3 free agents the Blackhawks can sign from the Bruins

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The Blackhawks haven’t won in a long time, so why not gear their offseason toward pending free agents currently on teams who know how to win. Few have been as consistent as the Boston Bruins, so why not check out who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer should they not re-sign in Boston and try to lure them to the Central Division?

Sure, it would make for a transition since the Blackhawks and Bruins couldn’t be further apart from one another in terms of where each team currently stands. But acquiring veterans from one of the NHL’s best teams will only help Chicago’s cause in the long run, even if they may not stay longer than a season or two.

A few pending free agents in this slideshow won’t be mentioned since we already talked about them. You may recall a piece on Kevin Shattenkirk and Jake DeBrusk in the past. So, we won’t rehash the importance those two would bring to a team like Chicago. Instead, let’s talk about a trio of players whose experience and current roles would help the Blackhawks in 2024-25.

Danton Heinen, F

If the Blackhawks don’t bring back Tyler Johnson or Colin Blackwell, someone like Danton Heinen makes for a proven one-to-two-year fixture in a place like the Windy City.

Like many pending free agents we discussed in previous articles, Heinen is a journeyman, and 2023-24 marked his second stint with the Boston Bruins. He also hasn’t spent over two seasons in one city since his first run with the Bruins between 2016-17 and 2019-20, mainly seeing time in the middle-six.

For the Blackhawks, he would likely revert between the top and middle-six in 2024-25 if they signed him or a similar talent, playing a rather defense-first game while also showing off some physical play.

If the Blackhawks needed another body on the penalty kill, Heinen could also fill in, something he logged over 90 minutes of during the regular season. His overall advanced numbers - 92.4 on-ice save percentage, 52 to 37 on-ice goals for to on-ice goals against ratio won’t hold up for a team like the Blackhawks, but he also more than outplayed his xGF vs. xGA for the season.

The latter is something he will likely continue in his next stop, whether he winds up back in Boston, signs with an organization like Chicago, or elsewhere.

James van Riemsdyk, F

If Danton Heinen isn’t available or unwilling to join a rebuilding team, there is another serviceable veteran forward Kyle Davidson can add from the perennial playoff contender. James van Riemsdyk would also factor into the middle-six for 2024-25 on a team like the Blackhawks while the youngsters get the lead roles. But that should suit him perfectly at this stage in a career that has seen him play exclusively in the Eastern Conference.

The winger doesn’t possess any game-breaking qualities, but van Riemsdyk has enjoyed several solid campaigns that involved him finding twine, something that happened 30 or more times twice. Even if van Riemsdyk isn’t the player he was, he will still score 10-plus goals in a season, and he can still provide 20-plus assists, not to mention the veteran experience.

No, he isn’t a physical player in his later years, and van Riemsdyk also doesn’t disrupt a ton of plays with his stick, nor does he block many shots. But he still owns close to a 50 in the Corsi - something he had in 2022-23 with the Philadelphia Flyers.

He wouldn’t excite many fans in the Windy City, but van Riemsdyk remains a reliable veteran presence who can move up and down the lineup with ease. Don’t expect him to be the first player on Davidson’s shortlist, but he’s still worth scooping up as a consolation, if available.

Matt Grzelcyk, D

With Nikita Zaitsev currently without a deal for 2024-25, Matt Grzelcyk is someone worth the Blackhawks time to take a hard look at. Grzelcyk is a smaller player, and he’s not the most physical, landing just 53 body checks in 63 regular season contests. But he snagged 76 blocks (1.2 per game), indicating he’s got enough hockey sense to know when an opponent is looking toward the net to try and score.

If the Blackhawks need anything in the defensive zone, it’s a heads-up player like Grzelcyk, even if he, like everyone else on this list, wouldn’t figure to be in town long. Still, he’s someone who, for at least 2024-25, wouldn’t make things so tough on the goaltenders, meaning closer and more entertaining games for everyone who plays for and follows the Blackhawks.

The only downside with Grzelcyk would be the transition from a team that is always good and always in playoff contention to one trying to regain relevance. Grzelcyk is a lifelong Bruin, and he’s only known how to win in this league, so he would be in for a culture shock.

The upside, however, is that he knows more about winning than most currently on the Blackhawks roster, so the team will learn a few things from someone who will be completing their age-30 season.

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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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Danton Heinen, F

James van Riemsdyk, F

Matt Grzelcyk, D

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