Report: Blackhawks express interest in pending UFA Bernier

The Chicago Blackhawks are considering turning to Jonathan Bernier for a little insurance between the pipes, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic.

Bernier, 29, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He's at least the second netminder the team has reached out to during the pre-free agency discussion period, as a Monday report indicated the Blackhawks had also expressed interest in Carter Hutton.

What sort of workload Bernier could expect in Chicago remains unknown, as starter Corey Crawford's injury status is unclear. An upper-body ailment limited Crawford to just 28 games last season, with his final appearance coming in late December.

On Thursday, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told Powers that he could not provide an update on Crawford's status, but added he expects the goalie to be ready for training camp.

As for Bernier, a move to Chicago would mark his fourth stop since 2016 after spending the past three seasons with Toronto, Anaheim, and Colorado. He posted a 19-13-3 showing and a .913 save percentage across 37 appearances with the Avalanche in 2017-18.

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