3 roster needs for the Blackhawks to address in the offseason

The Chicago Blackhawks 2023-24 season has reached it's conclusion and another year of the rebuild has come and gone. This season saw the Blackhawks finish 31st in the NHL standings, which was about where the team was expected to finish. But the team record was not the whole story this season, as there were many young players who debuted for the Blackhawks who bring excitement for the future of the organization.

Connor Bedard came into the league as the most anticipated rookie the NHL has seen in years and looks as though he is on his way to winning the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year. Alex Vlasic more than surpassed expectations and established himself as a true top-four shutdown defender. Kevin Korchinski averaged almost 20 minutes a night in an up-and-down rookie season, but showed flashes of his potential with some great stretch passes. Factor in Landon Slaggert and Frank Nazar stepping in and scoring their first NHL goals and there is a lot to look forward to in Chicago for next season.

However, there were many setbacks for the Blackhawks on the injury front this season which were the difference for the team winning a few extra games. These setbacks started with Taylor Hall missing almost the entire season due to ACL surgery. Hall was brought in to play alongside and help mentor Connor Bedard, but was limited to just 10 games. Speaking of Connor Bedard, he was sidelined for 14 games with a fractured jaw which he sustained in a game against the New Jersey Devils. Another big loss came from Connor Murphy missing four months of the season, leaving the Blackhawks without one of their more reliable defensemen for most of the campaign. The injuries would also pile on as Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Johnson, and Colin Blackwell would all miss significant time as well.

Aside from injuries, Lukas Reichel was expected to be one of the top forwards for the Blackhawks, but struggled mightily throughout the season before being sent back to Rockford (AHL) for a stint. After being recalled from the AHL, he did look more like his old self with more confidence being shown from the young forward. This was also the case with Wyatt Kaiser, who was sent to Rockford to regain confidence and came back looking stronger than ever.

Going into this offseason, there will certainty be areas the Blackhawks can address whether that be through trades or free agency to help round out the roster.

Secondary Scoring

Those who watched the majority of Blackhawks games this year will likely agree that scoring was a big issue for the team. In this free agent class, there could be some high-profile scorers available with Sam Reinhart, Steven Stamkos, and Jake Guentzel headlining a potentially strong class. The Blackhawks certaintly have the money to sign a big-name player, but it seems doubtful that will happen. General Manager Kyle Davidson extended Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Petr Mrazek all to two-year extensions at salaries over four million dollars which will help the Blackhawks reach the cap floor until Bedard, Korchinski, and Nazar are due their second contracts.

The Blackhawks likely will continue to add youth to their roster next season with Nazar and Slaggert both looking ready for the NHL. Pending free agents such as Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh both look as though they will not be brought back in the summer, which could open a roster spot for a secondary scorer in free agency.

A player like Jake Debrusk seems like he could be a fit for the Blackhawks going into this year's free agency as someone who can play up-and-down the lineup. The 27-year old forward has spent his entire career with the Boston Bruins and was in trade rumors for a while over the past few seasons. He brings a physical presence as a possible 45-50 point player with plenty of playoff experience to come in and bring more experience to help the young players.

Veteran Defenseman

The Blackhawks have a plethora of young defensemen in the system and many are not far away from becoming full-time NHL players. Vlasic and Korchinski have already made the jump and players like Wyatt Kaiser will likely be on the roster next season as well. Defensemen such as Jaycob Megna, Nikita Zaitsev, and Jared Tinordi are all pending free agents and don't seem like they will be returning to Chicago.

With the amount of young players on the Blackhawks blue line, there will be a need for another reliable veteran on the back-end. A player like Korchinski will benefit from having another steady presence as his partner which will allow him to engage more into the offense and utilizing his speed and offensive instincts. Connor Murphy on paper is a great partner for a young defenseman like Korchinski or Kaiser, but his health is a concern after the extended amount of time he missed this season.

A player that could fill the role of a bottom-pair defenseman for the Blackhawks is Jani Hakanpaa of the Dallas Stars. Hakanpaa is 32-years old and a behemoth of a human being, standing at six foot seven inches and weighing 225 pounds. He is a reliable defender who could be a nice compliment to the young defenders coming onto the roster. Hakanpaa could be a solid addition on a one or two-year contract for the Blackhawks as he brings playoff experience and good shutdown abilities.