Now that the dust has settled on free agency, the Chicago Blackhawks are ready to make a splash. The Hawks have had a relatively underwhelming offseason thus far, only adding Andre Burakovsky and Sam Lafferty.
While they’ve managed to extend both Ryan Donato and Arvid Soderblom, the rest of their offseason has been quiet. This all may change soon, however. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Blackhawks are looking to make some additions this offseason.
“Teams have been calling about Reichel and the Blackhawks have been listening”, Pagnotta said. “Chicago is looking to package assets for immediate upgrades.” Should they seek help elsewhere, however, they may find help in free agency. Of all the candidates still available, one name in particular appears to be a great fit for Chicago: center Jack Roslovic.
How Roslovic Can Help Blackhawks
Roslovic, 28, is consistently ranked as the top remaining free agent. Roslovic hit 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points in 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s still got some capability as a middle-six scorer and could slot in Chicago’s offense immediately.
As of right now, the Blackhawks have a third line comprised of Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev. Roslovic scored higher than all three forwards last season. He could take the pressure off Dickinson, who scored just 16 points last season, giving the team a little extra offensive oomph.
Cam Robinson of EliteProspects reported that Roslovic is looking for a two to three-year deal at around $3M per season. The Blackhawks have $18.66M at their disposal right now and could easily cover Roslovic’s salary with that in mind.
Roslovic Could Be Traded Later
If Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson wants to play the long game, Roslovic could be an intriguing trade candidate down the road. Every trade deadline, teams cough up countless assets to improve their roster. Last season, the Blackhawks acquired goaltender Spencer Knight in a blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers for Seth Jones.
While Roslovic isn’t Jones, he could be an eye-catching candidate for teams in search of scoring. Players like Gustav Nyquist, who turned 35 last season, went for as much as a second round pick. It’s hard to say what Roslovic’s value could look like right now. Still, securing a player of Roslovic’s caliber would be a great addition for the Blackhawks.
To top it all off, Roslovic has the unique opportunity to bring leadership to one of the youngest rosters in the NHL.
“We still have a veteran-laden roster, but there’s going to be a much larger contingent of young players that could be here for a very long time, breaking camp with us this year. That’s really exciting,” Davidson said at Chicago’s development camp press conference. “I think that’s a display of progress on where we’ve been in the past. It’s a different look for this team and I think it’s an eye to where we’re headed. It’s just an exciting step we’ve taken that we haven’t necessarily been able to reasonably expect prior to this season.”
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