5 best bargain forwards the Blackhawks can target in free agency

The Chicago Blackhawks season is mathematically over, as that infamous lower-case ‘e’ now resides next to their name in the NHL standings. But just because the year didn’t go the way everyone wanted it to with an ultra-young team, it does mean we can look toward an offseason that should include quite a few RFAs receiving extensions. 

Others, like Colin Blackwell, are unrestricted free agents who may be back in the Windy City should he continue with his strong play. But Chicago is also looking to improve for the 2024-25 season. 

And to do that, they will also need to consider bringing in a few unrestricted free agents, including a forward or two should they have some openings. However, general manager Kyle Davidson must also be wise with the way he spends in the 2024 offseason. 

Blackhawks shouldn’t overspend in free agency for 2024-25

For a team like the Blackhawks that are still in rebuilding mode, it’s important they don’t overspend in the offseason, as they are constructing this team around Connor Bedard and are predominantly doing so with their current young talent. Davidson has a solid core to keep around, and every young player in this lineup will deliver even better returns next season, assuming each RFA gets a deal.

So, in the following slides, you won’t see any game-breaking names but solid players who would make either great leaders or lower-liners next season. None of the forwards listed will cost Davidson a ton of money, so don’t expect a major cap hit from any of these ‘bargain free agents’ the Blackhawks general manager can target this summer. 

Which forwards should he be looking to bring to Chicago for the 2024-25 season? Here are five names that should excite Blackhawks fans, even if they inevitably won’t stick around long-term if signed.

Warren Foegele would be a strong pickup for Chicago’s middle-six

Thanks to his productive play this season, Warren Foegele could work his way into the top-six with his current team, the Edmonton Oilers, should they keep him around with a contract extension. However, Foegele is also young enough to justify bringing to town for between $3.5 and $4 million a year, which is something Kyle Davidson can easily fit into his budget. 

With just over a half-point per game this season and career-highs in goals and assists, Foegele is enjoying an outstanding year offensively for the Oilers, and his defensive game would also make for a welcome asset in Chicago. 

He has stolen quite a few pucks since his first full season in the league in 2018-19 when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s also not afraid to finish checks, which would add more edginess to a Blackhawks team that has a solid 23 hits per game. 

Foegele doesn’t play a ton of special teams, but he has periodically pitched in each season since entering the league, both on the man advantage and when his team is shorthanded. Even if his offensive game remains so-so from a productivity standpoint, a career Corsi of 54.2 percent is another plus for Foegele, as his presence will certainly help the Blackhawks in Year 2 of this massive rebuild. 

A lower-liner like Daniel Sprong would give the Blackhawks depth scoring

Daniel Sprong has been a journeyman since he entered the league, but the 26-year-old has enjoyed his most productive seasons lately, with 46 points and 21 goals for the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23, before following it up this year with 39 points and 16 goals in Detroit. Like Foegele, Sprong will likely sign on for more than his current $2 million cap hit next season, whether it means re-signing with the Red Wings or moving to his next organization.

However, unlike Foegele, Sprong will never be anything more than a lower-liner. But his experience helping a building team move in the right direction will make him a valuable asset with the Blackhawks, even if he only signed for a season or two between $2.5 and $3 million. The aforementioned figures are something in the realm of what Evan Sabourin of The Hockey Writers suggested should Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman re-sign the veteran. 

Sprong has also been an incredible asset on the power play over the last two seasons, with the Seattle Kraken and the Red Wings scoring 35 combined goals when he’s on the ice at 5-on-4.  

Davidson needs to talk Kyle Okposo into returning for one more year

We got a couple of higher-tier free agents out of the way, but if players like Foegele and Srpong stick with their current teams, there are other options. One player is 35-year-old Kyle Okposo, whom the Buffalo Sabres recently traded to the Florida Panthers. 

Okposo may call it a career after this season, but perhaps Davidson can lure him to the Windy City for a year to provide leadership for a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Few players in the NHL have made greater impacts over the last few seasons with young organizations when you look at how well Okposo navigated through tough times with the Sabres and even helped them overachieve last year. 

At this point in his career, Okposo is nothing more than a fourth-liner who will give you 12 minutes per game on average. But he’s also become a solid defensive forward whose presence would also help keep games more manageable for Chicago in 2024-25 if he decides to play another season if Davidson is interested in signing him, and if Okposo is interested in going to Chicago.

Ultimately, it will come down to what happens with the Panthers this season that will dictate what Okposo will do. Should they win the Stanley Cup, he’s either retiring or would be willing to play the leadership role for another young hockey team. This is assuming he’s not interested in signing with another contender, of course. 

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.