It’s hard to want to focus on the silver lining right now given the unfortunate news that Marian Hossa will miss the 2017-18 season, but for the Chicago Blackhawks, there is an upside to the situation.
By allowing Hossa, who is being sidelined by a skin condition related to his hockey equipment, to leave hockey to focus on his health, the Blackhawks should be able to open up millions in salary cap space. They’ll do this by placing Hossa on long-term injured reserve, similar to what the Coyotes have done with Chris Pronger.