting out looking like the second coming of Ken Dryden. Names like Jim Carey, Steve Mason and Andrew Hammond come to mind when you put too many expectations into an unexpected phenom goaltender, though.

Admittedly, Lankinen has looked very poised and confident in the Blackhawks’ net thus far, which should not be overlooked.

That’s the funny thing about the position of goaltending. It has been jokingly referred to as “voodoo,” but that term is not far from the truth. For decades, goalies were just sent out and told to “just keep the puck out of the net.”

In recent years, though, goaltending schools and specialized coaches have turned the position into one of the most intricate in all sports. As a result, consistent goalies have become highly sought after. One thing Lankinen has been is consistent. Through his first 12 games, we have not seen him give up that “really soft” goal or terrible turnover (like the one against Tampa Bay that unfortunately sent Collin Delia to Shame Island).

Lankinen boasts a 7–2–3 record with a 2.29 goals against average and .931 save percentage coming into Friday’s game against Carolina. If he were to keep up at this highly improbably rate, he would rival rookie seasons by such familiar names as Ed Belfour and Tony Esposito.

The contenders

In 1969, the 26-year-old left-handed Esposito put together a historic rookie season for the Chicago Black Hawks with a 38–17–8 record, 2.17 goals against average, .932 save percentage and 39.6 goals saved above average, which won him the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year), Vezina Trophy (outstanding goaltender) and finished second in the Hart Trophy voting for the league’s most valuable player.

This was following an unspectacular 1968–69 season where he put up a 5–4–4 record, 2.75 goals against average and .919 save percentage with the Montreal Canadiens and was claimed by the Black Hawks in the league’s Intra-League Draft on June 11, 1969. He went on to have a 16-year Hall of Fame career with Chicago.

In 1990, Beflour, a 25-year-old unlikely former college free-agent, stepped into then-Head Coach Mike Keenan’s lineup and proceeded to put up a 43–19–7 record, 2.18 goals against average, .910 save percentage, four shutouts and 44.6 goals saved above average also en route to the Vezina, Calder, Jennings trophies and third place voting for the Hart Trophy.

This was after a very 4–12–3 record, 3.87 goals against average and .877 save percentage two seasons prior. Belfour went on to a similar Hall of Fame career over 17 seasons with Chicago, San Jose, Dallas, Toronto and finally Florida.

(Graphic created by The Rink’s Jeff Osborn)

The next “guy”?

Can Lankinen keep up these cartoonishly good numbers and end up in Blackhawks goaltending lore like Esposito and Belfour?

Probably not, especially with the team going through an alleged rebuild.

That does not mean Lankinen will not turn out to be a really good NHL goaltender. He has shown many of the tools that other great goalies have displayed. He is calm, composed, measured, well-trained, athletic and resilient. He has generally been in the right position and not overly aggressive in his appearances.

Looking back on all of his previous seasons, in Finland, he consistently posted very high save percentage numbers at most levels, including the assorted Jokerit junior teams and the Finnish national team.

With the Rockford IceHogs last season, he won four of his first five games on the year, combining for a 1.99 goals against average and .937 save percentage during that span. He set an AHL franchise record with 55 saves on 56 shots in a 2–1 overtime win against the Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 10, 2019.

Lankinen was also selected to represent the IceHogs at the AHL All Star Game last season.

His final numbers were an 8–10–2 record, 3.03 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 21 appearances prior to his season ending shoulder surgery in February.

In a season when Blackhawks fans were told to set expectations low, Lankinen has been one of several pleasant surprises. This success should be taken both with a grain of salt and met with cautious optimism. Due to the COVID-19 division realignment and the travel restrictions, the Blackhawks have faced less than 25% of the other teams and Lankinen has only faced six of 30 other teams. His worst performance—albeit his first—was against the Florida Panthers, whom he has only faced once and is one of the hottest teams in the league. He has also yet to face the Tampa Bay Lightning team that put up 10 goals in two games against the Blackhawks to open the season.

Time will tell, but the excitement is not without some justification. Temper expectations, though.

The post Net Perspective: Kevin Lankinen appeared first on The Rink.

Sunday, Jan. 31: Hawks win 3–1 behind Kane, Kurashev

With Kevin Lankinen back in net, the rookie stopped 32 of 33 shots against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Patrick Kane and Philipp Kurashev each had a goal and an assist to lead the offense. Pius Suter added his fourth goal of the season, and Mattias Janmark added two assists.

Tuesday, Feb. 2: Hawks lose 4–3 in shootout vs. Carolina

Lankinen was in the net once again, making 37 saves in the loss to the Hurricanes. Kurashev, Kane and Dylan Strome each scored a goal for the Hawks. Dominik Kubalik and Alex DeBrincat both added two assists. Lankinen made a point-blank save with seconds left in overtime to send the game to a shootout. The Hawks went 0-for-3 in the shootout. Andrei Svechnikov scored the lone goal of the shootout for the Hurricanes.

Thursday, Feb 4: Hawks’ special teams lead the way in 6–4 victory

Lankinen made his fifth straight start in net for the Hawks, making 30 saves against the Hurricanes. The Blackhawks’ special teams were the bright spot during this game. The penalty kill negated all four opportunities for Carolina and Chicago scored three power play goals out of five chances. All three power play goals came in the first period. Janmark, Kubalik and Andrew Shaw all tallied the goals for the Hawks in the first frame. The Hurricanes scored two goals, just eight seconds apart, in the early going of the second period to tie the game at 3–3. The Hawks then exploded for another three goals in the third to secure the victory. DeBrincat scored twice, including the empty netter at the end to seal the win. Kane tallied one goal and three assists for his 14th career four-point game. Kane now has 1,037 career points, which moves him into sixth place among U.S.-born players.

Patrick Kane (1-3—4) recorded his 14th career four-point game as the @NHLBlackhawks improved to 4-1-1 at home in 2020-21. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/0NDvtiDoGK

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 5, 2021

Going forward

It looks like Lankinen has taken over as the No. 1 goalie—for now. He has started in the last five games in a row for the Hawks. The defense has been allowing a lot of shots the past three games, 33, 41 and 34, respectively. Lankinen has been standing tall so far, getting a lot of work in the crease with that many shots coming his way.

Next week, the Hawks travel to Dallas for two games against the Stars. Then they come back home for two more games against Columbus.

The post Hawks battle Columbus, Carolina to finish week 2–0–1 appeared first on The Rink.

You can watch Gate’s segment here:

You can watch the entire program right here (highly encouraged):

The post Rink On The Air: Gate talks Blackhawks with Shawn and Maya in the Morning appeared first on The Rink.

Ahead of Tuesday, the Hawks would learn that they would be without defenseman Adam Boqvist and forward Alex DeBrincat for at least two weeks, as both players were added to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. In Nashville, the offense sputtered, and they were generally outplayed by the Predators. The Hawks were outshot 81–50 in the two-game set.

Tuesday, Jan. 26: Subban steals a point

On Tuesday night, the Hawks jumped out to a 1–0 lead when Dylan Strome scored on the power play at 2:59 of the first period. The tally marked the Hawks seventh straight game in which they scored a power play goal. Hawks netminder Malcolm Subban was brilliant in the first frame, turning aside all 17 shots he faced.

After the Predators tied the game early in the second period, gritty forward Mattias Janmark sprinted in on a breakaway and fired a wrist short past Pekka Rinne to make it 2–1 Chicago at 11:43 of the second period.

The Predators tied it in the third period, and in overtime, a defensive miscue from the often-inconsistent Dylan Strome led to the overtime winner by Roman Josi. Subban registered 36 saves in the 3–2 overtime loss.

Wednesday, Jan 27: Strong in net, lacking in offense…again

Wednesday night appeared to be a carbon copy of the previous game. The Hawks played with more purpose and better tenacity, but created little in terms of offense. The Hawks’ lone marker came at 9:24 of the third when fourth-line grinder Ryan Carpenter banged home his own rebound off a Brandon Hagel feed. The helper marked Hagel’s first career NHL point.

Kevin Lankinen took the shootout loss, but earned his stripes yet again with 41 saves on the night.

Friday, Jan 29: Chances but no finish

The return to the United Center did not start well for the Hawks. After a failed man advantage of their own early in the first period, the Hawks surrendered the first goal of the game while a man down. Oliver Bjorkstrand drilled a one-timer from the left circle gave the Blue Jackets a 1–0 lead at 8:53 of the first period.

The Blue Jackets doubled their money in the second period making it 2–0, but the Hawks generated a lot of the action early in the period. On the power play, Strome was able to cash in from the front of the net off a great feed from Patrick Kane at 10:47 of the period to cut the margin to 2–1. The Hawks were outshooting the Jackets 23–15 at the end of the second.

The Hawks pressed late in the third period and both Kane and Carl Soderberg had grade-A chances as the game wound down, but neither could not find the equalizer. The game would end 2–1 in favor of the visitors. Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo was spectacular, stopping 31 of 32 shots faced on the night, many of which robbing surefire tallies for the Blackhawks.

Here we are: State of affairs

In the absence of DeBrincat, Jonathan Toews, Kirby Dach and to a certain extent Alexander Nylander, it is no surprise that the Hawks are having difficulty finding consistent offense. Four goals over the last three games is certainly not a recipe for winning hockey. Kane can only do so much, Strome brought it on Friday, but is not dependable on a nightly basis, Dominik Kubalik is learning about life in the NHL without Toews and Brandon Saad and the rest of the group is either young and inexperienced or stylistically better suited in checking roles.

To date, the fourth line has done their job. Hagel, Carpenter, David Kampf and Matthew Highmore (when on that line) understand their roles and provide much-needed stability considering the deck will often be shuffled on the first three lines.

And in a somewhat unexpected twist, the defense and goaltending has been a positive for the team in the last few games. Since their tough start, the Hawks have given eight goals in regulation time over their last five games. Love him or hate him, this is the best Connor Murphy has played in a Blackhawk uniform and Calvin de Haan has also been solid. Nicolas Beaudin and Lucas Carlsson have factored into the lineup the last two games and have not been overly noticeable, but that is a good sign. They have been steady and that is what they need to be. Ian Mitchell is still learning on the fly, and while you can still expect mistakes from him in his young career, he will continue to get better. While Boqvist has this time to get healthy and reflect, hopefully it will also give the coaching staff time to evaluate what they have and do not have on their blue line. Ultimately, if this means some much-needed time in Rockford for Boqvist to work on his game, then so be it.

Adam Boqvist’s long-term game could benefit from some time in Rockford. (Photograph courtesy of Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

All signs are pointing towards Lankinen being the No. 1 goalie this season, and thus far he has earned it. With a .931 save percentage heading into the Columbus game and points in his first four starts, he has certainly earned it. Time will tell if the rookie can maintain his hot start, but thus far, he has been nothing short of impressive, despite the loss to the Jackets.

The Hawks are what they are. They will be rebuilding for the foreseeable future. As the season wears on and the schedule continues to get tougher and more competitive, one should forecast for the Hawks to be outside the playoff picture. How far outside is anyone’s guess right now, but a lottery pick is still a possibility. That said, while you should limit your expectations for a “successful” season from this group, it is okay to enjoy and follow the growth of some of their young players. Hopefully they will get back in the win column on Sunday.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks go winless in three-game week appeared first on The Rink.

In the first three games of the year, the Hawks averaged 30 shots on goal per game, while allowing 36 per game. This past week, those numbers have improved slightly to 34 shots for and 32 against per game.

But, it is important to note: two of the first three games of the year were against defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, and two of the second week’s games were against lowly Detroit. So, the results the Blackhawks have achieved in each slate of games have to be weighted for quality of opponent. Net judgement: At 2–3–1 after 6 games, the Hawks are better than the worst team in the league, but far from being among the best.

Tuesday, Jan. 19: Point taken

The Blackhawks took the ice in Sunrise, Florida, hoping to reverse their early misfortunes. And they almost got there, losing 5–4 in overtime against the Panthers. Up until the end of the second period, the Hawks and Panthers slugged it out to a 2–2 tie, paced by two goals from last year’s scoring phenom and this year’s coaching doghouse resident, Dominik Kubalik.

Patrick Kane (19:10 of the second) and rookie Philipp Kurashev (6:06 of the third period) pushed the Hawks out to a 4–3 lead. Kane’s goal came on an end-to-end rush and one of his patented physics-defying backhands over a hapless Sergei Bobrovsky.

But Florida tied the game at 7:17 in the third on a power play goal by Patric Hornqvist, tipping a Keith Yandle blast past rookie netminder Kevin Lankinen, making his NHL debut.

Frank Vatrano won the game for Florida in overtime, with Duncan Keith, Pius Suter and Andrew Shaw skating for Chicago.

Friday, Jan. 22: At last, a win

Lankinen took the net again against Detroit in the Blackhawks’ home opener, signaling that Chicago wants to give the Finnish goalie a hard look—and why not, since neither Malcolm Subban nor Collin Delia had given them reason not to in the first three games. Lankinen got better results this time, saving 30 shots in a 4–1 victory for the first victory in his young NHL career.

The game was never really close, with Kane, Calvin de Haan, Shaw and Mattias Janmark tallying for Chicago. Although rookie Ian Mitchell was -6 for the year at this point, and has looked a bit overwhelmed by the pace of NHL play, he showed his offensive zone instincts, gaining the second assist on de Haan’s blast, with nice, nifty pinch and pass for the newcomer’s first NHL point.

Sunday, Jan. 24: A bit of a roll

What became clearly evident in today’s game (and Friday’s) is that as much as the Blackhawks are a “rebuilding” team, Detroit is a worse team. The Blackhawks humiliated the Wings in the matinee rematch at the UC, 6–2, behind a hat trick from rookie Pius Suter, and individual tallies from Mattias Janmark, Connor Murphy and Kurashev. Detroit’s two goals were scored by Tyler “Don’t call me ‘Todd,’ Pat Foley” Bertuzzi.

Takeaways from this game: Suter’s game is different from that of Kubalik, last year’s “Euro Import of the Year,” but Suter has the earmarks to possibly earn the crown this year. Suter’s game is quieter and greasier than Kubalik’s, but also effective in perhaps more ways than just scoring; he looks like another nice find for the Hawk scouting staff. Lankinen was again solid in net, albeit facing a season-low 27 shots against.

The Hawks did a very effective job taking away transition through the neutral zone and jamming up their own blue line.

After two weeks: What do we have here?

It would seem a very good way to evaluate this team is breaking their performances down into the three back-to-backs against Tampa Bay (0–2–0), Florida (0–1–1) and Detroit (2–0–0). The Hawks were dominated by arguably the league’s best team, were, meh, not-good-to-okay against a middling team in Florida and looked strong versus a bad Detroit team—a team that simply does not have a Kane, a Kubalik, a Keith, etc. The truth is, the Blackhawks are playing about as you would expect for a team that will finish about 12th through 14th in its conference, which is fine. After all, no one with a shred of sanity expects much better.

But, the rebuilding comparisons with Detroit are telling. After all, the Red Wings’ long, slow slide into a mediocrity and now 6-7 years’ long rebuild has been so arduous and painful precisely because they chose to rebuild, at first, the way the Hawks have: By retooling around the edges while holding on to highly paid, aging veterans.

Hawk fans can only hope—as Adam Boqvist struggles to find his footing in the NHL and alleged pillars of the rebuild, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, have looked pretty pedestrian for over a year now—that they were not facing today what they will be a handful of years from now, after Kane and Keith at minimum are no longer top players or even Blackhawks at all.

Still, nothing creates success like success. The new Hawks have had a little taste of it this week. Comment below.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks show progress, going 2–0–1 for the week appeared first on The Rink.

There is no doubt Crawford was a warrior for the Blackhawks over his career. He was drafted back in 2003 and had to wait until the very end of 2010 to be given a shot at the starting job. His journey was not without huge roadblocks, either. After a couple of appearances in 2006, he did not get his first NHL win until 2008 against the Anaheim Ducks. Many people, including myself, thought he was ready to take the backup job behind Nikolai Khabibulin for the 2008–09 season, but then-General Manager Dale Tallon went out and signed Cristobal Huet following a hot 2008 playoff appearance with the Washington Capitals.

In 2010, the Blackhawks needed a backup behind Huetm but Crawford had been banged up, so the team decided to go with an unknown Finnish rookie named Antti Niemi. We all know how that went.

Once Niemi was left to hit free agency, the Blackhawks signed veteran Marty Turco to take over for 2010–11 season, but Crawford finally got his shot to play regularly in the NHL as Turco’s backup. It was not long before the Turco experiment took a turn for the worse and then-head coach Joel Quenneville turned to Crawford. All Crawford did was lead the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup championships in 2013 and 2015.

This is 2020, though. Crawford is going to be 36 years old on New Years Eve. He has endured a couple of serious bouts with post-concussion syndrome and, most recently, a bout with COVID-19 prior to the Return to Play postseason tournament. Admittedly, he has overcome those challenges, but athletes’ bodies are not designed to hold up for long careers.

Athletes do not get healthier as they get deeper into their late 30s; they get more injury prone and less productive.

Albeit probably a few months too late, but the Blackhawks made the correct decision to move on. It is hard to accept for everyone, but hanging onto players too long never bodes well for the future of your franchise. As one former NHL general manager once said, “It is better to trade a player a year too soon than a year too late.” This move was not a trade, but the sentiment still stands.

It was time to start moving on from Stanley Cup-winning core members.

Where do the Blackhawks shift to now, though?

Those who know me know that I am a huge supporter of Collin Delia. That said, I am realistic about his current abilities as a goaltender. Delia is ready for a shot at being an NHL backup. He was ready last year, but when you get the chance to sign a Vezina-caliber goalie like Robin Lehner, you jump on it. Delia has earned a shot, at minimum, to be the backup this coming season with the opportunity to compete for the starting job. He may not be ready for a starting job now, or ever, but give him the opportunity. If not, then why are you developing him through Indy and Rockford for three seasons?

Kevin Lankinen is another curious case. He had an excellent showing at the IIHF World Championships in 2019, but that is not the NHL (or even the AHL). He began last season as the starter in Rockford, but lost the job back to Delia and ended up catching the injury bug. Like Delia, he deserves an outright shot at being the backup with the opportunity to compete for the starting job in 2020–21. Keep in mind that Lankinen has never played in the NHL, and it is likely he will struggle.

If the battery of Delia and Lankinen is what the Blackhawks ultimately decide to roll with, there have been worse scenarios—not much worse, though.

Realistically, Bowman will need to find an affordable veteran goaltender on the market to weather the impending barrage of shots because the Blackhawks are going to take a step back before they start crawling forward. Many names are getting thrown around, and some, thankfully, have already been taken off the board, like Matt Murray and Brian Elliott.

Players like Henrik Lundqvist do not fit the mold and should be playing with teams that give him a chance to actually chase a Stanley Cup, not a team that will be closer to the draft lottery once again.

As I see it, there are two players that make the most sense to the Blackhawks at this stage in the team’s rebuild: Thomas Greiss and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Hear me out.

The German-born Greiss is not a flashy goaltender that will put up big numbers, but he does have solid experience with a variety of situations. He is a bigger goalie at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds and has put up solid NHL stats in his career. Teams clamoring for Cup contention will not likely be coming to him with big contracts looking for him to put them over the edge. That does not mean he is not a perfectly acceptable NHL goaltender. Bowman could probably sign him to a reasonable contract for a year or two and offer him the starting job with Delia or Lankinen backing him up.

The Blackhawks are likely to have a rough time keeping the puck out of their zone, much less their net, so a situation where they are not getting completely caved in each night is the best fans can hope for.

Now to my second scenario. This could all be irrelevant by the time this posts, but it has been reported by Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun that the Vegas Golden Knights are offering a sweetener pick to take Marc-Andre Fleury off their hands while retaining half of his $7 million salary. If Bowman can offer them something to get this done, this would not be the worst idea ever. Fleury is a great locker room guy and the Blackhawks would only be tied to him for two seasons at $3.5 million per year.

Of course, this is all contingent on Bowman having anything the Golden Knights want that does not take away from what little the Blackhawks have. Vegas does owe the Blackhawks for handing them Lehner on a silver platter in return for (basically) a second-round pick and some leftover garbage.

Let me know what you think below.

Editors note: The Blackhawks re-signed Malcolm Subban, Friday, but the sentiment and opportunity still stands.

The post ANALYSIS: With Corey Crawford gone, where do the Blackhawks turn? appeared first on The Rink.

Crawford was left as the team’s only NHL goalie with playoff experience when Robin Lehner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline in February. Former Boston Bruins first-round pick Malcolm Subban was acquired from Vegas in the trade, but has only 66 games of NHL experience as a backup and no playoff games. Behind Subban is Collin Delia with 18 NHL under his belt and, again, no playoff experience. Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins are also in camp, but neither netminder has played an NHL game. Lankinen was called up as an emergency backup for a couple of games this season, but never saw the ice.

Colliton on Corey Crawford, who did not skate today: “Today, Corey is unfit to participate. For now, it’s an opportunity for those guys to compete.” #Blackhawks

— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) July 13, 2020

As Mario Tirabassi mentioned on Twitter, Crawford and his wife just welcomed their second son in March, which may play a factor. Another thing to take into account is his post-concussion issues, which could potentially be back in the mix. Thanks to the NHL’s new injury/illness protocol, Crawford’s reason for absence might not be known until the play-in and playoffs are over.

Either way, the Blackhawks need Crawford if they intend on beating the Edmonton Oilers in the play-in round and making it to the first round of the playoffs. Then, General Manager Stan Bowman will need to decide if Crawford is worth extending for next season. If the team does not extend Crawford, there could be some even darker times in store for the 2020–21 season with no experienced goalies and very limited salary cap money to sign one.

Jeremy Colliton on Corey Crawford and the opportunity for Subban, Delia and Lankinen. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/JKfUt4jKuD

— Eric Lear (@BHTVeric) July 13, 2020

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With the Chicago Blackhawks likely picking toward the back end of the top 10 in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, I would like to unpack why the organization needs—yes, needs—to draft Russian goaltending phenom Yaroslav Askarov.

The current situation

It is no surprise there will soon be a changing of the guard in net for the Blackhawks. Longtime goaltender Corey Crawford is quickly approaching the end of his esteemed career, with likely just another year or two left in his tank, at most. Crawford’s recent injury struggles are well documented, and the netminder could be one collision away from being finished between the pipes.

Additionally, the Blackhawks balked at the opportunity to secure the long-term outlook of the position, trading away Robin Lehner at the trade deadline rather than locking him up to a contract extension.

With Crawford’s playing days likely coming to an end in the near future, the organization will need to answer the question of who will serve as the next Blackhawk great in the crease.

In addition to Crawford, backup goaltender Malcolm Subban is set to be a free agent this offseason. Subban, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Lehner deal, is 26 years old and will be a restricted free agent. The 2012 Boston first-round pick has struggled to establish himself as a legitimate NHL option, not seeing regular playing time until the 2017–18 season, playing 22 games for Vegas with a 2.68 goals against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage.

However, since then, Subban’s numbers have steadily dropped off, posting a 3.18 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 20 appearances for the Golden Knights this season before coming to Chicago, where he saw just 70 seconds of action on March 3 against Anaheim while Crawford was momentarily pulled from the game. Though the Blackhawks could choose to bring back Subban, he likely does not factor into the team’s long-term plans between the pipes, as his limited usage while in Chicago seems to indicate, meaning the organization needs to either acquire or develop its next big-time netminder.

