The Chicago Blackhawks have extended restricted free agent forward Mackenzie Entwistle for the next two seasons through 2022-23. The deal will carry an average cap hit of $800,000 per season. The team announced the agreement Wednesday morning.
𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗸
Mackenzie Entwistle returns on a two-year extension! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/amHda85AcE
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 18, 2021
Blackhawks Extend Mackenzie Entwistle
There isn’t much on which to evaluate Entwistle from 2020-21. He appeared in just five games with one goal and two points. The 6’3″ skater also posted 10 hits but with an ugly 31.1 percent Corsi For and -13.1 relative Corsi. However, one should not put too much weight on possession stats from such a small sample of games. This is a player who posted four goals and 12 points in 22 games with the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford. That still isn’t much, but it is more useful than the brief NHL action in a pandemic-shortened season.
The Arizona Coyotes originally drafted Entwistle in the third round of the 2017 Draft but traded him to Chicago in 2018 in a huge deal that also involved Vinnie Hinostroza and Jordan Oesterle. Entwistle still has just the five NHL games, but he has posted 15 goals and 38 points in 78 AHL games. He looks like an acceptable bottom-six grinder that every team loves to use when filling out rosters. With Mackenzie Entwistle extended, we will see more significant action in a full 2021-22 season, which will give us a much better picture of his skills.
What To Expect
Entwistle is not likely to have a roster spot when the season begins unless he excels in training camp. The Blackhawks have several options for their third and fourth lines, which probably means the Georgetown, Ontario product starts 2021-22 in the AHL. However, rosters are not set yet. There is plenty of time for something to happen and open up a spot for the big Canadian.
Chicago doesn’t have many more moves that it needs to make. Entwistle was the last restricted free agent after several signings earlier this month. They may still be slightly over the cap ceiling after subtracting long-term injured reserve, so they may end up shuffling things slightly between now and opening night.
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