The Chicago Blackhawks need to acquire one of these 3 defensemen
Any of these three defensemen would be a good fit for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks found themselves in a surprising position for the majority of the 2020-21 NHL season in that, despite a rebuild, they managed to contend in a heavily stacked Central Division. With their younger core garnering more experience and confidence, it seems that the Hawks are just one piece shy of a return to the postseason and it can come in a trade this offseason to address a dire need for a No. 1 defenseman.
For the last decade and a half, Duncan Keith has been the superstar blueliner for the Blackhawks and, while he still maintains immense talent and composure, it’s no secret that his age is starting to catch up with him. Hence why today, in the first big trade of the offseason, Chicago dealt the two-time Norris Trophy winner to the Edmonton Oilers for a Third-Round pick and depth defenseman Caleb Jones.
With Keith out of the building and his $5,3538,462 cap hit off the books, the Blackhawks have around $6 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, and there are some premier defensemen that will be available this offseason…
The Chicago Blackhawks need to acquire one of these three defensemen to contend for the Stanley Cup
3. Tyson Barrie (Edmonton Oilers)
Highly noted for his prowess on the power play, Tyson Barrie could provide the Chicago Blackhawks with an offensive defenseman that could give the offense a jump in the scoring department.
During the 2020-21 season with the Edmonton Oilers, Barrie popped off for 8 goals and 40 assists in just 56 games played during a shortened season where he made his living on the power play. with almost half of his assists coming from the man advantage (21 even strength, 19 on the power play).
Out of the players on this list, Barrie is the most offensively touted blueliner, as he fits the offensive defenseman mold to a T. As a result, however, this makes him more of a liability in the defensive zone due to his focus on the other end of the ice.
Barrie is also much more reserved than the other two on the list. Given that he stands at a smaller 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds frame, he is not nearly as physical but is easily the fastest and most agile.
Depending on how the Blackhawks want to play this out, if they feel that they want a smaller, more finesse squad on the ice, then Barrie is a must. Fortunately for Chicago, the 29-year-old is also likely to hit the open market this summer to test what Free Agency has to offer, especially now that the Oilers have acquired Duncan Keith.
In this case, it would be understandable if he were to ask for north of $5.5 million on a multi-year deal with whoever wishes to sign him.
Given that Chicago recorded the 11th best power play in the NHL last year, adding Barrie would surely make the team leap up towards the top 5. However, because there’s still more to desire on the defensive aspect of his game, he remains at the back-end of this top three.