NHL Free Agency: Brian Campbell signs one-year deal with Chicago Blackhawks
According to Pierre LeBrun, the Chicago Blackhawks and free agent defenseman Brian Campbell have agreed to a one year deal at around $2 million.
The Chicago Blackhawks and defenseman Brian Campbell have been linked to each other for the past few weeks. According to ESPN insider Pierre LeBrun, the Blackhawks and Campbell have agreed to a one-year deal worth around $2 million.
As many have speculated, Brian Campbell has made his decision and it's going to be a return to Chicago. Likely a one-yr deal around $2M
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2016
With Chicago needing to add some blue line depth and Campbell wanting to prove that he can still play hockey, a reunion makes a ton of sense for both sides. Campbell should be an excellent fit on the Blackhawks’ second pairing, providing Brent Seabrook with one of the most underrated puck movers in the NHL.
Though his production has dropped, Campbell had six goals and 25 assists for 31 points during the 2015-16 season. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Campbell returns to the Blackhawks after spending three seasons there from 2008 to 2011. During his initial tenure with the Blackhawks, Campbell played well over 20 minutes a night and had 19 goals and 98 assists for 117 points in 215 games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks during the 2009-10 season. Chicago needed a left-handed defenseman that head coach Joel Quenneville can trust. Campbell will likely have a chip on his shoulder, wanting to win another Stanley Cup and wanting to prove to himself and the rest of the league that he is still a very good defenseman. That’s a match made in heaven.
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