One of the question marks heading into the season for the Chicago Blackhawks is what the defense will look like. Currently, the group consists of a plethora of young pieces with a clear lack of veteran stability.
After the 32 year old Connor Murphy, Chicago does not have another defenseman on the squad over the age of 24 with Alex Vlasic being the next oldest. The rest of the D core is made up of youth.
Chicago has looked to address that need with the potential addition of a solid experienced piece. Via insider Elliotte Friedman, the Hawks have signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a PTO as the vet will push for a roster spot in camp.
What does the Grzelcyk signing mean for Chicago?
Of course, Grzelcyk still has to earn a spot on the team since the signed deal is just a professional tryout contract. But considering he was the best defenseman left on the mark and produced 40 points last season, it is fair to say his spot on the team is likely.
That means the vast competition for roster spots in the defensive pipeline for Chicago will be even more of a story with 1 less spot potentially up for grabs. There are going to be some NHL caliber defenseman in the system who will have to be relegated to AHL time in Rockford.
There are still further question marks to be answered on the Chicago blueline, especially with RFA dman Wyatt Kaiser who enters training camp without a contract at the moment. Could this PTO signing point to a possible Kaiser trade down the line or will the Hawks get that situation sorted by the start of the season?