The Blackhawks’ history of drafting goaltenders

Of course, some could point to the Blackhawks’ failure to draft and develop quality goaltending talent as a reason to pass on Askarov. Since selecting Crawford (and Mike Brodeur) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago has picked 12 goaltenders. Those 12 netminders have combined to make just one appearance in the NHL, as Kent Simpson played just 20 minutes in a 7–3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 14, 2013, allowing two goals on seven shots faced.

However, on the contrary, of those 12 goaltenders, only three were selected in the first three rounds of a draft, with Simpson being the only second-round selectee (the last of three second-round picks that year) and none being chosen in the first round. The overwhelming majority of those 12 goaltenders could be described as the Blackhawks taking a flier to see if they might become something down the road, an unlikely proposition regardless of position as the draft progresses.

All this to say, the Blackhawks have not invested a high-end draft pick in a goaltender since Crawford, as he was the last netminder selected with one of Chicago’s first three picks in a draft.

Another important thing to note is the quality of player a team would ideally be looking for with a top-10 pick. As The Rink’s own John Jaeckel has pointed out previously, with a top-10 pick, a team should likely be hoping it can acquire a No. 1 center, a No. 1 defenseman or a No. 1 goaltender, or at worst, a future first-line winger capable of producing at a high-end level. Of course, by being at the bottom of the top 10, the likelihood of getting a No. 1 center or defenseman is not as high as it would be with a lottery pick, despite this year’s draft class widely being considered to be fairly deep. The other “No. 1” category? Bingo.

Additionally, many would argue the best draft strategy is to select the best player available, and if that player fills a need, even better. The draft is a valuable tool to restock the cupboards and develop the next great wave of talent for an organization. A team should be selecting players that improve its situation, whatever that may look like, regardless of position, timeline or nationality.

However, with the tandem Chicago was icing in net prior to the stoppage of play pretty clearly not being the long-term answer between the pipes, a thorough analysis of other goaltenders within the organization is warranted before potentially using a first-round pick on a netminder.

In the system

The Blackhawks currently have three goaltenders under contract for next season in Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins, who split time with the Rockford IceHogs this season. While Delia and Lankinen could prove to be serviceable backups at the NHL level, neither is likely to develop into a legitimate top-end starting goaltender. Tomkins likely does not have much of a future in the NHL, at least not in Chicago, as he is rather comfortably the third-best option of that trio.

Two goaltenders currently hold a minor-league contract or a professional tryout agreement (PTO), as 24-year-old Tom Aubrun was signed out of Norwich University earlier this month while 2014 sixth-round pick Ivan Nalimov signed a PTO with the IceHogs in March just prior to the stoppage of play.

Though Aubrun, a native of Chamonix, France, has boasted impressive numbers thus far in his career, he is likely a wild card at this point, having spent the last four seasons playing at the NCAA DIII level for the Cadets. Aubrun took over the starting job as a junior in 2018–19, posting a 1.70 GAA and .929 save percentage in 28 games before dominating all season long as a senior with a GAA of 0.77 and a save percentage of .967 in 27 outings, highlighted by a remarkable nine-game shutout streak prior to the remainder of the team’s season being canceled.

While Aubrun’s gaudy numbers do warrant attention, he will need to prove himself at a higher level of play before being considered to be a legitimate NHL option down the road. Aubrun will likely spend the 2020–21 season with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.

Nalimov has been an interesting case since being selected by the Blackhawks in 2014. The Russian has bounced around in his native land, playing for seven teams since the start of the 2016–17 season with mixed results. Though Nalimov does have raw talent, he appears to be a headcase, which likely does not bode well for a chance at NHL stardom, especially at this stage of his career.

Unsigned prospects

Chicago owns the rights to three additional goaltenders on its reserve list, as Dominic Basse, Alexis Gravel and Wouter Peeters all stand without a contract in hand.

After struggling in his first season in North America in the USHL during the 2017–18 season, Peeters has since spent the majority of his time back in Europe, where he will likely remain for the rest of his career. The native of Belgium appears to be nothing more than a failed use of a third-round pick in 2016.

Like Aubrun, Basse is very much an unknown wild card at this point in time. Though possessing raw ability, the 2019 sixth-rounder is also an unproven commodity. Basse will head to Colorado College next season.

At this time, Gravel is likely the goaltender within the Blackhawks’ system with the highest ceiling, having displayed his ability well over the last four seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Though Gravel may have the potential to become a starting goaltender at the NHL level, that is far from a guarantee. Chicago will need to make up its mind on Gravel in the near future, as the organization will lose his rights on June 1 if he is not signed prior to then.

To summarize, while any one of the netminders currently within the organization could theoretically develop into a serviceable NHL option—after all, anything can happen, as some might claim—the likelihood any of them will become elite, Stanley Cup-worthy talents is extremely slim.

Other avenues for finding the goalie of the future

Of course, the Blackhawks could opt to sign a high-end free agent goaltender. But, by passing on bringing back Lehner, that route likely is not in the cards given the team did not want to spend the required money to do so after the big Swede fell into their lap last summer.

Chicago could also attempt to trade for a goaltender of the future, as it seemed they might have in March when rumors swirled of Russian prospect Ilya Sorokin’s rights heading to the Blackhawks. However, the price to acquire a young goaltender of that calibre in a trade would be high, and the organization has not successfully swung a deal for a goalie of the future since acquiring Jocelyn Thibault in 1998.

So, where does that leave the Blackhawks in terms of finding a long-term answer in the cage? How are the majority of elite goaltenders acquired? The NHL Entry Draft. Cue Askarov.

Why Askarov?

Askarov is widely considered to be the best goaltending prospect since Carey Price in 2005. What does that indicate? Askarov is viewed as a generational type of netminder. His draft stock is higher than other touted goaltenders over the last 15 years, including Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Samsonov and Spencer Knight. In fact, since Price and Tuukka Rask were selected in 2005, just 13 goaltenders have been chosen in the first round, seven of which have been since 2010.

Over the last decade, more and more teams have seemingly decided drafting a goaltender in the first round may not be worth their pick. This philosophy is evidenced by the somewhat drastic change in the number of netminders selected in the first round in the last two decades, as 22 goaltenders were selected in the first round between 2000 and 2009 compared to just seven from 2010 to 2019.

Some may also be leery of the “Russian factor,” as Askarov could theoretically never come over to play in North America. However, in recent years, the likes of Vasilevskiy, Samsonov and Igor Shesterkin have decreased that concern by showing high-end Russian goaltenders can very well make and follow through with the commitment.

Despite all this, Askarov has been considered a slam-dunk first-round pick for this year, with many proclaiming him worthy of a top-10 selection. Again, this is because of Askarov’s obvious talent and his potential to legitimately become a franchise-altering goaltender and annual Vezina Trophy candidate.

Askarov has been nothing short of sensational in nearly every stop of his young career. He has dominated in international tournaments against his age group over the past three seasons and has only come back down to earth in an average showing at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where he posted a 2.71 GAA and a .877 save percentage in five appearances. But, Askarov still had an impressive 2019–20 campaign otherwise, highlighted by a gold medal in the Gretzky Hlinka Cup and a strong showing in his first-ever KHL game for SKA St. Petersburg, a 23-save performance in a 4–2 win.

The stars align

As noted earlier, with nothing of substantial quality looming in the netminder pipeline, now is the time for the Blackhawks to break the trend and finally invest a quality draft pick in a goaltender. By filling that hole, the organization can entirely focus on other gaps in the system, knowing arguably the biggest vacancy is taken care of. And, with the best goaltending prospect in the last 15 years potentially being on the board when General Manager Stan Bowman announces Chicago’s newest draftee, the timing could not be any better.

The post Why the Chicago Blackhawks need to draft Yaroslav Askarov appeared first on The Rink.

Both Highmore and Lankinen signed two-year contract extensions, with year one (2020–21) being two-way deals and year two (2021–22) transitioning into one-way deals. Highmore’s deal comes with a $725,000 AAV ($700,000 NHL/$450,000 AHL in year one, $750,000 in year two), while Lankinen’s deal holds an $800,000 AAV ($750,000 NHL/$500,000 AHL in year one, $850,000 in year two).

Kevin Lankinen moves across the crease to stop a shot. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

This season, Highmore played in 21 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs, tallying 12 points, as well as playing in 36 NHL games with the Blackhawks and notching six points. He has 49 career NHL games with the Blackhawks and was named an AHL All-Star in 2017–18 with the IceHogs.

Lankinen made 21 appearances with the IceHogs this season, holding a record of 8–10–2 with a 3.03 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He was also recalled to the Blackhawks this season, but has yet to make his NHL debut. Lankinen has played in 40 career AHL games with the IceHogs, was named an AHL All-Star this season and helped Team Finland win the 2019 World Championship gold medal last summer.

The Blackhawks signed entry-level deals with two of their 2017 NHL Entry Draft picks, giving Penn State standout Evan Barratt a three-year deal and Russian prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan a two-year deal. Barratt’s contract holds an $870,000 AAV, while Altybarmakyan’s deal is worth $817,500 annually.

Evan Barratt skates in a game for Penn State during the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Heather Weikel)

Barratt was the 90th overall selection in 2017 by Chicago and has spent the last three years playing at Penn State. In 98 career NCAA games, Barratt scored 39 goals and totaled 95 points. He was part of Team USA’s U18 World Junior Championship gold medal team in 2017, took home a silver medal with Team USA at the 2019 World Junior Championships and was named to the First Team All-Big 10 list as a sophomore in the 2018–19 season.

Altybarmakyan was selected 70th overall by the Blackhawks in 2017 and has played in Russia his whole career. He has spent the majority of the last two seasons with HK Sochi in the KHL. He tallied six goals and 17 points this year with HK Sochi and has 23 points in 101 career KHL games.

Both Barratt’s and Altybarmakyan’s deals begin next season.

The post Blackhawks agree to extensions with Highmore and Lankinen, sign Barratt and Altybarmakyan appeared first on The Rink.

Stock Up

There is a lot to be excited about for this IceHogs team, especially as it currently stands. As of writing this article, Rockford is in fourth-place in the AHL Central Division with 25 points and sits in third-place based on points-percentage at a 90.4-point pace. Last season, 87 points was enough to make the Calder Cup Playoffs out of the Central Division. Rockford is also 5-1-1 in their last seven contests with key games ahead against the Central Division leading Milwaukee Admirals. With one of the youngest rosters in the AHL, the IceHogs have leaned on rookie production and solid goaltending performances to sit in their current spot.

Goaltending

Coming into the season, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen were penciled into the number three and four spots in the Chicago Blackhawks goaltending depth chart. Lankinen was coming off a World Championship Gold Medal performance with Finland and Delia finished the 2018-19 season as one of the top goalies in the AHL. Fast-forward to this moment in time in December and Lankinen has played his way into the number three spot, followed by Matt Tomkins taking over the number four spot. Lankinen has a 5-2-1 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .924 save percentage while Tomkins sports a 4-1-0 record, 2.38 GAA and a .921 save percentage in his first substantial action in the AHL of his career.

Kevin Lankinen of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

The IceHogs have held all three goaltenders on their roster this season, rotating Lankinen, Delia and Tomkins based on their levels of play or short-term injury. While Delia has seen the most starts this season, it is Lankinen and Tomkins who have had the most success. With Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner holding court in Chicago, it will be interesting to see if the organization continues to hold the three goalies in Rockford or attempt to make a roster move with one of the three. For the time being, in between the pipes continues to be the most consistent bright spot for the IceHogs.

Sikura Brothers

While they are three years apart in age, the Sikura brothers are identical on the stat sheet through their time with the IceHogs this season. Both hold the team-lead in goals with eight and both hold the team-lead in points with 14. Dylan Sikura, the younger brother, having played in one fewer game than older brother Tyler Sikura, who has skated in every game for Rockford this season.

Rockford IceHogs forward Dylan Sikura. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

For Dylan this season, it has been more of the same for his role with the IceHogs. He is producing points, being a danger in the offensive zone and putting up a team-leading 86 shots, 40 more than any other teammate. Dylan and Tyler have been linemates for a decent amount of games this season, with Tyler’s workman-style of play rubbing off on Dylan as his game has grown from being a perimeter playmaker to a more two-way forward with a skilled set of hands. Whether or not his NHL future is with the Blackhawks is still up in the air as he has been passed over for call-ups so far this season, but don’t rule out Chicago recalling Dylan if they are in need of a spark offensively.

Tyler Sikura of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Tyler has enjoyed a bounce-back season with Rockford through the first 21 games this year. After posting a career-best year for the IceHogs in 2017-18, leading to his first NHL contract, he suffered a setback in production last season. His eight goals this season has already surpassed his goal total from last year and he continues to be one of the more effective two-way forwards for Rockford this season. Not to mention, Tyler has been one of the leaders of this young IceHogs roster all year, culminating in head coach Derek King naming Tyler the IceHogs’ Captain following the exit of Kris Versteeg. Knowing the person Tyler is, seeing his hard work being rewarded so early on this season is a much needed positive for the IceHogs.

Rookie Forwards

The IceHogs have one of the youngest and most inexperienced rosters in the AHL. Playing sometimes up to 10 rookies a game, the IceHogs could have had their youth hurt them to begin the year. While it was mostly an up and down start, the production of a few standout rookie forwards has put the IceHogs right in the thick of the Calder Cup playoff picture as Christmas approaches.

Brandon Hagel of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

Two of the more notable rookie forwards for the IceHogs this season are a pair of non-Chicago drafted players in Brandon Hagel and MacKenzie Entwistle. Hagel leads all rookies with 11 points on the season with Entwistle behind him with ten points on the season. Hagel is second on the team with 46 shots on goal and Entwistle leads all rookies with .56 points per game, .01 better than Hagel. Both players have been key on both the powerplay and penalty-kill teams for the IceHogs and play significant minutes at even-strength.

MacKenzie Entwistle of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Along with Hagel and Entwistle, Rockford’s rookie forwards are highlighted by Philipp Kurashev and Reese Johnson sitting third and fourth in rookie scoring, and by Tim Soderlund who has been getting more ice-time in recent games and scored his first professional goal with the IceHogs on November 30 against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Stock Level

Granted everything can’t be bright and rosy for the IceHogs. They have been benefiting from a number of different factors this season, but there have been a few areas where there hasn’t been consistency, or rather there hasn’t been much to help or hurt Rockford. Things are either even-keel or have been so far up and down that it’s hard to get a reading from them. Rookie blueliners and the veterans of the young IceHogs squad fit this category so far this season.

Rookie Defesemen

There might not have been two players with more eyes on them to begin the season with the IceHogs than rookie defensemen Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin. The two first-round draft picks by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2018 NHL Draft have been developing at a minor-rate to begin the year with Rockford. While it’s not all bad, there is less eye-popping good so far through the first 21 games of the season.

Adam Boqvist of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

For Boqvist, a player many thought could have made the Blackhawks roster out of training camp, the season has been a bit of a roller coaster. He began the year with Rockford and came out of the gate a bit slow for his lofty expectations. He scored his first professional goal on October 30, his first point of the AHL season, and was promptly recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks for a handful of games before returning to the IceHogs in mid-November. Boqvist looked like he had turned a major corner upon his return from the NHL, tallying five assists in three games following his reassignment. But in four games since then, he has been held without a point for the IceHogs with five shots on goal and a plus-two rating. He’ll continue to be a factor on the IceHogs’ powerplay unit and will be in the top-four rotation for head coach Derek King, but finding consistency at both ends of the ice is still the main focus for the former eighth overall pick.

Nicolas Beaudin of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

In the case of Nicolas Beaudin and the other rookie defensemen for the IceHogs, finding positive consistency is the focus for them to turn the corner following the first 21 games of the season. Beaudin hasn’t been factoring into too many of the highlight-reel plays for the IceHogs but has been given the opportunity to play a key role on special teams by head coach Derek King. His five assists ranks in a tie for second among rookie skaters as Boqvist, Hagel and Entwistle all have five helpers on the season, trailing Kurashev with six. Beaudin has been consistently average for Rockford as a whole this season, but he iss beginning to see an upswing in his production with all five of his points coming in his last 12 games played. The IceHogs will need him to take the next step up if they are to continue their current streak of play.

Veterans

While the theme for the IceHogs so far this season has been production from their youth, it’s the veterans that have been relatively steady in the middle for Rockford. That’s the role they’ll need to play as the team continues to stay near the top of the Central Division. While the Sikura brothers have been the standouts, players like Matthew Highmore, Jacob Nilsson and John Quenneville have been key in keeping the IceHogs afloat in tough times.

Jacob Nilsson of the Rockford IceHogs (Photo Courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Last year, Jacob Nilsson was named the IceHogs’ team MVP. It was a down year offensively for Rockford following the most successful year in the AHL in the franchise’s history in 2017-18. Nilsson has continued his steady play this season, getting key minutes at even-strength and being a contributor to the special teams play. Nilsson is a jack of all trades but master of none type of player. He can do a bit of everything, but nothing is going to blow you away. Nothing wrong with that. He’ll continue to be a leader on the team and be relied upon to show the rookies how to be successful at the professional level.

Matthew Highmore of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

While still young and in the early stages of their careers, players like Matthew Highmore and John Quenneville have played important roles for Rockford and their experience shines compared to the rest of the roster. Highmore is coming off shoulder surgery and missed nearly all of last year. He’s rejoined the IceHogs at full health and has come up big in spurts. Same goes for Quenneville after returning to the lineup after an injury kept him out for a handful of games early on this season. Highmore was called up to the Blackhawks for a short stint earlier this season and it may not be the last time he gets a call-up, but he’ll need to be consistently on the scoresheet for the IceHogs to keep seeing the level of success they have in the last few games. He ranks in a tie for second on the team in scoring with 11 points in 19 games. Quenneville has four of his five points on the season in his last six games played.

Stock Down

Finally, not to end on a downer note, but the IceHogs are not immune to some blemishes so far this season. While these are the two glaring areas that they have struggled this season, there is definitely room and ability for improvement. While earlier we said goaltending was the biggest bright spot for the IceHogs through 21 games, it’s goaltending as a whole. Excluding the play of Lankinen and Tomkins, Collin Delia is in need of finding his form from the 2018-19 season to help the IceHogs as they gun for the top spot in the AHL Central Division. Also holding Rockford back is their play on special teams, which ranks at the collective bottom of the league.

Collin Delia

Delia is a solid goaltender. That fact is hard to dispute. But his play in net has not been up to the quality that Blackhawks and IceHogs fans have seen from him since late in the 2017-18 season. Delia was a key player in getting the IceHogs to the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals in 2018 and he was a bright spot in a rather dreary 2018-19 campaign for the Blackhawks. He finished last season in the AHL with a 13-8-4 record, 2.48 GAA and a  .922 save percentage. He ranked ninth in GAA and second in save percentage in the AHL among qualified goalies. This season, he is third on the team in both categories.

Collin Delia of the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

But there is hope for Delia since his recent track record shows he is better than his current form. In his most recent outing, Delia made 37 saves on 39 shots in an IceHogs win over the Manitoba Moose. An upswing in Delia’s play would give the IceHogs potentially one of the best goaltending trios in the AHL. (Maybe the only one?)

Special Teams

Rockford’s special teams this season, without sugarcoating it, are awful. 29th in the AHL on the powerplay at 10.8 percent and dead-last in the league on the penalty-kill at a 75.6 percent kill-rate. It’s nothing new for the powerplay as they finished last season in the same 29th spot with a 14.5 percent success rate, but the penalty-kill has seen a significant drop from last year’s 10th-ranked 82.3 percent kill-rate.

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a goal against the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Scheme may be at play here, but the more likely cause of the low numbers more likely is attributed to the inexperience of the roster. Rockford is playing the majority of their special teams time, both on the penalty-kill and on the man-advantage, with almost exclusively rookies. While the powerplay will rotate two units, a more veteran unit and an all rookie unit, it’s the rookie units that see the majority of the time in the ice while on the advantage.

The penalty-kill units are more mixed in their personnel, but while ranking in the bottom half of the AHL in times short-handed (90), there shouldn’t be the struggles that the IceHogs have endured. Rockford has six short-handed goals this season, tied for third-most in the AHL, so the skill is there across the board for the IceHogs, but it comes down to clearing bodies and giving whichever goalie is in net the best chance to be the best asset on the penalty-kill. On paper, the IceHogs are more talented than their numbers suggest. There is room for and belief in the special teams improving by the AHL All-Star break.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday night as they travel to take on the Grand Rapids Griffins. Puck drop for Friday is set for 6 p.m. CST at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rockford holds a 2-2-0 record against the Griffins this season. Following Friday’s action, the IceHogs return home for a Saturday night contest against the Milwaukee Admirals. Saturday night’s game is also set for a 6 p.m. CST puck drop at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. It is the first meeting between the IceHogs and Admirals this season, with the teams squaring-off twelve times this year.

The post Stock Report: Rockford IceHogs after 21 games appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs take three of six points over Texas road trip

Starting on Saturday in Cedar Park against the Stars, the IceHogs’ offense was on full display in a 7-6 loss via the shootout. The six goals was the third time this season that the IceHogs have hit the 6-goal mark or better. Highlighting the effort on Saturday was a three-point breakout game for rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist. After returning to the IceHogs from the Chicago Blackhawks, Boqvist tallied three assists against the Stars, including a helper on the game-tying goal from Brandon Hagel late in the third period. John Quenneville, Anton Wedin, Alexandre Fortin, and Tyler Sikura all added multi-point efforts along with Boqvist against the Stars. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves on 35 shots faced, but allowed two goals in the shootout in the loss.

Tyler Sikura (right) celebrates a goal with Adam Boqvist for the Rockford IceHogs. (Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

For a follow-up effort, Boqvist notched another multi-assist game as the IceHogs traveled to take on the San Antonio Rampage in the first of a two-game set between the teams. The Rampage took a 2-0 first period lead, forcing the IceHogs to chase the game for the final two periods of action. Mid-way through the third period, Tyler Sikura scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season to cut in to the San Antonio lead. Rockford pushed for the game-tying goal and with just three seconds to spare in regulation, Dylan Sikura tallied the equalizer and sent the game into overtime. In the extra frame, Jacob Nilsson quickly found the back of the net on a breakaway attempt to give the IceHogs the 3-2 win. Matt Tomkins made 21 saves on 23 shots faced in the overtime win, giving him a 3-1-0 record on the year with a 2.48 GAA and a .915 save percentage. Adam Boqvist had the primary assists on the Tyler Sikura goal and the game-winner from Nilsson, giving him six points through nine games played at the time. He has six points through ten games this season for the IceHogs.

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a goal against the San Antonio Rampage. (Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

After a Monday off-day, the IceHogs and Rampage went toe-to-toe again in another tightly contested affair. The teams split the first four goals of the game, scoring one each in the first and second periods. The Rampage would get the game-winning goal in the third period and the IceHogs were unable to find the same late-game magic they had two nights before. Kevin Lankinen had the start in net and made 37 saves on 40 shots faced, seeing his record move to 4-2-1 on the year with a 2.69 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

Following the road trip, the IceHogs hold a 9-8-1 record on the year with 18 games played, the fewest in the AHL Central Division, sitting in sixth-place. Based on point-percentage, the IceHogs would be in fourth-place and Central Division playoff position. Rockford was three-for-seven on the powerplay over the road trip and 10-for-15 on the penalty-kill. For the season, the IceHogs rank 26th in the AHL in powerplay percentage (11.4) and last in the league in penalty-kill percentage (74.0).

