3 free agents the Chicago Blackhawks would ruin the offseason by signing

With a projected $29 million to spend this summer, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson will have plenty of money at his disposal to upgrade his roster through free agency. 

While franchise-changing gems such as Marian Hossa can be found on the open market, there are many more duds every year that end up handicapping a team’s ability to compete for Stanley Cups. With Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Spencer Knight due new contracts following next season, Davidson must be prudent this July 1st when adding to his squad. 

Here are three players the Blackhawks must avoid in free agency, no matter how enticing they may seem...

Sam Bennett

The past three postseasons, Bennett has been the ultimate performer for the Florida Panthers. During that period, he has accumulated 45 points in 56 games, won a Cup, and has lived inside opponents’ heads with his line-crossing antics. For these reasons, he seems like a great fit to center the Blackhawks’ second line for the foreseeable future. The only issue is, nearly every other team in the NHL sees a place for Bennett on their roster, as well. 

Recent speculation indicates that the 28-year-old could command at least $9 million per year on the open market, and that number should be too rich for Davidson’s blood. While Bennett is a fantastic player, his career-high is 51 points, and he has benefited from playing behind stars in Florida, such as Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Reinhart.

You can’t expect him to replicate that production in Chicago with less support, and you certainly cannot be paying nearly eight figures for maximum term in exchange for 50-point seasons. 

Matt Duchene

Many believed Duchene’s career was effectively over after the Nashville Predators bought out his contract in 2023. Yet, the former third-overall pick experienced a career renaissance in Dallas, notching 82 points this season and 65 the year prior. You could reasonably see the Hawks pursuing the veteran center to add some scoring punch to the lineup, but this would be a grave mistake.

Duchene, 34, wilted when it mattered most in the postseason, recording just one goal in 18 games and an atrocious -18 plus/minus rating. He does not have the speed he once had and is too deferential with the puck on his stick, often looking for the extra pass instead of putting shots on net. The Hawks need scorers and speedsters to fit in with their future corps, and Duchene does not check either of those boxes.

Aaron Ekblad

Aaron Ekblad is already a former first-overall pick and Calder Trophy winner and may be a two-time Cup champion by the time July rolls around. He is big, mean, and has unleashed some offense this postseason with 11 points in 13 games. At 29, he could be a Connor Murphy replacement on the right side of the Hawks' blue line for the near future.

Despite his accomplishments and recent play, Ekblad comes with two glaring red flags – he has not played a full regular season in six years, and he will be looking for a pay raise over his current $7.5 million cap hit.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old defenseman with lengthy injury histories do not usually turn out to be wise free-agent signings, so Davidson should steer clear of Ekblad this summer.