From Laz mailbag article:
I don’t expect you to have a satisfying answer to this question, but what do you think the plan is for (Henri) Jokiharju? The Hawks seem to have him penciled in for Rockford this season, even though he’s already good enough to play a top-four role in the NHL. Do you think they’re just being excessively cautious with his development? Or has he fallen out of favor as a top prospect? — Luke S.
Let me start this by saying I don’t believe there’s any malicious intent behind Henri Jokiharju’s sudden and curious plummet down the organizational depth chart. I don’t believe the Blackhawks are actively shopping him, nor do I believe they really want to trade him. I do believe they’re not ruling it out, however. If Stan Bowman has shown us anything over the years, it’s that he views all prospects as assets, and that he’s perfectly willing to throw in a sweetener to get an unwanted contract off the books.
Me? I’d sure as hell rule it out. I saw enough out of Jokiharju last season to know he’s a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL right now, and a future top-pairing guy — which the Blackhawks desperately need in the present and the future. He has the skills, the smarts, the savvy and the self-possession to be a very good player for a very long time. And while the Blackhawks are loaded with promising defensive prospects, only Jokiharju has proven he can actually do it at the NHL level.
Honestly, I don’t know if there is a “plan” for Jokiharju. I think he’s a victim of circumstance, as much as anything. Bowman couldn’t in good conscience bring back the exact same blue line, but he didn’t have much roster flexibility, either. Seabrook’s contract is unmovable. Erik Gustafsson’s contract is too valuable. Connor Murphy has been the most reliable over the last two seasons, so moving him would be a lateral move. And you need guys like Carl Dahlstrom and Slater Koekkoek, who can be rotational players that don’t have to be in the lineup every night. Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan make the blue line better. But they also box out Jokiharju.
The only plan I can see that would make sense is keeping Jokiharju in Rockford — I don’t agree with it, but he just turned 20 three weeks ago, so it’s hardly a crisis — until the trade deadline. That’s when the Blackhawks will be faced with a decision about Gustafsson. If Gustafsson’s still producing at a high level, he’s going to be due a massive new contract next summer, one the Blackhawks might not be able to afford with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome up for new deals. So maybe you move Gustafsson at the deadline, and there’s your opening for Jokiharju. Of course, if you’re contending for a playoff spot (which I believe the Blackhawks will be) and Gustafsson is still lighting it up, how do you trade away your power-play quarterback before the stretch run? You can’t. So, uh, yeah. Back to where we began.
But, hey, injuries happen. Trades happen. Waivers happen. Last year, the Blackhawks used 12 defensemen. The year before that, 11. Before that, nine. Before that, 11. Before that, 12. You need more than six or seven guys. If he starts the season in Rockford, Jokiharju would be the first call-up if one of the top six went down (the last thing they want is for him to be a rotation guy; they want him playing every night, regardless of where he is).
So no, this is not a satisfying answer to your question, Luke. The truth is, I don’t know. And I’m not entirely sure the Blackhawks do, either.
