Jan. 17--The tumultuous season continues for Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell.
The team put Bickell on waivers for the second time this season Saturday, according to multiple reports.
If Bickell clears waivers, the Hawks have 30 days or the span of 10 regular-season games to re-assign Bickell to Rockford, at which point they could save the portion of his $950,000 in salary-cap space while he's with the IceHogs.
Sending Bickell down to Rockford, and keeping him there the rest of the season, would give general manager Stan Bowman additional room under the cap to make a potential trade.
Bickell has been a healthy scratch the last four games for the Hawks. The Hawks placed Bickell, whose contract carries a $4 million cap hit through next season, on waivers in October, though he began the season with the team. After Bickell was underwhelming the first month of the season, he was sent to Rockford on Nov. 2 in an attempt to rejuvenate his game.
Bickell played well during his stint there with seven goals and seven assists in 12 games before the Hawks brought him back up Dec. 6.
But Bickell has yet to score a goal with the Hawks and hasn't been able to crack the rotation. When Artem Anisimov got sick Tuesday just before the Hawks' game against the Predators, coach Joel Quenneville opted to play newcomer Richard Panik, who had been with the team just one day, instead of Bickell.
chine@tribpub.com
