Niklas Hjalmarsson is one of the more intriguing cases on the Blackhawks’ roster heading into the 2011-12 season. In fact, many didn’t even think Hjalmarsson would be on the roster at this point in the summer.
Though the Blackhawks weren’t in the kind of financial straits that they were in in the summer of 2010, there was still a bit of shedding that needed to be done. Many expected that to be Hjalmarsson, making it a major surprise when Brian Campbell was dealt to the Florida Panthers this summer.
It might have been a less-than-stellar season for the Swedish defenseman, but his contract was directly related to the disappointment. The Blackhawks matched San Jose’s four-year, $14 million offer sheet for Hjalmarsson last summer, meaning Hjalmarsson makes a pretty penny despite not bringing as much to the ice as we might have hoped.
His play wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t good either. He’s not a big point scorer, but as a defenseman who ...
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