Forecasting which Chicago Blackhawks free agents are likely to stay or go

The Chicago Blackhawks will likely need to look externally to improve their roster. Last season proved that what they have currently at the NHL level isn't good enough to compete yet. That being said, there are several free agents, I would love the Hawks to re-sign.

But remember, contracts are a two-way street, and the player needs to want to extend as well.

Let's take a look at the Hawks' restricted and unrestricted free agents to determine who will be staying and who will be going.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Brett Seney and Zach Sanford: Staying, 1-year each two-way contracts for $850,000

Seney and Sanford have been very useful veterans at the AHL level, and there is no reason at all to let them walk away if they wish to stay. They will continue to help insulate the young guys down there while keeping new head coach Jared Nightingale's squad competitive night in and night out.

Cole Guttman: Going, 1-year two-way contract for $900,000

I would like to keep Guttman around for the same reasons that I just gave for Sanford and Seney, however, his situation is a bit different. Guttman is younger than those two guys and likely still sees himself as an NHL player rather than an AHL player. It is clear at this point that he will not get the chance in Chicago to be an NHL player. Therefore, I think he looks for a better situation in the NHL where he has at least a shot at cracking their opening night roster.

Andreas Athanasiou: Going, 1-year contract for $1,250,000

Well, I think this will be the last time I will have to badly misspell Athanasiou's name... I don't need to explain much here, as AA was a good soldier for the Hawks but simply isn't in the Hawks future plans. He will likely land a depth role somewhere as teams can always find use for an NHL veteran with AA's speed.

Ryan Donato: Going, 4-year contract for $5,850,000 per season

This is the big one. It's also the first instance where the decision will be out of the Hawks hands. I think Kyle Davidson had every intention of resigning Donato after not trading him at the deadline, and I think he still does. However, I have a theory about what is behind the contract talks stalling with Donato and it is something that may be worth going into in another article in more depth.

On the CHGO podcast, they briefly mentioned that we may see some bloated contracts this offseason based on the rise in the salary cap. That got me thinking that Donato is likely hesitant to sign a contract with the Hawks before first gauging the market and seeing what he can get. My instincts at this point tell me that a team is going to offer

Donato more term, and more money than the Hawks will feel comfortable matching, and they will be forced to choose between badly overpaying Donato, or simply losing him for nothing. In such a scenario, Davidson seems likely to prioritize future cap flexibility to sign all his young stars, rather than prioritizing keeping Donato at an inflated number.

Restricted Free Agents

Philip Kurashev: Going, 2-year contract for $1,000,000 per season

I could see another team taking a very cheap bet on a guy who has shown that he can contribute at the NHL level. Still only 25 years old, Kurashev has runway left to be a legitimate NHL player. However, it's time for the Hawks to move away from inconsistent players like Kurashev and instead give opportunities to their innumerable prospects.

I liked Kurashev a lot in his time in Chicago, but last season couldn't have gone worse for him, and I think it killed his value internally with the Hawks. Expect a parting of ways this summer between Kurashev and the Hawks.

Wyatt Kaiser: Staying, 3-year contract for $1,350,000 per season.

I really believe in Kaiser and I'm hopeful that the Hawks can get this kind of deal done. This is based on the Brandon Hagel deal from several years ago where the Hawks locked up a young exciting player at a very low price just before he broke out. I could see Kaiser having a tremendous season next year and making this look like a genius contract. However, even if he doesn't have a big year and is just a serviceable NHL defenseman, this would be a great contract.

Louis Crevier: Staying, 1-year two-way contract for $900,000.

I like Crevier a lot as a depth defenseman that can move between Rockford and Chicago. he certainly made strides to improve his overall defensive game last year and I hope the Hawks keep him around.

Arvid Soderblom: Staying, 1-year contract for $2,000,000.

This is an important contract to get right, as the goaltending situation in Chicago is so fascinating. The Hawks have one sure thing in Spencer Knight, and then two question marks behind him. Soderblom had a good year last season, but he was dreadful the year before that.

Laurent Brossoit missed the entirety of last season with an injury. I think signing Soderblom to a one-year deal makes sense. He and Brossoit can compete for the backup slot behind Knight, and after next season, you can choose which one to keep and which to lose.