Hawks sign veteran goaltender Alex Stalock originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks have signed goaltender Alex Stalock to a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday. His cap hit is $750,000.
Stalock, 34, missed nearly the entire 2021-22 season with myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 in November of 2020. He made one start for the San Jose Sharks on March 5 and gave up six goals on 28 shots before being pulled. He also went 4-10-2 with a 3.98 goals-against average and .869 save percentage in 17 AHL games.
Stalock's last full NHL season was the 2019-20 campaign in which he registered a 20-11-4 record with a 2.67 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and four shutouts. He has a career 2.64 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 152 appearances with San Jose and Minnesota.
The Stalock signing gives the Blackhawks a backup goaltender to Petr Mrazek, who was acquired on Day 1 of the 2022 NHL Draft from Toronto along with the No. 25 overall pick. Mrazek has two more years left on his contract, which carries a $3.8 million cap hit.
Probably a wise move by the organization to round out the goaltending tandem next season with a pair of veterans, given how dire things could get. No point in subjecting or trying to develop a netminding prospect on an NHL team that's in rebuild mode.
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