Chicago Blackhawks: Free Agency Wishlist

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Well, you knew this was coming.

has been rumored to be on the list of potential (re)additions that the Blackhawks have mutual interest in. After spending a decade with Chicago and winning three Stanley Cups, Sharp ended up with the Dallas Stars and has performed as a shell of his former self. While injuries have hindered him over the last season, Sharp has shown in short bursts that he still can be a formidable option for any club. Getting past concussion concerns and a recent off-season hip surgery, if Sharp was willing to take a

Brian Campbell

-type deal with Chicago, he could be that third-line scoring winger Chicago needs on a low-risk, high-reward deal. But, it is hard to get past the injury concerns.

Martin Hanzal

One name that always seems to be linked to the Blackhawks come Free Agency or the NHL trade deadline is Martin Hanzal. A former first-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, Hanzal has not performed as such. But that is not to say that Hanzal is a bust, he just plays a different role since he has reached the NHL. Not a large point-producer, Hanzal is a big-body center at six-foot-six and nearly 230-pounds and is the kind of third-line center the Blackhawks could use to add size and win face-offs. Hanzal has a career face-off win percentage of 51.9% and hasn’t dipped below 54% since the strike-shortened 2013 season.

The biggest need Chicago has is on defense. If they can shore up a player like Alzner, the blue-line group would look a lot more serviceable on opening night. The problem with a deal with Alzner, and realistically with any free agent this off-season, is the money.

Next: The End Of The Road For Marcus Kruger

The overall crop of players available that the Blackhawks could realistically sign is not deep, and the fear of over-paying is real. Stan Bowman and the front office group has their work cut out for them to get Chicago back to planning Stanley Cup rallies and parades.