News:Niklas Hjalmarsson collected a pair of assists in Game 4 as the Blackhawks defeated the Kings, 3-2, in the Western Conference final on Thursday.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson picked up some of the slack with the omission of Duncan Keith in the lineup because of a one-game suspension. He also rebounded after an injury in Game 3 when he took a puck to his left knee late in the game.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson will not play in Saturday's game against the Blues, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson will get some extra rest, as the Blackhawks are locked into the No. 1 seed and have nothing left to play for.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson is not active Friday against the Flames, CSN Chicago reports.
Analysis: With the Blackhawks having already secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Niklas Hjalmarsson will simply be receiving rest Friday night.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson scored a goal and an assist in the Blackhawks' 4-1 victory over the Sharks on Friday night.
Analysis: His goal against the Sharks was his first of the season and matched his lone goal of 2011-12 season. Niklas Hjalmarsson also has three assists on the season. With his goal and assist on Friday against the Sharks, he has his best numbers against a team with two goals and five assists. The Blackhawks are looking for Hjalmarsson to have a better season in 2013 than last season with his goal and 15 assists.
Blackhawks' Hjalmarsson Headed To Italy During Lockout
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson has agreed to a deal with Italian club HC Bolzano during the lockout, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson will join the club Friday, becoming the sixth member of the Blackhawks to play overseas during the lockout. Hjalmarsson suited up in 69 games last season, registering 14 assists for the Blackhawks.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson could be one of the players cut this summer as the Blackhawks look to make changes to get back to the Stanley Cup finals, ESPNChicago reports.
Analysis: The team was not happy with its defense last season - especially in the postseason - and Hjalmarrson's release might be one of the results of changes during the offseason. He was a little bit plagued with injuries during the 2011-12 season, but his point total of 15 (one goal and 14 assists) has been in line with what he has done in the past. The Blackhawks might be regretting matching a four-year, $14 million offer sheet in July 2010 that was offered by the Sharks to Niklas Hjalmarsson.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson registered his first assist since returning from an upper-body injury, setting up Chicago's only goal in Tuesday's loss to New Jersey.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson has had his share of nagging injuries this season and his 13 points on the season are in line with what can be expected of him.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will play against the Rangers on Friday, Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam Jahns reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson has had a lot of trouble staying healthy lately, but he'll be there if you need him Friday.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) traveled with the Blackhawks to Dallas for Friday's game, but it was not known if he was going to skate, ESPN Chicago reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson left Tuesday's game against the Blues. He is basically a medical ward onto himself. He recently suffered a concussion, but this latest injury is not related to the concussion. Hjalmarrson also reportedly suffered a rib injury but it is unknown if that is what caused him to leave Tuesday's game.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will play Friday against the Rangers, the Blackhawks' official Twitter page reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson has been dealing with the upper body injury for nearly a month, but he will return Friday. He only has 12 points (1G, 11A) in 55 games this season, but his plus-six rating shows he's more valuable to the Blackhawks than any fantasy team.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) hopes to play against the Rangers on Friday, CSN Chicago reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson was making steady progress early in the week, so although a Friday return is far from guaranteed, it also appears to be a real possibility.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will miss Tuesday's game against St. Louis, CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers reports.
Analysis: He seems to be coming close to a return, but it won't happen Tuesday.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) is feeling better, but he will not play in Sunday's game against the Red Wings, CSN's Tracey Myers reports.
Analysis: It's not clear where Niklas Hjalmarsson stands health-wise, but if his comments hold true, it's possible he could play Tuesday when the Blackhawks conclude their current three-game road trip in St. Louis.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will not skate Friday against the Senators but traveled with the club on the three-game road trip, the ESPN Chicago reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson has skated only once since Feb. 7, against the Stars on Feb. 23 where he skated for 16 minutes. He did not score any points and did not register a shot on goal against the Stars. Since then he has missed three games. Going on the road trip is good news that he could skate Sunday against the Red Wings and Tuesday against the Blues.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will be out for Friday's game against Ottawa, the Blackhawks' official site reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson remains in the day-to-day category heading into the weekend.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will miss Wednesday's game against Toronto, Tracey Myers reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson was able to skate Tuesday, but his status for Friday's game against Ottawa is still unclear.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will not travel for games against Los Angeles (Saturday) and Anaheim (Sunday), CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers reports.
Analysis: It's not clear whether this is something new or an aggravation of Niklas Hjalmarsson's previous issue.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will return to action Thursday against the Stars, csnchicago.com reports.
