Blackhawks 2024-25 AGM Into 2024-25

Team: 2024-25 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 1, 2024

Published: Feb. 29, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Continuation of https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/4931470

Cap bumped up to the projected $87.675 mil at the past Board of Governors meeting.

𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗦
𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭 - This is a low ball offer for a 24 y/o fringe 2C, but a player I would target if things fizzle out between him and Tortorella. Philadelphia gets a 2nd and the rights to Raddysh ($813k QO), who's a decent bottom six forward with 20 goal ability and decent defensive and PK impact.
Reichel did well in limited minutes playing alongside Max Domi in 2022-23, I think Frost is similar stylistically to Domi - good rush offense and very good playmaking ability. Frost is also significantly better defensively and would play in Chicago's middle six throughout his prime. I don't expect either Nazar or Moore to be thrown to the wolves at 2C once they play for the Hawks so having a reliable 2C whether it be a good one (Frost) or a bad one (Dickinson) would be convenient. If things don't work out with Frost, they should be able to retain much of what they gave up given how young Frost is.

𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐄𝐓 - Not a fan of Davidson giving him two years, and I think our forward crop is too crowed. He'd be useful to any team that could use bottom six scoring and penalty drawing. I didn't want to use a second retention slot but his stock has cratered w/ his groin injury and I think there'd be teams willing to swap picks in the mid round and acquire him at a more modest $2.125 mil hit. Rafferty is a depth throw in meant for Rockford given how sparse CHI is on RD, plus he's from Illinois so why not.

𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧
#4 𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐲𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐯
All but guaranteed Chicago picks top 4 this year. Best case scenario is #1 Macklin Celebrini. If they fall to 4th I think they'll take the d man Levshunov.
#17 𝐋𝐖 𝐈𝐠𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐯
Tampa pick is 17th at the moment, so I'll go with the big Russian winger.
#33 𝐂 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧

𝗨𝗙𝗔𝘀 𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗
𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐲 (1 x $875k) & 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐆𝐮𝐬𝐭 (1 x $800k) - Both are good for Rockford, Seney gets a raise for being one of RFD's best players, Gust gets a raise to keep playing close to home.
Every other pending UFA isn't worth bringing back. 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 has been lackluster, 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚 might be worth bringing back.

𝗘𝗟𝗖𝘀
𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫 (3 x $950k) - Strong sophomore season, great WJC, has improved his game on both sides of the puck and will probably burn a year off his ELC this spring. I have him starting 2024-25 in Rockford on a line with 𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐬.
𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭 (3 x $950k) - Four years in college and will get a few games this year so I expect him to crack the team next year. If not, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐜𝐡 is the obvious choice.

𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐳𝐞𝐥, 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐯, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢š𝐢𝐚𝐤, 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐧, 𝐉𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐠 can keep developing
𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬 should be signed to an ELC and sent back to Hamilton at some point. I don't think I'd transfer 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥's AHL deal to a SPC. He can join Rockford on another AHL deal, CHI still have his rights till 2025. Leaning towards 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐞 returning to Boston U. 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 had a season ending injury so he should return to college. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐮𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢 will more than likely play in Rockford next year. Not too sure where 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐞 plays next year.

𝗥𝗙𝗔𝘀
𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 (2 x $1.5 mil AAV) - Reichel likely gets a two year deal, at a very low cap hit.
𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐕𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 (6 x $5.5 mil AAV) - I don't think Vlasic will get 8 years but I can see something similar to Mattias Samuelsson, not 7 @ 5.2% of the cap but 6 years at 6.2% of the cap which would equate to 6 x ~$5.4 mil AAV. I think Chicago will bridge irl but Vlasic is so fundamentally sound defensively that I wouldn't worry if they lock him up for six or more years.
𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 (1 x $950k) - One of our best forwards this year, and easily a full time NHLer now. I want Entwistle back but I they CHI might retain only one of Anderson/Entwistle/Katchouk/R.Johnson and Anderson has surpassed them all.
𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧 (1 x $975k) - Should play full time in the NHL next year. I like him but I don't know how much Luke Richardson likes him.

𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 (1 x $900k) should be brought back as one of our few RD prospects, 𝐉𝐚𝐱𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫 (1 x $900k) as backup in Rockford for Commesso, and 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐤 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 (1 x $875k) who should be developing in RFD this year.

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
𝐓𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢 (4 x $6.3 mil AAV) - This would be my #1 FA target. Davidson mentioned they weren't going for the Reinhart/Guentzel type FA's this year, Toffoli is a tier or two below and makes sense for the Hawks. $6.3 mil is a cap hit that would make it tough for contenders to match, further more I'd offer 4 or 5 years with a NMC to get Toffoli. Toffoli's a very strong play driver, his transition offense is incredible, and he has a track record of producing like high end second liner. He's also usually solid defensively aside from this season. 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 and Tyler Toffoli would be a good supporting cast for 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 next year.
𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 (3 x $4.35 mil AAV) - Carrier would be a perfect d man to replace 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲 when/if he gets moved. While Vlasic & Jones work well together, I think a player like Alexandre Carrier would compliment 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢.

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