What’s Next?

Rockford Is back in action after American Thanksgiving, playing at home on Black Friday. The contest is set for a 7 p.m. CST puck drop against the Chicago Wolves. The IceHogs have a 4-0-0 record against the Wolves this season in the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry series. Following Friday’s game, the IceHogs host the Grand Rapids Griffins in a 5 p.m. CST start time on Saturday. The Griffins have the advantage over the IceHogs, winning two of three games between the teams this season.

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IceHogs split weekend home-and-home series against Griffins

Beginning with the news of Adam Boqvist being re-assigned to the IceHogs from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to heading to Michigan, Rockford came into Friday’s contest having won five of its last six games, having to not leave the state of Illinois during that time. Rockford returned Boqvist to the lineup ahead of its Friday night game against the Griffins with Collin Delia making his seventh start in net.

The IceHogs continue to be hot or cold in their starts to games this season, this time on the wrong end of the spectrum. Down 2–0 within the first 10 minutes of action, the IceHogs cut the Griffins’ first-period lead to 2–1 thanks to Matthew Highmore tapping in a great setup pass from Philipp Kurashev late in the frame.

Rockford kept the pressure on the Griffins in the second period, outshooting Grand Rapids 13–2 in the middle frame, but one of the Griffins’ two shots found the back of the net to extend the gap to 3–1.

Rockford would again need a late-period tally to keep the game within reach, as Philip Holm scored on the power play to make it a 3–2 game heading into the third period. It would be the only power play goal on the night for the IceHogs despite having seven chances on the man advantage.

Adam Boqvist defends the front of the net in a game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

The IceHogs were unable to mount a comeback in the final period, giving up a power play goal to extend the Griffins’ lead to 4–2 at that point before adding an empty net goal to put the game out of reach, 5–2 being the final. Boqvist did not have quite the return the IceHogs may have hoped, taking a penalty where the Griffins scored on the ensuing power play and ending the night as a -3.

Delia continued his slump to begin the season, making 19 saves on 23 shots faced against the Griffins as his record falls to 2–5–0 on the year. His 4.09 goals against average and .863 save percentage this season rank third on the team behind Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins. Delia is also seeing fewer shots per game (29.1) than Tomkins (31.7) or Lankinen (31.0) this season. The track record suggests that Delia can and will eventually rebound, but for the time being, Lankinen has taken his spot as the go-to starter for the IceHogs.

That is to say, when Lankien is healthy and good to play. The IceHogs have held three goalies on their roster all season. Tomkins’ last start was a surprise start for him, as Lankinen was out with an illness earlier in the day. He also missed six games between starts at the beginning of the year against Iowa and on Oct. 30 against San Antonio.

Nevertheless, with Lankinen healthy and in net on Saturday night, the IceHogs looked to rebound from the previous night and put on a show for the home Rockford crowd on Military Appreciation Night.

They did not disappoint.

Collin Delia (No. 1) and the IceHogs celebrates with Kevin Lankinen (No. 30) after a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

While the IceHogs did not have a power play in their Saturday night contest, thanks to both Grand Rapids penalties being coincidental, Rockford was able to make the most of special teams to get the game started. Nick Moutrey intercepted a Griffins cross-ice pass while on the penalty kill and buried his second goal of the year off the turnover for a 1–0 Rockford lead. The shorthanded goal was the sixth of the year for the IceHogs, tied for the second most in the AHL this season.

Just a minute later, Kurashev gave the IceHogs a 2–0 advantage in the first period, despite being woefully outshot 17–4 through the first 20 minutes.

MacKenzie Entwistle would extend the Rockford lead to 3–0 in the second period with his third goal of the season before Grand Rapids stopped the bleeding momentarily with a late goal to make it 3–1 heading into the third period.

Brandon Hagel jumped on the Griffins just 17 seconds into the frame for his third goal of the season to make it a 4–1 margin for the IceHogs.

Evgeny Svechnikov tallied his second goal of the game for the Griffins to cut the Rockford lead in half at 4–2, but Alexandre Fortin put the nail in the coffin with his first goal of the season to ice the 5–2 win for Rockford.

Fortin, Hagel and Lucas Carlsson all had multi-point games for Rockford, with Hagel taking the rookie scoring lead for the IceHogs so far this season with seven points in 14 games played.

Lankinen stood on his head, making 42 saves on 44 shots faced as Rockford was outshot 44–20 on the night, earning the Finnish goaltender first-star-of-the-game honors. With the win, Lankinen improved his record to 4–1–0 this season, having won his last four starts. His 1.99 goals against average ranks seventh in the AHL and his .937 save percentage ranks fifth in the league among qualified goaltenders.

What’s next?

The IceHogs are off until the weekend when they travel for three games in four days deep in the heart of Texas. Starting on Saturday night, the IceHogs travel to Cedar Park to take on the Texas Stars. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST and is the first meeting between the teams this season.

Following that, the IceHogs head to San Antonio for two games against the Rampage. Sunday afternoon is set for a 3 p.m. CST puck drop at the AT&T Center and the teams face off again on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. CST start time. Rockford won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season 6–2 in Rockford.

The post Boqvist returns, Lankinen shines as IceHogs split weekend series with Griffins appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs hand Marlies first regulation loss of the season

IceHogs head coach Derek King made it a focal point for the team to be ready to “start the game on time,” as the saying goes. The 10:30 a.m. start time can be a tricky one for teams to get going early. For the IceHogs, they took the message and ran with it in the opening frame against the Marlies.

Rockford poured on the pressure in the first 20 minutes, outshooting Toronto 17–5 and even having a Joni Tuulola goal get waved off. The power play had two chances in the first period, but Rockford would strike out with the man advantage. Marlies goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo being forced to make a diving double-save effort on the second IceHogs power play was the highlight of the onslaught.

The second period opened with the Marlies taking a 1–0 lead on the first shot of the period just eight seconds in. Matt Read beat Kevin Lankinen for his first goal of the year. Toronto would not get to enjoy the lead much, though, as the IceHogs responded immediately with the game-tying goal coming from Reese Johnson. In just 32 seconds, the teams traded goals with Johnson tallying his third of the year on a rebound chance off a Nick Moutrey shot.

"You can be by wingman any time"

-Moutrey to Reese, probably pic.twitter.com/IvjJIUzTlF

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 6, 2019

The high energy of the IceHogs would force the Marlies into taking more uncharacteristic penalties in the middle frame, and, on their fourth power play chance of the game, Rockford would cash in. Philipp Kurashev tallied his first goal of his professional career to give the IceHogs the 2–1 lead just over eight minutes into the second period. Kurashev joins Adam Boqvist, MacKenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel, Johnson as rookies to score their first professional goals this season with the IceHogs so far. The goal marked Rockford’s third power play goal over their last two games.

See it. Watch it. Love it.

Philipp Kurashev with his first AHL goal.
Makes it 2-1 Piggies pic.twitter.com/RR3INg84wv

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 6, 2019

Rockford continued the pressure throughout the second period, despite being outshot in the frame 10–6 by Toronto. With just 15 seconds to play in the period, Toronto was called for their fourth penalty of the period and sixth of the game, giving Rockford 1:45 of power play time to begin the third period.

Unfortunately for the IceHogs, just 10 seconds into the third period, Jacob Nilsson took a penalty to erase the power play chance. While the IceHogs would kill off the abbreviated penalty, Nilsson took a second penalty just four minutes later to put Rockford down a man for the second time to open the period. Rockford would again kill off the Nilsson penalty to improve to four for four at that point of the game on the penalty kill against the Marlies’ third-ranked power play unit in the AHL.

As the clock ticked down in the third period, Rockford regained momentum and applied heavy pressure as the Marlies tried to weather the storm and try to find the equalizing goal. With the Toronto net empty, Anton Wedin forced a turnover in the defensive zone, Ian McCoshen flipped it ahead and Hagel tucked it in for the 3–1 insurance goal and sealed the win for the IceHogs. The loss is the first regulation defeat for the Marlies and gives the IceHogs a four-game win streak, improving their record to 6–5–0 on the year.

Kevin Lankinen would make 19 saves on 20 shots faced and sees his record move to 3–1–0 with a 1.99 goals against average and a .930 save percentage on the year. Rockford’s penalty-killing unit would kill all five penalties taken on the day, while the IceHogs scored one power play goal on six man-advantage opportunities.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Friday night, as they host the Manitoba Moose. Puck drop on Friday night is set for 7 p.m. CST at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. It is the first of eight meetings between the clubs this season, with the IceHogs finishing last season with a 1–1–2 record against the Moose.

The post IceHogs top Marlies 3–1, extend win streak to four appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs top Rampage in ‘get-right’ effort

Kevin Lankinen returned to the IceHogs’ blue paint on Wednesday night, marking his first action for Rockford since starting the regular season opening game against the Iowa Wild. Lankinen would stop 28 pucks in his first game back and earn his first win of the 2019–20 season. It would be one of many firsts on the night for the IceHogs.

Tyler Sikura opened the scoring for the IceHogs in the first period, netting his fourth of the year on a second-effort goal. Sikura’s tally tied the game 1–1 as the Rampage scored the opening goal of the game.

…sans Joe Buck's call this time pic.twitter.com/3PJHYjYPLg

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 31, 2019

Quickly following Sikura’s tying goal, Nick Moutrey would get his first goal of the season on a one-timer from Reese Johnson. Moutrey’s first of the year gave Rockford the 2–1 lead in the first period and would be extended to 3–1 after MacKenzie Entwistle finished a strong forechecking effort by stripping the puck away from the San Antonio defender and beating Ville Husso for the first professional goal of his career.

Sneak Thief (take two) pic.twitter.com/5LQ7QREGlI

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 31, 2019

Taking a 3–1 lead into the second period, the IceHogs were not done with their night of firsts. After assisting on Moutrey’s 2–1 goal, Johnson would net his own first professional goal of his career just beyond the midway point of the second period to make it a 4–1 Rockford lead.

Enjoy the facewash, Reese pic.twitter.com/bnTXGRe8Ez

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 31, 2019

Just about five minutes later, quite possibly the biggest breakthrough for Rockford all year came to be as Brandon Hagel made a spin pass to Adam Boqvist and he buried the 5–1 goal for his first goal as a professional. The Boqvist tally came while on the power play, making it also the first power play goal of the year for the IceHogs. They had been scoreless on 29 chances with the man advantage before Boqvist’s goal. Adding to the night of firsts, Nicolas Beaudin recorded the secondary assist on the power play goal for his first point as a professional with the IceHogs.

After the game, Boqvist spoke to getting the first one off the team’s back.

“It’s good to get the first goal,” Boqvist said. “Hadn’t scored one in eight games so hopefully now the gate is open.”

Boqvist gave credit to puck management and improved defensive zone coverage for the IceHogs’ turnaround effort.

First AHL goal for Mr. @BoqvistAdam ! pic.twitter.com/MdPgGs57Ed

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 31, 2019

The Rampage would cut the Rockford lead to 5–2 with a goal in the third period, but Jacob Nilsson buried an empty-net goal to make it 6–2 and would hold to the final horn. The IceHogs were able to kill off all five power play chances against them, and Lankinen made 28 saves en route to the win.

“It was like he hadn’t missed a beat,” Rockford head coach Derek King said of Lankinen after the game. “He was huge for us at the start and we seemed to settle in after he made a couple big saves for us.”

King also noted the feeling of relief after the first power play goal of the season.

“I’m more relieved for those guys,” King said. “Kind of been hard on them lately. They battled through it and I kept telling them not to grip the stick too hard; we get more chances and if we don’t score, we don’t score. But it was nice to see one go in.”

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Saturday night as they host the Iowa Wild. The second meeting between the teams this season, Iowa topped Rockford in the season-opening contest on Oct. 4. Puck drop on Saturday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

The post Rockford IceHogs top San Antonio Rampage on a night of firsts appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs 2019–20 team award picks: Preseason

For reference, these are the awards that will be picked and their winners from last season.

2018–19 winners:

Most Valuable Player: Jacob Nilsson
Rookie of the Year: Dylan Sikura
Defenseman of the Year: Lucas Carlsson
Unsung Hero: William Pelletier and Tyler Sikura
Heavy Hitter Award: Andreas Martinsen
Most Improved Player: Dennis Gilbert

The 2019–20 Rockford IceHogs roster shows a ton of promise and potential. With the incoming rookie class, the addition of veteran captain Kris Versteeg and the return of a number of still young veteran players, Rockford is poised to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs if all goes according to plans and expectations. But, who will take them there? Here are my picks for the key players for the IceHogs who will take home the team awards this season, the “preseason” edition.

2019–20 award predictions

Most Valuable Player: Matthew Highmore
Dark-horse picks: Collin Delia, Kris Versteeg

Highmore burst on to the IceHogs’ scene in 2017–18, breaking the team’s AHL rookie goal-scoring record in his first year of professional hockey. His season last year was derailed by injuries after starting the year with seven points in his first eight games before suffering a shoulder injury. If it were not for the injury and the resulting surgery Highmore needed to have, he very well could have played significant time with the Blackhawks in 2018–19.

Matthew Highmore prepares for a face off during an IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of Todd Reicher)

I am hopeful for a big bounce-back year from Highmore. A hard-working player at both ends of the ice, he has the ability to also be a trigger man for what is shaping up to be a highly skilled IceHogs roster.

Additional dark horse picks include goaltender Collin Delia and captain Kris Versteeg. Delia returns as one of the top goaltenders in the AHL last season and figures, barring injuries to either Corey Crawford or Robin Lehner with the Blackhawks, that he will play the majority of the season with Rockford. Versteeg could have enough gas left in the tank to not only play the role of mentor to the young IceHogs roster, but lead the team offensively, which would be a welcomed surprise.

Rookie of the Year: Adam Boqvist
Dark-horse picks: Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev

This seems like an obvious pick. Boqvist is arguably the top prospect in the entire Blackhawks organization, depending on where you rank him and Kirby Dach. Boqvist could very well end up playing more with the Blackhawks than the IceHogs this season, but if he plays a majority of the year in the AHL, Boqvist could easily be the focal point of not only the rookie IceHogs, but the entire team as a whole.

Adam Boqvist of the Chicago Blackhawks shoots a puck at the 2018 Traverse City Rookie Tournament. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Boqvist’s offensive prowess is the key to his game, but his time in Rockford will be used to get him up to the professional speed of the game at both ends of the ice. If he can become reliable defensively, he will be the total package defenseman the Blackhawks believe he can be.

Additional dark horse picks are Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev. Two forwards with a good amount of speed and snap to their games, both could very well challenge for the leading rookie scorer this season and may have a chance to lead the team at that.

Defenseman of the Year: Adam Boqvist
Dark-horse picks: Chad Krys, Dennis Gilbert

Trying to avoid being redundant here, but again, Boqvist is the main focus for the IceHogs blue line heading into this season. This will be the make or break for him in his first season as a professional. If Boqvist can get his defensive responsibilities and positioning down, he will be ready to contribute in the NHL with the Blackhawks and head coach Derek King and company will have done their biggest job from a development standpoint.

Chad Krys joined the IceHogs late in the 2018–19 season after spending three years at Boston University. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

This is one of the more talented blue lines for the IceHogs in recent memory. Aside from Boqvist, players like Nicolas Beaudin, Lucas Carlsson, Dennis Gilbert and Chad Krys all look to be relied on heavily for Rockford to keep goaltenders Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen‘s jobs easy. Additional dark-horse picks include the aforementioned Gilbert and Krys, as their talents can shine for Rockford on opposite ends of the ice. Gilbert, the more physical, defensive stalwart, and Krys, the mobile offense generator.

Unsung Hero: Jacob Nilsson
Dark-horse picks: MacKenzie Entwistle, Tyler Sikura

It is hard to imagine a guy who was team MVP last season going down as an unsung hero the next year. But, Jacob Nilsson is a player who does a little bit of everything for the IceHogs. He was a role player for the IceHogs last year that played on the power play and penalty kill and was relied upon to provide point production. He will likely be that player again, but there is the chance that Nilsson’s role will be buried in the lineup if the rookie class for the IceHogs pans out to be all it is being cooked up to be.

Jacob Nilsson skates in an IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

He is still a key piece to the puzzle that is the 2019–20 IceHogs and will factor into what could be their return to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Additional dark-horse picks include last year’s unsung hero Tyler Sikura and rookie MacKenzie Entwistle. Both players fit the role of guys who do a little bit of everything for the team. I will lean harder toward Entwistle than Sikura as my backup pick.

Heavy Hitter Award: Dennis Gilbert
Dark-horse picks: Reese Johnson, Joni Tuulola

No question here. Dennis Gilbert is the most physical defenseman maybe in the entire Blackhawks organization right now. A stay-at-home defender since his time at Notre Dame, Gilbert stood out as a prospect with his physical play. He brought that same style to the ice last year in his first full professional season and later in the year added a bit of offensive production to the table. He was a late training camp cut and even began the season with the Blackhawks. He and Boqvist will likely be the first two players called upon by Chicago if and when there is need on the Blackhawks blue line.

Dennis Gilbert tallied 14 points for the Rockford IceHogs in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Additional dark-horse picks include fellow defenseman Joni Tuulola and rookie forward Reese Johnson. While physicality is not the name of the game for either player like it is for Gilbert, both have shown the willingness to play heavy in the past and Johnson has a knack already for dropping the gloves when called upon.

Most Improved Player: Kevin Lankinen
Dark-horse picks: Alexandre Fortin, Nick Moutrey

One of the hardest awards to try to predict, given what defines an improvement, but I will go with the guy who will jump out and be the surprise in net this season with Kevin Lankinen. His expectations are high after a busy summer, helping Finland win the World Championships gold medal. He played third-fiddle to one of, if not the best, goalie tandems in the AHL last season behind Delia and Anton Forsberg, but Lankinen had a solid showing in his first North American season. If his summer performance for Finland and with the Blackhawks in training camp is any indication of the future, Lankinen may end up being the ‘1A-1B’ with Delia this year and help backstop Rockford to a highly successful year.

Kevin Lankinen makes a save during an IceHogs game last season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Additional dark-horse picks include Alexandre Fortin and Nick Moutrey. While Moutrey’s skillset is more limited in comparison to the rest of the IceHogs’ current lineup and will see him fighting hard to keep his minutes steady, head coach Derek King praised Moutrey’s play last season and rewarded him with consistent minutes. In the case of Fortin, it seems like the time is now or never for him to break out. He has all the speed in his game that one could ask for, but his hands have been what has held him back from becoming an NHL-regular for the Blackhawks. Dealing with injuries has not helped his case either, but if Fortin can stay healthy this year, I have hopes that he can put things together playing with more highly skilled teammates.

What’s next?

After dropping the regular season opener against the Iowa Wild last Friday, the IceHogs will have taken a full week off from hockey before jumping back onto the ice on Saturday night. The IceHogs face the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford to open the home schedule for the 2019–20 season. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CDT on Saturday.

The post Rockford IceHogs 2019-20 season award picks: Preseason appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs to be led by skilled rookie class

Entering last season, the IceHogs had a great deal of expectations based off of how the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs finished. Making the deepest run in the postseason in the team’s AHL history, paired with the promised that then-head coach Jeremy Colliton showed in his young coaching career made the IceHogs an intriguing team in the AHL. A coaching change and unexpected scoring droughts provided enough of a challenge for Rockford in 2018–19 that they missed out on making their return to the postseason.

Derek King is entering his first full season as the Rockford IceHogs’ head coach. (Photograph courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Now heading into the 2019–20 season, head coach Derek King has had a full offseason to work with the Blackhawks organization to construct depth across the board that the organization has not seen in a handful of years. With a rookie class coming to Rockford that includes both of Chicago’s 2018 first-round draft picks and the return of a two-time Stanley Cup champion, the IceHogs have the potential to make serious noise in the Western Conference. The biggest question is if they can reach their full potential.

Meet The IceHogs

Heavy on the rookies, the IceHogs have at least 10 first-year pro players who are expected to be in the mix for the opening night roster on Friday against the Iowa Wild. Here is where the roster stands as of Wednesday.

Forwards

• MacKenzie Entwistle
• Alexandre Fortin
• Brandon Hagel
• Mikael Hakkarainen
• Matthew Highmore
• Reese Johnson
• Philipp Kurashev
• Dylan McLaughlin
• Nick Moutrey
• Jacob Nilsson
• Aleksi Saarela
• Dylan Sikura
• Tyler Sikura
• Tim Soderlund
• Kris Versteeg
• Anton Wedin

Defensemen

• Nicolas Beaudin
• Adam Boqvist
• Lucas Carlsson
• Philip Holm
• Dennis Gilbert
• Chad Krys
• Jack Ramsey
• Joni Tuulola

Goalies

• Collin Delia
• Kevin Lankinen
• Matt Tomkins

Roster Breakdown

Much like the 2017–18 roster, the IceHogs will be young. But, different than recent rosters, the young talent has high expectations to carry a heavy load on both the offensive and defensive side of the ice. To this point, the Blackhawks organization brought in a familiar face to lead a young locker room, as two-time Stanley Cup Champion Kris Versteeg was signed to an AHL deal this offseason. Versteeg, a former IceHog himself, was on the brink of retirement not too long ago, but has regained his health and is poised to be the veteran voice inside the Rockford room. Head coach Derek King named Versteeg captain of the IceHogs after Rockford went the past two seasons without a player wearing the ‘C’ on their sweater.

Kris Versteeg playing in the Chicago Blackhawks training camp scrimmage. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Along with Versteeg, the leadership group consists of Matthew Highmore, Tyler Sikura and last year’s Team MVP Jacob Nilsson. All three of those players will take on more than a leadership role for Rockford, as Highmore is expected to be back to full health after missing most of the 2018–19 season with a shoulder injury and produce goals, while Nilsson is a versatile option that can move around the lineup, as is Sikura. They will be the elder statesmen of a group that could see players like MacKenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev log high-minutes and be major point-producers. Expect Dylan Sikura and new addition Aleksi Saarela to also chip in offensively and make sure that the IceHogs offense does not go cold for long stretches of the season like it did last year.

Adam Boqvist chases the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during the 2019–20 preseason. (Photograph courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

What can also help the offense not go cold is the amount of offensive firepower the IceHogs will have coming from the blue line this season. Rookies Nicolas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist and Chad Krys are poised to be the focal points within the defensive rotation for Rockford to generate chances from the back end. With the top two selections from the 2018 Blackhawks draft class joining the fray, Rockford’s defensive structure will have a good amount of puck mobility and foot speed to work with to create breakout chances in transition.