Analysis: With a modest 12 points in 54 games this season, Niklas Hjalmarsson's return is of more import to the Blackhawks' blue line depth than it is to fantasy owners.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) is expected to return to the ice Thursday night against the Stars, ESPNChicago.com reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson has missed the last seven games dating back to February 10. He reportedly has been kept out because of a concussion, but the Blackhawks have not confirmed that. He has a goal and 11 assists in 54 games this season.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will miss Tuesday's game against Detroit, ChicagoBlackhawks.com reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson is getting closer to returning, but there still hasn't been a target date mentioned. He practiced Tuesday in some capacity.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson will miss Sunday's game against the Blues with an upper body injury, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson remains on track for a return next week.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will miss Saturday's game against Columbus and is likely to miss Sunday's game against St. Louis as well, CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers reports.
Analysis:Niklas Hjalmarsson is improving, but it's still difficult to tell whether a return is particularly imminent.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will not travel for Wednesday's game against Nashville, CSN Chicago's Chris Boden reports.
Analysis: The team still hasn't addressed the possibility of whether Niklas Hjalmarsson is dealing with a concussion. It's also unclear whether he'll miss the entirety of the three-game road trip or if he might return before its conclusion.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson appears to be suffering from a concussion, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Analysis: The Blackhawks haven't confirmed this, but if they do, Niklas Hjalmarsson could miss a fair amount of time.
News:Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) will miss Friday's game against the Sharks and Saturday's game against Phoenix, ESPN 1380 reports.
Analysis: It's not clear what Niklas Hjalmarsson is dealing with, nor whether he's a good bet to play Tuesday against Nashville.
News: Hjalmarsson, who suffered an upper body injury Thursday, was in the lineup Sunday for the Blackhawks against the Coyotes.
Analysis: Hjalmarrson did not skate Saturday in practice, but skated a little more than 14 minutes against Phoenix in the Hawks' 4-3 shootout win. Hjalmarsson had three blocked shots in the contest.
News: Hjalmarsson suffered an upper body injury during Thursday's win over Nashville, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson didn't skate Saturday, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, but he's expected to play Sunday against Phoenix.
Chicago's Hjalmarsson Misses Practice, But Will Play Saturday
News: Hjalmarsson (unspecified issue) sat out his second consecutive practice Friday, but coach Joel Quenneville said that the defenseman will play Saturday against the Predators, wsbt.com reports.
Analysis: With just six points in 43 games to date, Hjalmarsson's availability is of more import to the Blackhawks' blue line depth than it is to fantasy owners, however.
News: Hjalmarsson had a goal and an assist in Sunday's win over the road-weary Islanders.
Analysis: The goal was just Hjalmarsson's second of the season. He's had a disappointing six points in 42 games after the Hawks matched an offer sheet for him from the Sharks this summer.
News: Hjalmarsson sat out the second of his two-game suspension on Friday night.
Analysis: He'll be back in the lineup Saturday against Buffalo, so it will be interesting to see if the Sabres have some payback in mind after Hjalmarsson give him a concussion with an uncharacteristically dirty hit last weekend.
News: As expected, Hjalmarsson has been given a two-game suspension for his hit Monday on Buffalo's Jason Pominville that left Pominville with a concussion, The Buffalo News reports.
Analysis: He's eligible to return to the ice Saturday against, coincidentally, the Sabres. Hjalmarsson isn't normally considered a dirty player nor does he accrue a lot of penalty minutes, but it wouldn't surprise us if he was involved in a scuffle Saturday as the Sabres seek a little payback.
Hjalmarrson Reportedly Hit with Two-game Suspension
News: Hjalmarsson is expected to be suspended for two games after a hit on Buffalo's Jason Pominville from behind during Monday's win over the Sabres, ESPN-AM 1000 in Chicago reports.
Analysis: It was expected that he would get a suspension and also that it would not be a long one so keep that in mind when making up your lineup for the next two Blackhawks' games.
News: Hjalmarsson may face disciplinary action following a hit on Buffalo's Jason Pominville from behind during Monday's win over the Sabres.
Analysis: There's no official word yet, but the check resulted in Pominville slamming his head against the glass and needing to be stretchered off the ice. If Hjalmarsson is a regular of yours, prepare for the fact that he may miss a few games if the league disciplines him for the hit.
