John Quenneville signs with Blackhawks?

John Quenneville was always expected to be a target of the Chicago Blackhawks while his cousin, Joel Quenneville, was head coach. While Joel is now gone, coaching the Florida Panthers, the connection has apparently stayed strong between John and Chicago. The 23-year-old forward has signed two-year deal with the Blackhawks, per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. The contract is two-way and worth $700K in year one and one-way and worth $800K in year two, for an AAV of $750K.

Quenneville, 23, was not qualified by the Devils this summer, just five years after New Jersey used a first-round pick on him. Although Quenneville appeared in the NHL in each of his three seasons with the Devils on his entry-level contract, he failed to make much of an impact with five points in 33 games. The AHL was a different matter; Quenneville was a much more accomplished scorer, recording 118 points in 138 games.

A versatile play-maker with room left to grown, Quenneville is a low-risk, high-upside investment for the Blackhawks. In fact, the nature of his new contract in year two speaks volumes about how the Blackhawks feel he could develop this next season. Chicago hopes that a seemingly minor addition this summer could turn into an impact player down the road.