Bryan Bickell Makes Chicago Blackhawks Return

Bryan Bickell Called-Up to Chicago After Successful AHL Stint

It was little over a month ago when Chicago sent Bryan Bickell down to AHL Rockford after underwhelming in training camp, and early into the new season. He carries a $4 million dollar cap hit, and is signed through 2016-17, carrying a no-trade clause. Arizona claimed Viktor Tikhonov off waivers during the recall process.

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After starting the season with the big club, he endured a 12-game stint in Rockford, racking up seven goals and seven assists over that span. Bickell is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, and Chicago hopes he can continue to provide depth scoring like he has in the past. His best season came in 2010-11 when he produced 37 points in 78 games.

Just as Bryan Bickell had to work hard in the AHL to retain his NHL job, he’ll have to work even harder to re-earn the trust of coach Joel Quenneville. On Sunday, Bickell assumed a fourth-line role, logging a dismal 7 minutes of ice-time. It might take some time for Bryan Bickell to earn more minutes, as he needs to show consistency in his play, and prove that he can outplay a cast of Blackhawks that are playing extremely well in 2015-16.

Chicago should once again be considered a Stanley Cup favorite in 2015-16, which comes as a surprise to some who questioned their offseason moves. Surprise individual performances have been the theme for Chicago early into the 2015-16 season. Lead by captain Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks looked doomed when they lost Duncan Keith early in the year to injury. But Chicago continued to win, riding the back of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin.

Patrick Kane has been the hottest NHL player in 2015-16, currently riding a 22-game point streak. It was unclear how KHL transfer Artemi Panarin would perform transitioning to North-American style play. It didn’t take long for the small elusive forward to show off his excellent skating, creativity, and quick release with the puck.

There’s still room for growth with a couple young Blackhawks, Marko Dano and Teuvo Teravainen, who could both see increased, top-six minutes by the end of the season. Another bright spot has been the other half of the Brandon Saad deal, Artem Anisimov, scoring just under a point per game pace quarter-way through the season.

On the back-end, Brent Seabrook, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Niklas Hjalmarsson all stepped up when Duncan Keith was sidelined. The only real disappoint for Chicago comes in the form of Trevor Daley. Not that he hasn’t played well enough, but the expectation was that he would add scoring depth from the back-end. He’s coming off 16 goals in 2014-15 with Dallas, but has yet to find the back of the net in 26 games so far with Chicago in 2015-16.

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In goal, Corey Crawford and Scott Darling make for one of the top 1/1A combos in the NHL, providing stability in-goal that most teams don’t have. Crawford will never be considered the game’s elite, but two Stanley Cup wins say he’s an excellent goaltender. Look for the Chicago Blackhawks to once again make a deep playoff run in 2015-16, in an attempt to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.