For the last several years, the Blackhawks have been searching for a high quality second line center to play behind Jonathan Toews. After trying a few different players in that role, Artem Anisimov has settled in quite nicely to that position.
Last season, his first with Chicago after being acquired from Columbus as part of the Brandon Saad deal, Anisimov put up 42 points in 77 games, the second highest point total of his career. Now that he’s more familiar with his linemates, he has taken his game to another level, leading the team in goals with 18. Speaking with CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers, head coach Joel Quenneville has plenty of praise for his Russian center:
“I don’t even think about his production. It’s how effective he is to our team game, 5-on-5, faceoffs. When he gets to the net it enhances all of our opportunities and he finishes around there because he’s hanging around the dirty part. Kills penalties, power play, can’t say enough about how timely his goals have been and how useful he’s been in all areas for us.”
Shortly after Chicago acquired Anisimov back in the 2015 offseason, they inked him to a five year, $22.75MM contract. Although it’s expected that the Blackhawks will once again have to cut payroll this coming offseason to account for the raise to Artemi Panarin plus any potential bonus overage, Anisimov’s play has made it so that GM Stan Bowman will have to look elsewhere when it comes time to shedding salary.
[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart]
More from Chicago:
- The Blackhawks have been involved in a lot of close games this season, notes Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Through 44 games, Chicago has been involved in 28 one-goal games, which leads the NHL. Fortunately for them, they also lead the league in one-goal wins with 17. Anisimov, for one, is pleased that they’re in a lot of tight games: “It’s easy to win the games when you’re up three goals early. But tight games keep you in shape. This team knows how to respond in tight games — if we have to come back, or play with a one-goal lead, or a tie game. It’s all different situations, and we’ve been through everything. You learn to relax and play hard every shift, and I think it’s a good thing to play so many.”
- There are a lot of different emotions that players experience when it comes to being named to an All-Star Team. Confusion isn’t generally one of them but when it comes to Jonathan Toews, that is the case, Lazarus writes in a separate column. In fact, Toews, one of four Blackhawks named to the game, advocated that Anisimov, along with wingers Panarin and Marian Hossa, may have been more deserving choices. When asked about why he ultimately got the nod, Toews surmised that his selection was based more on his accomplishments over past seasons compared to this one, where he has just seven goals and 14 assists in 35 games this year.
- Bowman is on the lookout for an impact forward and have checked in with Toronto regarding left winger James van Riemsdyk and Colorado about captain Gabriel Landeskog, NHL.com’s Brian Hedger reports (Twitter link). Both players carry fairly significant cap hits ($4.25MM and $5.57MM respectively) and Chicago doesn’t have that much cap space to absorb either deal without at least sending a somewhat sizable contract back the other way.