What will it take for the Blackhawks to re-sign Kirby Dach?
Scott Powers of The Athletic: Heading into the season the Chicago Blackhawks may have been thinking a two-year bridge contract at just under $5 million or a long-term deal at around $6 million per could be what it might cost them for pending RFA forward Kirby Dach.
Dach didn’t produce well offensively as they had hoped but he was able to hold his own defensively.
With signs pointing to the Blackhawks not re-signing Dylan Strome, Dach could be used as a No. 1 or No. 2 center. They obviously won’t pay Dach like a No. 1 center.
Comparables could be Robert Thomas ($2.8 million), Filip Chytil ($2.3 million), Jack Roslovic ($1,838,362), Dylan Strome ($3 million), Joel Eriksson Ek ($1,487,500), and Max Domi ($3.15 million).
If the Blackhawks don’t like what Dach is asking for, they can just qualify him and wait him out. A league source said a two-year bridge deal at $2.6 million per is fair. Both sides likely aren’t interested in a long-term deal at this stage.
Top eight Jason Spezza replacement candidates for the Maple Leafs
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic: If the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for a cheap, veteran free agent to replace the retired Jason Spezza, here is a ranking of potential candidates.
8. Jay Beagle – Arizona Coyotes
7. Derek Stepan – Carolina Hurricanes
6. Tyler Bozak – St. Louis Blues
5. Brian Boyle – Pittsburgh Penguins
4. Sam Gagner – Detroit Red Wings
3. Trevor Lewis – Calgary Flames
2. Andrew Cogliano – Colorado Avalanche
1. Darren Helm – Colorado Avalanche
Could the Canucks be interested in Vincent Trocheck or Ryan Strome?
Rob Simpson of the Vancouver Hockey Now: The Vancouver Canucks could use a right-handed center. What about pending UFA Vincent Trocheck? He played with J.T. for a bit while growing up in the Pittsburgh area.
If there were to land Trocheck, it would likely mean the end of Bo Horvat with the team. They likely wouldn’t be able to afford both going forward.
One other potential target for the Canucks could be New York Rangers Ryan Strome if he becomes available.