NEWSLETTER
Today is a big day for a handful of NHL hopefuls. Aug. 15 is the deadline for drafted college players to sign a contract with the club that selected them (by 4 PM CT). As you might recall, the Blackhawks signed center Cole Guttman last year when his rights with the Tampa Bay Lightning expired. This is another opportunity for the Blackhawks to potentially add some depth to the system.
According to CapFriendly, the Blackhawks currently have 40 active contracts; they can have 50. Chicago is also listed at only 71 players on the 90-man reserve list. So they have room to add bodies. While there likely isn’t an NHL opportunity immediately available this year like there was for Guttman last season, there are still some names to keep an eye on in the coming hours.
The Blackhawks have one player remaining on the list of drafted college players who have not yet signed: Ohio State center Jake Wise, who was the 69th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. It doesn’t appear that a contract is coming from Chicago, but his career turned around after the transfer to join the Buckeyes.
One name that sticks out for a couple reasons is Jay O’Brien, the 19th overall pick by the Flyers in the 2018 NHL Draft. Philly has already announced they will not sign him; they’ll receive a second-round pick next year as compensation for a former first rounder moving on. A six-foot center, O’Brien played the past three seasons at Boston University — with Blackhawks prospects Alex Vlasic and Drew Commesso. If an organization needed a scouting report on the player, who better to ask than two of his former teammates?
One other name that is at least intriguing to me is Jacob Privonka. He was listed at 6-0 and 205 pounds by Omaha this past season, where he was a graduate player in his fifth year of eligibility. Before joining Omaha, Privonka spent four seasons at Notre Dame, where he was one of three co-captains his senior year. He played with both Ryder Rolston and Landon Slaggert in South Bend. While he didn’t put up any offensive numbers for the Irish, Privonka scored 10 goals last year. He’s also a local product; he grew up in Naperville and played for the Chicago Mission before attending Notre Dame.
A third forward of interest is Kevin Wall. A 6-0, 188-pound center who played four seasons at Penn State, he had 31 points (17 goals, 14 assist) in 39 games for the Nittany Lions last year. The Blackhawks have seen plenty of Big Ten hockey over the past couple years, so they undoubtedly have tape of Wall in their scouting archives. He scored 33 goals over his last two collegiate seasons.
There are two right-shot defensemen on the list, which naturally grabs the attention of Blackhawks fans who are craving balance in the lineup in Rockford. Robbie Stucker and Arvid Henrikson are both big players, but neither was very productive in long college careers. Henrikson is 25 already; his North American pro chances may be over with him already committed to play in Sweden this season. Stucker, who turns 25 in late September, similarly has an ECHL deal signed. Neither appears to be a good add for Chicago.