The IceHogs will not be able to sustain a total run-and-gun offensive attack, though. Defensemen like Lucas Carlsson, Dennis Gilbert and Philip Holm will serve as safety valves to offset the attacking defenders. The focus will be on 2018 eighth overall pick Adam Boqvist this season. His timeline with the IceHogs is unknown, as he is assumed to be the first choice of the Blackhawks to be recalled to the NHL if Chicago suffers any setbacks on their own blue line. But, whether Boqvist stays in Rockford for three weeks or the full season, there is enough talent for the team’s success to not hinge on just one player.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen prepares for a shot. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Finally, looking between the pipes for the IceHogs, it is a duo of familiar faces, as Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen return from strong seasons in 2018–19. Delia is coming off of a year in which he finished second in the AHL in save percentage (.922) and ninth in the league in goals against (2.48). He will likely begin the season in the starter role, but Lankinen may get the season-opening start with Delia still in Europe with the Blackhawks. For Lankinen, a solid 2018–19 season (19 starts, 2.50 GAA, .910 save percentage) rolled into a starting job for Team Finland at the World Championships. Lankinen was a brick wall for Finland and helped them secure the gold medal. Lankinen will push Delia for starting time, and much like last season, the IceHogs could benefit from having two potential top-10 goaltenders in the entire AHL.

What’s next?

The Rockford IceHogs open their 2019–20 regular season on the road against the Iowa Wild at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday night. Iowa finished last season third in the AHL Central Division with 87 points and were eliminated in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs by the Chicago Wolves. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CDT.

Let’s do that AHL hockey.

The post Previewing the Rockford IceHogs’ 2019–20 season appeared first on The Rink.

The results were just as you might imagine, considering the gap of talent.

This year’s IIHF World Championship goaltending darling, Finland’s Kevin Lankinen, started in goal for the Chicago IceHogs. To pour salt on the wound, the smarmy, unprofessional Boston announcing team claimed that they “never heard of” him and did not call a Blackhawks player by name (other than Lankinen) for the first five minutes of the game.

This was your “Blackhawks” starting lineup:
Brandon Hagel – Jacob Nilsson – Kris Versteeg
Aleksi Saarela – Philipp Kurashev – Dylan Sikura
Mikael Hakkarainen – MacKenzie Entwistle – Matthew Highmore
Alexandre Fortin – Reese Johnson – Tim Soderlund

Philip Holm – Adam Boqvist
Lucas Carlsson – Joni Tuulola
Chad Krys – Nicolas Beaudin

Period one
The overmatched Icehogs roster was expectedly in over their heads, taking a penalty just 19 seconds into the game. They killed the man advantage, but were pinned in their own end for almost the entire period.

The barrage of goals began at the 11:21 mark of the game and resulted in a  4–0 Boston lead before the IceHogs knew what hit them.

Goals by Jake DeBrusk (one even strength goal, one power play goal), Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak (power play goal) set the tone for a game these players should have never been in. The Coyle goal was just 32 seconds after DeBrusk opened the scoring and Pastrnak’s goal was with just over a minute remaining in the period.

The shot totals for the first period whitewash was 14–4, which should be expected from an NHL team facing an AHL roster.

Period two
Boston clearly took their foot off the gas after asserting their dominance for the opening 20 minutes. This did not stop the flow of goals though. They tallied two more goals, while yielding one to the IceHogs’ Philipp Kurashev, just past the midway point of the second frame.

Kurashev beats Rask for his first goal of the preseason pic.twitter.com/ICm9oWs4tp

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) September 28, 2019

Pastrnak scored his second goal of the game, just shy of nine minutes into the period, which would be the last goal Lankinen faced. In a planned move, Matt Tomkins took over in goal for the “Chicago” team at the midway point of the period. He was welcomed by a Karson Kuhlman goal just a couple of minutes later.

The shots actually favored the IceHogs 9–7 with the home team setting cruise control early on, but the score was 6–1. The visitors were just hoping to make it out of Boston uninjured, so they could continue their preseason.

Period three
As the third period began, the only question were just how many the Bruins would eventually score and if DeBrusk or Pastrnak would get their hat tricks.

The answers were eight and yes to both players. Pastrnak completed his hat trick just a minute into the period and DeBrusk got his just north of the 13-minute mark.

Tim Soderlund gave the visitors something to cheer about with a sharp breakaway goal in the final minute of the game, but this was purely clerical.

Stop and pop.

Söderlund pic.twitter.com/mzvnZaExYv

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) September 28, 2019

When the final horn sounded, the Icehogs were out shot 30–21 and the scoreboard showed an ugly 8–2 score. The real Blackhawks team will face an Eisbären Berlin team in Germany, at 12:30 CT tomorrow.  Check out the video recap:

The post RECAP: Blackhawks send Rockford team to Boston for beat down appeared first on The Rink.

Parts of the series

Introduction

Tiers one and two

Tier three

Tier four

Tier five

Tier six

Complete tier listings with our panel’s original average tier ratings (* represents a unanimous rating from the panel)

Tier one

Adam Boqvist (1*)
Kirby Dach (1*)

Tier two

Ian Mitchell (1.833)
Nicolas Beaudin (2.333)

Tier three

Alex Vlasic (2.833)
Alex Nylander (3)
Dominik Kubalik (3.167)
Philipp Kurashev (3.167)
Chad Krys (3.333)
Jake Wise (3.5)
Alexis Gravel (4)

Tier four

Evan Barratt (3.5)
MacKenzie Entwistle (3.667)
Aleksi Saarela (3.833)
Josiah Slavin (3.833)
Dennis Gilbert (4)
Matthew Highmore (4)
Kevin Lankinen (4)
Niklas Nordgren (4)
John Quenneville (4*)
Michal Teply (4)
Lucas Carlsson (4.167)
Tim Soderlund (4.167)
Alexandre Fortin (4.333)

Tier five

Brandon Hagel (4.333)
Antti Saarela (4.333)
Dominic Basse (4.5)
Artur Kayumov (4.5)
Josh Ess (4.667)
Jakub Galvas (4.833)
Mikael Hakkarainen (4.833)
Reese Johnson (4.833)
Cole Moberg (4.833)
Andrei Altybarmakyan (5.167)
Ivan Nalimov (5.167)
Joni Tuulola (5.167)

Tier six

Mathias From (5.333)
Roope Laavainen (5.333)
Ryan Shea (5.333)
Parker Foo (5.5)
Jake Ryczek (5.5)
Nathan Noel (5.667)
Graham Knott (5.833)

Note: Our panel discovered at a later date Jack Ramsey had been omitted from the series and agreed Ramsey falls into tier six.

The post RECAP: The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers appeared first on The Rink.

Our series continues today with tier four, defined as a prospect seen as a bottom-six or extra forward, third-pairing or extra defenseman or fringe goalie.

As explained in the introduction piece, each eligible prospect in the system was rated by our staff panel before ultimately being debated to agree on a tier. Each prospect’s original rating average is listed in parentheses after their name, along with a brief synopsis of why they fell in the tier they did.

Players are listed in order of original rating average, with any ties being sorted alphabetically by last name.

Evan Barratt (3.5)

The 2017 third-round pick was one of the players our panel had the hardest time coming to a consensus on. Some felt Barratt is capable of converting his offensive firepower at the collegiate level to the professional ranks for a middle-six role, while some felt he will be nothing more than a serviceable depth piece in the NHL. Either way, Barratt brings a combination of skill and sandpaper the Blackhawks could use in their lineup down the road. The Bristol, Pennsylvania, native will return to Penn State in 2019–20, where he ignited for 43 points in 32 games last season.

Evan Barratt will return to Penn State for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Penn State Athletics)

MacKenzie Entwistle (3.667)

Since being acquired in the infamous trade that saw Marian Hossa’s contract dealt to Arizona, Entwistle has established himself as one of the Blackhawks’ most solidified prospects in terms of their future role. The 2017 third-round pick of the Coyotes has embraced the idea of being a bottom-six player at the NHL level and has adjusted his game to suit that role. After winning back-to-back OHL championships on the Hamilton Bulldogs and Guelph Storm and enjoying a breakout showing at the World Junior Championships, Entwistle will turn pro in 2019–20 to join what will likely be a youthful Rockford IceHogs lineup.

Guelph Storm forward MacKenzie Entwistle (left) battles for a puck at the Memorial Cup. (Photograph courtesy of Vincent Ethier / CHL Images)

Aleksi Saarela (3.833)

Saarela joins the Blackhawk organization this season after spending the last two in Carolina’s system. Originally a 2015 third-round pick of the New York Rangers, Saarela was part of the trade that saw Eric Staal leave the Hurricanes at the 2016 trade deadline. Since then, Saarela has spent the majority of his time playing for the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL, where he and his team won the Calder Cup last season. Saarela’s big shot helped him score 30 goals in 2018–19, but he likely will not reach a level like that in the NHL. If Saarela wants to have a lengthy NHL career, it will likely need to be in a depth role. Saarela will be given a chance to crack Chicago’s opening night lineup, but is more likely to start the season in Rockford to adjust to the Blackhawks’ system.

Aleksi Saarela joins the Blackhawks organization for 2019–20 after winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers. (Photograph courtesy of Patrick Gorski / Icon Sportswire

Josiah Slavin (3.833)

Slavin was another polarizing player among our panel members. With votes as high as tier two, he clearly is a player who has quickly grabbed the attention of some panelists despite being a seventh-round pick in 2018. Slavin’s rise in the USHL over the last two seasons and showings at the Blackhawks’ development camps have led some to feel he has the tools needed to be a legitimate contributor at the NHL level, playing a simple, but effective, pro-style game. Slavin, who is the younger brother of Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin, possesses a strong work ethic and displays leadership on and off the ice, which have helped his development thus far. The Erie, Colorado, native will head to play at Colorado College, where he will likely spend at least two years before turning pro. While he still has some developing to do, Slavin could very well turn out to be a diamond in the rough and have a successful NHL career, whether as a middle-six player or a depth option.

Josiah Slavin heads to Colorado College after splitting the 2018–19 season between Lincoln and Chicago in the USHL. (Photograph courtesy of Brad Repplinger)

Dennis Gilbert (4)

Gilbert is a perfect representation of a few players who our panel feels can be a solid NHL player, just likely not in a Blackhawk sweater. The Notre Dame product provides the physicality Chicago’s blue line pipeline lacks, but very well might not have a clear path to NHL ice time with all of the other young defensemen in the system who have higher upsides. Drafted in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Gilbert turned pro in 2018–19 after three seasons with the Fighting Irish. The Buffalo, New York, native played in 63 games for Rockford, where he racked up 14 points, to go along with one game for the Blackhawks. Our panel was in full agreement Gilbert has the tools to be a reliable and rugged stay-at-home defenseman in the NHL, but most felt that would be elsewhere.

Dennis Gilbert tallied 14 points for the Rockford IceHogs in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Matthew Highmore (4)

Highmore is a bit of an interesting player in the group because of his circumstances. Most of our panel feels he has the tools needed to be an everyday bottom-six center in the NHL. However, injuries have hampered Highmore thus far in his career, washing out the majority of his 2018–19 season. The undrafted free agent signing played in 13 games for the Blackhawks in 2017–18, but managed just 12 games in 2018–19, all with Rockford. Despite his injury issues, Highmore has proven to be an effective scorer at the AHL level, posting 52 points in 76 games over two seasons with the IceHogs. Hopes are 2019–20 can be a fresh start for Highmore, but he will need to earn a spot in Chicago, as there is a slew of other players who could very well beat him out for depth roster spots.

Matthew Highmore enters 2019–20 looking to rebound from his injury-shortened 2018–19 campaign. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Kevin Lankinen (4)

The undrafted free agent signing came over to play in North America for the first time in 2018–19, splitting time with Indy in the ECHL and Rockford in the AHL. While he posted decent numbers with the IceHogs (2.50 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 19 games), Lankinen took the world by storm for his native Finland in the World Championships, backstopping the Finns to the gold medal with sparkling numbers of a 1.50 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. His efforts quickly caught the attention of many in the Blackhawks’ fanbase, but he needs to show that ability on a consistent basis for an extended period of time for our panel to place him in a higher tier. Lankinen is expected to return to Rockford for 2019–20, where he will get a chance to show if he is truly the lights-out goaltender he was at the World Championships or if his heroics were just a flash in the pan.

The 2019–20 season will give Kevin Lankinen an opportunity to show if his heroic performance at the 2019 World Championships was his true self or just a flash in the pan. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Niklas Nordgren (4)

The 2018 third-round pick of the Blackhawks is an intriguing prospect because of his ability to score. However, his size is a bit of a question mark, as is his skating, which will definitely need to be improved if he wants to translate his production to the game’s highest level. Unlike the majority of prospects in the system, Nordgren has been limited in his participation in prospect camp over the past two summers, as he was injured early in the 2018 camp before being an off-ice participant in 2019. Nordgren has split time between HIFK’s main Liiga men’s team and the organization’s U20 team over the last two seasons. The Helsinki native tallied 26 points in 28 games between the two teams in 2018–19 and will return to HIFK for 2019–20. Nordgren’s development will be worth keeping an eye on, as he could become a scoring threat in the NHL if he pans out.

Niklas Nordgren combined for 26 points in 28 games in the HIFK organization in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of AOP)

John Quenneville (4)

The cousin of longtime Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, John was one of three prospects to receive an identical rating from each member of our panel. Acquired earlier this summer in exchange for John Hayden, Quenneville will enter camp looking to earn a full-time job in the NHL for the first time. The 2014 first-round pick of New Jersey played in 33 games for the Devils in his time with the organization, spending the majority of that time playing for the Albany Devils in the AHL. After racking up 39 points in 37 AHL games last season, Quenneville appears ready to take the next step, but might have a hard time grabbing a roster spot in Chicago. Regardless, Quenneville should be able to be a decent depth piece at the NHL level in the future.

John Quenneville joins the Blackhawks organization after being acquired from New Jersey this summer. (Photograph courtesy of Ed Mulholland / USA TODAY Sports

Michal Teply (4)

Teply will be another intriguing prospect to keep an eye on as his career progresses. Selected in the fourth round this June by the Blackhawks, the noted playmaker will come to North America to join the Winnipeg Ice for 2019–20 after being chosen fourth overall by the Ice in the CHL Import Draft. The Czech Republic product posted 21 points in various Czech leagues in 2018–19 before racking up six points in four playoff games for the Bili Tygri Liberec U19 team. Teply has been a mainstay on the Czech Republic’s international teams growing up, representing his country in various tournaments in each of the past three seasons. The big-bodied winger will need to work on his skating and adjust to the North American game, but, if he can do those things, seems like he can be a depth contributor in the NHL.

Michal Teply will head to North America for 2019–20 to play for the Winnipeg Ice. (Photograph courtesy of the IIHF)

Lucas Carlsson (4.167)

The 2016 fourth-rounder made the transition to North America in 2018–19, playing 69 games with Rockford and tallying 33 points, after a lengthy career in the Brynas organization in Sweden. While generally known to be an offensive defenseman, Carlsson is capable of holding his own in his own end. Of course, being part of an impressive blue line pipeline in the Chicago system, Carlsson might have a hard time cracking the Blackhawks’ lineup in the future. Multiple members of our panel believe he has the tools needed to be a regular depth defenseman in the NHL, but would likely only be able to realize that potential in a different organization. As one panelist noted, Carlsson feels a bit like Ville Pokka in the sense he might be too good for the AHL but never be able to make it in the NHL given the situation he is in. The Swede is expected to return to a stacked blue line in Rockford in 2019–20.

Lucas Carlsson posted 33 points for Rockford in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Tim Soderlund (4.167)

Soderlund’s skill set lends itself to a bottom-six role, which is likely what he would need to be in order to have an NHL career. While Soderlund has looked good at both ends in his time playing in Sweden’s SHL over the last three seasons, he has not stood out much at Chicago’s prospect camps since being selected in the fourth round in 2017, though that is not an end-all, be-all setting. Soderlund will join Rockford for 2019–20, where he will get his first taste of the North American game. Sometimes compared to fellow Swede Viktor Arvidsson, Blackhawks fans should be cautiously optimistic about Soderlund’s future. If he can translate his game to North America, he should have a chance to establish himself as a reliable depth player capable of chipping in offensively from time to time.

After spending his whole career in Sweden, Tim Soderlund will come to North America for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Ola Westerberg / Bildbyrån)

Alexandre Fortin (4.333)

Once the “golden boy” of the Blackhawks’ prospect camps, Fortin has a well-known story that has led him to the professional ranks. Unfortunately for Fortin, it sometimes seems like he just is not getting the opportunity he needs to establish himself at the NHL level. After struggling with injuries in his first professional season in 2017–18, the undrafted free agent signing split time between Chicago and Rockford in 2018–19, posting consistent numbers at both levels. Fortin tallied three goals and three assists in 24 games for the Blackhawks and doubled his totals in 47 games with the IceHogs. Fortin has speed to burn, but the rest of his game will need to catch up to his feet in order to put it all together. Though there is still time for Fortin to earn himself a regular NHL job, he might be passed over for other options as time progresses. Fortin is another player who may be better off starting fresh in another organization to get the most out of his career moving forward.

Alexandre Fortin will look to grab a full-time roster spot in Chicago in 2019–20. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Stay tuned as The-Rink progresses up the ladder in its Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers, part three appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs roster: Signed through 2019–20

Top to bottom for all three positions, here is the running list of players that are already signed on for the 2019–20 season or beyond for the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs. AHL-only contracts specified for the players who are only eligible to play for the IceHogs or the ECHL’s Indy Fuel, without signing a contract with the Blackhawks.

Forwards

• Liam Coughlin
  • AHL contract
• Mackenzie Entwistle
• Alexandre Fortin
• Brandon Hagel
• Matthew Highmore
• Mikael Hakkarainen
• Reese Johnson
• Graham Knott
• Dominik Kubalík
• Philipp Kurashev
• Dylan McLaughlin
  • AHL contract
• Nick Moutrey
  • AHL contract
• Jacob Nilsson
• Nathan Noel
• John Quenneville
  • Acquired from New Jersey Devils
• Jack Ramsey
  • AHL contract
• Aleksi Saarela
  • Acquired from Carolina Hurricanes
• Dylan Sikura
• Tim Soderlund
• Mathew Thompson
  • AHL contract
• Kris Versteeg
  • AHL contract
• Anton Wedin

Defensemen

• Nicolas Beaudin
• Adam Boqvist
• Lucas Carlsson
• Carl Dahlstrom
• Dennis Gilbert
• Henri Jokiharju
• Slater Koekkoek
• Chad Krys
• Josh McArdle
  • AHL contract
• Dmitry Osipov
  • AHL contract
• Joni Tuulola

Goalies

• Collin Delia
• Kevin Lankinen
• Chase Marchand
  • AHL contract
• Matt Tomkins
  • AHL contract

With the Blackhawks making multiple trades over draft weekend, the potential for a few new names to be added to the list has come up. Notably, with the additions of Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta to the Chicago defensive group, players like Boqvist and Jokiharju may be all but certainties to begin the year in Rockford with the IceHogs. While Boqvist still has the ability to return to the London Knights of the OHL, there is almost no benefit to that, since his best option is likely to begin developing his game and logging meaningful ice time against men, not teenagers.

Carl Dahlstrom lines up for a face off during a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins)

Also becoming possible NHL-casualties of the de Haan and Maatta additions by the Blackhawks are bottom-pair defensemen Slater Koekkoek and Carl Dahlstrom. While both players would have to clear waivers in order to be sent to the IceHogs, the additions made by Chicago are creating a crowded NHL blue-line group with more than enough bottom-pair defensemen available to Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton. Dahlstrom and Koekkoek, while playing fine for their roles last season, are not the movers of the defensive needle that the Blackhawks need them to be. There is a potential for one or maybe both players to be traded, but if one is dealt, the other may find himself with the IceHogs early in the season.

Aleksi Saarela of the Charlotte Checkers playing in the Calder Cup Finals against the Chicago Wolves. (Photograph courtesy of the Charlotte Checkers)

In the trade with the Hurricanes, the Blackhawks sent Anton Forsberg and Gustav Forsling to Carolina and acquired de Haan and Saarela. In Saarela, the Blackhawks get a proven AHL-level scorer, as he has tallied 61 goals and 107 points in his 147 AHL games with the Charlotte Checkers. Saarela also notched 15 points in 17 Calder Cup Playoff games this year with the Checkers on their way to winning the Calder Cup. He has an outside chance of making the Blackhawks’ roster out of training camp, but more likely he will be the top-end goal scorer that the IceHogs have needed in recent years.

Dylan Sikura skates for the Rockford IceHogs last season. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Finally, on players that are signed through next season, the Blackhawks announced on Friday that they had reached deals with Sikura and newly acquired Quenneville, who they received from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for John Hayden in a trade on day two of the NHL Entry Draft. Both players entered the offseason as restricted free agents, and both signed identical deals worth a $750,000 annual average value over two years. Both contracts are two-way deals in the first season and one-way pacts in the second year. While it currently looks like both players have a better-than-not chance at making the Blackhawks’ roster, depending on training camp performances and possible free agent additions, one or both of Sikura and Quenneville could see time with the IceHogs next year.

IceHogs roster: Already gone

Not everyone fits into the future plans of the Rockford IceHogs, or reversely, the IceHogs do not always fit into every players’ future plans. For Rockford, there are already a few players from the 2018–19 squad who will not be re-signing with the club, let alone any North American team.

• Viktor Ejdsell — Farjestad BK (Sweden)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 61 games, 12 goals, 17 assists
• Anton Forsberg – Carolina Hurricanes
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 32 games, 15-15-2, 2.64 goals against average, .919 save percentage
• Peter Holland — Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 21 games, seven goals, nine assists
  • 2018–19 total: 73 games, 27 goals, 38 assists
• Jordan Schroeder — Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 62 games, 19 goals, 26 assists
• Brett Welychka – Esbjerg Energy (Denmark)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 18 games, 0 points, -4

Anton Forsberg guards the goal for the Rockford IceHogs last season. (Photograph courtesy of the San Antonio Rampage)

The major skaters lost leave a big hole in the carried-over offensive production from last year’s IceHogs squad. Holland and Schroeder were producers for Rockford late in the season as they pushed for a Calder Cup Playoff spot, and Ejdsell showed flashes in 2018–19 of the player he was supposed to be, but could not produce on a consistent basis. While Ejdsell is going back to Sweden, the Blackhawks did extend to him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights should he want to come back to North America.

The next biggest departure from the IceHogs is Forsberg. Leading the IceHogs in net along with Collin Delia last season, Forsberg has more than established himself as a solid goaltender at the AHL level. His NHL opportunities though have not been as productive as hoped. With Delia and Lankinen becoming more and more likely the No. 2 and 3 goalies on the Blackhawks depth chart, respectively, Forsberg’s spot with the organization was lost and a change of scenery will be best for him in Carolina.

IceHogs roster: Unsigned

While there is a larger number of players left unsigned that would more likely be in play for the Blackhawks, here is the list of remaining players left unsigned that are likely in play for the IceHogs and the Indy Fuel.

Unrestricted free agents

• Radovan Bondra
• Terry Broadhurst
• Andrew Campbell
• Brandon Davidson
• Blake Hillman **
• Luke Johnson **
• Anthony Louis **
• Andreas Martinsen
• Connor Moynihan
• William Pelletier
• Tyler Sikura
• Spencer Watson **

(**Did not receive restricted free agent qualifying offer)

Luke Johnson battles for a puck during a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Adding to the list of unrestricted free agents are the four players that were left without restricted free agent qualifying offers. Johnson, Louis, Hillman and Watson were left without offers from the Blackhawks. While any of these players could re-sign with the organization once free agency opens on July 1, it is likely that no one from this list returns to the Blackhawks or IceHogs.

