We’re just about through Day 1 of free agency. Here’s how things broke down for the Blackhawks:
Center signed
General manager Stan Bowman said on Tuesday that he wanted to sign the team’s newest acquisition, center Artem Anisimov, to an extension as soon as possible. That came on Wednesday morning when the Blackhawks signed him to a five-year deal worth a reported $22.75 million. All those second-line center questions go away...for now.
Another Russian added
Viktor Tikhonov, grandson of the coach who led those tremendous Soviet teams in the 1970s and 1980s, signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks.