What will Blackhawks do in free agency? Bringing back Athanasiou and Domi back would be a good start
Third in a series
When listening to Kyle Davidson speak about how the Blackhawks would approach free agency next season, one would have believed the GM was coming directly from the gym.
"We're going to prioritize flexibility. ... The flexibility aspect is key for us. ... We're going to remain flexible. ... The flexibility of going with shorter-term deals is something we're going to look at ..."
Boom. The point was made. Davidson used the 'F word' four times in 12 sentences while answering a pair of questions about 2023-24 during his end-of-season news conference on April 13.
This obviously isn't big news. The Hawks, who finished 30th in the NHL with 59 points, are in the early steps of a rebuild and have no interest in signing big-name free agents to long-term deals.
Davidson did an admirable job in July 2022 by inking forwards Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to identical one-year, $3 million deals. He also traded for goaltender Petr Mrazek, whose contract carries a $3.8 million cap hit and runs through next season, and later traded for forward Jason Dickinson.
Each addition was a win for the Hawks in different ways, and Davidson will look to duplicate that success when free agency opens July 1.
"What I see is the infusion of some more of the young talent you've seen on an up-down basis from Rockford, with more (of them being) full-time," Davidson said. "And then supporting those young players with some new players, whether it be free agency (or via) trade. ...
"We're going to prioritize keeping our salary-cap position advantageous. ... This is a rebuild. They take time."
Ideally, the Hawks would find a way to bring Domi and/or Athanasiou back. Domi, who scored 20 goals and had 36 assists in 80 games for the Hawks and Stars, was a tremendous leader in the room. The 28-year-old is a true pro who loved Chicago and would help continue to build the impressive culture put in place by coach Luke Richardson.
Athanasiou also scored 20 times and spread his wings a bit when Richardson played him at center at the end of the season. He was almost a point-a-game player (8G, 12A) in last 24 contests, averaging more than 17 minutes.
"You don't really get to pick and choose where (you go)," Athanasiou said when asked if he'd like to return. "Anytime you get an opportunity to play in this league, it's an awesome thing. Obviously that's in my head (to come back). I'd love to be a Blackhawk, for sure."
Familiarity with teammates, coaches and a guaranteed role can play a big part in where a guy elects to sign, so if Athanasiou doesn't see a solid multiyear deal elsewhere he may return.
Just like last season Davidson should be looking for free agents in their late 20s or early 30s who can play the right way and are looking to prove themselves on a one-year deal.
So could one of those players be Patrick Kane? Don't bet on it.
"I haven't really thought about that," Kane told reporters in New York on Wednesday when asked if he might return to Chicago. "I know they're rebuilding, so that's never really crossed my mind to be honest with you."
One quick thought on the salary-cap floor, which should be around $61 million next season. Much has been made about how the Hawks may have a tough time getting to that number, but it shouldn't be that difficult.
As of now, Davidson has committed $12.9 million to forwards, $20.5 million to defensemen and $3.8 million to Mrazek. The Hawks also have almost a combined $5.3 million tied up in Jake McCabe's retained salary, a pair of buyouts and Duncan Keith's recapture penalty.
That's $42.5 million.
Overpay Domi (one year, $6M) and now you only need to spend another $13 million. A portion of that will get eaten up when the Hawks signs a few of their own RFAs (Anders Bjork, Austin Wagner, Philipp Kurashev, Caleb Jones and Ian Mitchell), so all Davidson needs to do is sign another couple of UFAs for one year at about $4 million each.