CALGARY, Alberta — Alex Nylander’s seemingly endless leash has finally reached its end.
Either that, or it has at least been tied around a tree.
Nylander will be a healthy scratch for just the second time this season, and the first time since the third game of the season Oct. 12, during the Blackhawks’ game Tuesday against the Flames.
Dylan Sikura — whose leash has conversely seemed about one inch long — will finally draw into the lineup in Nylander’s place.
“We just need more,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “[Nylander] shows flashes of being the player we need him to be, just needs to have more offense. Give Sikura a chance to come in and respond — I think he’s got more to give also, gives us a little energy and some depth to our lineup.”
The scratching comes two days after Nylander was benched for the entire second half of Sunday’s shootout win over the Blue Jackets, with his final shift ending with 12:23 left in the second period.
After a long-awaited two-point game Dec. 19 in Winnipeg, Nylander has zero points, only four shots on goal and a subpar 45.5 percent Corsi rating in his last four outings. Colliton showed some uncharacteristic exasperation when talking about the polarizing young forward after morning skate Tuesday.
“We’re just looking for him being sharp all the time, because when he’s sharp, he helps us,” Colliton said. “If he can find a way to do it nine out of 10 shifts, instead of two out of three, then we’ve got a hell of a player.”
Maatta returns
Experienced defenseman Olli Maatta was surprisingly a healthy scratch Sunday but will draw back into the lineup Tuesday.
“We know he can play better, and we expect him to play better,” Colliton said. “He’s shown he can be a top player [and] contribute at a high level for a Stanley Cup winner. We know he can help us.”
Maatta has struggled to regain his A-game after returning from a strange, debilitating illness in early December, and has generally not lived up to expectations since the Hawks acquired him from the Penguins for Dominik Kahun and a fifth-round pick in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Kahun has emerged as a solid secondary contributor in Pittsburgh, with 21 points in 38 games, and the Pens seem like the tentative trade winner so far.
Lehner soon eligible for extension
New Year’s Day on Wednesday marks the first time that pending unrestricted free agents on one-year contracts can begin negotiating with their current team about a contract extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday.
That applies to Robin Lehner, and it’s almost certain that general manager Stan Bowman will thus soon reach out to the 28-year-old goaltender’s agent, Craig Oster, to gauge an asking price.
Lehner has been vocal about his desire for a long-term contract, which he hasn’t received despite his elite results in recent seasons, and he’ll likely value term over salary.
Wednesday’s window opening, combined with the slowly nearing Feb. 24 trade deadline, could force the Hawks to begin considering and making some decisions about their goalie situation moving forward, with both Lehner and Corey Crawford’s contracts set to expire.
Hawks finish decade
With one more result to add in, the Hawks will finish the 2010s with a record of 426-262-97, a 99.1-point average over an 82-game season.
“We’ve had some pretty good memories, some great times, done some pretty amazing things as a group,” Patrick Kane said Tuesday. “It’s been a fun 10 years.”
