Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said just over two months ago at the end of the year press conference that results like the prior two seasons, finishing third-worst and second-worst in the NHL were no longer acceptable. He said changes were going to be necessary to push the rebuild forward. He was’t lying.
On Day One of NHL free agency, Davidson and the Blackhawks made a significant splash by signing a load of new players, headlined by returning Blackhawks 2015 Stanley Cup Champion Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as bringing back fan-favorite Joey Anderson.
WATCH: CHGO Blackhawks Free Agency Frenzy Livestream
Tyler Bertuzzi
Less than 12 hours before the opening of free agency on July 1, there were reports that the Blackhawks and Tyler Bertuzzi were coming to terms on a deal. It was one of the first confirmed deals of the day the next morning with Bertuzzi signing a four-year, $5.5 million deal.
“Tyler is a fantastic competitor who brings energy every night,” Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said in the press release. “He has enjoyed consistent offensive success throughout his career and we look forward to watching Tyler to continue to produce at the high level he’s shown he is capable of.”
Bertuzzi has been a polarizing player on and off the ice in his career. Some love him for his antagonistic style of play and production levels when he’s “on,” while others contend that he’s too streaky and takes ill-timed penalties. The Blackhawks are hoping that they get the version of Bertuzzi that put up 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2021-22 season. Not too far removed. In four of his last six NHL seasons, Bertuzzi has produced at a 50-point pace over an 82-game season, having 43 points in 80 games last season with Toronto and playing only nine games with Detroit in 2020-21.
Teuvo Teravainen
He’s back!
After being selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks, Teuvo Teravainen went on to be a part of the 2015 Stanley Cup-winning team as his young career began to blossom. But shortly after that, he was traded in a cap-dump move to the Hurricanes and the Blackhawks have probably regretted that move ever since. Now, Jay Zawaski’s sweet boy is home again.
“We’re thrilled to have Teuvo back in Chicago,” Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said in the press release. “He was a big part of our 2015 Stanley Cup team and we’re excited to have his leadership and experience back in our room.”
Teravainen makes a lot of sense for this Blackhawks team, adding him to a top-six forwards group where he doesn’t have to be the focal-point of a forward line or have to drive the play more often than not. That’s not his game. Teravainen has developed a better well-rounded game since Blackhawks fans last saw him in the United Center, being more sound defensively while still bringing quality play-making ability on the offensive end. He’s had four 20+ goal seasons since leaving the Blackhawks with a career-high 25 this past season and has produced 50+ points in five of his last seven full seasons.
Pat Maroon
The “Big Rig” is headed to Chicago. Chicago and three-time Stanley Cup Champion Pat Maroon came together on a one-year, $1.3 million deal as part of their July 1 signings.
Maroon is a locker room move. There’s no doubt the impact having players like Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno did for the group last season. Now we see Davidson trying to add to that by brining in a player who everyone loves to have as a teammate. Maroon’s not going to be producing much on the ice, but he will throw some big hits and throw some punches when necessary.
Craig Smith
“When you say Wisconsin, you’ve said it all!”
Thank you, Kyle Davidson, for signing a Badger for me. The Blackhawks and veteran Craig Smith are coming together for a one-year, $1 million deal to add more experience and depth to the forwards group.
Another player who will come in with a wealth of experience and as a player who will accept and execute their role on the team, Smith is coming off a 20-point campaign with the Dallas Stars where he played a bottom-six role on a team that was built to make a deep playoff run. Blackhawks fans may remember Smith from his years in Nashville, a time where he had five 20+ goal season in a six-year span from the 2013-14 season to the 2018-19 season.
Joey Anderson
WHOA! Long live the bit because Joey Anderson, after not getting a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks prior to the opening of free agency, is back on a two-year, $800,000 deal.
