Transaction: one of the most hated players in the NHL could land in Chicago
This isn't regarding Brad Marchand, but another pest in the NHL who for all intents purposes remains unsigned, while free-agency draws down.
This leaves players left over, taking scraps as NHL teams finalize their rosters, deals with RFAs, and have concluded most negotiations.
Unsigned players hope to land a spot on a team, with an opening, and one of those is rat Nick Cousins.
He has gained a reputation as one of the NHLs most unliked players, which seems hard to do given Brad Marchand exists.
This is even after he and the Florida Panthers won a Stanley Cup in 2023-2024, he didn't benefit from a post-Stanley Cup spending spree on players who did complete the journey.
He drew ire early in the season due to his play, with former NHL player Kevin Bieksa calling him a "rat":
As an agitator, he has tendencies that can benefit a team, which could help a team with Connor Bedard keep the opposition off their game nightly.
In the absence of someone like Corey Perry, could the Blackhawks and Kyle Davidson benefit from having him on the bottom six? He'd certainly be affordable for a league minimum contract.
"Somebody has to hammer this guy from the department of justice and put an end to these crappy hits because I hate em and that's a rat to me," said Bieksa. "I'm sorry it is."
Bieksa's rant would resonate with fans in the NHL, as it went viral and one couldn't help but wonder if this is the prevailing thought in modern NHL locker rooms.
Cousins is a bottom-six forward, who scored 15 points( 7 G, 8 A) in 69 games with the Panthers while adding only an assist in 12 appearances during the Panthers run to their first Stanley Cup.
Source: Hockey Feed
The most hated man in the NHL is still unsigned.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 27 | 86 ANSWERS Transaction: one of the most hated players in the NHL could land in Chicago Should Kyle Davidson sign Nick Cousins? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 30.2 % |
| No | 60 | 69.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
