Chicago Blackhawks: 5 Potential Targets in Free Agency This Offseason
The Chicago Blackhawks' 2011-2012 offseason free-agent signings fell quite a bit short of par.
After a disappointing post-Stanley Cup championship year that saw his team barely nudge its way into the playoffs only to lose to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman acquired a lineup of rentals to provide added toughness and experience to a young core group of players.
Bowmanโs conveyor belt of veterans included the likes of Daniel Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, Andrew Brunette and Sean OโDonnell, all of whom added a little personality and grit here and there. Still, the Hawks found themselves on the muzzle end of an another early postseason exit.
The Chicago Blackhawks now face the task of confronting more immediate needs without making the same mistakes that haunted them last offseason.
A lot of names in the Hawksโ system have emerged as potential wildcards for the teamโs roster next season (Jeremy Morin, Ben Smith, Brandon Pirri) and a few were even able to crack the Hawksโ lineup as regulars down the stretch (Andrew Shaw, Jimmy Hayes, Dylan Olson). But, for a team thatโs focused on winning now, it would be smart of Bowman to pad the team with a bit of insurance.
Hereโs the scope of Bowmanโs offseason:
Team needs: Improvement on special teams, security in goal, depth at center and defense, size and physicality on both front and back end.
Projected salary cap space: $6,843,206 (according to CapGeek.com).
Given this information, here are five potential free agents Bowman should pursue this coming offseason.
Jarret Stoll, C
1 of 5Jarret Stoll had an off season on a team that struggled to produce points offensively. However, heโs a physical defensive center who can win faceoffs and doesnโt mind blocking shots.
He wonโt fix the Hawksโ lackluster power play, but heโs a solid penalty killer who has plenty of special-teams experience on his rรฉsumรฉ. Heโs a regular 40-point producer who could have another breakout season playing alongside Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.
Shane O'Brien, D
2 of 5Shane O'Brien is a solid defensive-minded defenseman. He can hit, block shots and vacuum up minutes for time crunchers like Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.
He wonโt make any impact offensively, but he can add an aggressive, physical presence on the backend that the Hawks very desperately lack.
Sami Salo, D
3 of 5Sami Saloโs age may be catching up with him, but heโs got a rocket of a shot that found the net nine times this past season. Most importantly, seven of those goals came on the power play.
David Jones, RW
4 of 5David Jones is a big kid who now has two consecutive 20-goal seasons under his belt. Bowman shouldnโt overpay for him, but if he can find a reasonable price for Jones, he could aid in solving the Hawksโ net presence concerns.
Any Goaltender to Challenge Crawford and Emery
5 of 5The combined cap hit for both Hawks goaltenders is $3.87 million, so it is unlikely that Bowman will be spending big money on another netminder for next season.
However, itโd be in his best interests to sign a goalie who can challenge Crawford and Emery for positioning on the depth chart. Good candidates may be Curtis Sanford or Scott Clemmensen, both of whom had solid campaigns in the 2011-2012 season.
With that said, neither are likely to run away with the starting gig, and Bowmanโs best hope is that Crawford recovers from a subpar year and pulls a Jimmy Howard next season.





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