The Chicago Blackhawks certainly didn’t sit back the first day of free agency. Not only will it help the Blackhawks next season in the standings, but it will allow some of the prospects to take their time getting to Chicago. If they earn their spot, so be it. But no longer will there need to be any kind of rushing or pressure for the time line. They arrive when they arrive, especially as the roster now has a massive improvement in the top six.
A look at each signing and a brief look at where they’ll slot in for the Hawks.
Blackhawks Signings By Order of Term
Tyler Bertuzzi
4 years, $5.5M AAV
Top Six Forward
Bertuzzi got the ball rolling, having his arrival announced early on in the process. The 29-year-old winger has plenty of experience in a rebuild but never saw it through as he was traded to Boston. He’s played in two playoff series–both first round exits. Bertuzzi grades out as a top six forward and while some think he’ll be on the top line, his inconsistency scoring will likely shuffle him down to the second line at some point. Bertuzzi will also be a great addition to the power play, too.
Teuvo Teravainen
3 years, $5.4M AAV
Top Six Forward
It’s a reunion of a former fan favorite who put up 25 goals last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He seems like the more likely candidate to be on Connor Bedard’s wing and will also be a power play weapon for the Blackhawks. He and Bertuzzi solidified the top six forward group for the Blackhawks and likely can be interchangeable for head coach Luke Richardson.
Laurent Brossoit
2 years, $3.3M
Backup Goalie
Here’s one of the best shots at impressive value. Brossoit was just two games short of being a Jennings Trophy winner and could be the complimentary half of the tandem with Petr Mrazek. Arvid Soderblom was still a bit too green to handle what teams brought on a nightly basis–with a wounded Blackhawks squad in front of him for most of the season. Bringing down the word load for Mrazek will help significantly and give Chicago a stronger 1-2 punch between the pipes.
TJ Brodie
2 year, $3.75M
Bottom Four Pairing
Brodie’s production and game suffered in the second half of last season, having an impact on his ice time and seeing him sit as a healthy scratch during the playoffs. But he’s still especially good in his own end, which will pay dividends when paired with either Korchinski or potentially a Wyatt Kaiser. The scrutiny won’t be like it was in Toronto and Brodie has a chance to benefit greatly from the change in scenery.
Alec Martinez
1 year, $4M
Bottom Four Pairing
Yes, I’m still putting him in a top four pairing because I think Martinez has a chance to really settle the defense down. The consummate pro, Martinez brings a veteran presence loaded with playoff experience and also a chance to really mentor some of the younger players (think Kevin Korchinski) who can finally play to the type of game he’s supposed to play.
Pat Maroon
1 year, $1.3M
Bottom Six Forward
Don’t misread the bottom six forward piece–he’s another critical signing because the days of players running Connor Bedard or other younger player are over. Maroon can chip in where need be but the real value here is that he’ll patrol the ice and without having to drop gloves, keep some of the shenanigans to a minimum.
Craig Smith
1 year, $1.1M
Bottom Six Forward
Smith scored 11 goals and will fill out a bottom six role to add depth. Once a consistent 20-goal scorer, Smith’s numbers have dropped slightly but he still has a nose for the net and would have clocked in seventh on the team in 2023-24 when it came to goals.
