Blackhawks place former second-round pick on waivers

The Blackhawks placed winger Boris Katchouk on waivers Monday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Rockford, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Katchouk, 25, has been a healthy scratch in four straight games. His last appearance came on December 3 against the Wild, in which he registered a -1 rating and one shot on goal in 12:55 of ice time.

As The Athletic’s Scott Powers notes, forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman have impressed the team since they recalled them from Rockford around Thanksgiving, and they’ve both surpassed Katchouk on the team’s internal depth chart. While there’s no pending injured reserve activation forcing the Blackhawks to clear a roster spot, the organization would rather Katchouk see consistent game action in the minors rather than have him sit in the press box in the NHL.

Drafted 44th overall by the Lightning in 2016, Katchouk spent nearly six years in Tampa Bay before the Blackhawks acquired him as part of the deal that sent Brandon Hagel to the Sunshine State in 2022. Katchouk struggled immediately after the swap, logging just one goal and a -10 rating in 21 contests with Chicago to close out the campaign.

His numbers improved in the following season, but he’s still provided marginal offense in a replaceable bottom-six role. In 96 total contests with Chicago since the trade, Katchouk has eight goals, 13 assists, 21 points, and a -18 rating while averaging 11:40 per game. He has, however, posted solid possession metrics dating back to last season, including a relative Corsi mark of 3.3% at even strength in 2022-23, despite seeing primarily defensive zone usage.

It’s unlikely he’ll ever reach the scoring potential he flashed by posting over a point-per-game in the minors in the Lightning organization in 2020-21, but he is a high-energy player who should end up back in the league at some point if he passes through waivers unclaimed. This season, Katchouk has two goals and two assists, along with a +2 rating, in 17 contests with Chicago. He’s in the final season of a three-year, $2.275M deal carrying a $758,333 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.