8 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks start to the offseason

The Blackhawks signed some free agents that can be flipped at the NHL Trade Deadline.

There were no splash free agent signings. The Chicago Blackhawks did manage to add a few players to round out the roster.

Andreas Athanasiou is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. He scored a career-high 30 goals when he was with the Detroit Red Wings in 2018-2019. If he can recapture some of that goal-scoring production, he can be flipped at the trade deadline.

Max Domi is a scrappy player who scored 28 goals for the Canadiens. He also has 213 career assists so he can help create scoring opportunities. He has only skated in 126 games the last three seasons, leading to his scoring decline.

If he stays healthy and puts up good some numbers, he can potentially be moved at the trade deadline for some more draft and prospect capital.

The biggest thing the Hawks did in free agency was get some players on the cheap. The Hawks still have $10 million in cap space. They project to have more than $40 million in cap space for the 2023-2024 season. Having that amount of cap room might allow the Hawks to sign a free agent they can build around.

It will be ugly to watch the Chicago Blackhawks next season but if they land the top pick, it will be worth it.

Let’s face it, the Chicago Blackhawks are tanking this season. It is going to be ugly to watch the Chicago Blackhawks. To make matters worse, star television analyst Eddie Olyczek will not be there to get us through it. Long-time television voice Pat Foley retired as well.

It will be rough to watch the Chicago Blackhawks struggle to score. 87 of the Blackhawks’ 213 goals (that is 40% for those scoring at home) scored last season are gone with DeBrincat, Strome, Kubalik, and Dach who are all wearing different sweaters.

The defense will still struggle to keep the puck out of the net. Acquiring Petr Mrazek gives the Chicago Blackhawks a goalie but not exactly a goalie who is going to steal games.

If the Blackhawks can win the NHL Draft Lottery and get the top pick, that gives the Hawks a chance to pick Connor Bedard. The young man is a generational talent and would have an impact on the franchise like when the Hawks took Kane.

Even if Chicago misses out on the top pick, the other top prospects at the top of the 2023 draft class have franchise player talent. Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov both could have gone number one in the 2022 draft.

Brace yourself Chicago Blackhawks fans, it is going to be a year of some bad hockey and a farewell tour for Kane and Toews. If the Hawks do this rebuild right, the bad hockey will eventually turn into contending for the Stanley Cup again.