The Blackhawks signed free-agent center Bernie Nicholls to a two-year, $2.1 million deal Thursday and then set their sights on Detroit enforcer Bob Probert.
If the league office rules that Detroit made a procedural error in making a contract offer to Probert, the Red Wings’ 29-year-old left winger could be declared an unrestricted free agent. Hawks director of player personnel Bob Murray said they would only be interested in signing Probert if he is unrestricted, thus requiring no compensation in return.
“That’s a real sensitive issue,” Murray said. “We don’t know where it’s going to fall. We’re very aware of the situation, and we’ll be there if he’s available.”
Probert, who served a one-year suspension in 1989 after being convicted of cocaine possession, has been one of the more unpopular opposing players to visit the Stadium over the last decade. He was arrested again Wednesday for driving without a license, but despite his reputation for getting into trouble, Murray feels Chicagoans would greet him with open arms.
“I think Hawks fans would love to have him,” Murray said. “Any fans would. He’s the type of player that when he’s against you, you hate him, but when you’ve got him, you want him.”
The Hawks got the man they wanted in the 33-year-old Nicholls, who will likely be back on the same line with Joe Murphy, two years after thay played together in Edmonton. The Hawks have the option on the second year of the deal, which increases his salary from $700,000 to $1,050,000 a year. New Jersey will receive no compensation.
Toronto and Tampa Bay also pursued Nicholls, who said he chose the Hawks in part because “the atmosphere in the Stadium gave me goose pimples.” He scored 19 goals and added 27 assists for New Jersey last year and has 416 career goals in 13 NHL seasons.
After playing most of his career in free-wheeling offensive systems like Los Angeles and Edmonton, Nicholls foresees no problems fitting into the conservative, defensive-minded system of Hawks coach Darryl Sutter.
“I think if you look at the team we had last year, (coach Jacques) Lemaire stressed a lot of defense,” Nicholls said. “To me, that’s fine. I’m the kind of player that can play whatever style. In L.A., we tried to win every game 8-7 and opened up. In New Jersey, we tried to win every game 2-1. I was out there on the power play, on penalty killing. . . . I was always out there, so they had a lot of confidence in my defense and offense. I feel comfortable with any style.”
“We’ve made no secret that we’ve been trying to create two lines so teams can’t go totally after Jeremy and his line,” Murphy said. “We’ll be more balanced. If we have Murphy on right wing with him, we’re creating something that teams have to be more aware of.”
Though some think two headstrong personalities like Nicholls and Sutter could clash somewhere down the road, Murray disagreed.
“I think Darryl is the happiest person in the world,” he said. “It takes a lot of pressure off him trying to manufacture something.”