The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed Jaycob Megna off waivers after he was placed there by the Seattle Kraken. Megna spent some time on the Kraken roster but hasn’t played a single NHL game this year. He only played two games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL, scoring one goal.
Megna is a big, strong defenseman with limited offensive skills. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he can match up physically with anyone in the NHL. He played most of the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks before being dealt to Seattle at the deadline in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
The Blackhawks waiver claim is good news for Megna as this gives him a better chance to play in the NHL this year for an extended period of games. Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild and they need strong veterans to help insulate the younger talent on the team. Megna could be a good fit there as they don’t currently have a strong left-side defense right now.
As of now the Blackhawks’ left-side defense consists of Jarred Tinordi, Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, and Isaak Phillips. And while some of the younger defenseman are having solid rookie seasons, they felt the need for a physical presence on the back-end.
At the very least, Megna provides depth and can be called upon at any time to fill a hole on the roster.
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