News: The Chicago Blackhawks, who have lost seven players since winning the Stanley Cup a month ago, said Monday they plan to keep 23-year-old restricted free-agent defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Calling Hjalmarsson one of his team's "core" players, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said Monday that Chicago will match the four-year, $14 million offer sheet the defenseman signed with the San Jose Sharks last week. Bowman said the team would complete the paperwork within the next day. "We've been meeting over the last couple days," Bowman said. "Niklas was a big part of our success last year and he's a part of our core that's going to be together for a long time."
Analysis: Hjalmarsson earned $660,000 last season. The Swede averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time per game in the regular season and 21 minutes in the playoffs as the No. 4 defenseman behind Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell. "He gets overshadowed maybe because we're got some other superstars there," Bowman added. "But he was really effective for us all year long. His steady play is something that only is going to get better." Hjalmarsson had 15 assists and 17 points in 77 games last season. While his offensive talents are developing, he is mostly on the ice for his defense and gets most of his points at even strength. He has marginal Fantasy appeal heading into the 2010-11 season.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson has gone seven games without recording a point since tallying his ninth assist on Jan. 28. He has also recorded a minus-rating in six of his last 14 games.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson has had some minor injury issues in 2009-10, but he has dressed for a career-high 56 games. The Blackhawks have plenty of offensive weapons, so they ask Hjalmarsson to focus on his defense, which he does. It's just that it doesn't show up much in Fantasy. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: D Niklas Hjalmarsson, who missed two games after being hit with a puck while sitting on the bench, returned to the Blackhawks lineup on Tuesday against the Wild. He had no points in 19:40 of ice time and finished at even.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is lucky he didn't take a tougher strike to the head or he could have been out a long time like Pascal Leclaire, who broke his cheekbone on the bench thanks to an errant puck. Hjalmarsson logs a ton of PT for Chicago, but he is mostly a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: The Blackhawks' official Twitter feed reports that D Niklas Hjalmarsson, who has missed the last two games after being struck by a puck while sitting on the bench, will return to action Tuesday vs. Minnesota.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson logs a ton of PT for Chicago, but he is mostly a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his second game on Sunday against the Ducks after being struck in the head with a puck while on the bench during a win over New Jersey on Thursday.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is only on the day-to-day watch at this time. He is still an injury-risk start for Week 14 (Jan. 4-10), but only a few Fantasy owners should be concerned. Hjalmarsson logs a ton of PT for Chicago, but he is mostly a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson, who was struck in the head with a puck while on the bench during Thursday's game against the Devils, missed Saturday's win over the Blues. He is listed as day-to-day.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson averages nearly 20 minutes per game and is one of the Blackhawks' most-used blueliners, even if he gets lost in the shuffle. He just doesn't get a lot of publicity in Fantasy since he is more of a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was struck with a puck while on the bench early in the third period of Sunday's game against the Devils and left the game. He is questionable for Saturday at St. Louis.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson missed a game a few weeks ago with an illness and was likely still feeling some lingering effects. Hjalmarsson averages nearly 20 minutes per game and is one of the Blackhawks' most-used blueliners, even if he gets lost in the shuffle. He just doesn't get a lot of publicity in Fantasy since he is more of a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson was able to return from an illness on Tuesday at Dallas. He did not record a point and was sent to the penalty box for 2 minutes for hooking.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson missed a game a few weeks ago with an illness and was likely still feeling some lingering effects. Hjalmarsson averages nearly 20 minutes per game and is one of the Blackhawks' most-used blueliners, even if he gets lost in the shuffle. He just doesn't get a lot of publicity in Fantasy since he is more of a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal.
News:The Sports Xchange reports Blackhawks LW Kris Versteeg and D Niklas Hjalmarsson, who both sat out Saturday's game in Nashville, also were scratched during Sunday's rematch. Coach Joel Quenneville said the two were "under the weather." Both have missed three games over the course of the season.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson missed a game a few weeks ago with an illness and could still be feeling some lingering effects. We don't see it as a long-term issue, so don't hit the panic button just yet. Hjalmarsson averages nearly 20 minutes per game and is one of the Blackhawks' most-used blueliners, even if he gets lost in the shuffle. He just doesn't get a lot of publicity in Fantasy since he is more of a defensive presence. He has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson returned to action Sunday after missing one game with an illness.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is experiencing his first full season in the NHL. He is more of a defensive presence though and has minimal Fantasy appeal.
News: Blackhawks D Nicklas Hjalmarsson was ill and missed Friday's game against the Bruins. He was replaced by Jordan Hendry.
