NEWSLETTER
We have officially entered “silly season.”
Once the Stanley Cup Final was over, the NHL offseason took a bit to get going. But once it did, it’s been going 100 MPH. From Duncan Keith, to Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, and Pekka Rinne, we’ve only just begun. And in the realm of the Chicago Blackhawks, things are going to stay spicy in the offseason as the Seth Jones rumors continue to grow, as does the story surrounding the lawsuits and allegations against the team.
• So much for my first offseason with you all here on Bleacher Nation Blackhawks…
Me : I wonder what my first offseason with @BN_Blackhawks is going to be like…
The Offseason: pic.twitter.com/XZEBRn1HLG
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 13, 2021
• On the latest edition of the “31 Thoughts” Podcast with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, they pondered what a potential trade package would have to include in a deal for Seth Jones in a sign and trade deal. This is not to say this is what they have heard, just what they themselves suspect. Needless to say, it’s hefty.
Elliotte and Jeff suspect that a Seth Jones deal for the #Blackhawks “starts with Dach” and involves a combination of Mitchell, a pick, and either of DeBrincat or Boqvist.
Hard. Pass. https://t.co/5FxxRAzzD9
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 13, 2021
• Like I said in the tweet, hard pass. The Blackhawks have already said that they have no interest in trading Kirby Dach, and giving up Alex DeBrincat should also be a non-starter in 99% of trade packages. Jones is a good player, a top-tier defenseman that would make a huge impact on the blue-line for the Blackhawks, but at that price, you hedge your future and pretty much make the team worse.
• A factor that the Blackhawks may hope helps bring Seth Jones to Chicago is having his brother, Caleb, on the team following the trade with the Oilers for Duncan Keith. But so far, Caleb is probably just focusing on his new opportunity with the Blackhawks before becoming a negotiator on their behalf.
Caleb Jones on the possibility of playing with his brother Seth: "He's kind of got his own situation going on there, so we'll see what happens with the summer with that. If it did ever happen, it would be really fun and we'd both really enjoy it. It'd be cool."
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) July 13, 2021
• Again, welcome to silly season…
So, in just over the past 24 hours:
• The Oilers traded for Duncan Keith
• Pekka Rinne retired
• The Wild bought out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter
• The Canadiens gave Dominique Ducharme a three-year dealAnd it’s only Tuesday #Hockey365
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) July 13, 2021
• This is also not mentioning that the Tampa Bay Lightning rented the crap out of the Stanley Cup. It’s almost like that moment was the starting point for the offseason to hit the high-gear.
• In case you missed it yesterday, I did my best to commemorate Duncan Keith’s time with the Blackhawks and the legacy he lives behind in Chicago. I could argue the most important Blackhawks player of the last 15 years has been Keith, not Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane.
Duncan Keith Will Be Remembered As One of the Greatest Blackhawks in Franchise History https://t.co/wX19UePhCs
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 13, 2021
• I’m really going to miss Duncan Keith.
• Pivoting to the Blackhawks lawsuits and allegations against them, TSN’s Rick Westhead published an interview he did with former Blackhawks defenseman and 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Brent Sopel regarding the allegations and what he and his teammates knew at the time.
Brent Sopel Says 2010 Blackhawks Players Should Be “Telling the Truth…” https://t.co/0pPacWOr7T
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 13, 2021
• In the interview, Sopel reiterated that pretty much everyone on the team, coaches and players alike, knew about what happened and heard about then-skills coach Paul Vincent bringing it to the attention of the front office. Sopel says he did not speak out about it until now for two reasons: He figured that management handled the issue back in 2010, and he feared retaliation from the Blackhawks against him and his foundation. He says he believes most former players are fearing the same thing for their current and/or future career opportunities.
• For an in-depth look at the pending legal process that is still ahead of us in the cases against the Blackhawks, I recommend reading through the latest from Mark Lazerus, Scott Powers, and Katie Strang from The Athletic.
New: The Blackhawks’ legal strategy, how long it might take, what latitude the NHL has in terms of potential sanctions, and the team’s plan in the meantime. From me, @ByScottPowers and @KatieJStrang:
https://t.co/VXwvGpUjWb— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 12, 2021
• The Blackhawks will fight with every resource they have to “win” these legal battles, and in doing so will likely burn nearly all of what is left of their “good standing” in the court of public opinion. They won’t care because they likely think that winning a Stanley Cup would make all this go away. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks are nowhere near winning a Stanley Cup.
• A Happy 22nd Birthday to MacKenzie Entwistle!
Happy 22nd Birthday to MacKenzie Entwistle! pic.twitter.com/myFsgulk6d
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 14, 2021
• Elsewhere in the league, the Seattle Kraken are officially on CapFriendly!
OK, now it feels real. @CapFriendly pic.twitter.com/0nUyceHj0D
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 14, 2021
• The Seattle Expansion Draft is one week away on July 21st. It will be carried on ESPN2 in the U.S. and protection lists from all NHL teams, besides Vegas, are due to the league offices by 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 17th. The lists will be made public on Sunday the 18th.
What's up with the @SeattleKraken expansion draft? @emilymkaplan and I provide a handy guide to the selection process and what to expect. #NHL https://t.co/qEDTo4rFGq
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 14, 2021
• Highly recommend going through this guide to the expansion draft from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan.
• One name that will be available to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft will now be Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner.
The Sabres’ Jeff Skinner has agreed to waive his no-movement clause for the expansion draft, his agent tells @TheAthleticBUF. https://t.co/ujlW7DkITx pic.twitter.com/6UTUPlOxN2
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) July 14, 2021
• Also looking like he will be available, only this time in free agency, Colorado Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog may be hitting the open market.
A look at Gabriel Landeskog’s evolution, from 19-year-old captain to the unquestioned leader of an elite Avs team.
But now he’s a UFA. What comes next?
“I’m a little bit disappointed that it’s gotten this far and it’s had to come to this point,” he says.https://t.co/o6q27liuzG
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) July 14, 2021
• Highly recommend taking a gander at Dom Luszczyszyn’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agent list at The Athletic. A number of names and comparable contracts in here that are of interest to the Blackhawks.
The Top 50 UFAs, from Dougie Hamilton and Gabriel Landeskog to Alex Wennberg and Nikita Gusev: https://t.co/fbj71NF2LO pic.twitter.com/zPfnR1wJCj
— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) July 14, 2021
• That will do it for today. Enjoy your Wednesday!
