One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player the Blackhawks must target in NHL free agency

The Chicago Blackhawks can find one-year stopgaps and perhaps even a long-term deal or two in NHL free agency when it kicks off next month.

Nashville Predators v Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators v Chicago Blackhawks / Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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Rebuilding teams can use all the guidance their front office can give them, and the Chicago Blackhawks are one of a few organizations in that predicament. But as an original six organization playing in a large market with a compelling history, the Hawks have, even during their worst seasons, can still attract some big-name or “dream free agents.”

Today, we’re discussing one of those dream free agents who could be on the market a few weeks from today. But if they’re not, don’t fear, because we also have one player the Blackhawks could sign to a reasonable deal, and another they could ink to a low-key contract. 

Each of the following players also has not just playoff experience, but their respective teams made deep runs to at least the Conference Finals. So, let’s cover three players who could be around on July 1st and talk about why they would be great fits for the Blackhawks. 

Dream Free Agent: Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars

Ordinarily, I would have put Joe Pavelski here, but since it looks as though it’s a done deal that he will retire, someone else must take the mantle. Enter Matt Duchene, who is another older player with experience taking a team deep into the playoffs and, therefore, winning. 

Duchene’s NHL career stretches back to the 2009-10 season, and while he’s been one of the more successful players in the game, the Stanley Cup has eluded him. This could deter Duchene from signing with a team like the Blackhawks, but there is also no denying that his presence, even in his age-34 season, would more than bolster the NHL’s most stagnant scoring unit in 2023-24. 

Okay, to be real, Connor Bedard heading into his second season will organically improve the Blackhawks in that regard. But there is also no doubt that a forward who has 90 goals and 207 points in his previous 229 regular season games would more than work wonders for Chicago. 

Duchene is also showing zero signs of slowing down despite heading into his 16th season. He would bring experience, a winning mentality, and productivity, so while the odds are against the Blackhawks in him coming to town, Matt Duchene would more than reward this franchise in the short and long term. 

Realistic Free Agent: Oliver Eckman-Larsson, Florida Panthers

As previously noted, we got a running theme here, and that involves luring someone to Chicago who has some experience with either deep playoff runs or potentially winning the Stanley Cup. Oliver Eckman-Larsson would fit that mold, and Alexander MacLean of Dobber Hockey projects him to go for a more than reasonable cap hit of $2.82 million annually

Eckman-Larsson could also sign for a modest length, giving the Blackhawks top-four or even third-pairing minutes as his age-33 season in 2024-25 progresses should Kyle Davidson succeed in signing the current Florida Panther. He brings a modest amount of offense these days, but nothing near what he logged while with the Arizona Coyotes for the first 11 years of his career. 

But productivity shouldn’t be the reason a team like the Blackhawks should be interested in landing Eckman-Larsson. Instead, it’s for his leadership and ability to shift through adversity, and that’s something the Hawks could use from a player who knows what it’s like to make a deep playoff run. 

It’s also worth noting that Eckman-Larsson could wind up back in Sunrise since it wouldn’t be tough for general manager Bill Zito to re-sign the blueliner. A lot of players won’t be returning to the Panthers organization thanks to cap constraints and their high number of free agents, so keeping more cost-effective players could be the route he rolls with. 

So if Davidson couldn’t land Eckman-Larsson, there is still one more player on this list he could sign as a bargain free agent. Ironically, he’s also someone who has seen plenty of adversity throughout his time in the NHL, but also one whose team has since landed in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Bargain Free Agent: Troy Stecher, Edmonton Oilers

This one may raise a few eyebrows, but this isn’t the first time I talked about the Blackhawks potentially going after Troy Stecher. He would bring lessons learned from the deep playoff run with the Edmonton Oilers, but that’s just one of a few reasons why he would make a good fit in the Windy City. 

While he only saw time in seven regular season games with Connor McDavid and company, received exclusive third-pairing minutes, and did not appear in any playoff games thanks to getting sidelined with ankle surgery, he’s still been part of the team throughout the playoff run, and that’s what counts here. 

Before the cyst on his ankle became troublesome, Stecher was enjoying a decent seven-game stretch with the Oilers, putting up a pair of assists, a plus-4 rating, 10 blocks, and 15 hits for his basic stats. He also made it tough for opponents to score on his team, both in Arizona and in Edmonton, ending the year with a 93.1 on-ice save percentage at even strength. 

And if you want more fun, his team allowed just 29 goals when he was on the ice at even strength throughout his time in both cities and in 54 games total. He also stepped in as a supplementary puck mover who helped his team spend more time in the offensive zone than his 44.3 percent of offensive zone starts indicated, evidenced with a 49.6 percent Corsi For, which also occurred at even strength. 

Overall, the Blackhawks would pick up a hard-hitting player who won’t take top-four minutes away from younger talent in Chicago’s rotation should Kyle Davidson seek out the under-the-radar blueliner. As was the case in Edmonton, Stecher is another player who could factor in as a seventh defenseman and give the Blackhawks between 15 and 17 minutes on a rotational basis. 

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