Ethan Del Mastro is staying in Chicago on a two year deal, and the Blackhawks got it done with players already reporting for medicals.
Frank Seravalli broke the terms this morning. Two years at $950,000, and the league's restricted free agent list drops to five names.
The raise is modest. He played last season on $855,834, so this is a bump of just under a hundred grand a year.
The production does not explain the urgency. Nineteen games, one assist, and a minus-11 rating.
So why get it done now? Look at the blue line he is signing into.
Artyom Levshunov is listed day to day with a hand issue and questionable for the opener. The 20 year old also finished last season at -41.
Behind him the depth thins fast. Kevin Korchinski dressed 13 times, Sam Rinzel got 54 games at 22, and Connor Mackey played three.
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Connor Bedard is on injured reserve until at least November 7
That is the bigger story nobody is saying loudly enough. A shoulder issue has the captain shelved with an estimated return date more than six weeks into the season.
He put up 75 points in 69 games last year while playing on $950,000. The same figure a depth defenceman just signed for.
None of that is a shot at the new deal. It is a snapshot of a roster where the best player and a bottom pairing body cost the same.
The numbers underneath are ugly. Chicago went 29-39-14 and ranked 31st in the league.
They scored 213 goals and gave up 275. That is 2.6 for and 3.4 against every night.
The close was worse than the record. Two wins across the final 10 games, with one win over San Jose in the middle of April to end it.
Only two defenders finished above water. Bowen Byram landed at plus-15 and 37 year old Ian Cole came in at plus-16.
The crease did what it could. Spencer Knight posted a .902 save percentage with three shutouts across 55 appearances.
Arvid Soderblom is the other option, and a .880 mark over 26 games is not the answer behind that group.
So how much does a $950,000 defenceman actually move the needle here?
Signing a depth blue liner for that money is like buying a spare tire. Nobody brags about it until the night you actually need it.
Jeff Blashill opens camp with a captain on the shelf, a young defender questionable, and a roster that finished 31st.
Kyle Davidson checked one small box this morning. The boxes that matter are still sitting open, and the calendar does not care.
Is Ethan Del Mastro worth a roster spot on this Blackhawks blue line?
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