Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
When their season eventually comes to an end, whether that’s in the first round or when Jonathan Toews hoists the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to have some decisions to make in regard to certain players on the roster.
Some of those players are free agents, some are players that are still under contract but have worn out their welcome with the franchise. One player who could fit the bill as far as the latter is concerned is Dave Bolland. Could he be the next piece of their 2010 team to find his way out?
That might be the right move for the Blackhawks. Despite his track record as an injury concern, Bolland has always been among the fan favorites for this Blackhawks club. His penchant for defense from the forward position has made him beloved and has drawn the ire of many of the game’s top forwards.
But it just isn’t worth it anymore for the Blackhawks. With a shrinking cap next year, Bolland carries a cap hit over $3.3 million. While he is among the game’s best defensive forwards, that fact alone makes him expendable. But there is a combination of other factors as to why the Hawks should part ways with Bolland.
This season, we haven’t seen or heard much from Bolland. If you didn’t know that he played in 35 games, you’d probably assume he had been injured for much of the year. He can’t win a faceoff to save his life, with a putrid 46 percent success rate at the dot. He has been invisible on the ice for most of the year, and in the box score, with only 14 points on the year.
On top of that, he’s replaceable. The Blackhawks have talent up the middle coming through the pipeline. One such player is Philip Danault. He projects as a better version of Bolland, and there are quiet a few people associated with the organization that are very excited about this kid.
The Hawks could easily find a taker for Bolland. They might even be able to get back a decent return for him. That would allow them to free up some cash to keep one of Bryan Bickell or Viktor Stalberg, each of which would probably be more worth keeping to the Hawks than Bolland.
While they do lack depth up the middle, they could probably find a player to replace what Bolland has done this season, for much cheaper. Of course, what they eventually decide to do with him is going to depend a lot on what he and the Blackhawks achieve this postseason.
