I wanted to preface before getting into the full blog that I wrote this before the Mikheyev trade but still stand by what I stated below. The only thing that might change from my original blog is if Lafferty signs, I could see all pending RFA/UFA being let go to the open market.
The Blackhawks are heading into this off-season with an eye on taking the next step in the rebuild, but that has left fans wondering: what does that mean? Kyle Davidson has been doing a great job not showing his cards, so it’s hard to really say what to expect. For me, this team taking the next step would be getting to that 30-win mark. Last season, the Hawks finished with 23 wins, but quite a few of their losses were tight 1-goal games, so finding 7 wins isn’t that crazy to imagine. One thing we do know is that in order to take the next step, KD is going to have to bring in more talent to this team with an eye on players being there for specific roles and not just to fill up roster spots. While the team has plenty of cap space to work with, it is important as fans to not get our hopes up and be disappointed when the big, sexy free agents sign elsewhere over Chicago. KD needs to stick to his guns and not throw insane money and long-term deals at players just to get them in the fold. Players that get brought in this season will be overpaid; look at the Foligno deal for the perfect example of this. The important thing is that most of these deals will be 1-3 year deals and will leave this team with flexibility when it comes time to re-sign Bedard, Korchinski, and Nazar in two years. So what does that mean for this team with 4 days until free agency?
Pending Hawks Free Agents
The Hawks have five unrestricted free agents:
Forwards: Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson
Defenseman: Jaycob Megna, Jarred Tinordi, and Nikita Zaitsev
I don’t expect any of these players to return to the Hawks, and if they do, it will be one of the signings closer to training camp-type deals. Johnson has already stated he wants to play for a contender again, Zaitsev has already signed in the KHL, and Tinordi and Megna will be replaced with younger players looking for their chance. Blackwell is the only UFA I could see coming back, but at the end of the day, there are younger options that would benefit the team more by taking his slot in the lineup.
The Hawks have seven restricted free agents (who spent some time in the NHL last season):
Forwards: Joey Anderson, Mackenzie Entwistle, Reese Johnson, and Taylor Raddysh
Defensemen: Louis Crevier, Isaak Phillips, and Filip Roos.
Talking with Ben Pope, he was getting the sense that KD was prepared to let all pending free agents walk, and I could believe that for the forward group. Anderson, Entwistle, and Johnson are three of the same players. They play the same style of hockey, and there isn’t any reason to keep four of these players (Blackwell) on this team. If I had to pick one, I would prefer they bring back Anderson. I love the energy he brought to the line-up and he seemed to always be making something happen out there. The team did re-sign Cole Guttman, who is another version of this player, so chances are none will come back. For the defenseman, I have a hard time seeing all of these guys walking, especially Phillips and Roos. Both of these guys played minutes with the Hawks and seemed to hold their own. The problem is that there is such a log jam on the left-hand side. Does it make sense to keep these guys around when you have Del Mastro and Kaiser ready to make their case for a full-time position?
All of that was just a long way to say that I don’t expect many more guys to be re-signed before the start of free agency on Monday.
What the Hawks Need
Looking at the depth chart from last season, the team has a few holes to fill plus a few guys that might not be everyday players. Just from the players that KD let walk, the team needs at least one more wing and one more center up front. On the back end, the team would really benefit from bringing in another right-handed defender to take on the third-pair role, with Kaiser and Del Mastro battling out for the left-handed defender spot. The team is set to bring back the goalie tandem of Mrazek and Soderblom, but extra insurance on the backend couldn’t hurt, and I expect the AHL guys to get a look before outside help is brought in.
Who Could Sign July 1st?
This is an interesting question, and again, it's hard to say based on what we know from KD plans. As I mentioned earlier, it's going to be guys who are willing to take a short-term deal but get paid to accept it. You have to imagine that younger guys will not look at Chicago as they will be chasing their cups, so guys who may have already won their cup or just want an easier pay day. So I put my armchair GM hat on and I threw together a few guys I would mind seeing in Chicago, but I have not heard their names connected to the Hawks. I just think they would be a good fit.
Jason Zucker, RW/LW, 32 years old, last contract: 1 year, $5.3 million
Zucker is a solid winger with great experience. He put up 32 points in 69 games last season between the Coyotes and Predators and averaged 13:49 on the ice. He isn’t going to be a big-point guy, but he can float between lines and play where he is needed.
Jonathan Marchessault, RW/LW, 33 years old, last contract: 6 years, $5 million per
This might be a tough sell to get him to come to Chicago, as he still has a lot to offer contending teams. He played in all 82 games this past season for the Knights, putting up 69 points. He has his cup and will be a great mentor to the younger players. I would love for him to come to Chicago, but this one is within reach for sure.
Chandler Stephenson, C/LW, 30 Years Old, Last Contract: 4 Years, $2.75 Million Per
Chandler is an interesting idea; he has been a role player for most of his career with the Capitals and the Knights. He played in 75 games last season, putting up 51 points. This follows back-to-back 60-point seasons, so he can provide some good offense. He can provide some solid depth at center, where this team needs help after finishing 30th in the league in faceoff wins. He can also play wing, and it never hurts to have players who are comfortable playing multiple positions.
Other forwards I wouldn’t hate being signed include: Mantha, Teravainen, Hoffman, and Arvidsson
Defense is tricky for me to predict, considering defenders typically hit their prime at an older age. A few names that did catch my eye are Justin Schultz, Colin Miller, Connor Carrick, and Kevin Shattenkirk. When it comes to defense, the Hawks just need to get guys in here to eat up time and let our guys develop. Sam Rinzel is someone I expect to be coming into the fold as early as the end of his next season in Minnesota, and if the Hawks go Levshunov at two, that’s another right-handed defenseman that just needs a year or two to develop. If they can get a solid vet on a 1-year deal, I'll be happy.
I don’t count out the idea of a bigger name being brought in, but at the same time, I am not getting my hopes up. I think the window is two more years of this slow build, and once the new core is locked in, that will be the time money is spent to find the pieces that are needed to make a legit Cup Contender. At the end of the day, what do I know? There is a reason I call this a silly season, so until the ink dries on contracts, anything is possible. I'll be back on Sunday for a draft recap, and maybe more clues will be given as to who will be targeted on Monday.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»