NHL Free Agency: Slim Pickings in Goal as Chicago Blackhawks Pursue Depth

The Chicago Blackhawks seem to be confident in their current tandem in goal.

That's good, because when it comes to goalies, we've reached the bottom of the barrel.

It's more than likely that the two men under one-way contracts, Corey Crawford and Alexander Salak, will be the two men on the Blackhawks' depth chart. A quick look at the depth in the system looks like this: Crawford, Salak, Alec Richards.

The 'Hawks have three goalies under contract in the organization right now. That has to change.

We're not talking about obtaining veteran help when you comb through the league's remaining unrestricted free agents.  Crawford and Salak, barring injury, are indisputably the men in net.  Unless Richards is going to play every minute in goal for Rockford this season, another goalie must be signed.

Who will that be?

The best case scenario would be picking up a guy who could come up and be a short-term back up in case of injury.  If that player could aid in the development in Richards (who I don't feel is ready to play in the NHL after one full pro season), all the better.

In the UFA market, the pickings are slim at best.  Right now two of the best options are two guys we had in the organization last season: Marty Turco and Hannu Toivonen.

Feel free to laugh, then go down the list of UFAs.

Ty Conklin signed with Detroit this week. Patrick Lalime retired. Calling Ray Emery a wild card is kind at this stage of his career. The rest of the free-agent lot still unsigned are cup-of-coffee guys who have kicked around the minors for years.

Suddenly a guy with Turco's NHL resume, washed up or not, looks pretty good in comparison.

Toivonen is a former first-round pick who hasn't put it together. Put him in the washout list, but at least he's a familiar washout. Unless the 'Hawks want to trade for an experienced journeymen, the best they could do in free agency would be to resign one of their UFA's. 

A guy like Tyler Weiman, who last played in the Vancouver organization, is at the top of the UFA heap right now.  He isn't an NHL-quality guy, but he has a pretty decent track record down in the AHL and could replace Toivonen, who split time with Richards last season.

I'll let the following thought slip out and blame it on the heat. What if the 'Hawks sent franchise whipping boy Cristobal Huet to Rockford to play out his deal? Chicago has to pay him anyway.

They have enough cap space that bringing him up in an emergency back up role for a game or two wouldn't kill you.  Heaven forbid we have to get him through waivers and someone inexplicably claims him.

If that move doesn't tickle Stan Bowman's fancy, we're looking at five possibilities.

1. Re-sign Turco or Toivonen. Seems like that would have happened by now if Bowman wanted it to.

2. Sign an experienced AHL guy.

3. Trade for an NHL journeyman.

4. Sign a recent draft pick to an entry deal and put him in Rockford. I think Mac Carruth and Kent Simpson can still play a season in juniors, so they are probably better off there.

5. Just wait and pick up a goalie in camp via waivers.

With no movement so far, option five may be what Bowman will elect to do. He may also employ option two if only for another warm body in training camp.

The acquisition of a depth goalie may have little or no impact on Chicago's fortunes this summer.  In actuality, that's probably how you'd want it to be. The less we see of anyone but Crawford and Salak in net, the better.

However, injuries are a reality in the NHL. Somewhere before camp breaks, expect the 'Hawks to pick up some help in the crease.