Fresh off of a Stanley Cup winning season, the Blackhawks aren’t exactly in rebuild mode, even after an offseason that saw plenty of popular players shipped out of town.
So as they prepare to start training camp this week, the strategy in the front office seems to be filling in the gaps. With that in mind, the Blackhawks have agreed to bring in two veterans for professional tryouts.
Over the weekend, the Blackhawks agreed to bring in forward Daniel Paille and defenseman Jan Hejda.
Daniel Paille agrees to PTO with the Chicago Blackhawks.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 14, 2015
Told former #CBJ and #Avs D Jan Hejda has accepted a PTO agreement and will go to training camp with #Blackhawks
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 12, 2015
If they make the team, neither veteran should be expected to make a big difference for the Blackhawks. However, its been proven over the last few years in the playoffs that depth is crucial.
Paille is the quintessential defensive forward, ideal for a checking line. Offensively, he’s failed to score more than six goals in a season. Last year with the Avalanche, Paille scored just once but added 12 assists.
Hejda had a big presence in the Boston defensive zone over the last few years. However, it will be tough for the veteran to crack the deep group of defensemen already signed by the Blackhawks.
