Blackhawks have a chance to bring in a top UFA and sign him before free agency opens.
The Chicago Blackhawks may very well be looking to make a bigger splash than anticipated this summer as published reports say that Jake Guentzel is on the team's radar.
The Carolina Hurricanes have made the signing rights of Guentzel available and it should cost a mid-round pick. If the Blackhawks do indeed pursue this avenue to add an elite top-6 player, they have the draft capital and shouldn't hesitate to take advantage.
A player like Guentzel doesn't come around very often and Chicago has the motivation, cap space, and need up front to bring in someone of this caliber to speed up the rebuild even more and add much needed scoring.
While the initial thought was that the Blackhawks would be looking to bring in a veteran with skill on a one to two year deal like the team has done with Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, Guentzel is a few steps above either of them and would be a game-changer.
With free agency less than a month away, this wouldn't necessarily give the Blackhawks a lot of time to negotiate a new deal, but logically he would be the number one priority if acquired from the Hurricanes. Chicago is one of a few places that can give Guentzel what he is likely looking for in free agency and he wouldn't just be packing it in for a lucrative contract. If his rights are traded for and he's signed by the Blackhawks, this team would be a couple pieces and a little more experience away from being a legitimate contender within a few years.
Connor Bedard needs pieces around him. With Hall healthy and ready to go next season along with Philipp Kurashev's breakout, this is a nice start. There are also some other young pieces that could be key players shortly. But seeing as Guentzel is an established scorer who has put up 40 goals twice and 70+ points four times, he would give Chicago the necessary bump to take the next step towards the playoffs.
A very nice top-6 would start to form in Chicago if Guentzel is the next piece added. This could also lead to a move at the draft and more in free agency to really finish building the team for this season.
