Even a day off was still busy for the Chicago Blackhawks as they got a pair of top NCAA players signed to entry-level contracts Thursday. We’ll get to see those guys soon enough, but for now, the team prepares to face Columbus on Friday night. Here’s the news:
**Colgate forward Kyle Baun signed a two-year deal with the ‘Hawks. He’ll burn one of those years now by playing this season. (SCH)
**Vermont defenseman Michael Paliotta also signed with Chicago. (SCH)
**Joakim Nordstrom is expected to be sidelined about a week due an upper-body injury (ESPN Chicago)
**Teuvo Teravainen knows he’s capable of giving the Blackhawks more than he has so far (ESPN Chicago)
**The NHL sounds confident about its plans to move forward with expansion in Las Vegas. (TSN)
**The National Women’s Hockey League announced plans to pay players and begin play in the fall. Very awesome! (SCH)
**The Panthers like what they’ve seen from Jaromir Jagr and hope to bring him back next season. (ESPN)
**David Krejci is back in the lineup for the Bruins (PHT)
**Sabres defenseman Mike Weber wasn’t thrilled hearing fans cheer after the team’s loss to the Coyotes, which helped solidify the team’s spot at the bottom of the standings. (Puck Daddy)
**Players in Boston know the status quo will change significantly if the team misses the postseason this year. (CSN New England)
**It’s possible Vincent Lecavalier is open to retiring early in order to make his contract more appealing to possible trade options. (NJ.com)
**Jared Boll received a three-game suspension for his hit to the head of Patrick Maroon. (PHT)
**Veteran NHL player Mikael Samuelsson has officially hung up the skates. (PHT)