Anderson worked his way up the Blackhawks lineup over the past two seasons, endearing himself to Kyle Davidson, Luke Richardson, and the fans with his speed, forechecking, and subtle play-making abilities. He’s one of those bottom-six forwards that stood out from the group as more than “just another guy.” With the other additions up front and the potential for younger players to play their way into the NHL lineup, there is a chance that Anderson is back with Chicago, but may play mostly in Rockford.
Alec Martinez
Remember him? Veteran defenseman and 2014 Western Conference Finals series-ender Alec Martinez is joining the Blackhawks on a one-year, $4 million deal.
This is a great fit for the Blackhawks with a defensive group that desperately needed an upgrade. While Jarred Tinrodi, Jaycob Megna, and Nikita Zaitsev did what they were asked to do and more over the past two seasons, they were in over their heads being every day NHL players in Chicago. Now with Martinez, Chicago has a left-shot defenseman that they could play either behind Kevin Korchinski on a third-pair role, or above him on the second-pair and give Korchinski some breathing room in his sophomore season on the third-pair.
“Alec has had success at every level and we are excited for him to bring that experience into our locker room,” Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said in the press release. “A savvy and mobile defender, Alex’s reliable defensive game will be a welcomed addition to our team.”
The former L.A. King and Vegas Golden Knight, and three-time Stanley Cup Champion, turns 37-years-old at the end of July. Martinez had 17 points in 55 games last season with Vegas.
Laurent Brossoit
The Blackhawks needed an upgrade in net in a bad way after last season and they got it with the addition of Laurent Brossoit on a two-year, $3.3 million deal.
Arvid Söderblom will be headed back to the Rockford IceHogs with this addition of Brossoit and it might be the last we’ve seen of him in Chicago, barring (knocks on all the wood) any injuries. After Petr Mrazek’s comeback season last year, the Blackhawks needed to follow that up with giving him and the rest of the team someone who could play the backup, or 1A/1B role who could comfortably give Mrazek rest and not give the defensive group heightened anxiety every time a shot was on goal.
Two seasons ago, Brossoit played in 42 combined games between the NHL and AHL, regular season and postseason. The last time Brossoit played more than that many combined games was the 2014-15 season when he was with the Edmonton Oilers and he played in 56 combine games, but 55 of them came with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL. He hasn’t been in a position to shoulder a heavy work-load in a long time, having been the backup to Connor Hellebuyck on two different stints with the Winnipeg Jets and was part of tandems with the Vegas Golden Knights for two seasons.
Mrazek is the starter for the Blackhawks heading into the 2024-25 season, but he will have someone behind him in Brossoit that the Blackhawks likely can rely on. In his past two NHL seasons with the Golden Knights and Jets, he’s played in a combined 34 games with a 22-5-5 record and a .927 save-percentage.
T.J. Brodie
Following the immediate onslaught of signings from Davidson and the Blackhawks on July 1, there was a lull in the middle of the day but it was ended when new came down that the club had signed veteran defenseman T.J. Brodie to a two-year, $3.75 million deal.
Brodie brings more experience on the blue-line for Chicago, is a defensively-minded defender, and can play on the right side of the ice, even for a left-handed shot. He is coming off of a 26-point season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but only played in one game in the first-round series for Toronto after struggling down the stretch of the season.
“T.J. is a strong, two-way defenseman that can play valuable minutes in any situation,” Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said. “He adds a wealth of experience to our room and we’re excited about the impact he’ll have on our team.”
To me, this is a two-sided signing. On one side, you add Brodie to Alec Martinez as a third-pairing and you’re immensely better defensively than you were last season. On the other side, where is the room for the younger defensemen like Wyatt Kaiser, Nolan Allan, and Ethan Del Mastro to make their way into the NHL this season? Especially for Kaiser, who is arguably the most NHL-ready of the group at the moment.
With all of these new additions, you can guarantee that there will be roster competitions in training camp. Which is good for bringing out the best in players and was promised by Davidson heading into the offseason. There is also room for more development and “over-ripening” for these young players like the aforementioned defensive trio, as well as players like Colton Dach, Frank Nazar, and Landon Slaggert while playing for the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.
