The Blackhawks don’t have a lot of cap room for their free agents
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times: The Chicago Blackhawks pending restricted free agent group includes Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Drake Caggiula, Slater Koekkoek, and Malcolm Subban. The flattening of the salary cap won’t make it easy on GM Stan Bowman this offseason.
“We do have some decisions to make,” Bowman said. “We have some ideas on what we’re going to do. That process is starting right now. had a couple of meetings since we finished the season, and we’ll have more over the coming weeks. It’s our job to figure out how we’ll have flexibility, as well as making sure we keep the players we need to keep.”
Kubalik and the Blackhawks could look at a two-year bridge at around $4 million per season.
Strome was inconsistent this season and Kirby Dach looks like their second-line center. Strome could come in around $3 million.
Their cap situation puts the futures of Caggiula and Koekkoek with the Blackhawks in limbo.
The Blackhawks will likely buy someone out this offseason to give them a little more salary cap flexibility. Buying out Olli Maatta would save them $3.4 million in each of the next two years, and Zack Smith would save them $2.2 million next year.
Brent Seabrook at $6.9 million and Andrew Shaw at $3.9 million could be placed on the LTIR if they aren’t healthy enough to start the season. Both have said they will be ready.
Andersen’s agent comments on trade speculation
Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: Claude Lemieux, the agent for Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen, said the trade speculation “comes with the territory” after a team’s early exit when bigger things were expected.
Lemieux said that Andersen has “absolutely not” asked for a trade.
Andersen has a year left on his deal at $5 million and there has been some speculation that they are willing to trade him. There have been no contract extension talks between the sides and the Leafs haven’t spoken with Lemieux about a potential trade.
The Leafs have been linked to Pittsburgh Penguins restricted free agent goaltender Matt Murray. Pending UFA goalies include Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot.