UA-59049186-1 Meet Your New Chicago Blackhawks - Good if it Goes

Meet Your New Chicago Blackhawks

[Photo: @NHLBlackhawks on Twitter]

Just before the NHL Draft started on Friday, the Blackhawks acquired defenseman Seth Jones from Columbus for a swap of 1st-round picks this year, a top 2 protected 1st-round pick next year, and defenseman Adam Boqvist. Jones immediately signed an extension for 8 years at $9.5 million average annual value. I had planned to get a post out that night about the trade, but didn’t, and now I’m glad I didn’t, since most of what I would have said would have been out of date less than a week later. So hooray for procrastination!

Anyway, at the time on Twitter, I called the move a horrendous one, since the 2022 1st-rounder is only top 2 protected and that’s way too high of a cap number for Jones. The former is one of those things that’s out of date given the other moves they’ve made since – this looks like they’re trying to compete right now. The latter I stand by. As of now, Jones has the 3rd-highest 2022-23 cap number among defensemen. He is not the 3rd-best defenseman in the league. He is not a top-10 defenseman. He is not a bad player by any stretch of the imagination, I don’t care what analytics Twitter says. He’s a legit #1 defenseman, something the Hawks have been sorely lacking since Duncan Keith was in his prime. Still, that number’s too high.

The Hawks acquired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from Vegas for prospect Michael Hakkarinen. Vegas needed the reigning Vezina winner off their books, to which Stan Bowman said “please and thank you.” Fleury was said to be mulling retirement in the event Vegas moved him, but I haven’t seen anything seen anything to suggest he isn’t playing, so I guess he is? Assuming he is, “drastic” doesn’t begin to describe the improvement over the goalie situation a year ago. I like Kevin Lankinen. I’ve liked him ever since I saw him turn in a strong World Championships with Finland. I think he’s a legit NHL goalie. Is he a true 1A? I don’t know. I think the potential is there, but he’s not there right now. I love the idea of him getting 30-35 games in net next year behind a guy like Fleury. I think this is going to do wonders for the Hawks next year and Lankinen in the long run.

The Blackhawks acquired center Tyler Johnson from Tampa Bay along with a 2023 2nd-round pick for Brent Seabrook’s contract. This is just cap relief for Tampa. The Hawks get a quality, skilled center out of it. I like Johnson’s game – good skater, gritty, responsible two-way player – but a $5M cap hit is more than I’d like for a 3C, when you could’ve just kept Strome there and you have so many guys that could compete for a 3W spot that you let Vinnie Hinostroza walk. If any of those guys are capable of handling a top-6 role, this would give the Hawks three quality lines, so I’m hoping this means that the coaching staff is really high on Reichel, Kurashev, or Borgstrom.

Lastly, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a 4-year deal at $4M AAV. Another contract I’m not thrilled about, especially with McCabe coming off an ACL injury, but he’ll only be 28 at the start of the season and when he’s at his best, he’s a tough, shutdown defenseman.

Current best guess lineup:

Kubalik – Toews – Reichel

DeBrincat – Dach – Kane

Hagel – Johnson – Strome

Gaudette – Carpenter – Khaira (new signee; big, physical, not much offense)

 

de Haan – S. Jones

McCabe – Murphy

Beaudin – Mitchell

 

Fleury

Lankinen

 

I think that’s a playoff roster. If Toews is 100%, Dach and DeBrincat continue to progress, Fleury’s still got it, and at least one of the young defensemen produces, it’s one that can make a run. If that sounds like a lot of ifs, that’s because it is. That said, Bowman is clearly approaching this off-season like his job’s on the line and it will be nice to watch a competitive team this fall.

 

Twitter: @KSchroeder_312

 

 

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