Chicago has gained another defensive option and it’s a familiar face.
The Blackhawks announced that Kyle Cumiskey has agreed to a one-year contract.
The financial terms weren’t disclosed, but its a one-way, $575K deal, according to ESPN’s Scott Powers. He had a two-way contract last season, although it was out of the ordinary as he still drew an annual salary of $400K in the minors.
Even with his new deal, he might get sent to the minors. His contract is small enough that the cap hit would be completely buried by demoting him, although he would need to clear through waivers first. On top of that, he’s still a few weeks away from playing due to an injury.
The 28-year-old defenseman spent most of 2014-15 playing for AHL Rockford, but he did end up playing in nine playoff contests with Chicago, including the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final.
Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson can be counted on to be the Chicago’s top-three blueliners and Trevor Daley should maintain a regular role as well. If Cumiskey did stay with the Blackhawks, he would be competing with David Rundblad, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Viktor Svedberg for one of the final two spots.
Update: Cumiskey has been waived, per Bob McKenzie.