Chicago Blackhawks: Top 3 free agents to consider signing in 2020

The Chicago Blackhawks should be an active team this offseason. Who should they sign in free agency?

It has been a tough fall from grace for the Chicago Blackhawks. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015, they had without a doubt became the best NHL team ever since the beginning of the salary cap era, and were considered by many to be a dynasty.

However, since being swept by the Nashville Predators during the 2016-17 playoffs, it has been a tough stretch for them. They missed the playoffs the past two seasons and looked like they were going to miss it for a third straight prior to the league being suspended due to COVID-19.

A big reason for the Blackhawks’ struggles this season are the decisions being made by general manager Stan Bowman. Bowman has made many questionable moves over the last few years, some being lopsided trades and others being long-term deals to aging players.

One move in particular that stands out was trading away Artemi Panarin. Panarin appeared to love playing in Chicago and had formed one of the leagues most dangerous duos with Patrick Kane.

Since trading him, he has put up no less than 80 points in a season and was on pace to break the 100-point mark for the first time this season. The player he got in return, Brandon Saad, hasn’t broken the 50-point mark in a season since the trade.

Blackhawks Need to Add High End Free Agent(s)

With all that said, there is still time to fix the problems with the Blackhawks. Players like Kane and Jonathan Toews still have good years ahead of them, while young players such as Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist have tons of potential and should continue getting better and better. That makes this upcoming offseason critical for Bowman and the Blackhawks, as signing a key free agent or two could put this team back on track as soon as next season.

Currently, the Blackhawks are at the cap ceiling with under $200,000 to spare. Unfortunately for them, the only unrestricted free agent they have at seasons end is goaltender Corey Crawford, who is making $6 million per year.

With that being said, the cap is expected to jump from its current maximum of $82.7 million, to at least $84 million and possibly reach as high as $87 million. Assuming this is to happen for the Blackhawks’ sake, here are three free agents they should look into adding this summer.

Robin Lehner

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Yes, the Blackhawks just traded Robin Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights at the deadline. That move was made simply because he was a rental and they wanted to gain assets for him, which they did in acquiring backup goaltender Malcolm Subban, prospect Slava Demin, and a second-round pick.

Lehner played well during his time in Chicago, and given his age of just 28, it makes sense to offer him a deal rather than extending 35-year-old Crawford. He would provide them with years of steady goaltending in a city he is already comfortable with.

It is hard to predict Lehner’s market value. Coming into this past offseason, many expected he would get a long-term deal, and instead settled for a one-year, $5 million contract with the Blackhawks. It seems likely that he will now be able to fetch a long-term deal, but the Blackhawks should be able to make that work salary cap wise with Crawford coming off the books.

Mike Hoffman

Mike Hoffman could give the Blackhawks a much-needed boost next season. Their offense hasn’t been great, as they currently sit tied for 18th in goals scored. The main reason is due to their lack of weapons upfront.

Sure, they have guys like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Alex Debrincat. Even rookie Dominik Kubalik has also been great, scoring 30 goals this season in just 68 games. After that, however, it drops off immensely.

This team lacks scoring wingers, which is shown again and again when they are forced to throw players like Alex Nylander and Drake Caggiula into their top six despite their low production.

Adding Hoffman to the mix immediately fixes that problem, and also gives them a dangerous new look on the powerplay. This is a player who scored 36 goals and 70 points last season, and should without a doubt be considered by the Blackhawks.

Tyson Barrie

This season with the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn’t gone the way Tyson Barrie would have liked. When the Leafs traded for him this past summer, it was meant to bolster their blueline which had been questioned plenty over the years. It hasn’t gone according to plan, and the Leafs fans and media alike have turned on Barrie, who is a free agent at seasons end.

Barrie was expected to sign an extremely rich contract this offseason, but the down season along with the negative media may end up lowering his value. Even with him struggling this season, he still has 39 points in 70 games which is still very respectable. His 39 points would easily lead the Blackhawks defencemen in scoring, as Duncan Keith currently holds that title with just 27.

Perhaps all Barrie needs to fully get his game back is a change of scenery, and Chicago may be the perfect fit. After trading Erik Gustafsson to the Calgary Flames at this year’s deadline, they need a new defenseman to step in to provide offense at 5v5, as well as on the powerplay. Barrie has proven over his lengthy career to be a very gifted offensively, and could be a very impactful player for the Blackhawks if they were able to sign him.

Crucial Offseason for Blackhawks

Of course, no team in the league would be able to sign all three of these players because of the salary cap, especially the Blackhawks with how little cap room they currently have. However, as previously mentioned, with the cap projected to go up, they certainly would be able to add at least one of these players.

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There is also a chance they make some trades in order to free up even more cap, in which case it is possible they sign multiple free agents. Regardless of what they do end up deciding on, there is no doubt Bowman has his work cut out for him this summer.

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