The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of room on their roster for improvement, and there is a ton of money available to them (in terms of the salary cap) to spend.
The player at the top of the unrestricted free agent class is Mitch Marner. Of course, Marner spent all nine of his NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs after they made him the 4th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
With Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander by his side, Marner and the Maple Leafs have failed to meet all postseason expectations during their tenure together.
There is no doubt that Marner is one of the best offensive players in Maple Leafs history. Over 657 games played, Marner has 221 goals and 520 assists 741 points. By the time his NHL career is over, he will be well over 1200 points and a lock for the Hall of Fame.
With that said, Marner has one glaring issue. He has been lackluster in the playoffs compared to the regular season. During the 2024-25 campaign, Marner had 27 goals and 75 assists for 102 points in 81 games played. He is also very good defensively and kills penalties at a high level.
Once the playoffs began, he fell off, which is the norm for him. In 13 games played, Marner had 2 goals and 11 assists for 13 points. He was a point-per-game player, but he didn't make the impact that he is paid to make.
He took a handful of shifts off, he only scored twice, and he didn't do enough when the lights were the brightest.
In game seven of the second round against the Florida Panthers, Marner was a no-show along with all of the Maple Leafs' stars. He was slow on back checks and didn't create anything on offense.
When he looks for a new contract once free agency opens, with the Maple Leafs or elsewhere, he will command a deal north of $13 million annually against the salary cap. With the way he plays in the playoffs, it's a hard number to justify. That is especially if he is the highest-paid player in the National Hockey League, which he might be after this summer.
The Blackhawks could use a player like Marner in the regular season. He'd help give them a chance at a playoff spot. However, is that the guy that Kyle Davidson wants the young players to learn from if they do ever find their way in the playoffs?
Also, paying a winger that much money seldom works out for teams. Centers and defensemen are the ones worth paying a lot of money if they are elite. They are usually the ones who impact the game the most when it matters most.
Marner is going to help whatever team he signs with with jersey sales, offensive production, and potentially earning a playoff berth. It's once the show starts in the spring that he fails to deliver the goods relative to his contract.
If Marner wanted to come to Chicago on a discount, that would be great for Connor Bedard and the other young forwards. However, the Blackhawks have no business making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
