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Bryan Bickell placed on waivers

By Ryan Ritchie |

Bryan Bickell has been placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks. The skilled Hawks third line player is hampered more by his contract than anything else. The emergence of young guys in Blackhawks training camp has also made Bryan Bickell virtually expendable.

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You know you’re stacked with offensive talent when you can stomach sending Marko Dano down to Rockford of the AHL. Bryan Bickell is signed through 16-17 at $4 mil/year and also has an attached no-trade clause. (info thanks to general fanager)

One must wonder how the Blackhawks can have a swirling roster carousel due to their constant cap issues. The relief of losing Bickell’s contract could be the first step to adjusting to Brent Seabrook‘s new contract that takes effect next season. Bryan Bickell has never surpassed 37 points in a single season throughout his career. He’s also a guy that has lacked opportunities to play up to his ability.

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    • The perfect comparable is what Matt Beleskey went through in Anaheim. I’d fully expect someone to take a chance on Bryan Bickell even with that hefty price tag. He’s a guy that in the right situation, could actually flourish in a top six role. Let’s not forget that lockout shortened season in 2012-13 where Chicago won the Stanley Cup and Bryan Bickell tallied 17 points in 23 playoff games. The Championships alone should be enough to scoop him off waivers.

    So which teams might take a chance on Bryan Bickell/who could afford him?

    Boston Bruins – cap space: $4,764,333

    It would leave the B’s much room to work with, but if GM Don Sweeney wants to patch up the mistakes he made in the offseason at all, adding another skilled forward would be the first step.

    Florida Panthers – cap space: $7,330,817

    This one is simple logic. You’ve got Jussi Jokinen as your second line LW. He has a consistent ceiling of about 40 points. Bryan Bickell could challenge him and Reilly Smith for a top six role.

    Carolina Hurricanes – cap space: $10,038,335

    When your second line may consist of players like Kris Versteeg, Viktor Rask, Nathan Gerbe, and Andrej Nestrasil fighting for spots, Bryan Bickell could easily challenge all four players for top six minutes.

    Colorado Avalanche – cap space:$10,442,240

    The second line features Alex Tanguay on the left with Jarome Iginla on the right side most likely. Both are nearing the end of their careers, so why wouldn’t you want to bring in a younger player who could challenge for minutes?

    New Jersey Devils – cap space: $12,591,669

    It’s a team destined to sit in the basement of the NHL this season. They’ve already brought in Kyle Palmieri to play first line minutes on the right side. The potential second liners are among the worst options in the league, other than Adam Henrique. When you’re debating about keeping 2015 first rounder Pavel Zacha, you know you’ve got serious offensive depth problems. Claiming Bryan Bickell would be a ton of sense here.

    Next: Sophomore Slump for Filip Forsberg?

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