It was perhaps most surprising to see that Johnson was not extended a qualifying offer. Johnson played 15 games with the Blackhawks early on last season, notching just one assist, but was liked by then-head coach Joel Quenneville and his staff early on as a fourth-line option. In his AHL career, Johnson has 39 goals and 78 points in his 199 games with the IceHogs. With the incoming prospect class for Rockford and the returns of both Highmore (health) and Nilsson, Johnson’s spot with the organization became much like Forsberg’s.

Anthony Louis plays with a puck prior to a Rockford IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Same can be said about Louis. After leading the IceHogs in scoring in the 2017–18 season, Louis failed to live up to his billing as one of the top scoring options for the IceHogs in 2018–19. Tallying 34 points in 74 games played, Louis had a lot riding on his shoulders for a team that had trouble putting the puck in the next on a consistent basis. He never got a shot at the Blackhawks’ roster during the regular season, but could get an opportunity elsewhere. In 157 AHL games with Rockford, Louis tallied 27 goals and 81 points.

This IceHogs roster will begin to take more shape as the summer roles along. The next edition will provide an even more clear picture as unrestricted free agency will be fully underway and the Blackhawks’ development camp will have come and gone. As the summer progresses, so will this list. Keep tuned in for edition 3.0 later in July.

The post Early edition: Rockford IceHogs 2019–20 roster 2.0 appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs roster: Signed through 2019–20

Top to bottom for all three positions, here is the running list of players that are already signed on for the 2019–20 season or beyond for the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs. AHL-only contracts specified for the players who are only eligible to play for the IceHogs or the ECHL’s Indy Fuel, without signing a contract with the Blackhawks.

Forwards

• Kris Versteeg
  • AHL contract
• Nathan Noel
• Jacob Nilsson
• Nick Moutrey
  • AHL contract
• Dylan McLaughlin
  • AHL contract
• Graham Knott
• Reese Johnson
• Mathew Thompson
  • AHL contract
• Philipp Kurashev
• Matthew Highmore
• Mackenzie Entwistle
• Tim Soderlund
• Jack Ramsey
  • AHL contract
• Liam Coughlin
  • AHL contract
• Brandon Hagel
• Mikael Hakkarainen
• Alexandre Fortin
• Anton Wedin
• Dominik Kubalík

Defensemen

• Nicolas Beaudin
• Adam Boqvist
• Chad Krys
• Lucas Carlsson
• Henri Jokiharju
• Joni Tuulola
• Dennis Gilbert
• Josh McArdle
  • AHL contract
• Dmitry Osipov
  • AHL contract

Goalies

• Collin Delia
• Kevin Lankinen
• Chase Marchand
  • AHL contract
• Matt Tomkins
  • AHL contract

Of the players already signed for the upcoming 2019–20 season, there are a few that will most likely begin the season in Chicago with the Blackhawks. Collin Delia, Henri Jokiharju and Dominik Kubalík have a chance to make the NHL roster out of camp as it stands now.

Adam Boqvist skates during a preseason game last fall. (Photograph courtesy of Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

A wildcard in the group is 2018 draft pick Adam Boqvist, who is eligible to play in the AHL in the 2019–20 season if he does not make the Blackhawks’ roster out of training camp. The defensive group is already crowded, and this is before the NHL Entry Draft in June, where Chicago may select top defenseman Bowen Byram, who some believe could be NHL-ready right out of the gate.

Another name to look out for is goaltender Kevin Lankinen. After a decent rookie season in the AHL, Lankinen burst onto the Blackhawks scene with his performance in net for Team Finland at the IIHF World Championships. Lankinen put up a 1.50 goals against average and a .942 save percentage in the tournament on his way to winning the gold medal alongside Jokiharju.

Kevin Lankinen celebrates with the IIHF World Championship Trophy after Team Finland’s 3–1 win over Team Canada in the gold medal game. (Photograph courtesy of Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

If the Blackhawks do not add anymore goaltenders that could play at the NHL level, Lankinen looks ready to shoulder the load for the IceHogs and could even push Delia for the Blackhawks’ backup role. One thing for certain is that the 2019–20 roster for the IceHogs already is shaping up to be a youthful group.

IceHogs roster: Already gone

Not everyone fits into the future plans of the Rockford IceHogs, or reversely, the IceHogs do not always fit into every players’ future plans. For Rockford, there are already a trio of players from the 2018–19 squad who will not be re-signing with the club, let alone any North American team.

• Viktor Ejdsell — Farjestad BK (Sweden)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 61 games, 12 goals, 17 assists
• Peter Holland — Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 21 games, seven goals, nine assists
  • 2018–19 total: 73 games, 27 goals, 38 assists
• Jordan Schroeder — Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
  • 2018–19 with IceHogs: 62 games, 19 goals, 26 assists

Peter Holland lines up for a face off during an IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

These three players leaving already puts a big hole in the carried-over offensive production from last year’s IceHogs squad. Holland and Schroeder were producers for Rockford late in the season as they pushed for a Calder Cup Playoff spot, and Ejdsell showed flashes in 2018–19 of the player he was supposed to be, but could not produce on a consistent basis. The IceHogs have already added a number of promising offensive talents, so the level of production left from these players should be filled and possibly even exceeded in 2019–20.

IceHogs roster: Unsigned

While there is a larger number of players left unsigned that would more likely be in play for the Blackhawks, here is the list of remaining players left unsigned that are likely in play for the IceHogs and the Indy Fuel.

Unrestricted free agents

• Radovan Bondra
• Terry Broadhurst
• Andrew Campbell
• Brandon Davidson
• Andreas Martinsen
• Connor Moynihan
• William Pelletier
• Tyler Sikura

Restricted free agents

• Anton Forsberg
• Blake Hillman
• Luke Johnson
• Anthony Louis
• Dylan Sikura
• Spencer Watson

This is where the IceHogs and Blackhawks roster construction gets interesting and dicey. Obviously the organization will have cap room to use this offseason, but they are not going to be spending a ton to keep these unrestricted and restricted free agents around. Most of this group does not have much of NHL futures with the Blackhawks outside of perhaps Dylan Sikura, Forsberg or Johnson.

Cap space and the 50-player roster limit in mind, it would not be surprising to see most of the unrestricted players in the group remain unsigned. Pelletier could still receive another AHL contract this summer after missing a large portion of the season due to injury. For players like Martinsen and Tyler Sikura, their place in the organization is getting buried and younger, more promising talent has already been added who could fill their roles with the Blackhawks and IceHogs.

Anthony Louis skates during an IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

In the restricted free agent pool of players, there is enough to like for the Blackhawks to bring back players who will challenge for NHL ice time but more than likely end up playing major roles for the IceHogs in 2019–20. Hillman, Johnson and Louis can and should all play leading roles for the IceHogs to begin the season, should they be re-signed.

Dylan Sikura skates with the puck during an IceHogs game. (Photograph courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Same goes for Dylan Sikura if re-signed. Sikura came into the Blackhawks with high hopes of jumping into the NHL roster and being a reliable middle-six forward. While he was able to get 33 games with Chicago this season, he played the majority of his first full professional season with the IceHogs. His time in Rockford showed that he has the abilities to produce and be a playmaker, but at the AHL level for now. In 46 games with the IceHogs, Sikura tallied 35 points, but is still looking for his first career NHL goal after tallying just eight assists in his time with Chicago in 2018–19. If the Blackhawks believe his future trajectory includes the ability to crack their NHL roster, it is a no-brainer to keep the younger Sikura around.

The Blackhawks could bring back Forsberg in net to make sure they have an abundance of depth at the goalie position, but with the recent emergence of Lankinen and Chicago’s perceived investment in Delia, his spot with the organization might be getting buried. If not re-signed, Forsberg could surely land with another NHL team and have a legitimate shot at their backup role.

This IceHogs roster will begin to take more shape as the summer roles along. The next edition will provide an even more clear picture as the NHL Entry Draft will have already taken place and the restricted free agent window will have opened. As the summer progresses, so will this list. Keep tuned in for edition 2.0 later in June.

The post Early edition: Rockford IceHogs 2019–20 roster 1.0 appeared first on The Rink.

Lankinen, Jokiharju take home gold at IIHF World Championships

With a roster not as brimming with NHL talent as others in the tournament, the Finns were able to land second in Group A behind the Canadians with a 5–1–1 record. On the back of IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen, Finland was 4–1–0 in the Group stage.

Finland headed into the Quarterfinals against Sweden as underdogs and after scoring the game’s opening goal, Finland surrendered three straight to face a 3–1 deficit early in the second period. They were able to pull even with two goals in the second period, but Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson put the Swede’s ahead 4–3 late in the second period. With time running out in the final frame, Finland’s captain, Marko Anttila, scored the game-tying goal with under two minutes to play to force overtime. The overtime period lasted just a minute and a half, as Sakari Manninen scored the game-winner with an assist from Lankinen.

Following the win over Sweden, Finland again take advantage of a stellar performance in net from Lankinen as he shutdown the heavily-favored Russians. Lankinen pitched a 29-save shutout as Anttila again played hero, scoring the game’s only goal midway through the third period, setting up a Gold Medal game between Finland and Canada.

Kevin Lankinen (left) makes a save for Team Finland in the IIHF World Championship Gold Medal game against Canada as his Blackhawks teammate Dylan Strome (right) looks on. (Photograph courtesy of Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

As he did in the tournament’s opening game, Lankinen again held the Canadians to just one goal as the Finns scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods to win the country’s third-ever IIHF World Championships Gold Medal. Lankinen stopped 21 of 22 Canadian shots in the Gold medal game.

For the tournament, defenseman Henri Jokiharju tallied three assists in 10 games played. With the IIHF World Championships gold medal win, Jokiharju now has a World U18 Championship gold and a World Junior Championships gold and becomes the seventh player in history to win all three. His teammate, NHL Draft-eligible Kappo Kakko, also has all three gold medals, becoming the eighth player all-time to do so.

Henri Jokiharju recieves his IIHF World Championship gold medal. (Photograph courtesy of Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Jokiharju won his World Junior Championships gold medal earlier this year, while Kakko won all three gold medals this year, making him the first to do so before being selected in the NHL Entry Draft. It is hard to argue that Jokiharju needs any more time to develop before being an NHL-regular for the Blackhawks next season.

Finnish goaltender Kevin Lankinen receives his gold medal after Team Finland’s 3–1 win over Team Canada in the IIHF world Championship Gold Medal game. (Photograph courtesy of Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Lankinen finished the tournament with a 7–1–0 record in eight games started. His 480:41 minutes played was second only to Russia’s Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s 488:02 minutes. Lankinen also finished second to Vasilevskiy for the best save percentage, as his .942 was beat by Vasilevskiy’s .945 save percentage. The gold-medal-winning Lankinen’s 1.50 goals against average (GAA) was the tournament-best mark, beating Vasilevskiy’s 1.60 GAA. Lankinen, Vasilevskiy and Switzerland’s Reto Berra led the tournament with two shutouts apiece. Vasilevskiy was awarded the Best Goaltender award for the IIHF World Championships tournament, but surely Lankinen’s gold medal will suffice as a consolation.

For his future, Lankinen is signed through the 2019–20 season with the Blackhawks organization and is currently slated to be the starting goaltender for the Rockford IceHogs to begin the year. In the 2018–19 season, Lankinen split his time between the IceHogs in the AHL and the Indy Fuel in the ECHL, finishing the year playing with Rockford, but sitting as the No. 3 goalie on the team for the last month of the season. If the Blackhawks make no moves at the AHL or NHL level at the goaltender position, Lankinen looks more than capable of shouldering the load in Rockford and pushing Collin Delia for his penciled-in backup spot with the Blackhawks.

Kevin Lankinen celebrates with the IIHF World Championship Trophy after Team Finland’s 3–1 win over Team Canada in the Gold Medal game. (Photograph courtesy of Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Rounding out the rest of the Blackhawks’ performances at the IIHF World Championships:

• Dylan Strome (Canada)
  • Silver Medal: 10 games, one goal, five assists
• Artem Anisimov (Russia)
  • Bronze Medal: 10 games, four goals, two assists
• Dominik Kubalik (Czech Republic, unsigned)
  • Fourth place: 10 games, six goals, six assists
• Erik Gustafsson (Sweden)
  • Fifth place: Eight games, two goals, two assists
• Marcus Kruger (Sweden)
  • Fifth place: Eight games, two goals, one assist
• Dominik Kahun (Germany)
  • Sixth place: Eight games, one goal, four assists
• Patrick Kane (USA)
  • Seventh place: Eight games, two goals, 10 assists
• Alex DeBrincat (USA)
  • Seventh place: Eight games, seven goals, two assists
• Philipp Kurashev (Switzerland)
  • Eighth place: Eight games, one goal, three assists
• Mathias From (Denmark, unsigned)
  • 11th place: Four games, zero points
• Andreas Martinsen (Norway)
  • 12th place: seven games, zero goals, six assists

With the IIHF World Championships complete, this marks the end of the 2018–19 hockey season for all levels of the Chicago Blackhawks organization with just the Stanley Cup Final yet to be determined. Stay tuned to The-Rink as we prepare for the NHL Entry Draft on June 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the opening of NHL Free Agency on July 1.

The post Kevin Lankinen and Henri Jokiharju win IIHF World Championship gold appeared first on The Rink.

Rockford IceHogs close 2018–19 season with loss to Milwaukee

After Saturday night’s 3–0 loss to the Iowa Wild, the IceHogs were officially eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoff race in the Central Division. Heading into Sunday night, they faced the red-hot Milwaukee Admirals, who came into the game winners in 10 of their last 13 games, with no losses in regulation over that stretch. As the Ads prepared for the postseason, Rockford could have played a bit of a spoiler.

Here is the lineup for the season finale that the Ice Hogs rolled out on Sunday night:

Hello, hello and welcome to the final edition of #IceHogs hockey this season. We will deploy our troops like so:

Louis-T.Sikura-Pelletier
Moutrey-R.Johnson-L.Johnson
D.Sikura-Kurashev-Hagel
Fortin-McLaughin-Ejdsell

Tuulola-Jokiharju
Krys-Campbell
Hillman-Osipov

Lankinen

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) April 14, 2019

In the lineup for the IceHogs were a few newer names that you can expect to be back next season for either the Blackhawks or Rockford, including Chad Krys, Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev and Reese Johnson, among others.

Lankinen made his first start for the IceHogs since March 10, and made 27 saves on 30 shots faced against the Admirals in the 3–2 loss. His season record fell to 7–8–4 for 2018–19 with a 2.50 GAA and a 0.910 save percentage in his first season in North America.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen guards the goal during Sunday’s game against Milwaukee. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)

The Admirals jumped out to a 2–0 lead by the midway point of the first period, thanks to goals by Tanner Jeannot and Cole Schneider just under two minutes apart. The IceHogs would pull one back against Milwaukee in the first period, thanks to Alexandre Fortin‘s seventh goal of the season, just his second goal since a two-goal night on Feb. 1. Milwaukee would take their 2–1 lead into the second period and add onto it in the middle period thanks to a goal from Adam Helewka, extending their lead to 3–1 after 40 minutes of play.

Dear @TheAHL,
Here's a late entry for your Save of the Year Award.

Love, the Admirals. pic.twitter.com/fTWn2NZZSW

— x – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) April 15, 2019

The IceHogs would try to mount a comeback for the home crowd on Fan Appreciation night, pulling the game to 3–2 in the third period with Luke Johnson‘s 18th goal of the season with just over 11 minutes to play in the final period. Johnson’s tally helped him set a new AHL career-high in points with 31 on the season in 53 games, surpassing last season’s total of 30 points in 73 games played. The comeback would fall short though, including a spectacular glove save on Kurashev from Tom McCollum in the final minute, and the IceHogs would fall in their final game of the season, 3–2 to the Admirals.

Rockford IceHogs team salutes the home fans at the BMO Harris Bank Center after the season finale against the Milwaukee Admirals. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)

The IceHogs finished the 2018–19 regular season with a 35–31–10 record and 80 points in the Central Division standings. Rockford finished the year going 3–3–0 in the month of April, and 5–6–1 in March to go 8–9–1 for the final two months of the season. Compared to the final two months of last season, in which the IceHogs went 12–5–2 and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs with 88 points in the standings.

Calder Cup Playoff picture: Central Division

A few notes worth mentioning as the IceHogs season comes to an end in regard to the AHL Central Division. First, the Milwaukee Admirals take a 14-game unbeaten streak into the postseason, having not lost in regulation since March 9 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Speaking of the Griffins, they limp into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Admirals, having lost nine straight games. Grand Rapids has not won a game since March 26 against the Iowa Wild.

Final AHL Central Division standings for 2018–19.

The Wild come into the postseason having won three straight games, and will match up against Milwaukee. The Central Division winning Chicago Wolves cruised to their third straight Division title this season and will have home-ice advantage to begin the Calder Cup Playoffs, taking on the Griffins. The Calder Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 17 with the Central Division action beginning on Friday, April 19.

Rockford IceHogs 2018–19 Team Awards

Prior to Sunday night’s contest, the Rockford IceHogs announced a number of team-based awards for the 2018–19 season. A few names to note from the winners include William Pelletier as the team’s Man of the Year, Dylan Sikura as the team’s Rookie of the Year and Nilsson as the team’s Most Valuable Player for the season.

Rockford IceHogs forward Jacob Nilsson accepts the Team MVP award at the season finale against the Milwaukee Admirals. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)

Full list of winners below:

• MVP: Jacob Nilsson
  • Nilsson 2018–19 stats: 61 games played, 15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points, -5
• Rookie of the Year: Dylan Sikura
  • Sikura 2018–19 stats: 46 games played, 17 goals, 18 assists, 35 points, +7
• Defenseman of the Year: Lucas Carlsson
  • Carlsson 2018–19 stats: 69 games played, nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points, -5
• Unsung Hero: Tyler Sikura and William Pelletier
  • Tyler Sikura 2018–19 stats: 50 games played, seven goals, 12 assists, 19 points, +1
  • Pelletier 2018–19 stats: 41 games played, seven goals, 10 assists, 17 points, +5
• Heavy-Hitter: Andreas Martinsen
  • Martinsen 2018–19 stats: 38 games played, three goals, eight assists, 11 points, -3
• Most Improved Player: Dennis Gilbert
  • Gilbert 2018–19 stats: 63 games played, five goals, nine assists, 14 points, -8, team-leading 67 penalty minutes
•  Man of the Year: William Pelletier

My write-in vote for the IceHogs award not listed here would be a group award, Team MVP, and it would go to Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia. With the worst goal-support in the AHL all season, Delia and Forsberg finished the season both in the top-five in the league in save percentage. Delia’s .922 ranked second in the league, while Forsberg’s .919 save percentage ranked in a tie for third-best in the AHL this season. Forsberg and Delia also both ranked in the top-20 in the AHL for goals against average. Delia and Forsberg’s combined team save percentage (.916) finished the season ranked at the top of the league in a tie with the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch, who won the AHL North Division, finished the season with the second-fewest goals allowed this season with 187, five more than the Bakersfield Condors (182), who played eight fewer games.

By the numbers: What went right?

• Team save percentage: .916
  • Tied for first in AHL
• Goals allowed: 214
  • 10th-fewest in the AHL
• Penalty kill percentage: 82.3
  • 10th in the AHL
• Penalty minutes: 715
  • Second-fewest in the AHL (714 by San Jose, who played eight fewer games)

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia makes a save against the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)

• Times shorthanded: 271
  • Fifth-fewest in the AHL
• Record when scoring three or more goals: 30–2–2
• Overtime Wins: 12
  • Tied for most in the AHL (Toronto Marlies)
• AHL career-best season totals
  • Peter Holland points (65), goals (27)
    • Seven goals, 16 points with IceHogs
  • Jordan Schroeder points (45)
  • Luke Johnson points (31), goals (18)
  • Darren Raddysh points (26), goals (eight)
    • Prior to trade to Hartford
  • Graham Knott points (13)
  • Collin Delia goals against average (2.48), save percentage (.922)

By the numbers: What went wrong?

• Goals scored: 184
  • Fewest in the AHL (2.42 goals per game)
• Powerplay percentage: 14.5
  • Third-lowest in the AHL
• Powerplay opportunities: 283
  • Fourth-fewest among teams to play 76 games, ninth-fewest in the AHL

Matthew Highmore of the Rockford IceHogs carries the puck during a game this season. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)

• Number of shutouts: 0
  • 56 AHL goalies recorded a shutout in 2018–19
• Matthew Highmore games played: 12
  • Due to a shoulder injury and then a re-injury, Highmore missed nearly the entire AHL season after setting the team’s AHL rookie goal-scoring record last season.
• Number of losses when allowing two or fewer goals: 19
  • Overtime and regulation game losses

What’s next?

Not much hockey, that’s for sure.

For the second time in three years, the IceHogs will not be playing for the Calder Cup. For a number of Rockford players, their next real hockey action for the Chicago Blackhawks organization will be at this summer’s prospect camp, with formal training camp opening later this fall.

Until then, enjoy the summer.

The post Rockford IceHogs finish 2018-19 season with loss to Milwaukee Admirals appeared first on The Rink.

Rockford IceHogs Drop Back-To-Back Weekend Series In Manitoba

The IceHogs came to Manitoba with a big opportunity to put themselves squarely into the Calder Cup Playoff conversation in Central Division. Entering the weekend after a full week off from game action, and sitting in fourth-place themselves, the IceHogs did the bare minimum to keep pace in the Division with just one overtime point earned. Granted it wasn’t without great effort.

The IceHogs feel in their first contest of the weekend against the Moose on Saturday night, 3-1. Anton Forsberg had the start in net for the IceHogs, stopping 22 shots on 25 shots faced in the loss. The lone goal for the IceHogs came from defenseman Dennis Gilbert, his third goal of the season. Gilbert’s tally came early in the third period to cut a then 2-0 Moose lead in half, but Manitoba would make it a 3-1 game just under two minutes later and were able to hold on for the win.

Rockford out-shot Manitoba on Saturday night. 34-25, but Moose goaltender Eric Comrie made 33 saves in earning his 21st win of the season. Forsberg saw his record fall to 12-11-2 on the season with a 2.59 GAA and a 0.920 save-percentage.

Following Saturday night’s loss, the IceHogs had a quick turnaround to try to get a split with a 2pm afternoon puck drop on Sunday against the Moose. Looking to  keep pace in the Central Division and keep the Moose from making things even tighter in the Playoff race, the IceHogs held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period after Peter Holland was able to get the lone tally through the first 40 minutes of action. Holland’s third goal with the IceHogs and 23rd on the season was not enough to hold on for a regulation win for the IceHogs as Mason Appleton would tie the game at 1-1 with a powerplay goal just under eight minutes remaining in the third period.

It would only take 51 seconds into overtime for the Moose to gain the extra point and a 2-1 win. Michael Spacek picked up a rebound off Kevin Lankinen and was able to beat the rookie net-minder for the game-winning tally. Lankinen would make 31 saves on 33 shots faced in the game, seeing his record on the season move to 7-7-4 with a 2.47 GAA and a 0.911 save-percentage.

With the two losses, the IceHogs saw their season record against the Moose fall to 1-1-2 in the only four meetings with Manitoba this season. Rockford will again be off for the next five days before heading into a three games in three days stretch beginning on Friday. Iowa and San Antonio will meet on Tuesday night, while Milwaukee takes on Cleveland and Texas faces Manitoba on Wednesday before the IceHogs return to action.

