July 1 doesn’t carry the same punch it once did in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean free agency is empty. The cap has changed the way teams operate, and the biggest names often never make it to market anymore. Even so, the Chicago Blackhawks still have a few sensible targets if they want to keep pushing out of the rebuild and toward real contention.
That shift matters. Nearly every Blackhawks player talked about wanting to be in the Stanley Cup Playoff race next spring during exit interviews, and general manager Kyle Davidson already took a step in that direction by landing Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway before the draft. But the roster still has gaps, and with this year’s class lacking true elite talent, the best moves may come from players who fit cleanly rather than splashiest names.
One area that still needs help is the right side of the defense, and Jacob Trouba stands out as the biggest swing. With Louis Crevier gone, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzell are the only right-handed defenders left on the roster.
Trouba would bring the exact blend this group is missing: experience, size and physical play. He could fill the stability hole left by Connor Murphy, give the Blackhawks a hard-nosed presence they’ve lacked for years, and become a key penalty-kill piece.
There’s also offense in his game, even if it’s not what he’s known for. Trouba scored 10 goals last season, just one off his career high, thanks in part to a heavy slap shot.
He’s also been durable, missing only 20 games over the past five seasons. AFP Analytics projects him at four years and a $6.4 million AAV, which might be longer than Chicago wants to commit.
The Blackhawks could try to offset that by going higher on the annual salary for fewer years, but even then, he figures to be a hot commodity.
If Trouba proves too expensive or too long-term, Nick Jensen is the safer route. He’s three years older and not as accomplished, but he still checks the boxes the Blackhawks need: veteran right-handed help on the blue line and a steady presence in his own end. At 35, he’s still a capable skater who can help move the puck out of danger, and while offense has never been his calling card, he has nearly 700 NHL games worth of defensive reliability.
Jensen also brings enough speed to keep pace with a young roster, even if he’s not quite what he once was. He’s spent nearly 62% of his career shifts starting in the defensive zone, which tells you what kind of job he’s been trusted to handle.
He would also help a penalty kill that has lost Murphy and Crevier. AFP projects Jensen on a two-year deal at $3.3 million per season, a modest price for a player who wouldn’t grab headlines but would fill a real need.
The forward group has its own obvious fit in Mason Marchment. In a more crowded free-agent class, he’d probably sit in that second tier.
This summer, though, he could be one of the more sought-after forwards available. Marchment would give the Blackhawks more size and physical edge, and he would not be shy about leaning into the agitator role.
He also brings secondary scoring from the front of the net, which is exactly where he can do damage.
He’d make sense on the second power-play unit, too, where his ability to screen goalies and fight for rebounds could matter. Jeff Blashill wants his team to be harder to play against, and Marchment fits that vision immediately.
Put him alongside Greenway and Trouba, and the Blackhawks start to look different. They stop looking like a young team that can be pushed around and start looking like one that can push back.
Marchment’s production also carries real value. The 31-year-old typically gives you around 20 goals and 50 points a year, plus the edge that comes with his style. AFP projects a three-year deal at $5.7 million per season, and with so few useful forwards available, that number could climb if a bidding war breaks out.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Seem Ready To Make A Massive Byram Commitment
The Blackhawks push to lock in Bowen Byram is starting to look less like a possibility and more like the next major item on the to-do list. Elliotte Friedman reported that Chicago is expected to move quickly on a long-term extension once Byram becomes eligible on July 1, and the interest is clearly mutual. General manager Kyle Davidson has already acknowledged the deal will come with a significant cap hit, which is usually the part of the process that tells you a front office is serious about making a cornerstone-level commitment.
Byrams next contract is shaping up to be the kind of move that says plenty about where the Blackhawks think they are in the rebuild. Friedman indicated the agreement would be long term, and Davidsons stance on Byram as an elite, star-level defender suggests Chicago is prepared to pay accordingly. With the price point expected to land in elite company among NHL blue-liners, the real question is not whether the Blackhawks want him, but how far they are willing to go to make sure he stays. [Read more 🡒]
Chicago Fans Are Ripping Wrigley Crowd For Crossing A Line After Win
A wild night at Wrigley Field ended with the kind of finish Chicago fans have come to expect from this Cubs team, as the home side pulled out another walk-off win over the Padres. It was their 10th walk-off victory of the season, a number that says as much about their staying power as it does about the way the ballpark tends to turn every late inning into a full-stage event.
What followed after the celebration, though, left plenty of Cubs fans shaking their heads. Video and reactions from inside the crowd showed some people crossing a line in the aftermath, drawing immediate pushback from other fans who saw the scene as flat-out disrespectful and not what Wrigley is supposed to be about. [Read more 🡒]