What was your reaction when you saw the Chicago Blackhawks had re-signed defenseman Michal Kempny to a one-year deal worth $900,000 on Saturday morning? If it was indifference, that’s OK. It’s not as though Kempny lit the world on fire in his first NHL season.
But I’m here to tell you this is an important signing for the Blackhawks. Kempny’s signing indicates Stan Bowman and Co. are actually paying attention to what happened in this year’s first-round playoff exit against Nashville, and that they’re willing to work from within to fix it.
The Blackhawks were summarily thrown from the postseason in just four games as the Predators’ forwards swarmed the Blackhawks’ defensemen at every turn.