Next year 3rd overall

Team: 2024-25 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 7, 2024

Published: Apr. 7, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

The hawks appear to be having a strong finish to the season by their standards. While the remaining schedule does not look easy by any means, I think they will find a way to surpass the ducks points totals and enter the draft lottery with the 3rd best odds. Considering what this team has shown with a higher quality of health I think they will be significantly better next year even without major moves to improve the roster. The priorities should be to add depth at both forward and D, but most importantly to sign a guy whose primary role is to play with Korchinsky. Landing a player like Celebrini would be huge for the franchise, but it shouldn’t alter the plan in a significant way should it happen. Assuming that we don’t win the lottery again I think the pick should be Demidov/Leshunov/Lindstrom in that order.

I’m a big believer in Vlasic and while my fellow hawks fans have shown hesitancy to give him 6 AAV over 8 years, citing that he may want a bridge for a bigger pay day, and his limited offensive production, I will die on the hill that signing him long term will be the first move we look back on when the hawks win a Stanley cup.

Reichel has looked better during this last stretch, I’m sure he will want a 1 year prove it deal before signing a longer extension, and I think the hawks would like the same. Signing him at 2.1 seems fair if not an overpay.

Entwistle - He’s not a special player, but I have noticed him a significant amount in the recent games. He seems to be a good 4th line piece and I think it’s worth keeping him around for longer.

Philips - I hope the hawks bring him back as depth. He’s not as bad as the hawks seem to think he is.

The rest of the RFA’s should either be unqualified or used as trade bait/depth. Raddysh is someone I would qualify with the intention to trade, and if I couldn’t find a fit I would sign him before the season as a depth piece.

Depth: Raddysh, Anderson, Guttman

Release/AHL deal: Reese Johnson, Mike Hardman, Michal Teply, Filip Roos,

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