Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the Chicago Blackhawks wasted little time in moving to sign forward Nick Foligno. He accepted a one-year contract for $4M, according to Seravalli.
Foligno was traded Monday by the Boston Bruins in what amounts to a salary dump as the Bruins scramble to gain cap space before free agency opens on July 1. He was traded along with Taylor Hall for the rights to restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alex Regula. Foligno will join the fourth organization in his 16-year career, also spending time with the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 35-year-old spent two years with the Bruins after signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent in July 2021. His first year in Boston was largely forgettable as he put up career lows with two goals and 11 assists in 64 games. However, last season he was able to double his output with 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games while finding more of a role in Boston’s dominant forward group.
At this point in his career, Foligno is more of a third-liner, but he will likely be asked to take some top-six minutes in Chicago’s weak forward group unless the Blackhawks make significant upgrades over the summer. It should be interesting to see how he acclimates himself as he moves from the Presidents' Trophy winner to a team that could very well find itself near the bottom of the league standings.
From Chicago’s perspective, there is little downside to this move. While it is certainly a dramatic overpay for an aging forward, the Blackhawks must reach the cap floor, and Foligno should provide some good veteran leadership throughout the season. Chicago will likely have to overpay any other free-agent acquisitions as well since the season ahead will be a bumpy one in the Windy City.
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