As reported by numerous NHL media outlets, the Chicago Blackhawks have reached an agreement with center Andrew Desjardins to bring him back to Chicago.
Bringing back Desjardins was a good move by the Hawks. He was one of the three players that were traded for at the trade deadline and he was the only one to stay as well. Desjardins was traded for popular 4th line center Ben Smith and many wondered how he fit on the team. Although he didn't have the scoring output (one goal and three assists during the playoffs), he was a good 4th line player that did the little things: making a check, holding the play in the offensive zone and forcing a teams top line play defense for that shift and along with Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger, they created some solid chances at goal as well. If the Hawks can re-sign Kruger and Desjardins, they will have a solid 4th line that understands their role and play it to perfection.
Adding to the good news of his return is his cap hit. Desjardins' cap hit per year is less than $1 million (800,000); this is a huge deal for the Blackhawks. Although they have some more money to shed and they probably will, bringing back Desjardins for cheap helps Stan Bowman and the front office a lot.
The Blackhawks still have some work to do, however. They still have to shed some salary and that will likely happen by trading the likes of Patrick Sharp and Bryan Bickell. They still have to re-sign Desjardins' linemate Kruger and the team said they would like to re-sign Johnny Oduya although the money he will probably be offered more money outside of Chicago.
The Blackhawks still have a lot to do this offseason but signing a player like Desjardins back is a key move.