Calder Cup Playoff Push

Coming away from Manitoba with just one point for the IceHogs, paired with two Texas Stars regulation wins puts a three-point gap between fourth and fifth-place in the Central Division. Rockford holds a point-percentage tie-breaker over the Admirals for the time being.

1. Chicago Wolves (61 GP) – 36-18-7, 79 pts
2. Grand Rapids Griffins (60 GP) – 33-17-10, 76 pts
3. Iowa Wild (61 GP) – 31-18-13, 74 pts
4. Texas Stars (62 GP) – 30-25-7, 67 pts
5. Rockford IceHogs (61 GP) – 27-24-10, 64 pts
6. Milwaukee Admirals (63 GP) – 25-24-14, 64 pts
7. Manitoba Moose (60 GP) – 29-26-5, 63 pts
8. San Antonio Rampage (61 GP) – 27-28-6, 60 pts

14 of the final 15 games for the IceHogs this season come against Central Division opponents. The IceHogs strength of schedule remaining comes against opponents with a .562 win-percentage combined, the lowest remaining strength of schedule of teams ranked fourth through eighth in the Central Division.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action this weekend as they prepare for a three games in three days stretch of play. On Friday, the IceHogs travel to take on the Grand Rapids Griffins. Puck drop at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Friday is scheduled for 6pm CT. Rockford holds a 5-3-0 record against the Griffins this season.

On Saturday, the IceHogs return home to host the Cleveland Monsters for the fourth and final meeting this season. Rockford and Cleveland matched up for three games over the first eight games of the season with Rockford coming away with a 0-3-0 record in those games. Puck drop at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Saturday is set for 6pm CT. This will be the only game over the final 15 contests for the IceHogs this season that will not be against a Central Division team.

Finally, on Sunday the IceHogs have a quick turnaround when they host the Texas Stars. One of the five teams battling for the last Calder Cup Playoff spot in the Central Division, the Stars have had the IceHogs’ number this season as Rockford holds a 1-2-2 record against Texas. Puck drop for Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day game is set for 4pm CT.

The post IceHogs Drop Weekend Series Against Moose appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Hold Position In Calder Cup Playoff Push

The Rockford IceHogs are doing it again. Making a push in the final two and a half months to make the Calder Cup Playoffs was the path to success last season for the IceHogs on their way to the Western Conference Finals, and this season they are looking to repeat that same path.

A hot run from Collin Delia in net, a consistent power-play threat, and a trio of point-producers in Cody Franson, Chris DiDomenico, and Adam Clendening propelled the 2017-18 IceHogs into the postseason and this season may have a number of players ready to fill similar roles.

Rockford was able to overcome a 4-0 deficit on Saturday against the Iowa Wild and come out on top in a 5-4 shootout win. Multi-point nights coming from Jordan Schroeder (2G), Henri Jokiharju (2A), Jacob Nilsson (2A), and Luke Johnson (G, A) led the way for the IceHogs behind a 33-save effort from Kevin Lankinen. The shootout winner was provided by Victor Ejdsell, who also had an assist in the game.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen makes a save. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Following Saturday night’s come from behind win, the IceHogs again turned to Lankinen in net and again he was able to deliver a goaltending performance good enough to get the IceHogs another win. With multi-point night’s from Jordan Schroeder (G, A), Andrew Campbell (2A), Luke Johnson (G, A), and William Pelletier (G, A) the IceHogs took a 5-2 win over the San Antonio Rampage and took hold of fourth-place in the AHL Central Division with 58 points.

Rockford has tallied at least one power-play goal in five of their last six games and have six power-play goals over that six-game span.

Rockford came out of the weekend with a two-point edge over the Milwaukee Admirals in fifth-place and trailing the Chicago Wolves by four points for third-place. A total of ten points separate the second-place Iowa Wild (63) from the tied for last place Manitoba Moose and San Antonio Rampage (53) in the Central Division.

With his pair of wins over the weekend, Kevin Lankinen improved his record to 7-6-3 on the season, with a 2.47 GAA and a 0.911 save-percentage. Lankinen has won five of his last six starts for the IceHogs. He ranks ninth in the AHL in GAA of goalies to play at least 15 games this season, and the IceHogs’ team save-percentage of 0.917 is the highest in the Central Division.

Jokiharju, Schroeder Powering IceHogs Offense

Rockford holds a 6-2-0 record so far in the month of February, coming out of a 4-6-1 month of January. Over the last 19 games since the calendar turned to 2019, leading the IceHogs in scoring is Jordan Schroeder with 14 points in that span. Just in the month of February, Schroeder leads the IceHogs with nine points in eight games. Leading Rockford in scoring with 33 points in 45 games this season, Schroeder has been a consistent offensive producer on a team that has lacked in goal-scoring for most of the season.

The IceHogs are tied with the Manitoba Moose for the fewest goals scored this season (133) but the gap between the IceHogs inept offensive numbers has closed over the last few weeks. Giving the teams goaltenders a chance is key for Rockford this season as the team holds a 22-2-2 record this season when scoring at least three goals as opposed to a 3-19-6 record in games scoring two or fewer goals.

Rockford IceHogs forward Jordan Schroeder takes a shot against the Iowa Wild. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Helping Schroeder with the offensive load since his assignment to the IceHogs is defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The rookie has been a consistent offensive threat since joining the IceHogs at the beginning of February. In eight games this season, Jokiharju has seven points, including five points over his last three games. Jokiharju’s 0.88 points per game pace is currently the highest on the team among active players, leading Schroeder (0.73) and Luke Johnson (0.67).

Rockford IceHogs defenseman Henri Jokiharju (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Also among the leaders for the IceHogs offensively continue to be Jacob Nilsson (seven points in last five games) and Luke Johnson (seven points in last seven games) who both are coming into their own as the season moves into the latter-half of the schedule.

While keeping pucks out of the net has not been an issue for the IceHogs this season, ranking a respectable tenth in fewest goals allowed (150), Rockford is going to need to call upon their early season leaders to get back to their forms of the first few weeks of the season.

A player like Anthony Louis (one point in last eight games) still ranks among the top five of the team in scoring, but has seen his scoring pace fall off in the last few weeks. If Louis can find his touch again and the rest of the roster continues to chip in, the IceHogs will continue to push Milwaukee, Chicago, and the rest of the Central Division as the Calder Cup Playoffs loom around the corner.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Wednesday as they take on the Grand Rapids Griffins. The first of three road games in-a-row for the IceHogs after a 6-game homestand, the IceHogs hold a 3-3-0 record against the Griffins this season. Puck drop for Wednesday night’s contest is set for 6pm CT at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

The post IceHogs Hold Onto Playoff Spot With Weekend Wins appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Split Weekend Against Tucson, Move Into Tie For Fourth

The Rockford IceHogs took a five-game win streak into the weekend as they prepared to host the Tucson Roadrunners for back-to-back games as they continued their current home stand.

Rockford IceHogs def. Tucson Roadrunners, 3-1

Getting the start in net on Friday night was Kevin Lankinen, coming off of wins in his last two starts for Rockford. The IceHogs got on the board first as Anthony Louis netted his 11th goal of the season late in the first period to give Rockford the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

The IceHogs extended their lead to 2-0 after Luke Johnson netted his ninth goal of the season six and a half minutes into the second period. The Roadrunners would answer back in the second period with a goal from Lane Pederson to make it a 2-1 game heading into the third period. In the final frame, Lankinen was able to stop all six shots he faced in the period, and Jacob Nilsson scored his 12th goal of the year, coming on a powerplay, to seal the IceHogs 3-1 win and extend their win-streak to six games.

Lankinen made 23 saves on 24 shots faced to earn his third win in-a-row, and improve his record on the season to 5-5-3, with a 2.35 GAA, and a 0.913 save-percentage. Lankinen has not allowed more than three goals in a start since October 19.

Tucson Roadrunners def. Rockford IceHogs, 5-3

Following the win on Friday, the IceHogs turned to Anton Forsberg in net for the second of the back-to-back contests. Forsberg came into Saturday night’s game on a three-game win streak of his own, holding down a 0.959 save-percentage over those three games and allowing just four goals over that span.

The IceHogs got on the board first in the opening period as Lucas Carlsson netted his eighth goal of the season, on a powerplay, to put the IceHogs up 1-0. The lead wouldn’t last long, though, as the Roadrunners answered back less than 30 seconds later to make it a 1-1 game at the mid-way point of the first period. Tucson would grab the 2-1 lead later in the first period on a goal from Jeremy Gregoire to give them the one-goal advantage heading into the second period.

The Roadrunners would net a powerplay goal in the second period to extend their lead to 3-1 in the middle frame and take the advantage into the third period. Rockford was not going away quietly, though, as Jordan Schroeder scored his 11th goal of the season, on the powerplay, to make it a 3-2 game. 40 seconds later, the IceHogs tied the game at 3-3 after Dennis Gilbert scored his first career AHL goal just beyond the mid-point of the third period.

The comeback effort of the IceHogs would be derailed late in the period as Tucson scored their second powerplay goal of the game with 2:20 minutes left in the game to make it a 4-3 Roadrunners lead before potting an empty-net goal to seal a 5-3 win and snap the Rockford six-game win streak. Anton Forsberg made 34 saves on 38 shots faced and saw his record this season move to 11-10-1, with a 2.63 GAA and a 0.920 save-percentage.

Rockford was 3-for-11 on the powerplay and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill over the weekend. This season, the IceHogs rank 30th in the AHL on the powerplay with a 15.2-percent success rate, while they rank 13th in the league on the penalty-kill with a 81.9-percent kill-rate.

With the weekend split, the IceHogs move into a tie for fourth-place in the AHL Central Division with the Milwaukee Admirals. Having both played 51 games this season, the IceHogs and Admirals are tied with 54 points in the standings, four points behind the Chicago Wolves in third-place and three points ahead of the Texas Stars in sixth-place.

Rockford holds a 4-2-1 record against Milwaukee in seven games this season. The two teams do not meet again until March 22, the first of three games in-a-row between the IceHogs and Admirals. After that, the two will meet twice in April, including the IceHogs season finale on April 14 in Rockford.

Roster Updates

The Chicago Blackhawks made a pair of moves over the last few days that have affected the Rockford IceHogs. First, the Blackhawks recalled forward Dylan Sikura on Monday morning. Sikura, who was riding a four-game points streak (G, 3 A) coming out of this weekend’s action, has 12 points in 14 games with the IceHogs since returning from Chicago in early January.

Rockford IceHogs forward Dylan Sikura. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

In 11 games this season with the Blackhawks, Sikura has 3 assists and is a plus-one rating. In his 16 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Sikura has six assists.

Dylan Sikura back with #Blackhawks: pic.twitter.com/8HJ3ANBzZd

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 11, 2019

The other move that Chicago made regarding the IceHogs roster came to completion on Monday morning as defenseman Luc Snuggerud cleared unconditional waivers and has been released from his contract with the organization.

Luc Snuggerud of the Rockford IceHogs (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)

Snuggerud was a fifth-round draft pick by the Blackhawks in the 2014 NHL Draft out of Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota. After playing three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Snuggerud joined the IceHogs late in the Spring of 2017. Injuries during the 2017-18 season, as well as a concussion early this season, have hindered Snuggerud’s ice-time and development since his promising start with Rockford. In 57 career AHL games, he tallied six goals and 18 assists.

Andrew Campbell Plays In 700th AHL Game

On Saturday night, IceHogs defenseman Andrew Campbell skated in his 700th career AHL game. In 11 AHL seasons, Campbell has suited up for the IceHogs, Tucson Roadrunners, Toronto Marlies, Portland Pirates, and Manchester Monarchs with 414 of his 700 AHL games coming with the Monarchs. He has served as a Captain or Alternate Captain for all five organizations he has played for in his AHL career.

Andrew Campbell of the Rockford IceHogs. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Campbell, a former third-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2008 NHL Draft, was the Western Conference playing Captain at this year’s AHL All-Star Weekend. In his 700 career games, Campbell has 145 points and is a career +96. With the IceHogs this season, Campbell has skated in 45 games with  three goals and one assist.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Tuesday night, continuing their season-high six-game home stand. On Tuesday, the IceHogs host the Texas Stars in a Central Division showdown. Puck drop is set for 7pm CT at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The IceHogs hold a 1-1-2 record against the Stars this season and are three points ahead of them in the Central Division standings heading into Tuesday night.

The post IceHogs Move Into Playoff Position, Dylan Sikura Recalled appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Improve Winning Streak To Four Games

The IceHogs concluded a 40-game stretch of the season against AHL Central Division opponents with wins over the Chicago Wolves and Milwaukee Admirals this weekend. Starting on October 28, the IceHogs have only faced teams within their own Division and took out of it a 17-16-7 record.

They will enter their next game (Wednesday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) with a 21-19-8 record and 50 points in the standings. A record good enough for fifth-place in the Central Division for now, the IceHogs have played in 48 games this year, tied for the most in the Division with the Admirals and the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Rockford IceHogs defenseman Henri Jokiharju celebrates his first career professional goal against the Chicago Wolves. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

Rockford will need to continue their winning ways to keep their ground in the Calder Cup Playoff chase and will need to theoretically reach the mid-80’s range for season points this year to make the playoffs out of the Central Division. To do that, they will need to win at least 16 of their last 28 games to finish the season. Luckily for the IceHogs, 16 of their final 28 games this year will be played at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, including a six-game home stretch this month and another five-game homestand in late March.

Notching wins over teams ahead of them in the Central Division, such as they did over the Wolves and Admirals this weekend, the IceHogs may just have started to find their footing to make a late-push into the Calder Cup Playoff picture.

Rockford IceHogs def. Chicago Wolves, 5-2

The IceHogs improved their record against the Wolves this season to 5-3-1 after a 5-2 win on Friday night in Rockford. With Chicago Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz and Hall of Fame goaltender Tony Esposito in the building, the IceHogs used a three-goal second period effort and a 28-save performance from Kevin Lankinen to secure their third win in-a-row at the time and take the lead in the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry this year.

Helping Lankinen get his fourth win of the season (4-5-3, 2.46 GAA, 0.910 save%) with five goals of support, the IceHogs saw multi-point efforts from Alexandre Fortin (2 goals) and Terry Broadhurst (2 assists) as well as the first North American professional goal from rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju in his first ever AHL game.

In his first game with the IceHogs after being assigned earlier in the week, Jokiharju stepped into the Rockford lineup and played on the top-pairing with fellow rookie Lucas Carlsson. Jokiharju netted the 1-1 game-tying goal in the first period and played like he doesn’t want to be with the IceHogs for long, which is a good thing for him personally. Jokiharju’s assignment is to re-focus his development and give him the ice-time the Blackhawks feel he needs that he would not be seeing in Chicago.

For the IceHogs, they’ll benefit from any time that Jokiharju spends in Rockford, especially if he continues to play at the level he displayed over the weekend.

Rockford IceHogs def. Milwaukee Admirals, 3-2 (OT)

Following Friday night’s win over the Wolves. the IceHogs headed North to take on the Milwaukee Admirals in Milwaukee. With a 3-2-1 record against the Admirals coming into Saturday night’s contest, the IceHogs would have to win the war of attrition between them and the Admirals through 40 minutes of play. Finally in the third period, the floodgates would open, for both teams.

The IceHogs would get the opening goal of the game just under three minutes into the third period as Dylan Sikura netted his team-leading 13th goal of the season. With four points in his last four games, including a goal against the Admirals, Sikura tied Anthony Louis for the team-lead in points this season with 27. Following the 1-0 goal, just past the mid-way point of the final period, William Pelletier added to the IceHogs lead with his fourth goal of the year to make it a 2-0 lead for Rockford.

With Anton Forsberg in net, staring down Rockford’s first shutout of the season, the Admirals would pot two goals in the final 2:22 of the third period to complete the comeback and force overtime. Forsberg made 26 saves on 28 shots in regulation, but would not need to face any shots in the overtime period as Darren Raddysh for the overtime winner, his eighth goal of the season, just a minute and a half into overtime. With the 3-2 overtime win, Forsberg improved his record to 10-9-1 this season with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.917 save-percentage.

WILD STAT: The win over Milwaukee was the eighth win for the IceHogs this season in overtime, the single-season franchise record. Rockford is tied for the most overtime games this season with 17.

WILD STAT: With the 5-2 win over the Wolves and the 3-2 (OT) win over the Admirals, the IceHogs improved their record when scoring at least three goals this season to 19-1-2.

Roster Update: Forward Matheson Iacopelli has been assigned to the Indy Fuel. In 27 games with the IceHogs this season, Iacopelli has 2 goals and 2 assists.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs take their four-game winning streak up against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night in Rockford. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm CT at the BMO Harris Bank Center for the first of two meetings this month between the IceHogs and the Penguins. Wednesday night’s home game also is the first of a six-game homestand for the IceHogs that sees them face the Penguins, Tucson Roadrunners (twice), Texas Stars, Iowa Wild, and San Antonio Rampage over a 12-day span.

The post IceHogs Extend Winning Streak To Four Games appeared first on The Rink.

Grading The Rockford IceHogs: Goalies

The Rockford IceHogs have a lot of work ahead of them if they are going to make a run to a Calder Cup Playoffs spot. What they have going for them is the ability to stop pucks. As mentioned yesterday in the Defensemen grades piece, the IceHogs rank 10th in the AHL in goals allowed. Boasting a collective 2.66 GAA and a 0.916 save-percentage among the three goalies to have played for Rockford this season, the IceHogs have a chance to get at least a point on a nightly basis just by who they put into net.

While Collin Delia was recalled to the Chicago Blackhawks when we was at the top of the league in GAA and save-percentage, Anton Forsberg and Kevin Lankinen have stepped up their games and are giving the IceHogs their best heading into the back-half of the season.

Incompletes (Less than 10 AHL games played)

• None

IceHogs Goalies Report Cards

• Collin Delia (17 GP, 7-5-4, 2.34 GAA, 0.933 Save%)
  • As stated before, Delia was at the top of the AHL this season in GAA and save-percentage at the time that the Blackhawks recalled him to replace an injured Corey Crawford. The 2018-19 version of Delia has been in the works for just over a year as his development with the IceHogs last season was a rough around the edges piece of coal, now turned (possibly) into the next Blackhawks diamond in net. Grade: A

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia makes a save against the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

• Anton Forsberg (19 GP, 9-9-1, 2.68 GAA, 0.917 Save%)
  • Forsberg has not had the best of times in the Blackhawks organization. Originally brought in to be the backup option behind Corey Crawford last season, Forsberg wasn’t able to lock down the spot or take over as the starter when Crawford went down last season. Fast forward to this season and yet again, Forsberg is passed over. His time with the organization is no doubt limited, but for what he has done in Rockford this season, with limited goal support, he has put them not far from playoff contention. Grade: B

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Anton Forsberg. (Courtesy: San Antonio Rampage)

• Kevin Lankinen (11 GP, 3-5-3, 2.50 GAA, 0.907 Save%)
  • While the wins and losses record isn’t very appealing, those numbers don’t tell the full story of Lankinen’s time with the IceHogs this season. Much like Delia last season, Lankinen’s development has been accelerated due to injury and he has adapted nicely. With minimal goal support in most games (3 regulation losses when allow 2 goals or fewer), Lankinen looks to have solidified a place with the organization for the near future. Grade: B

Kevin Lankinen makes a save against the San Antonio Rampage. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

• Indy Fuel – Matt Tomkins (ECHL: 33 GP, 18-11-3, 2.95 GAA, 0.911 Save%)
  • From The-Rink Indy Fuel Writer Evan Miller: “Tomkins has improved greatly this season and has become a stud on the back-end for the Fuel. Although he has some inconsistencies to overcome, he has the potential to go a long way in the Blackhawks organization.” Grade: A-

Matt Tomkins / © Whiteshark Photography

I felt the need to add Tomkins into the mix since his season with the Indy Fuel has been going extremely well, despite not receiving a recall to the IceHogs yet this season. While the injury status of Corey Crawford and the expiring contract of Cam Ward at the end of this season make Chicago’s organizational depth at goalie a bit of a cloudy outlook, the performances from Tomkins, Lankinen, and most notably Collin Delia give hope that if replacements in net are needed right away, the IceHogs and Blackhawks have capable players in-house.

• If you missed Tuesday’s Forwards group, you can find the grades here.
• If you missed yesterday’s Defensemen group, you can find the grades here.
• And if you missed today’s Chicago Blackhawks assignment of Henri Jokiharju to the IceHogs, you can find that story here.  

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs return to action following the AHL All-Star break on Friday, February 1 as they host the Chicago Wolves in another installment of the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry this season. Following Friday night’s game in Rockford, the IceHogs travel North to Milwaukee to take on the Admirals on Saturday night.

Puck drop on Friday at the BMO Harris Bank Center is scheduled for 7pm CT. The IceHogs hold a 4-3-1 record against the Wolves this season. On Saturday night, puck drop is scheduled for 7pm CT at the UW-Panther Arena in Milwaukee. The IceHogs hold a 3-2-1 record against the Admirals this season.

The post Rockford IceHogs Mid-Term Grades: Goalies appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Take Wins Over Manitoba, Iowa Into AHL All-Star Break

Heading into the weekend, the Rockford IceHogs were looking at a very real possibility of falling into dead last in the AHL Central Division, had they not earned points against either the Manitoba Moose or the Iowa Wild. In back-to-back home games, the IceHogs were able to secure four points out of a possible four, getting a shootout win over the Moose on Friday and a win in regulation over the Wild on Saturday night.

With those results, the IceHogs headed into the AHL All-Star Weekend sitting tied in sixth-place in the Central Division (19-19-8, 46 points) with the San Antonio Rampage based on points, but are tied for the bottom spot in the Division with the Manitoba Moose, based on point-percentage.

Rockford IceHogs def. Manitoba Moose, 4-3 (SO)

Kevin Lankinen would get the start on Friday night for the IceHogs against the Manitoba Moose. Lankinen had recorded just one win for the IceHogs since the Christmas Holiday break, going 1-3-2 over that stretch. Rockford found themselves trailing at the end of the first period thanks to a Moose powerplay goal from former IceHogs forward Marko Dano. His fifth goal of the year put Manitoba ahead 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes.

Rockford would be in a bigger hole in the second period as the Moose took a 2-0 lead just under three minutes into the second period thanks to Sami Niku‘s third goal of the season. Just past the mid-way point of the period, Luke Johnson would tally his sixth goal of the season, coming on the powerplay, to cut the Manitoba lead in half. But he one-goal deficit wouldn’t last long for the IceHogs as the Moose re-took a two-goal lead with less than five minutes to play in the middle frame after Michael Spacek‘s sixth goal of the season, the second Manitoba powerplay goal of the night.

Needing to find a big comeback in the third period, the IceHogs pushed to the final two minutes of the third period before finding a breakthrough goal. With two minutes to play, Dylan Sikura buried his team-leading 12th goal of the season to cut the Manitoba lead to 3-2. Then in dramatic fashion with Lankinen pulled, the IceHogs pulled even at 3-3 thanks to a Jordan Schroeder slap-shot with just seven seconds remaining in regulation. Schroeder’s 10th of the season sent the IceHogs and Moose to overtime, securing at least a point for both teams.

