Not even 24 hours after the final Blackhawks game of the 2021 season, they’ve made their first move of the season.
According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks have signed Borgström to a two-year contract.
Borgström came to the organization as part of an April 8 trade with the Panthers that sent Lucas Carlsson and Lucas Wallmark to Florida in exchange for Borgström, forward Brett Connolly, defenseman Riley Stillman and Florida’s seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Connolly remains under contract through the end of the ‘22-23 season and Stillman signed a three-year extension in late April, but Borgström appeared to have been the prize of this trade from the beginning, based on comments from president of hockey operations and general manager Stan Bowman:
Stan Bowman: “We are receiving a very exciting, young player with a bright future in Henrik Borgstrom. He is a high-end talent and we think he has the ability to be a big time player for us.”
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 8, 2021
Borgström, who’ll turn 24 on August 6, was a first-round pick (23rd overall) of the Panthers in the 2016 NHL Draft. He debuted during the ‘17-18 season and played in four games, scoring one goal. He played 50 games in ‘18-19 with 8 goals and 10 assists but spent more time with the AHL in ‘19-20.
After three seasons in North America, Borgström returned to Finland and played with HIFK in the Liiga last season, scoring 11 goals with 10 assists in 30 games.
Another player to add to the list of younger skaters who’ll be auditioning for a roster spot when training camp opens for the ‘21-22 season.