Five potential free agent targets for Blackhawks

Share

It was a quiet draft weekend for the Blackhawks, who decided to keep their two first-round picks to select Adam Boqvist at No. 8 and Nicolas Beaudin at No. 27. There wasn't much action across the NHL in general because everyone is waiting on John Tavares to make a final decision, which will help set the market.

Nevertheless, the attention is on Sunday and all indications are that the Blackhawks won't be afraid to get aggressive during free agency, considering they'll have significant cap space to work with for the first time in a while. That means they might go big-game hunting, especially after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08.

And if you factor in the possibility of trading Marian Hossa's contract, it creates even more flexibility to make a splash. Now you're looking at almost $15 million to spend.

Taking all that into account, here are five potential targets for the Blackhawks and who they could use that cap space on:

1. James van Riemsdyk, F

For teams that miss out on Tavares and are seeking a top-six forward regardless of position, van Riemsdyk is the next man up. He leads the second-tier group.

There are reportedly at least 12 teams that have expressed interest in him, and it's hard to imagine the Blackhawks not being one of them. But given the heavy interest surrounding the two-time 30-goal scorer, that could make contract negotiations interesting.

Is he looking for long-term security or a short-term deal with a higher dollar amount and a chance to win now? The biggest question for the Blackhawks is what the term may come in at.

According to Matt Cane of Hockey Graphs, van Riemsdyk's cap hit is projected to be $5.7 million on a four-year deal, $6.1 million on a five-year deal and $5.9 million on a six-year deal. The Blackhawks would certainly love it if they could keep it to four years or fewer, but that might be difficult to swing, given they'd be competing with a handful of other teams.

Still, the Blackhawks should explore doing what they can to land a player that would look perfect at left wing on the second line opposite Patrick Kane. He also scored 11 of his 36 goals on the power play, an area the Blackhawks were inconsistent in all season long and finished among the bottom five.

2. Calvin de Haan, D

It's no secret the Blackhawks are in the market for a top-four defenseman. There aren't many available that stand out, but de Haan is one of the few that does because of his age and upside.

He played in only 33 games last season because of a shoulder injury, but he's a guy that can log 20 minutes per game when healthy and is a solid puck-mover.

Because John Carlson re-signed with the Washington Capitals for eight years, de Haan might be a candidate that teams overpay for in hopes of not losing out on a quality defenseman in this class. The Blackhawks want to be careful not to be one of those teams, unless it's on a shorter-term deal.

3. Ian Cole, D

Another reliable option on the back end with top-four potential is Cole, who's a two-time Stanley Cup champion and plays the right way in his own zone. He also brings that physical style of play, an element the Blackhawks lacked last season.

You need that balance between puck-moving defensemen and ones that are hard to play against, and Cole would fall more in the latter category while also being capable of contributing to the former. It's a great match.

According to Cane's projections, Cole's predicted salary could be three years with a cap hit of nearly $3.1 million, which is very reasonable for the Blackhawks.

4. Jay Beagle, F

Lower on the priority list for the Blackhawks — but still a glaring need — is a center who can win faceoffs not named Jonathan Toews. How about a player that one upped him in the win percentage department last season?

Beagle ranked fourth with a 58.5 success rate on his draws last year, and was an integral part of the Capitals penalty kill during their Stanley Cup run.

He's everything the Blackhawks are looking for in a depth player. He's cost effective, gritty, reliable in his own zone, can create scoring chances, can finish and has a strong work ethic. Oh yeah, he would also bring that championship-type pedigree to a younger lineup up front.

Expect a deal for Beagle to come in the $1.5-2.25 million range for two or three years. And that's certainly in the Blackhawks' range.

5. Cam Ward, G

The Blackhawks have known first-hand over the last decade how important the backup goaltending position is, with Scott Darling, Ray Emery and Antti Raanta each playing large roles as the No. 2. Heck, even Antti Niemi started the 2009-10 season as the backup before emerging as the starter and eventually leading them to a Stanley Cup.

Well, the Blackhawks were on the other side of what life is like without a quality backup after Corey Crawford missed the second half of last season with an injury. So yeah, addressing this hole is a high priority.

Carter Hutton is probably the top target for many clubs, which means he'll be difficult to land if other interested teams are viewing him as a potential starter. Jonathan Bernier is an option, but there are injury concerns there and the Blackhawks can't afford to go down that road again involving their goaltending position.

It appears the Blackhawks are working towards signing Ward, who spent each of his first 13 NHL seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and won a Stanley Cup there as a rookie in 2006. He's got a career .909 save percentage, which is below the .913 league average from last season, but he's experienced and at this point in his career might benefit from being in a reduced role and not having the pressure to be an every day starter.

Contact Us