Should Blackhawks re-sign defenseman Caleb Jones and Ian Mitchell?
Second in a series.
To sign or not to sign?
That's the big question for Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson when it comes to Caleb Jones and Ian Mitchell, a pair of defensemen who will both be restricted free agents with arbitration rights.
Both players showed promise at times over the past two seasons and neither is 26 years old yet. The last thing Davidson wants to do is give up on a young blueliner too quickly, only to see him develop into the next Gustav Forsling.
Davidson's already in a bit of a bind because he has Seth Jones, Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Murphy and Jarred Tinordi signed for 2023-24. Also, Alex Vlasic and Isaak Phillips seem ready to become full-time NHLers.
Without even considering a possible free-agent signing or two, that leaves one roster spot available. (The guess here is Wyatt Kaiser spends most, if not all, of next season in the minors).
So what to do?
There is a strong case to be made to re-sign Caleb Jones. While his offensive numbers are meager (9 goals, 22 assists in 124 games the last two seasons), he has shown promise in the D-zone. He closes fast, he's not afraid to battle for loose pucks and his awareness around the net has greatly improved.
Caleb put together a strong second half, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time in his final 42 games. He's at that pivotal point where most promising D-men take another step. Might as well let him do it on your team than elsewhere.
"It was a little bit up and down," Caleb said when asked to assess his campaign. "Just like our team, it was a grind, for sure. ...
"I did take a lot of steps forward - especially the last couple months getting to play with Seth - I think I played some of my best hockey since I've been in Chicago. So that's something positive I can build off for next year."
Now, what about Mitchell?
There are those who believe the Hawks should give up on their second-round pick from 2017.
But I'm not among them.
Mitchell, who has battled injuries and isn't the strongest in his own zone, has played in just 82 NHL games over parts of three seasons. Most former defensemen will tell you it takes around 150 games before they were truly comfortable at this level.
So give Mitchell, who has plenty of offensive upside, one more chance. See if coach Luke Richardson can dig deep and really bring out everything former GM Stan Bowman thought he was getting when he drafted Mitchell six years ago.
It's a low-risk signing and if it doesn't work out, he can always go back to Rockford.
As for Vlasic and Phillips? Well, Rockford IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen sees great things in their future.
"They're going to be studs, both of them," Sorensen said on a Blackhawks Talk Podcast. "Obviously you're seeing the on-ice product. But off the ice - character through the roof, both of them. They want to get better, they want to work on things. Anything you talk to them about or ask them to do or try to do or adjust, they do it right away."
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Vlasic played in six games for the Hawks in 2022-23 and 56 for the IceHogs (2G, 17A). The Hawks chose the Wilmette native in the second round in 2019. The 6-3, 193-pound Phillips has played in 20 games with the Hawks over the past two seasons and also has 16 goals and 32 assists in 115 AHL games over that time.
Decisions, decisions
Blackhawks players on the active roster who will be restricted free agents with arbitration rights:
<b>Forwards</b>Player 2022-23 salary
Anders Bjork $1,600,000
Austin Wagner $1,133,333
Philipp Kurashev $750,000
<b>Defensemen</b>Caleb Jones $1,350,000
Ian Mitchell $925,000