Chicago entered free agency with decisions to make on some top players and address weaknesses from a down year last season.
After grids were released the Hawks chose to re-sign Zibanejad, Trocheck, and Devon Toews securing two top six centers and a top-pairing dman.
It was clear from last season that goaltending would need to be upgraded as well as finding depth for forwards. In batch 1 the Hawks successfully signed the top available goaltender in Cam Talbot on a reasonable deal (4.77 mil) as well as solidifying our top 4 defense with the addition of Jeff Petry at a team friendly 2.65 mil per season.
Batches 2-5 were exercises in fiscal responsibility. Despite the need for bottom six forwards, the Hawks were unable to sign a single skater as prices exceeded what the team was willing to pay.
Batch 6 resulted in two new additions to the team with forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Gabriel Landeskog coming in on bargain contracts. Landeskog represents a calculated risk at 1.01mil per season. If he is able to return to the NHL next season, he will be a fantastic value. If he is unable to play again, his buy-out won't handcuff the team in the future.
It doesn't appear to be much left in the free agent pool, so Chicago will be looking to fill gaps in the lineup with players from the AHL or look to acquire depth using picks and prospects.
In summary, the team looks to be improved from last year although the lack of depth could be an issue. Pleased to have signed players on value contracts that hopefully will age well for the next couple of seasons. The Hawks will look to be more competitive this year and will be heavily relying on the top forwards and dmen to carry the team.
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