The Blackhawks announced that center Cole Guttman has been signed to a one-year, two-way extension with a $775K cap hit. His minor league salary was not disclosed.
Guttman, 25, began the 2023-24 campaign on the NHL roster. He made three appearances early on, including a goal in their season opener against the Penguins, before being sent down to AHL Rockford in late October. He was recalled again around Thanksgiving, this time lasting around two months before he was returned to the minors. The Blackhawks didn’t recall him after his last demotion to Rockford in January.
Despite not sticking around in Chicago, it was still a strong season for the former sixth-round pick of the Lightning. Guttman was one of the top college free agents in 2022 after captaining the University of Denver to a national championship. While he’s yet to establish himself as a full-time NHLer, he’s been a prolific scorer for Rockford, where he was undoubtedly their best player this season with 40 points and a +20 rating in just 39 games.
Guttman wasn’t severely outmatched in his NHL minutes this season, either, tossing up four goals and eight points in 27 games in third-line minutes. He went 60/120 in the faceoff dot, and while his -17 rating is eye-popping given his limited number of appearances, it’s not an overly concerning number for a young forward on a lottery team that was frequently deployed in checking situations.
There’s plenty of uncertainty among the Blackhawks’ depth forwards for next season, with veterans Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson likely moving on in free agency. Youngsters Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert will be in competition for spots but haven’t solidified themselves as locks to start the season in the NHL. With a strong camp, Guttman has plenty of opportunity to crack Chicago’s opening night roster in the fall and build on his strong AHL showings the last two seasons.