There would be no breakthrough for either team in the extra three-on-three period, so it would have to go to the shootout. Both Lucas Carlsson and Jordan Schroeder would convert their chances against Eric Comrie, and Lankinen shut the door on Logan Shaw and Seth Griffith to seal a comeback 4-3 win for the IceHogs in the shootout. Lankinen finished the game with 25 saves on 28 shots, improving his season record to 3-5-3, with a 2.50 GAA, and a 0.907 save-percentage.

Rockford IceHogs def. Iowa Wild, 3-1

Following Friday night’s comeback win, the IceHogs turned around and hosted the Iowa Wild on Saturday night in Rockford. On Rockford’s annual Autism Awareness Night, the IceHogs wore special uniforms and had a special night in store for the home crowd.

Anton Forsberg got the start for the IceHogs, coming into the game dropping six of his last seven starts in regulation since the Christmas Holiday break. One thing that Forsberg was able to take advantage of on Saturday night was the IceHogs’ discipline, taking just two penalties on the night and allowing the Wild just one powerplay, which the IceHogs were able to kill-off.

After a scoreless first period, the IceHogs would get on the board first, thanks to a powerplay goal from Jacob Nilsson on Rockford’s only powerplay opportunity of the night. Nilsson’s 11th goal of the year gave the IceHogs the lead early in the second period, but it would be Iowa’s Louie Belpedio scoring his fourth goal of the season with just 20 seconds left in the period that would force a 1-1 tie game into the third period.

Rockford responded early in the third period to break the 1-1 tie game thanks to Terry Broadhurst‘s fourth goal of the season. Broadhurst, who just broke-out of a 23-game goalless streak, now has goals in two of his last three games and is on a three-game points streak. Rockford held their 2-1 lead through the rest of the period, and with the Iowa net open late in the game, Luke Johnson netted his seventh goal of the season to make it a 3-1 final score.

Anton Forsberg ended the night with 33 saves on 34 shots faced, improving his record this season to 9-9-1, with a 2.68 GAA and a 0.917 save-percentage. Forsberg also tallied his first assist of the season, getting a secondary credit on the Johnson empty-net goal, his fourth AHL point of his career.

Following the weekend’s action, the IceHogs special teams took a bit of a hit in the overall rankings as the powerplay dropped to 15.1-percent on the season. Rockford ranks 30th in the AHL on the man-advantage this season, but ranks 19th in powerplay opportunities with 179. On the penalty-kill, the IceHogs are doing much better with an 82.8-percent kill-rate, ranking them 8th in the AHL. The IceHogs rank 14th in the AHL with 180 times short-handed this season.

At the AHL All-Star Break, Anthony Louis leads the IceHogs in points with 27 (10 G, 17 A), followed by Dylan Sikura with 26 points (12 G, 14 A), and Jordan Schroeder with 24 points (10 G, 14 A) this season.

Andrew Campbell Shines At AHL All-Star Skills Competition

Following the back-to-back wins, the IceHogs headed into the AHL All-Star Break, except for defenseman Andrew Campbell. Campbell was honored with being named the AHL’s Western Conference playing Captain for the AHL All-Star Weekend, becoming the lone IceHogs representative after Collin Delia’s recall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Absolute power move by The Captain. Lets the jock hang free in a locker room full of All-Stars #AHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/BgTc1LKIq4

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 27, 2019

Campbell, in his 11th season as a pro, was named the playing Captain for the Western Conference to make his first AHL All-Star appearance in his career. Campbell has played in 695 AHL games in his 11 professional seasons with 145 points. He also has skated in 42 NHL games since being drafted in 2008 by the Los Angeles Kings.

#2 on the ice, but #1 in our heart pic.twitter.com/7wVMBxuXUg

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 28, 2019

Competing in the Hardest Shot and the Team Breakaway Relay events, Campbell showed his power with the slap-shot, hitting triple digit with a 100.0 MPH clapper on his third attempt. Only Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Greg Carey would hit a harder shot, winning the contest with a 100.4 MPH slap-shot.

Campbell in the CCM Hardest Shot:
98.3
99.5

…And 100.0 Pure Brawn pic.twitter.com/8O8j228knO

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 28, 2019

In the Breakaway Relay event, Campbell was able to put one home against Hershey Bears goaltender Vitek Vanecek, helping the Western Conference overcome the Eastern Conference to win the AHL All-Stars Skills Competition, 17-14.

Soups is playing chess and everyone else is playing checkers

The Captain shoots first, purposely lulls the goalie to sleep, and the Western Conference goes on to win the Breakaway Relay pic.twitter.com/Gm8RRCS3rr

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 28, 2019

Stick taps from his whole squad as Campbell skates over to accept the trophy for the Western Conference's win tonight

Orange slices and Capri Sun for everyone, and we're back at it tomorrow night! pic.twitter.com/ktWu3ItTDl

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 28, 2019

Campbell joins the AHL Central Division All-Stars on Monday night for the AHL All-Star Challenge, pitting all four divisions against each other in three-on-three games in a round-robin format. The Central start the night against the Atlantic Division, before taking on the North Division and then finishing against the Pacific Division in the round-robin portion. The AHL All-Star Challenge begins on Monday at 7pm ET in Springfield, Massachusetts.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs return to action following the AHL All-Star break on Friday, February 1 as they host the Chicago Wolves in another installment of the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry this season. Following Friday night’s game in Rockford, the IceHogs travel North to Milwaukee to take on the Admirals on Saturday night.

Puck drop on Friday at the BMO Harris Bank Center is scheduled for 7pm CT. The IceHogs hold a 4-3-1 record against the Wolves this season. On Saturday night, puck drop is scheduled for 7pm CT at the UW-Panther Arena in Milwaukee. The IceHogs hold a 3-2-1 record against the Admirals this season.

The post IceHogs, Campbell Excel Over AHL All-Star Break appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Fall Twice Over Weekend

Coming off the biggest margin of victory since November 4, the IceHogs had themselves a bit of momentum heading on the road for three games in Texas starting on Friday night against the Stars and then Saturday and upcoming on Tuesday against the San Antonio Rampage. While they didn’t totally lack scoring over the weekend, scoring three goals in each game, Rockford was only able to come away with one point out of a possible four points.

Texas Stars def, Rockford IceHogs, 4-3 (SO)

Against the Stars, the IceHogs found success on the powerplay, tallying two goals on the man-advantage thanks to efforts from Dylan Sikura and Anthony Louis, the top-two point leaders for the IceHogs this season. The goal coming between the powerplay tallies for the IceHogs, which was the 2-2 game-tying goal at the time, came in highlight-reel form from Nathan Noel. His second goal of the season came on a mid-air shot, cutting across the middle of the ice.

Find it below at the 1:55 mark of the game highlights:

Noel wasn’t only active on the score-sheet for the IceHogs, but also on the fight card for the night. Noel dropped the gloves with James Phelan early in the third period, Noel fell one assist short of a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick on the night. Also dropping the gloves earlier in the game was defenseman Dennis Gilbert as he squared up with Samuel Laberge.

Gilbert leads the IceHogs this season with 5 fighting majors, followed by Noel with 3 fighting majors to his name. All of last season, Rockford totaled 11 fighting majors. So far through 40 games this season, the IceHogs have 15 fighting majors. While maybe it’s a case of roster make-up this season to last, or that teams who are facing more adversity feel the need to drop the gloves more as a means of sparking the team, the IceHogs have shown bite this season while their play on the ice has left more to be desired. After having the least amount of fighting majors last season in the AHL, the IceHogs rank 14th in the league so far this season.

Kevin Lankinen got the start for the IceHogs against the Stars and made 26 saves on 29 shots faced. Lankinen has allowed three or fewer goals in his last seven-straight starts dating back to October 17, but sees his overall record this season drop to 2-4-3 with a 2.51 GAA and a 0.908 save-percentage. In the shootout, Travis Morin was the only Stars skater to beat Lankinen for the deciding goal, while Victor Ejdsell, Dylan Sikura, and Anthony Louis were unable to convert for Rockford.

San Antonio Rampage def. Rockford IceHogs, 4-3

Following Friday’s shootout loss, the IceHogs headed South on I-35 to San Antonio for their first of two games in four days against the San Antonio Rampage. Anton Forsberg got the start for the IceHogs, looking to break out of a three-game personal losing streak in net.

The IceHogs played from behind all night, only having a tied game at 0-0 or 1-1 for a combined 14:31 minutes of game time. The Rampage opened the scoring in the first period with Trevor Smith‘s sixth goal of the season. Rockford would tie the game early in the second period thanks to Dylan Sikura’s 11th goal of the season. San Antonio would break out for two goals in the second period following Sikura’s game-tier to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.

Rockford IceHogs forward Jordan Schroeder (Courtesy: Texas Stars)

Rockford would crawl back into contention early in the third period with a goal from Jordan Schroeder to cut the Rampage lead to 3-2, but Jordan Nolan would put San Antonio back on top by a two-goal lead with his 10th goal of the season. Schroeder would tally his ninth goal of the season to cut the Rampage lead to 4-3 with just 11 seconds to play in regulation and the comeback would be too little, too late for the IceHogs.

With his two-goal effort against San Antonio on Saturday night, Schroeder continues to be one of the most reliable point-producers for the IceHogs, second on the team with a 0.71 point-per-game rate this season, just behind Dylan Sikura’s 0.76 point-per-game rate. Schroeder also moved into a tie for second on the IceHogs in scoring this season with 22 points, equal to Dylan Sikura and three points behind Anthony Louis for the team-lead with 25 points.

Anton Forsberg made 35 saves on 39 shots faced, losing his fourth-straight game in regulation. Forsberg’s record this season now falls to 7-7-1, with a 2.86 GAA and a 0.912 save-percentage.

IceHogs Trending Down

The loss on Saturday night marks Rockford’s eighth loss in their last nine games (1-6-2) since the Christmas holiday break. Rockford’s 2-6-2 mark over their last ten games is also the second-worst ten game stretch in the AHL since December 21 behind the Ontario Reign. 

With 92 goals for this season, the IceHogs also have the second-lowest goal production in the AHL behind the Manitoba Moose. Rockford and Manitoba are the only two teams to not break the 100-goal mark this season and the Moose have played four fewer games than the IceHogs. The IceHogs are scoring 2.30 goals per game this season to Manitoba’s 2.38 goals per game, making them the lowest scoring team on average in the AHL.

While the two powerplay goal effort on Friday night against the Stars helped earn the IceHogs a point in the standings, they still rank in the bottom-third of the AHL in converting on the man-advantage. With a 15.2-percent success-rate on the powerplay, Rockford ranks 27th in the league converting with the advantage. A very disappointing mark given that the team ranks 13th in powerplay opportunities this season.

Conversely, on the penalty-kill, the IceHogs rank tied for fifth in the AHL with a 84.6-percent kill-rate. Rockford ranks 15th in the league in times shorthanded this season with 162.

Roster Updates

Neil Manning was added to the IceHogs roster from the Indy Fuel of the ECHL on Wednesday, with Matheson Iacopelli heading to the Fuel from Rockford in the same transaction. Manning has three games played this season with the IceHogs. Iacopelli has four points (2 G, 2 A) in 25 games with Rockford this season. UPDATE: Manning was re-assigned to the Fuel on Monday afternoon.

On Thursday, defenseman Luc Snuggerud was activated to the roster after being cleared to return to practice. He is yet to be cleared to return to game action. Snuggerud has not played with the IceHogs since suffering a head injury on November 3 against the Iowa Wild. Snuggerud had one assist in his four games played this season with the IceHogs.

On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Jan Rutta and a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Slater Koekkoek and a 2019 fifth-round pick. Rutta played in eight games with the IceHogs, tallying four points (G, 3 A). Koekkoek has 14 points (9 G, 9 A) in 85 career NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and in 185 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch, Koekkoek has 55 points points (12 G, 43 A).

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks assigned defenseman Brandon Davidson to the IceHogs on Sunday afternoon. Davidson has played in 10 games with the Blackhawks this season with just one assist. Davidson has not played in the AHL since the 2014-15 season with the Oklahoma City Barons. In his 162 career NHL games, Davidson has 23 points (9 G, 14 A) and in 150 AHL games, Davidson has 28 points (11 G, 17 A).

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are back in action on Tuesday night as they close the three-game Texas road-trip with another contest against the San Antonio Rampage. Following Saturday night’s loss, the IceHogs hold a 1-2-2 record against the Rampage this season. Puck drop for Tuesday night’s game at the AT&T Center is set for 7pm CT.

The post IceHogs Salvage One Point Over Weekend In Texas appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs Finally Get A Multi-Goal Win

On Friday night in Des Moines, the IceHogs fell to the Wild, 3-0, behind a 30-save performance from starter Anton Forsberg. The loss marked the sixth loss in a row, at the time, for the IceHogs (0-5-1) and the fifth regulation/overtime loss for Forsberg this season where he recorded a 0.900 save-percentage or better. The IceHogs also suffered their second shutout of the six-game losing streak and fell further behind in the AHL Central Division, looking to still break the 40-point season barrier.

With Sunday’s home game came a bit of reinforcements as the Chicago Blackhawks reassigned Dylan Sikura and Andreas Martinsen. Sikura returned to the IceHogs as the third-highest point scorer and Martinsen would make his IceHogs season debut after playing 64 games with Rockford last season as well as all 13 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Rockford IceHogs forward Dylan Sikura. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

With the Blackhawks this season, Martinsen has skated in 24 games with four points (G, 3 A) while Sikura has skated in 11 games with three assists. Sikura entered Sunday night’s contest tied for third in scoring on the team with 18 points (9 G, 9 A).

Looking back at a comment made by IceHogs interim head coach Derek King following a 2-1 loss to the Admirals on January 2, King stated the following about his team’s lack of goal production:

#IceHogs HC Derek King postgame on low-scoring offense: "I'd love somebody to get 4-5 goals & run away w/a game so we can cruise into the 3rd. I don't think that's going to happen here w/our team the way we have it. We gotta work hard every game. We did that tonight."#RFDvsMIL

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 3, 2019

Well, his wish was granted on Sunday night as the IceHogs had four players record multi-points games, including a hat-trick from Jacob Nilsson, his first in the AHL. The 6-2 win over Iowa also marked the first time the IceHogs have won a game by more than one-goal since November 4,also against the Wild.

Kevin Lankinen got the start in net and responded with a solid 31-save performance on 33 shots faced. Lankinen improved his record to 2-4-2 on the season with a 2.47 GAA and a 0.910 save-percentage. In his last three starts for the IceHogs, the Finnish rookie has a 1-1-1 record with a 2.00 GAA and a 0.940 save percentage.

The IceHogs offensive outburst was powered by a pair of three-point nights coming from Jacob Nilsson’s hat-trick and Anthony Louis recording a goal and two assists. It marked the third three-point game for Nilsson this season and the first three-point night for Louis of his AHL career. With their efforts, Nilsson takes over the lead for the team’s leading goal-scorer with 10 goals on the year and Louis takes extends his team-lead in points  to 24 (9 G, 15 A). Jordan Schroeder tallied two assists and Luke Johnson had an assist and his fifth goal of the season to add to the IceHogs’ multi-point efforts against Iowa.

Rockford IceHogs forwards Anthony Louis (left) and Jacob Nilsson (right) celebrate Nilsson’s hat-trick against the Iowa Wild. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)

The offensive outburst from the IceHogs was a LONG time coming. Heading into Sunday night’s games against Iowa, Rockford’s last nine wins had all come by just one-goal margins. This season,  the IceHogs hold a 9-5-7 record in games decided by one goal, holding a 7-10 record in games with a multi-goal difference. The IceHogs remain one of the lowest-scoring teams in the AHL with 86 goals-for, which ranks 30th out of 31 teams. Also of note, both Martinsen and Dylan Sikura tallied assists in the first games back with the IceHogs on Sunday.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs return to action on Friday as they begin  a three-game road trip to Texas. Starting on Friday night, the IceHogs head South to take on the Texas Stars. Puck drop on Friday is set for 7pm CT at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. Following Friday night, the IceHogs take on the San Antonio Rampage on Saturday night in San Antonio. Puck drop is also at 7pm CT on Saturday night at the AT&T Center. The IceHogs hold a 1-1-1 record against the Stars this season and a 2-1-1 record against the Rampage this season.

The post IceHogs, Nilsson Break Out In Weekend Split Against Wild appeared first on The Rink.

IceHogs End 2018 On Four-Game Skid

The Rockford IceHogs season has been a roller-coaster of mediocrity. Goal-scoring has been a struggle, while goaltending has been near the top of the league. Power-play has been less-than great, while penalty-killing has been a strength. There has been a coaching change, and some of their more productive players are now playing with the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s been quite the sequel of a season after reaching the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals last year.

After taking a five-game point streak into the Christmas Holiday break, the IceHogs have dropped four-straight games, going 0-3-1 against AHL Central Division foes the Iowa Wild, Chicago Wolves, and Grand Rapids Griffins to close the 2018 calendar year.

Entering the 2019 portion of the season, the IceHogs sit in 6th place in the division with a 15-13-7 record, good for 37 points. They trail the Milwaukee Admirals in 5th place and Texas Stars in 4th place, both with 38 points in the standings. Rockford, along with the Grand Rapids Griffins, have played the most games in the division with 35, while the last-place Manitoba Moose have played the least with 31 games played so far this season.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen makes a save against the Iowa Wild. (Courtesy: Iowa Wild)

After Collin Delia was recalled by the Blackhawks, rookie Kevin Lankinen joined the IceHogs and has made three starts over their last four games since the Christmas Holiday break. In losses to the Wild, Wolves (in overtime), and Griffins, Lankinen has made 83 saves on 90 shots faced. Including a 25 saves on 26 shots first period against the Wolves on December 29. Lankinen has a 1-4-2 record this season with a 2.54 GAA and a 0.905 save-percentage. While he hasn’t been “lights out,” Lankinen has played well in his starts this season but has not been immune to the lack of goal-support from the Rockford offense this season. In the other loss during their 0-3-1 stretch, Anton Forsberg made 33 saves on 37 shots faced against the Chicago Wolves on December 28 at home. Forsberg is 7-4-1 this season with a 2.87 GAA and a 0.910 save-percentage.

The IceHogs NEED to find some goal-scoring. It’s a simple statement, but it’s true. Having played four games more than the Manitoba Moose, the IceHogs have only scored four goals more than the Moose to not be the lowest-scoring team in the AHL. Rockford and Manitoba remain the last two teams that have not cracked the 80-goal mark yet as a team, while 22 other teams have at least 100 goals scored as a team. Leading the team with eight goals, Anthony Louis is second on the team in scoring with 20 points this season, trailing defenseman Darren Raddysh with 21 points. Raddysh is tied with Lucas Carlsson, Jacob Nilsson, and Jordan Schroeder for second on the team with seven goals this season.

For context, the AHL leader in goal-scoring is Chris Terry of the Grand Rapids Griffins and he has 21 goals this season, which is as many goals as Raddysh leads the IceHogs with in points.

Jason Garrison Clears Waivers, Assigned To IceHogs

On Tuesday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks newly acquired defenseman Jason Garrison cleared waivers and was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Garrison was recently acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday that also brought over forward Drake Caggiula from Edmonton and saw defensemen Brandon Manning and Robin Norell (playing for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden) leaving the Blackhawks organization. 

EDMONTON, AB – OCTOBER 30: Jason Garrison #13 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against the Minnesota Wild at Rogers Place on October 30, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

The 34-year old defenseman is a veteran of 555 NHL games with 160 points, along with 171 AHL games with 82 points scored. After playing the majority of last season with the Chicago Wolves (58 games), Garrison signed a one-year deal in October with the Oilers after joining their training camp on a PTO. In and out of the lineup inconsistently in Edmonton, Garrison has one goal in his 17 NHL games this season. He will join the IceHogs ahead of their Wednesday night matchup against the Milwaukee Admirals.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs begin the 2019 calendar year at home after celebrating New Year’s in Grand Rapids. Hosting the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday night, the IceHogs have a chance to hop at least one spot in the AHL Central Division with the Admirals being one point ahead of them. Puck drop on Wednesday night is scheduled for 7pm CT at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford.

The post IceHogs Enter 2019 On Four-Game Skid, Garrison Assigned appeared first on The Rink.

Rockford IceHogs Limp Into December

The IceHogs began the month of November on a hot start with points in five of their first six games, going 4-1-1 over that stretch. Scoring three or more goals in four of their six games to begin the month, Rockford saw their success drop drastically after a 4-3 win over the Chicago Wolves on November 10. Going 1-4-2, the IceHogs scored just 11 goals over their lasy seven games and only broke out for more than two goals in a game once in a 3-2 win on Sunday against the Wolves.

Needless to say, the offensive struggles for the IceHogs are very apparent. While Jordan Schroeder and Anthony Louis have pulled their weight over the last seven games, with Schroeder having five points (G, 5A) in six games and Louis having four (2G, 2A), but the rest of the Rockford roster has been lacking of late.

The top-point producers and those counted on to generate offense have been snake-bitten, it seems, over the last seven game stretch:

• Dylan Sikura: 3 points (G, 2A)
• Victor Ejdsell: 2 points (G, A)
• Jacob Nilsson: 2 points (G, A)
• Darren Raddysh: 2 points (G, A)

When teams hit tough stretches, one would expect the secondary scorers should be able to pull-through. While the top-end of the offensive generators have been struggling, that hasn’t been the case for the IceHogs. Multiple players have just a single point over the last seven games including Henrik Samuelsson, Graham Knott, Nathan Noel, and Joni Tuulola. As December rolls around, the IceHogs will need to take advantage of the offensive chances that they are seeing while their defense and goaltending continue to keep them in games.

Anton Forsberg of the Rockford IceHogs. (Courtesy: Iowa Wild)

While the offense has been lacking for Rockford, their goaltenders have been more than pulling their own weight during the last seven games. Anton Forsberg, returning from an illness earlier in the month, returned to make two appearances against the Chicago Wolves in the final three games of November. Forsberg would make 18 saves on 25 shots on Friday against the Wolves, followed up by a redeeming 29 save performance on 31 shots on Sunday.

In the absence of Forsberg, Collin Delia made five appearances with four starts over the last seven games of November. Delia would go 0-2-2 over that stretch with a 2.45 GAA in his four starts and a 0.932 save-percentage. Kevin Lankinen also made one start over the last seven games, a 2-1 loss to the San Antonio Rampage on November 17. Lankinen made 19 saves on 21 shots.

Johnson, Lankinen Return To IceHogs Roster

Ahead of Sunday’s contest, the Rockford IceHogs were a part of a pair of roster moves that saw Luke Johnson and Kevin Lankinen return to the Rockford lineup. The Chicago Blackhawks reassigned Johnson, while the IceHogs recalled Lankinen from the Indy Fuel.

For Johnson this season, he has been in and out of the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks mostly this season. In 13 NHL games this season, Johnson has just one assist. He added a goal against the Wolves on Sunday to make it three points (2G, A) in three AHL games this season.

For Lankinen, he has seen time for both the IceHogs and Fuel this season after starting the year in Rockford. In his four starts for the Fuel, Lankinen has a 4-0-0 record with a 2.50 GAA and a 0.910 save-percentage. In his three appearances for Rockford, Lankinen is 0-2-1 with a 2.98 GAA and a 0.852 save-percentage.

