3 centers the Chicago Blackhawks could target in free agency

The upcoming 2023-24 offseason will be an important one for the Chicago Blackhawks.

After another rebuilding season, the Blackhawks finished 31st in the NHL with a 23-53-6 record. Management and players alike expressed the need to take a step further in the coming season when the team hosted their season-ending exit interviews. General Manager Kyle Davidson was open about making changes in the offseason to make the team more competitive, going on to say that another season finishing in the bottom five would be unacceptable. Similar claims were made by members of the leadership group such as Nick Foligno, Seth Jones, and Jason Dickinson, who all mentioned players needing to be on the same page and setting the standard higher.

As the NHL Draft approaches, teams will soon get a better idea of what the trade market will be. If the Blackhawks plan to exercise a trade, they have a plethora of draft picks spread out over the next few seasons to help them do so.

Aside from the trade market, the Blackhawks also have over 33 million dollars in salary cap space which they can utilize to bring in free agents. One area that will need to be addressed is the forward group, the Blackhawks offense finished dead last in goals scored this season with 179. Connor Bedard and Jason Dickinson were the only two players to surpass the 20 goal plateau, and only three other player surpassed 15.

With more young players expected to join the Blackhawks roster next season, there will be more talent throughout the lineup, but the goal will be to surround the youth with quality NHL talent to alleviate some of the pressures of the NHL. The second-line center position will be an area to look at, as the Blackhawks could use a reliable, quality, center behind Bedard that can help to add more scoring from the top-six.

The Blackhawks likely won't target one of the big name players, but there are still good centermen in free agency who can bring secondary scoring to a Blackhawks team that is desperate for it.