Since Kyle Davidson was named the 10th general manager (GM) in franchise history on March 1, the Chicago Blackhawks have been in full rebuild mode. Their recent results have reflected it, too. Along with a 4-8-2 record since the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, they have lost 10 of their last 12 games. Winning isn’t a goal right now for the Blackhawks though, and nor should it be, as the team gets younger and prioritizes the future.
Heading into the offseason, Blackhawks fans shouldn’t expect many — if any — big-name pickups like how former GM Stan Bowman acquired Seth Jones and Marc-André Fleury last offseason in an attempt to salvage the team’s competitive window. However, while there may not be as much movement, there’s still a realistic possibility the Blackhawks could acquire a few veteran forwards to provide middle-to-bottom-six depth and stability for a young group. Here are four veteran forwards they should consider pursuing,all of whom are set to become unrestricted free agents (UFA) this summer.
Andrew Cogliano
Andrew Cogliano, 34, has never been much of a scoring threat but has consistently been able to fill middle-to-bottom-six roles on multiple teams. After recording 15 points in 58 games for the San Jose Sharks this season, Cogliano was dealt at the deadline to the Colorado Avalanche, a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. In 12 games with Colorado thus far, he’s recorded just one assist, which is a little concerning offensively. However, he’s a great penalty-killing specialist, has logged more than 1,100 career NHL games, and could fill a role like that of Ryan Carpenter, who was dealt at the deadline to the Calgary Flames. He’d also bring great versatility, as he’s able to play both center and left wing.
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Cogliano’s current cap hit is $1 million, a price the Blackhawks could probably expect should he come to Chicago. He made his NHL debut in 2007 with the Edmonton…
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