5 best bargain forwards the Blackhawks can target in free agency

Cal Clutterbuck would add an edge to the lower lines

If Kyle Okposo is off the table, then Cal Clutterbuck is another longtime player whom Davidson could lure to Chicago for a season to help aid in providing leadership. While the Blackhawks will have a few older players to serve in such roles next season, like Nick Foligno and Tyler Johnson, they are still so early in their rebuild that there is room for one more, especially one who will bring on a hard-hitting style to the lower lines. 

Okposo has been a physical player throughout his career and even into his latter years, but Clutterbuck has reached the 200-hit mark a dozen times in his storied career, and he has even graced the 300-hit milestone a few times. Like many players on this list, Clutterbuck will add an edge and leadership for a minimum price tag. 

He may only play for another season, if that, but the value he would bring in that potential final season is one that every young Blackhawks player will benefit from. If he comes back, there is a chance Clutterbuck fills the lower lines of a contender since he is in his career twilight. But it wouldn’t hurt for Davidson to reach out and see if Clutterbuck’s interested in helping a rebuilding organization.