As the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks prepare for Saturday night’s home tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a pair of players have been sent to Chicago’s minor league team: the Rockford Ice Hogs.
Forward Kyle Baun and goaltender Jeff Glass were put on waivers on Friday morning. The 24-hour waiver period has now passed, with neither player being claimed, so they’ve each been assigned to the Ice Hogs.
As we mentioned back in July, the Ice Hogs could be a far more interesting watch this season after a couple of rough years for Chicago’s AHL franchise. Baun could be a key part of that after scoring 34 points in his 74 games with Rockford in 2016-17. With the logjam among third and fourth-liners in the Hawks’ organization, Baun figures to spend much — if not all — of the 2017-18 season in Rockford.
Jeff Glass is in a similar situation. The 31-year-old goaltender signed a two-year deal with the Hawks last season after a strong showing with Rockford last season. But with Corey Crawford locked in as the starter and Anton Forsberg looking like the choice for backup, the only available ice time for Glass to earn will be with the Ice Hogs. He’ll likely be in a battle with Jean-Francois Berube and Matt Tomkins to earn time between the pipes for Rockford.
More cuts are on the way in the upcoming weeks, with the Blackhawks roster now standing at 38: 21 forwards, 13 defensemen, and four goalies.