The Blackhawks officially announced Wednesday they signed prospect forward Henrik Borgstrom to a two-year contract.
Borgstrom’s rights were acquired in a multifaceted deadline trade with the Panthers, of which he was the centerpiece asset.
The 23rd overall pick in 2016, Borgstrom impressed Hawks general manager Stan Bowman while starring at the University of Denver. But he fizzled out in the Panthers’ organization after a decent 2018-19 NHL rookie year and spent this season playing for HIFK in Finland, scoring 21 points in 30 games.
The signing doesn’t come as a surprise. Borgstrom, now 23, was ranked the Hawks’ No. 2 prospect in the Sun-Times’ most recent rankings and will compete for an NHL spot in training camp this fall.
His new contract carries an affordable $1 million cap hit.
“He could be a nice piece for us next year,” Bowman said Wednesday. “It’s going to be important for him to be a solid two-way player so we can tap into the skill he has. He can make plays, and he can score goals, set up goals... We’re looking for him to come in and have a strong training camp and jumpstart his career.”
