Forward Andrew Shaw has made a name for himself as one of the most polarizing players in the NHL.
Putting aside his suspension and fine this postseason for a homophobic slur and vulgar gesture at officials during the first round of the playoffs, the 24-year-old Belleville native often finds himself toeing the line for discipline as often as he finds himself on the scoresheet.
His 14 goals and 24 points in 78 regular season games this year came with 69 penalty minutes, and his six points in six playoff games came with a whopping 18 minutes spent leaving his team down a man on the ice. He was once suspended for six games in the AHL for leaving the bench to join a brawl, and he’s known for being an agitator who borders on reckless.
Despite this, though, the Blackhawks will likely do their best to keep him this summer when his current contract expires.
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times suggested on Wednesday that Shaw is “irreplaceable” in the eyes of Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, per his chats with the media at locker cleanout day. That makes it sound like the team will do their best to bring him back in the offseason, as the former fifth round pick is currently set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
The question, of course, is how much the Blackhawks can afford to pay the forward. Per General Fanager, the Central Division club currently has $65 million in cap space tied up in just 29 players out of a possible 50, with seven of the team’s current 16 roster forwards due for new deals. They likely won’t bring them all back, but the team still has cap questions to contend with – and those will control how much they’ll be able to afford to pay Shaw once the summer hits.
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