Blackhawks sign six NHL free agents including Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Laurent Brossoit
The Blackhawks opened NHL free company Monday with a barrage of signings, backing up their intentions to take a step ahead this upcoming season.
Beloved ex-Hawks ahead Teuvo Teravainen returned on a three-year cope with a $5.4 million salary-cap hit and scrappy playmaking ahead Tyler Bertuzzi agreed to a four-year cope with a $5.5 million cap hit, including a major inflow of expertise to the top-six ahead group.
Goalie Laurent Brossoit signed a two-year cope with a $3.3 million cap hit, giving Petr Mrazek a extra skilled accomplice whereas bumping struggling Arvid Soderblom again to the AHL.
The Hawks additionally added three extra veterans on one-year contracts — defenseman Alec Martinez at $4 million and forwards Pat Maroon at $1.3 million and Craig Smith at $1 million — earlier than ending the day by signing veteran defenseman T.J. Brodie to a two-year contract with a $3.75 million cap hit.
And at last, the Hawks re-signed ahead Joey Anderson to a two-year contract with an $800,000 cap hit, preserving him within the fold regardless of not issuing him a qualifying supply Sunday.
Though Kyle Davidson, not surprisingly, wasn’t a participant within the sweepstakes surrounding the highest free brokers of the summer season, he was probably the most energetic common supervisor by way of whole transactions. Coach Luke Richardson stated the telephones within the Hawks’ entrance workplaces had been ringing off the hook Monday morning.
“[We’re] excited to start out making an attempt to maneuver this group ahead now,” Richardson stated. “It was a troublesome two years at instances, however there have been instances we noticed some actually good indicators. So now take these small indicators and put some execution round them to verify we are able to begin shifting ahead.”
Offensive boosts
Teravainen, 29, tallied 53 factors — 25 targets and 28 assists — in 76 video games for the Hurricanes final season. He spent the overwhelming majority of his eight years in Carolina working as a complementary winger to star heart Sebastian Aho.
His return must be immensely standard amongst followers, who beloved him throughout his early-career stint in Chicago — profitable the Stanley Cup in 2015 as a 20-year-old — and have lamented his departure for almost a decade.
“He simply thrived with a superb skating group in Carolina,” Richardson stated. “We hope he brings that mentality right here. The way in which that Carolina performs is nice.”
Bertuzzi, additionally 29, tallied 43 factors — 21 targets and 22 assists — in 80 video games for the Maple Leafs final season, and he ought to be capable to enhance upon these numbers with a bigger function in Chicago than he had in Toronto (the place he averaged 16 minutes of ice time per recreation).
Again in 2021-22, his closing season with the Pink Wings, he averaged almost 20 minutes of ice time and erupted for a career-best 62 factors — 30 targets and 32 assists — in 68 video games. He does have an damage historical past, nevertheless, having missed most of 2020-21 with a again damage and a large chunk of 2022-23 with a wrist damage.
“Bertuzzi is that man who’s across the web,” Richardson stated. “He’s exhausting to deal with and he scores greasy targets there. He’s a type of guys you assume you will have knocked to the ice and, even then, he’s going to attain a aim.”
There’s an honest likelihood Teravainen and Bertuzzi open the season as the 2 first-line wingers flanking Bedard, though Philipp Kurashev and Taylor Corridor can have their very own alternatives to earn these roles throughout coaching camp.
Teravainen excels at possessing the puck, has a hockey IQ excessive sufficient to rival Bedard and may also help cowl for him defensively. Bertuzzi excels at creating forechecking stress and profitable puck battles, two issues Bedard isn’t constructed to do.
Including depth
The Hawks had been anticipated so as to add some competitors to the goaltending room, however Brossoit is greater than that. He’s worthy of being the “1B” goalie to Mrazek’s “1A.”
The 31-year-old Canadian has by no means made greater than 24 appearances in a single season however has delivered wonderful outcomes every of the final two seasons with the Golden Knights and Jets, posting a .927 save proportion in each. He touts a .927 save proportion in 5 all-time matchups towards the Hawks, too, which hasn’t been forgotten.
On protection, Martinez and Brodie will fill second- or third-pairing roles. Brodie, 34, averaged almost 22 minutes an evening final season with the Leafs whereas tallying 26 factors (25 of which had been assists) in 78 video games.
Martinez, who turns 37 later this month, is nearing the tip of a stellar profession spent with the Kings and Knights however nonetheless has some gasoline left within the tank. He averaged greater than 19 minutes per recreation final season and had 17 factors in 55 video games, though he’ll be ceaselessly finest recognized for his Cup-clinching extra time aim in Los Angeles in 2014.
Both one might probably accomplice up with Kevin Korchinski — Martinez spent a superb period of time in Vegas with Shea Theodore, one among Korchinski’s longtime function fashions — nevertheless it now appears to be like doable Korchinski might find yourself in Rockford to start out the season. He, Wyatt Kaiser and Ethan Del Mastro would possibly find yourself competing in camp for just one open roster spot.
Up entrance, Maroon, 36, and Smith, 34, are equally far previous their primes however present some grizzled fourth-line depth. They’re an improve over Taylor Raddysh, MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson, who’ve departed.
Maroon, who has principally turn out to be a toughness mercenary in recent times, tallied 16 factors in 51 video games for the Wild and Bruins final season. Smith chipped in 20 factors in 75 video games with the Stars however is simply two years faraway from a 36-point marketing campaign in Boston.
“[Maroon is] old-school robust,” Richardson stated. “Typically the fellows that don’t need to get into fights or bodily altercations due to their repute are much more worthwhile, as a result of it simply settles every little thing down. I can ship him on the ice at any time if issues are getting uncontrolled.”
To not be forgotten is Ilya Mikheyev, the speedy defensive ahead the Hawks acquired from the Canucks final week with two years left on his contract. However Sam Lafferty, one other a part of that commerce, walked to free company in spite of everything and signed with the Sabres.
Wanting forward
Even with this huge incursion of ability and depth, the Hawks most likely received’t be a playoff group in 2024-25, however they most likely received’t be a bottom-five group, both.
It is going to be fascinating to see precisely how a lot they enhance in comparison with final season’s mere 52 factors. The Central Division received’t be straightforward to climb, particularly as a result of Utah (with Mikhail Sergachev) and the Predators (with Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei) must be a lot improved.
Curiously, the Hawks received’t boast a very younger roster. Bedard, Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, Lukas Reichel and possibly yet another defenseman ought to make up the extent of the youth.
Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert now appear prone to begin out within the AHL until they actually impress throughout camp, and No. 2 decide Artyom Levshunov will probably be in Rockford or again at Michigan State.
On that word, Rockford’s roster will probably be extraordinarily younger, and the Hawks’ largest long-term priorities nonetheless revolve round integrating their flush pipeline of prospects into the NHL. That’s why Davidson roughly caught to his desire for shorter-term contracts.
