Potentially Bad News for the Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago media outlets are reporting late Monday afternoon that the NHL Players Association has filed a formal grievance against the Chicago Blackhawks surrounding their serving offers to several of the team's restricted free agents.

This would have affected six players, but the Hawks announced on Monday that they had new contracts in place with four of those players (Troy Brouwer, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager and Aaron Johnson).

The potentially devestating part of the news is that the two still-unsigned players are the two that the Hawks can least afford to lose: Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker.

Versteeg had a strong rookie campaign that led to him placing third in the Calder Trophy voting this season. Barker, meanwhile, established himself as one of the Hawks' top four defenders, and as a former third overall draft pick, could ask to be compensated as such.

If an independent arbitrator rules in favor of the union, Versteef and Barker would become unrestricted free agents. This could have an enormous impact on the future of the Hawks.

If Versteeg and Barker go unrestricted, the Hawks would lose their bargaining position with the two youngsters and have to pay fair market value for two very good players. This could have an impact on the Hawks' ability to keep both of these players, as well as their plans for next summer's group of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith.

It is more likely that, if the Hawks are forced to choose between the two, they'll offer the deal to Barker because they have great depth and young talent at the forward positions but are relatively thin at the blue line.

Either way, though, a ruling in favor of the union could have a serious impact on the team's future.