While it hasn’t been as bad as last season, the Blackhawks have been hit with the injury bug as of late. With Laurent Brossoit and Connor Murphy already on IR, Chicago added Craig Smith to the list, placing the veteran forward on injured reserve with a back injury retroactive to January 8.
Smith may not have needed to go on IR, but he did so to make room for defenseman Ethan Del Mastro, who was recalled on Thursday morning for the first time this season and second time in his career. That raised some eyebrows, as it meant Chicago had eight blueliners on its active roster. Could a trade be brewing? Is a veteran on his way out the door?
Later in the afternoon, the Blackhawks temporarily put those questions to bed by announcing that Wyatt Kaiser had been sent back down to the IceHogs. While the move temporarily solved the overcrowded room of defensemen, it opened up more questions. Why Kaiser? Why now?
While it’s still the Blackhawks’ hope that Kaiser can be an effective NHL defenseman someday, he hasn’t done much to earn that title just yet. He hasn’t been necessarily bad, but certainly hasn’t stood out. However, I still wonder if this move is temporary and a trade could be brewing. Seth Jones has been one of the biggest names mentioned on the trade block so far, and the Blackhawks getting rid of any veteran to make room for some youngsters would be a big move for the youth movement. Kaiser’s time in Chicago is far from over. For now, I’d expect TJ Brodie to be a healthy scratch in Friday’s game against the Lightning.
As for the timing of the move, it was to reward Del Mastro for his recent play with the IceHogs. The defensive defenseman has only contributed eight assists in his 38 games, but his +4 plus-minus is a better indicator of his overall game, especially on a team with a -9 goal differential on the season. He and Nolan Allan were excellent together in the AHL, and they’ll likely form a defensive pairing once again with the Blackhawks.
This move could be an important one because it’s the first of Chicago’s youth movement this season. With the Blackhawks nowhere near playoff contention, we’ll likely see a few more youngsters matriculate to the NHL before the season is over, like Landon Slaggert, Cole Guttman or Kevin Korchinski. The move seems like a basic one on the surface, but could be the start of a much bigger shift.
