Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL draft: 4 things to watch this week
So much to do. So little time.
That sums up the next two weeks for the Chicago Blackhawks, whose roster may — or may not — look a lot different after the NHL draft concludes at the United Center on Saturday and free agency begins July 1.
Here's a quick rundown of what you should be paying attention to:
1. The expansion draft
We touched on this Monday, but in case you missed it the Vegas Golden Knights will take one player off every NHL team Wednesday. The Hawks are expected to lose defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk but also could gain salary-cap relief if Vegas trades for Marcus Kruger, as reported by TSN.
2. Salary-cap maneuvering
If Kruger goes to Vegas, the Hawks' cap hit will sit at $73.612 million, according to capfriendly.com. They still would need to replace van Riemsdyk and Kruger, and likely will look to add a seasoned backup goalie, which increases their hit to about $75.5 million.
It was announced Sunday that next year's cap will be $75 million, so the Hawks either must really pinch pennies or they're going to move someone such as Niklas Hjalmarsson ($4.1 million cap hit), Artem Anisimov ($4.55M), Marian Hossa ($5.275M) or Brent Seabrook ($6.875M).
Anisimov, Hossa and Seabrook have no-movement clauses, however, and would have to OK a move for a deal to go through. Hjalmarsson can provide a list of 10 teams that meet his approval.
Losing any of those players would be a major blow and weaken a team that won 50 games and claimed the No. 1 seed in the West last season.
3. Draft days
Eight years. That's how long it has been since the Hawks took a defenseman in the first round (Dylan Olsen, 28th).
With an aging D-corps that needs an impact player soon, it wouldn't be surprising to see Bowman take a blue-liner Friday at No. 26 — or higher if he thinks it's worth it to move up.
Some intriguing possibilities include:
• Eric Brannstrom (5-feet-10, 178 pounds). One of the youngest players in the draft, Brannstrom is “a two-way (defenseman) who can move from end to end like a ghost, is positionally sound in both zones, and is very rarely caught out of position,” according to SB Nation.
• Juuso Valimaki (6-2, 204). “Long, tall, smooth blue-liner contributes at both ends,” according to USA Today.
• Cal Foote (6-4, 198). Son of former defenseman Adam Foote, Cal “has very strong instincts of what to do and where to go on the ice, to the point where it's almost spooky,” according to the hockeywriters.com.
• Nic Hague (6-5, 216). He scored 18 goals for Mississauga of the OHL. Hockeywriters.com said “he has one of the best point shots in this draft.”
• Conor Timmins (6-1, 182). Rapidly rising star has impressed with offensive prowess. “Previous playoff teams looking to add a solid defender will consider Timmins late in the first (round),” wrote hockeywriters.com.
4. Free agency
Beginning July 1, the Hawks can sign unrestricted free agents, but how much salary they'll have remains a mystery. One huge priority: secure a quality backup goaltender.
The Hawks had perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the league last season with Scott Darling behind Corey Crawford, and they can't afford to have 31-year-old journeyman Jeff Glass doing so next season.
Watch for Bowman to try to sign someone to a one-year deal worth about $800,000 to $1 million. A few possibilities:
• Darcy Kuemper, 27, who played in 39 games for the Wild the past two seasons and stands 6-5.
• Ondrej Pavelec, 29, who was injured most of last season in Winnipeg.
• Career backup Curtis McElhinney, 34, who has played in 168 games in nine seasons for six teams.
NHL draft at a glance
When: Round 1 on Friday and Rounds 2-7 on Saturday
Where: United Center
TV: 6 p.m. Friday (NBCSN); 9 a.m. Saturday (NHL)
<b>Top 10 picks</b> 1. New Jersey
2. Philadelphia
3. Dallas
4. Colorado
5. Vancouver
6. Vegas
7. Arizona
8. Buffalo
9. Detroit
10. Florida
<b>Blackhawks picks </b>by round (overall):
1st (26); 2nd (57); 3rd (90); 4th (119); 5th (135, 144, 150); 6th (170, 181); 7th (215)