The Chicago Blackhawks have a good deal of work to do this offseason regarding their free agents, RFAs and UFAs. The team has four of each of what I would consider relevant in the NHL.
The group is as follows:
RFAs - Wyatt Kaiser, Philipp Kurashev, Louis Crevier, Arvid Soderblom
UFAs - Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, Alez Martinez, Andreas Athanasiou
Right off the bat, two can be eliminated. Maroon and Martinez are both retiring after long and successful careers in which they both won multiple Stanley Cups before coming to Chicago.
As for Athanasiou, he was demoted to the AHL for most of the season and there is no reason to think the Blackhawks are going to bring him back. There is no room in the NHL for him and he didn't prove that he deserves a spot over anyone fighting for a spot on the roster next season.
Donato is the most interesting one of the UFAs. The Blackhawks didn't trade him in the hopes that he would re-sign. That hasn't happened yet and there is reason to worry. He outplayed his contract by a wide margin and neither side seems to be close to what they want in a contract. Donato worked his way up the lineup and to the point in getting the opportunities over the course of the season. He was arguably the most impressive and impactful this season among forwards. I think Chicago figures it out so they don't lose Donato for nothing, but it has to come in the next month.
The RFAs are more interesting overall than the Blackhawks' UFAs. Kaiser and Soderblom should be back. They both proved there is a place on Chicago's roster for them, even with the competition. Crevier is a little older than all of the young defensemen and probably won't have a spot. The team will either try to trade his rights or end up not qualifying him. He can play in the NHL, but the Blackhawks aren't the right organization to do it.
Kurashev took a nosedive after he was great the season prior in a breakout year. He fell all the way down the lineup and right out, finishing with seven goals and 14 points in 51 games. He is very unlikely to get a qualifying offer and return. Kurashev will likely follow the same path as Taylor Raddysh before him and find another team to be a bottom-6 player for next season.
The Blackhawks have built something special with all of the young talent, but players do have to be cut loose as new talent enters the fray. That is what we will see this offseason.
