With the report from earlier this week that the Blackhawks could be without Corey Crawford for possibly the rest of the season, Chicago GM Stan Bowman may be working the phones in the near future to bring in some help. They sit in last place in the Central Division but are still only three points out of a Wild Card spot. However, if they’re going to make a run, they’ll be in tough to do so with a tandem of Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass, and the injured Jean-Francois Berube.
With that in mind, Bowman will be looking for some options. However, given their perennial status as a team that’s right up against the salary cap ceiling, they’re likely going to set their focus on players that won’t be part of their plans beyond this season. They’re also going to primarily be limited to dealing with non-contending teams which will take quite a few of the better rental players out of the equation. Despite that, there are still a few goaltenders that could very well be of interest to Chicago down the stretch. Here is a look at those players.
Michael Hutchinson (Jets): While Hutchinson has yet to play in the NHL this season, he has been dominant in the minors, posting a .942 SV% along with a 1.94 GAA in 20 games. He is a bit of a streaky netminder at the NHL level but when he’s on, he can be quite effective. Considering Winnipeg chose to recall Eric Comrie over Hutchinson at one point earlier on in the year, they could view him as expendable although moving him to a division rival could be a tougher sell.
Chad Johnson (Sabres): It hasn’t been pretty for Johnson in 2017-18. However, he’s only a year removed from battling for the number one job with Calgary and two years removed from being one of the best backups in the league with Buffalo. It’s safe to assume that he’s not part of the future for the Sabres with Linus Ullmark ready for full-time NHL duty so the acquisition price should be low. He’s a risk given how he has struggled through the first half of the season but a change of scenery could also give him and Chicago a boost.
Kari Lehtonen (Stars): The division factor is in play here as well but their salary cap situation could make the two teams interesting trade partners. Chicago can absorb Lehtonen’s full contract with LTIR (assuming Crawford is out for the year) which would give them a veteran that could stabilize things while Dallas would free up the money to fill other holes. It’s always a tough sell helping someone you’re battling for a playoff spot but such a move could be mutually beneficial.
Petr Mrazek (Red Wings): While Mrazek is a restricted free agent after the season, his qualifying offer in June will be set at his $4.15MM salary. Considering how he has played in 2017-18, he’s a strong candidate to be non-tendered which makes him a rental candidate. Mrazek has taken over the starting role and run with it in the past and he should be motivated down the stretch knowing he’ll be showcasing himself around the league.
Ondrej Pavelec (Rangers): Pavelec hasn’t been victorious often this season but he has quietly posted a .915 SV%, slightly better than the NHL average while also higher than Forsberg and Glass. If the Rangers wind up selling, the asking price shouldn’t be very high which might allow Bowman to try to upgrade without mortgaging much of the future.
Antti Raanta (Coyotes): Raanta offers the most upside but also will probably be the most expensive to acquire. He’s looking to prove himself as a legitimate starting goalie before entering free agency in July and would undoubtedly welcome a chance to do so while pushing for a playoff spot. They’re not going to be the only team showing interest in him, however.
Considering that the Blackhawks are on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, they’re not likely going to be willing to mortgage a key prospect or high draft pick to get a Crawford replacement for the stretch run which could take Raanta out of the equation. However, the other veterans would give them some more depth at the very least with a little bit of upside if they can get hot down the stretch. There’s no guarantee that adding one of these players will get Chicago back to the postseason but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bowman do just that in the coming weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Aaron Dell
Definitely Raanta if they want to contend. Just get in the dance and see what happens.
I say they go With Petr Mrazek, he’s been a starter in this league before, and was in Vezina talks that year. Not to mention they got a good whiff of him on Sunday, when he shut them out. He’ll probably be cheap too because of his recent struggles.
Come on guys do your research. You really think they want raanta back or that raanta would be motivated to play for them?
The Hawks passed him over for darling even though he was posting amazing numbers. He then openly rooted for Nashville and wanted Nashville to sweep that Hawks. After the Hawks won the cup, they left raanta’s name off of it then immediately traded him away in the offseason.
Nevermind the Hawks not wanting to spend the assets to get him, I don’t think either party wants to be reunited with the other.
Exactly what was thinking. I think they’ll go with one of Dell/Pavelec/Mrazek if they make a move at all
Pavelec for Duclair?
The Hawks should be sellers, not buyers. They need to get younger and faster