The trade deadline has come and gone, and while there were plenty of moves across the league setting us up for one hell of a playoff season, they remained very quiet, making only one move on Thursday, getting a 5th round pick in this year's draft from the Nashville Predators for Anthony Beauvillier. Kyle Davidson spoke to the media post-deadline and basically said that from the position they were in, there was no need to make moves at this time. Their remaining retainer salary slots would be better used down the line, as teams that approached them about being the team in a deal were only offering late-round draft picks to retain salary. I really like how KD approached this deadline and didn’t make any moves to just make moves. He is right that he will be able to get more out of retaining his salary down the road. I mean, taking a look at the league salary cap via Cap Friendly, 12 teams are over the cap ceiling and will need to make some tough calls to move players. That’s when the Hawks cap space will become much more valuable, and KD will be able to get more bang for his buck.
While the trades were quiet, the team did make some AHL roster moves. The Hawks reassigned Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier, and Zach Sanford (who was a paper transaction and has since been recalled) to Rockford, making them playoff-eligible for the Ice Hogs. They also placed forward Boris Katchouk on waivers, who was claimed by the Ottawa Senators. Katchouk's tenure with the Hawks comes to an end after 117 games, which saw him produce 26 points (11-15). He was a free agent at the end of the season and didn’t seem like he was going to be brought back, so this doesn’t really hurt in terms of losing a player for nothing. Best of luck to Boris in Ottawa.
Game Day
As for actual hockey action, the Hawks are back at it in the National Capital as they take on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Caps come into this one playing decent hockey, going 6-3-1 over their last ten and coming off a big 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. They are going to look at this game against the Hawks as a must-win as they currently sit 5 points out of a wild card spot, but lucky for them, they do have games in hand (3 on TB and 2 on DET). The Capitals have been led by a familiar face to Hawks fans, Dylan Strome. He has 50 points (22-28) in 61 games this season. One player who is having a down year is the Great Eight, Alex Ovechkin. Currently, he only has 18 goals this season, and when you are within striking distance of a Wayne Gretzky record, the pressure definitely starts to build. In 24 games against the Hawks, he has 15 goals, so it will be fun to see if he can get a goal or two to bring him closer to the record.
As for the Hawks, they are the first team this season to face playoff elimination, a regulation loss, and the Knights getting at least one point against Detroit or an OT Hawks loss and a Knights win will finally put the nail in the team's coffin. I know that given where the team is and has been in the standings all season, this seems like a pointless point to make, but it gives us a storyline to watch in what is a meaningless game for this team.
The team had an optional skate this morning, so there are no line combinations yet, but according to Ben Pope, it looks like Mrazek gets the call in the net and will look to bounce back after two very rough games against Colorado. The other moves he is reporting are that Reese Johnson will be back in the lineup, taking Beauvillier’s spot, and Zaitsev is back on defense after a lengthy stay on the IR. Athanasiou will not be making his return to the lineup, but he is practicing with the team in a regular jersey, so you have to imagine it's a matter of days before he gets back. One last injury update: Taylor Hall was back on the ice for the first time since having season-ending ACL surgery. Coach Richardson made it clear he will not be making a surprise comeback this season, but it is a great sign to see him skating once again.
That’s going to be it from me, puck drop is set for 6pm central time and as always, Lets Go Hawks.
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