The Blackhawks are one of five teams that have “asked about” Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper, according to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman.
The report was mentioned during Friedman’s “31 Thoughts” column that appeared online Thursday afternoon.
According to Friedman’s report, the Blackhawks were one of five teams that inquired about Kuemper, along with the Flames, Hurricanes, Oilers and Sharks.
Kuemper, 30, appeared in 29 games for the Coyotes during the 2019-20 regular season, posting a 16-11-2 record with a .928 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average. He guided the Coyotes to a 3-1 series win over the Predators in the qualifying round and was in net for all five Arizona games in its first-round loss to the Avalanche. In the postseason, Kuemper went 4-5 with a .913 SA% and 3.47 GAA.
A veteran of three teams in eight NHL seasons, Kuemper signed a two-year contract extension last October with an annual salary cap hit of $4.5 million that kick in until next season.
Chicago currently does not have an NHL goalie under contract, with Robin Lehner dealt to Vegas at the deadline, Corey Crawford an unrestricted free agent and Malcolm Subban a restricted free agent. The Blackhawks reportedly offered Crawford a one-year deal worth about $3.5 million and also have AHL goalies Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins under contract for next season.