Chicago Blackhawks claim Jaycob Megna off waivers from the Seattle Kraken

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed Jaycob Megna off waivers after he was placed there by the Seattle Kraken. Megna spent some time on the Kraken roster but hasn’t played a single NHL game this year. He only played two games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL, scoring one goal.

Megna is a big, strong defenseman with limited offensive skills. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he can match up physically with anyone in the NHL. He played most of the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks before being dealt to Seattle at the deadline in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

The Blackhawks waiver claim is good news for Megna as this gives him a better chance to play in the NHL this year for an extended period of games. Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild and they need strong veterans to help insulate the younger talent on the team. Megna could be a good fit there as they don’t currently have a strong left-side defense right now.

As of now the Blackhawks’ left-side defense consists of Jarred Tinordi, Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, and Isaak Phillips. And while some of the younger defenseman are having solid rookie seasons, they felt the need for a physical presence on the back-end.

At the very least, Megna provides depth and can be called upon at any time to fill a hole on the roster.