Analysis: With all the names Chicago has on their blue line, Hjalmarsson definitely gets lost in the mix. But believe it or not, he averages 20 minutes per game. He has played in a career high 32 games and is experiencing his first full season in the NHL. Hjalmarsson is more of a defensive presence, however, so he has minimal Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson failed to record a point in 20:24 of ice time and finished at even on Wednesday against the Rangers. He has no points in six games, but does have six points and a plus-9 rating in 29 games.
Analysis: With all the names Chicago has on their blue line, Hjalmarsson definitely gets lost in the mix. But believe it or not, he averages 20 minutes per game. He has played in a career high 29 games and is experiencing his first full season in the NHL. Hjalmarsson is more of a defensive presence, however, so he has minimal Fantasy appeal.
News: The Blackhawks have recalled D Niklas Hjalmarsson from the AHL.
Analysis: A rib injury has limited Hjalmarsson to just one NHL game so far this season. Continue to ignore him in all formats.
News: The Blackhawks have assigned D Niklas Hjalmarsson to Rockford of the AHL.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson has been out most of this season with a rib injury, and might not be back in Chicago for a while. Continue to ignore him in all formats.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his seventh game with bruised ribs on Saturday in the Blackhawks' 6-5 shootout loss.
Analysis: The Blackhawks continue to be very patient with Hjalmarsson and likely can be since he isn't a big factor on defense. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his sixth game because of bruised ribs Wednesday against the Oilers. He remains day to day and questionable for Saturday's game against the Red Wings.
Analysis: The Blackhawks continue to be very patient with Hjalmarsson and likely can be since he isn't a big factor on defense. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his fifth straight game Sunday against the Canucks because of bruised ribs. He remains day to day and questionable for Wednesday's game against the Oilers.
Analysis: The Blackhawks continue to be very patient with Hjalmarsson and likely can be since he isn't a big factor on defense. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his fourth game Saturday against the Blues. He's day-to-day with bruised ribs.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is back with the Blackhawks after playing 13 games last season with Chicago. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his third game Wednesday against the Coyotes. He's day-to-day with bruised ribs.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is back with the Blackhawks after playing 13 games last season with Chicago. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his second game Monday against the Predators with bruised ribs. The Blackhawks recalled D Aaron Johnson from Rockford of the AHL on Monday to take his place.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is back with the Blackhawks after playing 13 games last season with Chicago. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News:The Sports Xchange reports D Matt Walker saw his first game action for the Blackhawks as the replacement for Niklas Hjalmarsson, who suffered a rib injury in the season opener against the New York Rangers. Hjalmarsson is listed as day to day.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is back with the Blackhawks after playing 13 games last season with Chicago. He is nothing more than a lower-pairing defenseman and has limited Fantasy appeal when healthy.
News: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered an upper body injury in the season opener and could not return Saturday against the Capitals.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is a lower end defenseman with Chicago and has no Fantasy value when healthy.
News:The Sports Xchange reports that Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered an upper body injury in the season opener.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson is a lower end defenseman with Chicago and has no Fantasy value when healthy.
News: Blackhawks rookie D Niklas Hjalmarsson grabbed his first NHL point Sunday when he assisted in a 4-3 OT win against the Blues.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson was called up in late February and has played in 11 games this season. He is only 20 years old and might be a couple of years away from a full NHL season though, so continue to ignore him in all formats for now.
News: The Chicago Blackhawks have called up RW Kris Versteeg and D Niklas Hjalmarsson, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Analysis: This is the third call-up this season for the 21-year old Versteeg, who has 35 points in 41 games and a plus-3 rating in the AHL this season. Hjalmarsson, a 20-year-old, has yet to play in an NHL game and has only seven points in 35 games and a minus-5 rating with Rockford this season. Neither has any Fantasy value at this time.
News: The Blackhawks activated D Andrei Zyuzin (groin) from injured reserve before Friday's game against the Red Wings and sent D Niklas Hjalmarsson to Rockford of the AHL to clear a roster spot.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson missed all of training camp with a crack in a bone on his wrist, suffered during summer training. He is a rookie and will likely spend most of the season in the minors, only returning when an injury pops up. Ignore him in Fantasy leagues.
News: Swedish defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who figured to contend for a roster spot, is still with the Hawks but will probably be sent to Rockford when he's deemed healthy enough to play.
Analysis: Hjalmarsson has been on the ice but has not yet skated with the team. He missed all of training camp with a crack in a bone on his wrist, suffered during summer training. He's not worth owning in most Fantasy leagues.
