Chicago Blackhawks: 6 potential moves to get back to contention
By Clay Swallow
Sign Kyle Brodziak
Another significant problem for the Hawks is finding a center that can consistently win face-offs and take some of the load away from Jonathon Teows’ shoulders. Kyle Brodziak can do just that and he would fit perfectly in a third line role.
He would be an upgrade over anything the Blackhawks have on the second penalty-kill unit as well. Brodziak will not “wow” you offensively, but his size and physicality along with his solid two-way game are things that the Hawks are in dire need of across their forward group.
The 34-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues, whom the Blackhawks know very well. He has also spent some time with the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers.
Brodziak should come at relatively low cost for the Hawks. I would expect him to land somewhere in the realm of a 2-year contract at around $1.5-$2 million per season. That is something the Blackhawks can afford on their books. Whether Brodziak would leave St. Louis for a rival in Chicago is a big question worthy of a totally different conversation. But if I were the Blackhawks, I would definitely make that phone call and see what it would take.