The final month of this Blackhawks season might not seem meaningful — until one considers a player such as forward Anders Bjork.
For him, this stretch represents a sprint to prove himself.
‘‘Right now, I have the opportunity to potentially earn a contract here,’’ Bjork said Thursday. ‘‘It makes it even more of a pressure situation, which is why I have a big focus on playing relaxed. It has been a blast so far. I’m trying to prove . . . I can be a contributing NHL player.”
Bjork, 26, flamed out with the Sabres this season, spending 42 of 43 games buried in the AHL despite having logged 212 NHL appearances in the past five seasons.
But then came a trade to the Hawks on March 2 and a fresh, if fleeting, new start. The Hawks gave up nothing to acquire Bjork, a pending restricted free agent, but they did give him a chance to rejuvenate his career.
‘‘My mentality right now — and I had to think of it quickly because it happens fast — is the thing I can control most is my work ethic,’’ he said. ‘‘So [I must] make sure that’s dialed in.’’
Bjork’s go-getter attitude and early-bird routine has been evident since he arrived. He has been the first Hawks player on the ice before several morning skates. His speed also has been noticeable — and something general manager Kyle Davidson particularly appreciates.
He arrived with only 21 games left in the season, however, meaning he faced a race against time from the start. Then an injury suffered March 10 against the Panthers cost him seven games, reducing his functional tryout length to 14 games.
Now, with only seven games remaining after Thursday, Bjork is seeking to make a quick impact on right wing of the first line, alongside center Andreas Athanasiou and left wing Lukas Reichel.
‘‘I want to keep my game the same and not try to overcomplicate things,’’ Bjork said. ‘‘[I’ll] let my skill take over when the opportunity is there, [but I won’t] try to force anything with my skill. If I play that way with these two guys, they’ll capitalize.’’
Coach Luke Richardson echoed that.
‘‘On the forecheck, [Bjork is] not a big guy, but he’s got a really smart stick,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘If he can help disrupt things and steal pucks, those other guys are going to make things happen. But he’s good enough to make plays with them, as well.’’
Bjork hopes to develop chemistry with Athanasiou as swiftly as he did with Jason Dickinson before getting injured. He and Dickinson seemed to click immediately, chemistry that enabled Bjork to notch a career-high three assists March 6 against the Senators.
Richardson later said he thought Bjork ‘‘could have had six points’’ in that game. Those remained his only Hawks points entering Thursday, however, despite having recorded an encouraging 69.6% scoring-chance ratio in his first 25 minutes of five-on-five ice time with Athanasiou.
From a personal standpoint, too, playing for the Hawks fulfills an ‘‘absolute dream’’ for Bjork. He grew up idolizing them from the Milwaukee suburbs, where his parents still live. His brother has followed his footsteps to Notre Dame. This new proximity to his family has enabled them to attend several home games already.
So he very much would like to re-sign with the Hawks, as evidenced by the smile that spreads across his face when that possibility is mentioned.
But whether Davidson will extend Bjork an offer isn’t known. His performances down the stretch might make the difference.
‘‘Obviously, there’s a ton of pressure,’’ Bjork said. ‘‘But either way, whatever comes out of it, I’m just going to try to enjoy this right now. Because, honestly, I think that’s when guys play their best and develop confidence and get in a rhythm — [when they’re] just trying to enjoy each shift.’’