Stats For Your Consideration

• IceHogs began November 4-1-1, but finished 1-4-2 for a final 5-5-3 monthly record (13 points)
• Rockford is 4th in the Central Division on points (23), 5th on point-percentage (0.523)
• Rockford ranks 21st on the powerplay (15.4%), 3rd on the penalty-kill (86.6%)
• The IceHogs rank 28th in the AHL in goals for (53), 18th in goals allowed (64)
• Luke Johnson has two goals and an assist in his three AHL games this season.
• Anthony Louis, with a goal against the Wolves Sunday, has 11 points over his last 14 games vs. Chicago
• Dylan Sikura ranks in a four-way tie for 5th in AHL rookie point-scoring (15pts)
• Collin Delia ranks 6th in the AHL for GAA (2.35), 3rd in the AHL in save-percentage (0.932)

What’s Next?

The IceHogs are off until December 1, when play host for a Saturday Night game against the Milwaukee Admirals at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. Puck drop is set for 6pm CT. After that, the IceHogs host the San Antonio Rampage for a Sunday afternoon contest. Puck drop at the BMO Harris Bank Center is set for 4pm CT on Sunday.

The post Rockford IceHogs Snap Six-Game Winless Skid appeared first on The Rink.

At the other end, John Muse got the start for the Wheeling Nailers. Muse had started in two games for Wheeling, prior to Saturday. Coming into the Nailers’ home opener on Saturday, the 30-year-old had posted a 1-1-0 record with a 2.89 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert-Ryan Rupert-Olivier Labelle

Alex Brooks-Neil Manning

Kevin Lankinen

The Fuel got out to yet another shaky start on Saturday. Wheeling got out to a 1-0 lead 16:48 into the opening frame on an unassisted tally by Troy Josephs.

About two minutes later, Zac Lynch ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lankinen as the Fuel found themselves in yet another first-period deficit.

On the ensuing faceoff after the Lynch goal, Anthony Collins and Brad Drobot had a much-anticipated heavyweight fight. This seemed to have spark Indy in the second period.

Fuel captain Zach Miskovic found himself in the box to start the middle frame as he was called for a slashing penalty at the end of the first.

This did not seem to faze the Fuel penalty kill. Connor Moynihan netted his second shorthanded goal of the season on a 2-on-1 rush with Mathew Thompson. This cut the Nailers’ lead in half early.

Kevin Dufour recorded his first of two goals in the game just 40 seconds after the Moynihan tally to tie the game up at two early in the second period. Josh Shalla tallied an assist on the goal which allowed him to continue a season-long point streak, which extends nine games.

A little over four minutes later, Dufour found the back of the net again for his third of the season on a feed from Brooks. This gave the Fuel a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the game.

The Fuel’s power play was the next unit to find the back of the net for Indy. Labelle was able to bury a cross-crease pass from Shalla for his team-leading fifth goal of the season to double the Fuel lead.

Next up on the goal queue was Shalla. Moynihan was able to feed him on the rush to extend the Fuel lead to 5-2.

This is the second time this season that the Fuel were able to net five goals in one period, which is the most goals in a period in the ECHL this season.

Josephs quickly responded to Shalla’s tally on the power play for Wheeling. This was his second goal of the game and it cut the Fuel lead to 5-3.

The chippiness picked up a bit more in the third period with scattered scuffles after whistles. The Fuel were still able to spoil the Nailers’ home opener with a 5-3 victory.

This was Wheeling’s first regulation home opener loss since 2010. They were 6-0-1 in their past seven home openers and 18-5-1 all-time in opening games at home.

By The Numbers

• 9 – The length of Shalla’s point streak. The 27-year-old has 14 points (4G, 10A) in nine games.
• 2 – The number of wins and games played for Lankinen. The netminder has played outstanding in his past two starts and the Finnish goaltender has a bright future.
• 5 – The number of goals Labelle has. The 13-year veteran took the team lead in goals on Saturday with a power-play goal. This turned out to be the game-winner.

The post RECAP: Fuel’s Second-Period Surge Leads to Impressive 5-3 Win appeared first on The Rink.

Anton Forsberg Clears Waivers, Creates Odd Situation For The Organization

The Blackhakws placed Anton Forsberg on waivers Monday morning as a result of Corey Crawford returning to health and making his way back into the rotation in net with Cam Ward. The 25-year old Forsberg is 11-24-4 in his NHL career with a 3.21 GAA and a 0.901 save-percentage in parts of four season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks.

https://twitter.com/johndietzdh/status/1054765229320667136

Forsberg, who did not get into a game with the Blackhawks so far this season, has a career 1.95 GAA and 0.931 save-percentage at the AHL level in four seasons with the Springfield Falcons and Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters. Forsberg also backstopped the Monsters on their way to winning the 2016 Calder Cup.

The assignment of Forsberg to the IceHogs creates a log-jam in net in Rockford. Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia have split the first six games of the season so far for the IceHogs. Lankinen made two starts for Rockford, going 0-1-1 with a 3.39 GAA and a 0.825 save-percentage, while Delia has a 3-1-0 record with a 3.26 GAA and a 0.910 save-percentage.

CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 20: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche scores on goalie Anton Forsberg #31 of the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at the United Center on March 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

The positive to the move to send Forsberg to Rockford is that he stays in the system, the negative is that the assignment’s trickle-down affects Delia as the Rockford starter and Lankinen as the backup. Most likely, Lankinen will now be moved down to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL and thus create another jam in the organization.

https://twitter.com/evanfmiller/status/1054770255812329473

Minor-league goalie depth is not a bad thing, i.e. last season for Rockford with Jeff Glass, J.F. Berube, and Delia, but the moves necessary to be made interrupt rhythm and flow of the day-to-day for the goaltenders.

Blackhawks Recall Luke Johnson

As a corresponding move after Forsberg cleared waivers, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Luke Johnson back to the NHL. Johnson had previously be re-assigned to Rockford last week and played in both games over the weekend against the Tucson Roadrunners.

Blackhawks recall Luke Johnson and assign Anton Forsberg to Rockford.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 23, 2018

Johnson tallied two points in the two games he played with the IceHogs before returning to the Blackhawks roster.

What’s Next?

For the Blackhawks, a home game against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at the United Center. Puck drop is at 7:30 pm CT.

For the IceHogs, a Wednesday night home game against the San Antonio Rampage at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm CT.

The post Anton Forsberg Assigned To IceHogs, Luke Johnson Recalled appeared first on The Rink.

Rockford IceHogs Take 3 Of 4 Points On The Road

The two games against the Roadrunners marked the first times in AHL history that the Rockford IceHogs had ever faced Tucson. The first two of four meetings against the Roadrunners this season, Rockford was able to come away with three of a possible four points in the standings with a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday night and a 5-3 win on Saturday night.

Kevin Lankinen got the start for Friday night’s contest, looking to rebound from his first AHL start with the IceHogs this season on opening night. Lankinen would make 15 saves on 19 shots faced in the 4-3 overtime loss, leaving him still looking for his first win.

Lankinen was able to help the IceHogs hold off an early onslaught from the Roadrunners that saw them out to a 3-0 lead at the mid-way point of the game. Thanks to three unanswered goals from Tyler Sikura, Anthony Louis, and Jordan Schroeder, the IceHogs forced overtime at 3-3. But, with less than 30 seconds to play in the extra frame, the Roadrunners got the game-winner from Conor Garland for the 4-3 victory.

Collin Delia is all smiles for the Rockford IceHogs. (Courtesy: Kate Dibildox)

On Saturday night, the IceHogs would turn to Collin Delia in net for the second of the back-to-back contests. While Lankinen only faced 19 shots on Friday, Delia would face a healthy 38 shots from Tucson. Making 35 saves on those 38 shots faced, Delia was able to backstop the IceHogs to a 5-3 win over the Roadrunners, good for his third-straight win in net for a 3-1-0 record.

Behind multi-point efforts from Dylan Sikura (2 A), Terry Broadhurst (G, A), Carl Dahlstrom (3 A), and a returning Luke Johnson (G, A), the IceHogs were able to put home five goals for the 5-3 win. Other goals coming from Tyler SIkura, Jordan Schroeder, and Anthony Louis helped Rockford, for the third time this season, put up five goals in a game. It also marked the fourth-straight game where the IceHogs have scored three of more goals in a game.

Through six games this year, Rockford sits at 3-2-1 with seven points in the standings, good for fifth in the AHL Central Division standings based on points-percentage (yep, still doing that).

Luke Johnson Returns To IceHogs

It was announced on Thursday, that with the return of Corey Crawford to health for the Chicago Blackhawks, Luke Johnson would be returning to the Rockford IceHogs. Johns made the Blackhawks roster out of training camp after an impressive Summer program in Chicago. Playing on the fourth-line, Johnson skated in three games for Chicago but failed to tally his first NHL point. He was a healthy-scratch for a handful of games before being re-assigned to the IceHogs on Thursday.

In his return to the IceHogs, Johnson played in both games over the weekend against the Roadrunners and notched his first two points of the season. Going without a point on Friday night in the overtime loss, Johnson got the IceHogs on the board in the first period of Saturday night’s game and added an assist on Terry Broadhurst’s powerplay goal later in the third period.

Johnson ranked fourth in scoring from last season (among returning IceHogs) with 30 points in 73 games. The IceHogs will enjoy having Johnson back in the lineup, adding to their forwards group as a whole with Johnson being able to play on both the powerplay and penalty-kill units for Rockford.

Feel The Power

Speaking of the powerplay and penalty-kill units, the IceHogs had quite an eventful weekend from their special teams units. Going 5-for-12 on the man-advantage against the Roadrunners (2-for-6 on Friday, 3-for-6 on Saturday), the IceHogs’ powerplay improved to a silky 29.6-percent on the season. Their 8-for-27 start to the season on the powerplay gives the IceHogs the fourth-best unit in the AHL, tied with the Dallas Stars.

Anthony Louis of the Rockford IceHogs. (Courtesy: Kate Dibildox)

As for the penalty-kill, the IceHogs were able to go 10-for-13 on the disadvantage over the weekend in Tucson (5-for-7 on Friday, 5-for-6 on Saturday) and run their penalty-kill percentage to 84.0-percent. Rockford’s 21-for-25 kill-rate to start the season is good enough for the ninth-best in the AHL.

Sikura, Sikura!

Also helping power the IceHogs over the weekend and so far through the first six games of the year, the Sikura Brothers have been pacing the Rockford offense in scoring and are a major reason behind their solid start to the year.

Dylan Sikura had his three-game point streak snapped in Friday night’s overtime loss, but was able to get back on the horse on Saturday night with a two-assist night, giving him a goal and five assists to begin the year on a point-per-game pace.

Tyler Sikura entered the weekend also on a three-game point streak and thanks to goals on both Friday night and Saturday night, his point-streak now sits at five games and is also at a point-per-game pace. Tyler leads the team in goals with four so far this year and both Sikura Brothers lead the IceHogs in scoring with six points each.

Anton Forsberg Placed On Waivers

On Monday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender Anton Forsberg on waivers. If he is to clear waivers, Forsberg will be sent to the Rockford IceHogs.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1054403090911117312

After Corey Crawford’s return to health, the Blackhawks were left with three goalies on their roster with Forsberg, Crawford, and Cam Ward. Having yet to get into a game this season for Chicago, Forsberg will factor into the IceHogs’ goalie-rotation, if he is to clear waivers by Tuesday afternoon. If that happens, the IceHogs will then be the team with three goalies on their roster and would subsequently cause another goalie re-assignment, most likely being Lankinen to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.

What’s Next?

The IceHogs return to Rockford on Wednesday night as they play host to the San Antonio Rampage at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Puck drop for Wednesday night is scheduled for 7:00 pm CT. After the mid-week clash, the IceHogs have a weekend back-to-back home stand against the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday and Manitoba Moose on Sunday. Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT and Sunday’s is set for 4:00pm CT.

The post Rockford IceHogs Take 3 Of 4 Points From Roadrunners appeared first on The Rink.

Rockford IceHogs Host Stars, Bears In Home-Opening Weekend

Following back-to-back road losses to the Cleveland Monsters last week, where they were out-scored 9-3, the IceHogs look to right the ship and get in the win column with a pair of back-to-back home games this weekend.

Rockford will have plenty of opportunity to get in the ‘W’ column this weekend as they have a bit of revenge on their mind against the Stars and face what is sure to be a tired Bears squad when they roll into town on Sunday. The IceHogs came away from their opening weekend of the season without any points in the standings, dropping back-to-back contests against the Monsters and looking like a team that could have used a real warmup period during training camp, rather than just one inter-squad scrimmage prior to opening the regular season.

Rockford has no scoring leader as eight players are tied with a point a piece, with three different goal-scorers (Matthew Highmore, Lucas Carlsson, and Tyler Sikura). They’ll miss the speed of Alexandre Fortin in the lineup after his promotion to the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week and figures to stay with the NHL club until after the weekend, at least.

#Blackhawks haven't run lines yet but Fortin is in red and Saad is in black. So looks like Fortin could get a shot in the top six.

— Tracey Myers (@Tramyers_NHL) October 12, 2018

In net, both Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen were able to get a start over last weekend, but neither was spectacular in their performances. Lankinen stopped 18 of 21 shots faced against the Monsters on opening night while Delia stopped 26 of 31 shots faced against Cleveland the next night. Delia dealt with an early emergency trip to Ottawa last week and almost had another trip to make this week, but Anton Forsberg was able to avoid any injury issue after a slight hand issue in practice. Delia will figure to get the first start at the BMO Harris Bank Center this season on Saturday night.

While the IceHogs have only generated five powerplay opportunities so far this year, tied for the fourth-fewest in the league and the fewest of any team with more than one game played, they have converted on one of those powerplays. Their 1-for-5 start ranks them 13th in the AHL. On the other side, the Rockford penalty-kill is 15th in the league after two games, killing six of seven penalties through two games.

Texas Stars Report

Hosting the Texas Stars on Saturday night, the IceHogs will be up against a tough Stars team that took three of their first four points of the season with a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins and an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals. Texas is paced in scoring by fifth-year pro Michael Mersch with three points to begin the year, followed by Justin Dowling, Colton Hargrove, and rookie Joel L’Esperance all with two points each. Third-year pro Landon Bow will be the probable starting goalie for Texas against Rockford, having won the Stars’ opening game against Grand Rapids with a 24-save performance.

The Stars are 0-for-6 on the powerplay this season, one of seven AHL teams without a powerplay goal yet this year. On the penalty-kill, Texas ranks 17th in the league with 10 kills on 12 short-handed opportunities (83.3 Kill-percentage).

Hershey Bears Report

After Saturday night’s contest, the IceHogs turnaround and host the Hershey Bears on Sunday afternoon. Much like Rockford, the Bears are still looking for their first win of the season after losing to the Syracuse Crunch and Bridgeport Sound Tigers on opening weekend. Hershey will be closing a three games in three days stretch of play against the IceHogs as they travel to take on the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday night and cross Lake Michigan to face the Milwaukee Admirals in Milwaukee on Saturday night.

The Bears are led in scoring by Mike Sgarbossa, Riley Barber, and Colby Williams all with two points each. Both roster goalies saw action last week for Hershey as rookie goaltender Ilya Samsnov made the opening night start against Syracuse and third-year pro Vitek Vanecek took the net against Bridgeport. With three games in three days for the Bears, either goaltender is in play and will be determined as the weekend progresses

Hershey joins the Stars as one of the seven AHL teams that has yet to score on the powerplay this season, going 0-for-8 in their first set of games. On the penalty-kill, Hershey ranks 28th in the league, allowing goals on 4-of-9 penalty-kills faced.

What’s Next?

The Rockford IceHogs are next in action on Saturday, October 13, when they host the Texas Stars for their home opener. Puck drop for Saturday’s game is set for 6:00 pm CT at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The IceHogs are looking for their first win of the season, hoping to get a bit of revenge against the Stars, who knocked Rockford out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in last season’s Western Conference Finals.

On Sunday afternoon, the IceHogs host the Hershey Bears for the first of two matchups against the Eastern Conference foes this season. Puck drop on Sunday is set for 4:00 PM CT at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

The post Rockford IceHogs Set For Home-Opening Weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Having one of the best themes in all of sports to choose from, Blackhawks goaltenders have put together a some wonderful masks for the upcoming season.

First goalie up is summer free agent signee Cam Ward.  He had his Sportmask brand mask painted by Steve Nash of EyeCandyAir.  The white base is accented by several three color, classic Blackhawks head logos and a subtle tomahawks logo on the forehead.

Returning second year backup, Anton Forsberg, went with popular NHL artist David Gunnarsson and his company DaveArt. Forsberg’s CCM mask once again has a cartoon version of his dog (modeled after the movie Bolt), with a full color Blackhawks Indian head logo and striping concept.  In addition to the Blackhawks theme, he has added a portrait of the recently deceased Swedish DJ Avicii as a tribute to his music.

Finnish free agent goalie Kevin Lankinen chose fellow Fin Joni “Bona” Hallikainen as his mask artist.  When he is not painting masks, Bona also doubles as the equipment manager for IFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite league.  This Wall W12 mask has a more traditional and colorful Blackhawks logo theme with his native Finnish flag on the back plate.

With the secretive nature of all the Corey Crawford injury drama this summer his usual mask artist,  Stephane Bergeron, was able to sneak in a new mask under the radar, in June.

photo courtesy of Griff Airbrush

Crawford’s new CCM mask and the one he wore last season could easily be confused as the same mask, if one did not know any better.  There are a few very subtle differences in the layout, but all the artwork is the same as his previous mask, as you can see below.

photo courtesy of Griff Airbrush

photo courtesy of Griff Airbrush

If you enjoyed these masks, just take a look and see what we have in store for part 2…

The post Blackhawks Goalies Masks for ’18/19 – Part 1 appeared first on The Rink.

If you have not checked out the previous videos please take a look:
Highlight video of Victor Ejdsell
Highlight video of Dominik Kahun
Highlight video of Lucas Carlsson
Highlight video of Jacob Nilsson

Today, Jeff Osborn brings us Finnish goaltender Kevin Lankinen.

Lankinen is an undrafted goaltender to and entry level contract by the Blackhawks on 5/21/18. He is a 6’2″ 185 lbs butterfly goaltender and comes with some very flashy accolades in the Finnish Elite League (Liiga). The 23-year-old has been regarded as one of the best in the entire Finnish league, most notably in the playoffs. He boasts a 2.10 GAA, .919 sv%, and 11 shutouts in 105 regular season games while also putting up a 2.24 GAA, .921 sv%, in 35 playoff contests.

After 140 pro games in Liiga, he will be taking his talents to North America and the Blackhawks organization this fall.

Please enjoy our highlight reel, share with your friends on social media, and feel free to let us know if you enjoy this kind of content.

You can find all of our video material or our exclusive YouTube channel.  Please subscribe to be notified as each of our new videos are released.

The post Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Spotlight – Kevin Lankinen (VIDEO) appeared first on The Rink.

It was widely thought that the right Blackhawks’ draft rights had expired, but Powers uncovered that the organization still held his rights a few years back based on an unclear NHL/KHL transfer agreement. Since then his progress has been monitored at a distance, but he has mostly been an emigma.

Seemingly out of nowhere in October of 2016, Nalimov showed up in Blackhawks training camp and was immediately inserted into a pre-season game against the Detroit Redwings. He quickly gave up two soft goals in the opening two minutes of the contest and a third midway through the period, and was replaced by Lars Johansson in the second period. Never to take the ice again for the organization.

It was clear Nalimov, then 22, was not ready for the NHL. As a result, the Blackhawks released him from camp and he returned to the KHL where he re-joined Vladivostok Admiral.

Last season is where Nalimov began to hit his stride, beginning the season with Vladivostok. He posted a 6-10-0 record, 1.98 GAA, .942 sv%, and 2 shutouts in a backup role for 17 games before the financially struggling team took drastic measures and released most of their top players.

With his successful start to the season UFA Salavat Yulayev picked up Nalimov to backup former Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens for the rest of the season and he finished the season with a respectable 4-0-2 record, 2.59 GSS, and .927 sv%. Nalimov and his agent negotiated with UFA to mutually terminate the final year of his KHL so he could explore a potential move to the NHL, which leads us to the current situation.

According to what his agent, Shumi Babaev, told Scott Powers the logjam of goaltenders signed to NHL deals has Stan Bowman putting the brakes on taking another look at Nalimov. They currently have Corey Crawford, Anton Forsberg, Jean-Francois Berube, Collin Delia and recently signed Kevin Lankinen on the books for the upcoming season.

Powers goes on to say that the Blackhawks did not anticipate that Nalimov would be a potential option this soon but, of the four returning goalies, only Crawford and Collin Delia put up respectable numbers last season with Delia’s being in Rockford.

The vast uncertainty of Crawford’s health and the below average play behind him has led to rumors of the Blackhawks trying to re-acquire failed Carolina Hurricanes project Scott Darling.  Simply the speculation of that kind of move stinks of desperation. It was announced that Crawford will attend the fan convention later this summer but this does not indicate whether he will be able to play the full season or at all for that matter.

This begs to question, why not bring Nalimov into camp and let him compete for a spot? There is zero risk, and a potential high reward. Bowman could simply release him or trade his rights, if the staff is not impressed. Telling him to simply stay in Russia makes no sense whatsoever. Regardless, the murky future at the position should leave all options open and on the table.

Unless they already have a deal in place or a verbal agreement with an established NHL goalie to (at minimum) backup Corey Crawford.

The post Blackhawks To Russian Goalie: “Not Yet” appeared first on The Rink.

German forward Dominik Kahun

As reported back in April and again earlier this month, the Blackhawks signed Czech born German forward Dominik Kahun to join the organization after a very successful Olympic stint this past February. Kahun also won the champion with his team, EHC München, in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Rockford Icehogs defenseman Darren Raddysh

Darren Raddysh, the brother of Tampa Lightning prospect Taylor, was signed to an AHL deal last June, after a successful 5-year career with the Erie Otters. The 6’0″ 200 lbs defenseman played 66 regular season games with the Rockford Icehogs this season, registering 22 points (5G-17A). His solid play in the regular season and this year’s Calder Cup playoffs earned him a longer look by the Blackhawks.

Swedish Defenseman Lucas Calsson

Signing a 3-year deal is Swedish defenseman Lucas Carlsson. Carlsson just finished up his season the SHL with Brynäs IF. The 6’1″ 187 lbs 2016 fourth round pick of the Blackhawks has been playing in the top Swedish professional league for most of four seasons. This past year Carlsson put up 17 points (7G-10A) in 44 games.

Finnish Goaltender Kevin Lankinen

Lankinen is a 6’2″ 185 lbs, 23-year-old Finnish goaltender who has been playing with HIFK in the top Finnish pro league, Liiga. Lankinen has had some extremely impressive stats in the top-tier Finnish league, improving each season.  He finished the 14-15 season with a 2.29 GAA and .910 sv% in 24 games, the 15-16 season with 2.36 GAA and .906 sv% in 22 games, the 16-17 season 2.14 GAA and .920 sv% in 42 games and, finally, this season he finished with 1.33 and a .946 sv% in just 13 games. He is sure to add some competition for next season between Jean-Francois Berube, Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia.

Here is a big save by Lankinen a few seasons back:

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