David Rundblad’s time with the Blackhawks looks to be all but over.
The Blackhawks placed Rundblad on buyout waivers, as first reported by Pierre LeBrun, on Friday. Rundblad was set to make $1.05 million this season; with buyout waivers, the Blackhawks would take a cap hit of $133,333 this season and $183,333 next season.
General manager Stan Bowman said Rundblad is looking for opportunity elsewhere.
“I think he’s looking to maybe pursue other opportunities, whether in the NHL or Europe, I can’t speak for him,” Bowman said. “He’s still a young guy and he wants to get back to playing a lot of hockey and that’s why he wanted to go to Europe mid-season. We were willing to honor that request. We’ll let him find a spot where he knows he’ll be a regular player every day.”
Rundblad was never an every-day player for the Blackhawks. While he had some offensive upside, Rundblad struggled defensively. Last season he played nine regular-season games with the Blackhawks and 10 with the Rockford IceHogs. He also spent a portion of last season with the ZSC Lions (Switzerland) before returning to the Blackhawks organization.
“He has a bright future. We wish him well. But it’s hard as a guy trying to establish yourself in the NHL if you don’t play a lot of minutes,” Bowman said. “But I think we’ll see David back in the NHL in a few years. I think he wants to find a better fit where he’ll play a lot.”
