Chicago Blackhawks open free agency with a bang by reportedly signing Tyler Bertuzzi

Wow! I will be completely transparent, this was not a move I saw coming by any means, but it is exactly the type of move that Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson had been promising in the past several months.

It also marks the biggest swing that he has taken as Blackhawks GM in the free agent market. He insisted that the Hawks add a top-six winger to supplement the young core, and it seems that he has done just that.

Bertuzzi played last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He played in 80 games, posting 21 goals, 22 assists for 43 points, and a +2 rating on the season. Those numbers may not scream top-six forward, but keep in mind that Bertuzzi has a much larger impact on the game than can be quantified on the score sheet.

He is a fighter, willing to drop the gloves when necessary which is of tremendous value with so many young players projected to be in the Hawks lineup throughout the next several seasons. He is also a net front scorer, something that I feel the Hawks were sorely lacking last season, and adding a player like Bertuzzi who can tap in a few greasy goals will likely equate to at least a few more wins on the season.

Now, let's discuss the contract.

I think that this is a very fair value for Bertuzzi in terms of price. $5.5 million (as has been reported, we will see if that number holds true), is very manageable for the Blackhawks to pay due to the immense amount of salary cap space that they possess. I think I would have felt more comfortable if this were a three-year deal rather than a four-year deal, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

Another interesting wrinkle to this is that I actually don't necessarily see Bertuzzi playing on a line with Bedard.

We will discuss this more when we see the full roster, but I think that Bertuzzi, who isn't the fastest skater in the world, doesn't fit tremendously well alongside Bedard. He would be best served on a grinding, aggressive line that wears teams down with extended possession of the puck and ruthless forechecking. He also adds a depth to the Hawks scoring that they desperately need, as many times last season it felt like Bedard or bust.

Ultimately, this is a very good deal for the Blackhawks. I foresee Bertuzzi being well liked in Chicago for his work ethic, tough style of play and his talent. He seems like the kind of guy that Luke Richardson would love to have, and it is exciting that the Hawks are beginning to add some quality free agents to push the team forward. If this is a sign of what is to come in free agency, then buckle up. This might be a much more exciting day than we had anticipated!