The Chicago Blackhawks will see a new and once highly-touted face at training camp this offseason. According to a report from Scott Powers of ESPN, former Boston Bruins forward Daniel Paille will join the Hawks at training camp at the University of Notre Dame on a professional tryout agreement.
Paille, 31, appeared in 71 games for the Bruins during the 2014-15 season, collecting six goals, seven assists and a minus-nine rating.
"He's a veteran guy who wants to show he's a very good skater, very good penalty kill and very good bottom-six guy," the source said of Paille, via Powers.
Joining the former Bruin on a PTO at Hawks camp will be defenseman Jan Hejda, the former Oilers, Blue Jackets and Avalanche defender. In 81 games for the Avs last season, Hejda managed one goal, 12 assists and a minus-12 rating. The former fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres is 37 years old.
As for Paille, his three-year, $3.9 million deal with Boston ended this past season. He'll be competing with a handful of other forwards for likely one spot in the Chicago lineup. The former first-round pick, ironically also of the Sabres, never quite managed to live up to his lofty draft expectations.
In six seasons in Boston Paille never scored more than 10 goals in a given year or managed more than nine assists.
His game translates well to a bottom-six role though, which means he could potentially find a fit in Chicago.
