The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned goaltender Mac Carruth to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, the team announced Sunday. The move leaves Chicago with 25 forwards, 13 defensemen and four goaltenders remaining on the active roster at training camp.
Carruth, 24, was the Blackhawks’ seventh-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. He’s split the past two seasons between Rockford and the Indy Fuel, Chicago’s ECHL affiliate. In 27 AHL games over three seasons, Carruth has posted a 2.56 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
The Blackhawks have their NHL tandem cemented with Corey Crawford and Scott Darling, but they’re turning things over in Rockford after letting go veteran Michael Leighton. Carruth is expected to play a role there along with Lars Johansson. Another possibility is Jake Hildebrand, who signed an AHL deal with Rockford over the summer and got a tryout contract from the Hawks. Hildebrand is already back with the IceHogs after being released from his tryout deal.
Crawford, Darling, Johansson and Ivan Nalimov are the four goalies remaining at training camp. Nalimov, the team’s top goaltending prospect, joined the Hawks’ camp recently after starting his season in the KHL. He’s unlikely to factor in Chicago soon, but he’s got upside given his athleticism and size in the crease, so it’s understandable that team officials would want to get an extended look. Nalimov is on the roster for the Hawks’ Sunday preseason game against the Red Wings.