The Blackhawks re-assigned forwards Graham Knott and Nathan Noel to the Indy Fuel in the ECHL on Thursday. Chicago’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, also assigned forwards Liam Coughlin and Mathew Thompson and defenseman Josh McArdle and Dmitry Osipov to Indy.
Knott scored only four goals and 13 points in 56 games for the IceHogs last season. He has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 126 career AHL games after winning the Memorial Cup in 2017 with the Windsor Spitfires. Chicago selected him 54th overall in the second round with its first pick in the 2015 NHL draft. It was a compensatory pick for not signing 2010 first-rounder Kevin Hayes.
Noel had six points (two goals, four assists) in 46 games last season for Rockford. He split the 2017-18 season between Indy and Rockford with one goal in 17 AHL contests and 11 points in 21 ECHL games. The Blackhawks selected him in the fourth round in 2016.
The 22-year-old Knott is the highest Chicago draft pick to be assigned to Indy since the Blackhawks affiliate agreement started with the Fuel in 2014.
McArdle and Osipov both played for Rockford and Indy last season.
Rockford also released eight players from tryouts, including forward Spencer Watson, who was acquired by Chicago last February from the Kings in exchange for forward Matheson Iacopelli. Watson only played 13 games in the Chicago organization, with three points in 10 AHL games and no points in three ECHL games.
AHL camp
Forwards: Liam Coughlin*, MacKenzie Entwistle, Alexandre Fortin, Brandon Hagel, Mikael Hakkarainen, Matthew Highmore, Reese Johnson, Philipp Kurashev, Dylan McLaughlin*, Nathan Noel, Jacob Nilsson, Aleksi Saarela, Dylan Sikura, Tyler Sikura*, Tim Soderlund, Kris Versteeg*
Defensemen: Nicolas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist, Lucas Carlsson, Philip Holm, Chad Krys, Nick Moutrey*, Jack Ramsey*, Jake Ryczek*, Joni Tuulola
Goaltenders: Kevin Lankinen, Chase Marchand*, Matt Tomkins*