The 2024 offseason is gearing up to look a lot different than years past for Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks. Davidson has stated that he believes this team is ready to take the next step and play more competitive hockey, which means we could see a few differencemakers added to this line-up. Before we get into that, today I wanted to look at what that means for the team's current pending UFAs and RFAs. Some of us have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen to them, while others we can make an argument for keeping and letting walk. While the team has a bunch of RFAs in the minors, I am only going to be looking at guys who have played at least 20 games with the Hawks this past season.
Unrestricted Free Agents Tyler Johnson 33 years old. $5,000,000 cap hit
This is the easy one to start with; unless something crazy happens and the Hawks are the only team able to offer him a contract, Johnson's days in Chicago are over. He made it clear during his exit interview that he wants to sign with a playoff contender, and I think teams looking to add some depth to their lineup will definitely find him a valuable asset.
Colin Blackwell 31 years old. $1,000,000 cap hit
For me, Blackwell has the best chance of being brought back among the UFAs. The energy he brings to the lineup is something you love to have on your roster, but there are also pieces in the system as well as a player who is a pending RFA that can fill that role. Blackwell has stated he would love to be back, and for the right price, I wouldn’t mind him coming back, but if they decide to move towards the younger players in our system, I would be perfectly fine with that as well.
Nikita Zaitsev (32 4.5-cap hit) Jarred Tinordi (32 1.25 cap hits) Jaycob Megna (31,762,500 Cap Hit)
To save time and energy, I am just grouping the three defensemen together because I would be shocked if anything were brought back on any type of deal. The team is set with Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, and Connor Murphy as the four locks. I believe KD will look to see his options at bringing in another right-handed veteran to play on that third pair, and then you can work in guys like Kaiser, Del Mastro, Roos, Phillips, and Crevier as the 6th and 7th defensemen. Also, depending on where the Hawks draft, there could be some options there as well. So, long story short, there is no need for any of these three guys to be brought back next season.
Restricted Free Agents Lukas Reichel is 21 years old. 925K Cap Hit
We all know that this past season wasn’t what fans, management, and Reichel had in mind for the former first-round pick. It was time for him to get his first shot at making an impact as a full-time NHLer. After a rough season, he spent some time back in Rockford, where he was able to find his game a bit and had a nice finish to the season. He’s going to get a contract, and I don’t think, because of his age, this team is ready to give up on him just yet. The only question is going to be: What will this deal look like? I have to imagine that it's going to be a one-year prove-it deal. The team believes in him, and they know what he is capable of doing out there. Bringing him back on a one-year $1 million prove-it deal might be the extra motivation he needs to get to that next level.
Taylor Raddysh is 26 years old. 758,333K Cap Hit
The other big disappointment this past season definitely has to be Raddysh. Coming off a team-leading 20-goal season, he followed it up by only managing 5 goals in 73 games. He really seemed to thrive after the 2023 trade deadline and gave us a lot of hope he could fill the role we lost when trading Hagel for him. There were times this past season when I completely forgot he was even on this team, and I don’t think I am alone in that. There are a few questions here, such as, Was this a fluke of a down year? Where does he fit with this team going forward? Does he deserve a one-year prove-it deal? Should the team sell low on him at the draft to get a later-round pick? Personally, I have no preference either way: if KD brings him back, great, or if he lets him walk or trades his rights, awesome. I think we are starting to see that there are enough young pieces on this team that they can live by the next-man-up mindset, and Raddysh could become a casualty of that mindset.
Joey Anderson 25-year-old 800K Cap Hit
Remember me mentioning an RFA that can do what Blackwell did earlier? That player is Joey Anderson. I absolutely love what this kid brings to the lineup each and every night he gets the chance. He is the spark plug every team wants and always seems to be in the right place at the right time, creating turnovers and scoring chances. I was surprised when looking at his stats and realizing he only had 5 goals this season because it felt like he was part of more offense. If it comes down to either Blackwell or Anderson, I’m taking Anderson all day. It would be great to see him get a two-year deal as well.
Cole Guttman (925K Cap Hit) Reese Johnson (800k Cap Hit) Mackenzie Entwistle (800K Cap Hit)
These are three players I all view in the same boat. Guttman got lost in the shuffle after suffering an injury but found a lot of success in the AHL. I think there is a place for him on this team in the bottom six as a role player. I have no doubt he will come back. Entwistle is a player I haven’t been a big fan of. I felt his bads outweighed the goods, but I will admit he looked better towards the end of the year. Johnson, the same type of player, just seemed to always have bad luck when it came to puck luck and injury luck. He has the tools to be an impact player in his role; he's just trying to get it all together. These three guys will be back on one-year deals around that million-dollar deal.
It's going to be an interesting off-season for sure. This team doesn’t have to throw money around to get to the cap floor, and we're going to have to play it much smarter as the cup window slowly starts to open in the next year or two. I think this is the offseason where we are going to see the blueprint for what KD imagines this team to be going forward. Finally, we should have some answers.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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