Blackhawks sign Swedish defenseman Filip Roos
Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images
Another European import is on its way to Chicago. The Chicago Blackhawks have their first offseason addition confirmed after announcing on Monday morning that they’ve signed defenseman Filip Roos to a two-year entry-level contract.
Roos’ deal runs through the 2023-24 season and carries a $925,000 cap hit.
Signed on the dotted line ✍️ pic.twitter.com/HQugowmikB— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 23, 2022
Word of this potential signing first surfaced through Swedish media outlets in April.
Roos, 23, is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound defenseman who spent last season with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League, racking up one goal and five assists in 50 games. Roos also played in six postseason games, tallying another assist.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson offered this review of Roos:
“Filip is a big body who possesses strong skating abilities for his size,” Davidson said. “That’s a combination of traits that teams across the league are always searching for. Filip played valuable minutes in Sweden’s top league this season and he will strengthen our pool of defensive prospects.”
Roos’ player profile at the Elite Prospects website describes a “good skater who is sound positionally” and “an offensive defenseman with good size, hands and skating ability.”
Where Roos ends up next season between the NHL and AHL will depend on how he stands out in what’s going to be a very crowded group of defensive prospects. Not only are veterans like Seth Jones, Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy under contract for multiple seasons, a plethora of younger players will be auditioning for roster spots in Chicago come September, including Alex Vlasic and Ian Mitchell and Wyatt Kalynuk and Jakub Galvas and Alec Regula, among others.
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