The Chicago Blackhawks’ most recent acquisition is one step closer to making his NHL debut.
With visa issues now apparently resolved, the Blackhawks have activated forward Jason Dickinson from his non-roster spot, which means that Dickinson could be in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
We have activated Jason Dickinson from non-roster and assigned Buddy Robinson to the @goicehogs. #Blackhawks
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 14, 2022
As the tweet above indicates, the Blackhawks assigned Buddy Robinson to the AHL to make room for Dickinson on the NHL roster. Robinson cleared waivers last weekend, making him eligible for this move.
Dickinson joined the Blackhawks one week ago as part of the late-night trade that sent Riley Stillman to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Dickinson and a 2024 second-round pick — a move that freed up $1.3 million in cap space for the Canucks. With no practice on Friday, it’s not known yet if Dickinson will be in the lineup on Saturday night but Robinson’s simultaneous demotion suggests that it’s probable.
Elsewhere in the hockey world, the Edmonton Oilers made some changes to their hockey operations staff, with one familiar name to Blackhawks fans among them:
The #Oilers have announced several hockey operations staff updates, including the additions of Duncan Keith as Player Development Consultant & Milan Tichy as Director of Amateur European Scouting. https://t.co/nlntPwifvn
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 14, 2022
After playing 16 Hall of Fame-worthy seasons in Chicago, Keith was traded to Edmonton ahead of the 2021-22 season as the Blackhawks honored Keith’s request to be closer to his son, Colton. He retired this summer and will now be a player development consultant with the Oilers, which carries this job description, according to the Oilers’ website:
… the three-time Stanley Cup champion will visit with Oilers draft picks at the junior level and also spend time with the team’s prospects in Bakersfield (AHL).