Brandon Davidson’s tryout with Chicago has proven to be successful as the Blackhawks announced (Twitter link) that they have signed the defenseman to a one-year $650K contract.
2017-18 was a whirlwind for the 27-year-old. After starting the season with Montreal, he dropped down the depth chart and was ultimately placed on waivers at the beginning of December. Edmonton placed a claim, bringing him back to his original organization but he didn’t stay there for too long as just before the trade deadline, the Islanders dealt a 2019 third-round pick to secure Davidson’s rights to give them some extra depth for their postseason push that ultimately fell short.
On the season, he wound up playing in 51 games between the three teams, collecting just four goals and three assists while averaging 16:49 per night in ice time. That output wasn’t enough to justify the Islanders tendering him a $1.55MM qualifying offer back in June which made him an unrestricted free agent.
Davidson should have a chance to make an immediate impact in Chicago as their back end is already banged up. Connor Murphy is dealing with a back injury and won’t be back until either November or December while Gustav Forsling is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Brent Seabrook is also nursing an abdomen injury although he could play in the season opener. That should allow Davidson to start the season in a third-pairing role and once the team is fully healthy, he’ll serve as an experienced extra player making the league minimum salary which is a nice bargain for the Blackhawks to have.