Del Mastro Signs as Chicago's Blue Line Keeps Getting Thinner

The Blackhawks added defenseman Ethan Del Mastro on Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year, $1.9 million contract with the 23-year-old as the team tries to patch together a back end that has taken a beating before the season even starts. It is a depth move, plainly. But depth is exactly what Chicago needs right now.

The injury situation on defense is not good. Ryan Ellis remains on injured reserve, Artyom Levshunov and Matt Grzelcyk are both sidelined or day-to-day, and the blue line that was supposed to anchor this rebuild is already stretched thin. Bowen Byram is here and healthy, and Kevin Korchinski got his two-year deal late last month — I wrote about that one — but between Ellis and Levshunov missing time, the margin for error is essentially gone. Del Mastro fills a slot that would otherwise be occupied by someone who probably shouldn't be playing meaningful minutes yet.

The front office has been methodical about this all offseason — Byram, Korchinski, now Del Mastro — stacking the blue line with bodies at different price points and timelines. None of it solves the problem of Levshunov not being available when the puck drops, but it keeps the roster from being genuinely shorthanded. The next couple of weeks will tell us how many of these guys are actually available for opening night.