Bryan Bickell is available, but he will cost an interested team $4.5 million in salary in each of the next two seasons.
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On Friday, the Hawks stated they were willing to give Bickell up for nothing and placed the 29-year-old winger on waivers in one of two surprising roster moves announced Friday.
After playing a key role in Chicago’s 2013 Stanley Cup victory, Bickell inked a four-year, $16-million contract he has yet to live up to.
The Blackhawks trimmed their roster down to 25 today, leaving a few big names off the list. They spoke with a number of teams since last season ended, especially at the draft in late June, about a Bickell trade, but obviously not to all 29 teams.
Suffering from vertigo during the 2015 Cup final, Bickell saw limited action. Both players can be sent down to Rockford without having to clear waivers, so the Blackhawks went with the hot hand as they prepare for the regular season.
Dano, 20, was the 27th overall pick in ’13 and enjoyed a fine rookie campaign with the Jackets previous year, scoring 19 points in 39 games. “We want him getting pace into his game and getting our system in tune to his game. We sent a lot of guys who were competing for the same opportunities here who, down the road, can play”.
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The Blackhawks also re-assigned eight players – including former Blue Jackets forward Marko Dano – to Rockford, Ill., their American Hockey League affiliate. Defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Ville Pokka have also been demoted to Rockford.
