The Chicago Blackhawks begin training camp and preseason in less than a month, which will mean battles for roster spots as they approach opening night. Something else that can’t be ruled out is adding through professional tryout contracts (PTO). While general manager Kyle Davidson has done nice work this offseason, the team has approximately $12.9 million remaining in cap space and the flexibility to make a last-minute acquisition or two.
The Blackhawks obviously don’t need to make any other additions this offseason, as the roster appears mostly set. However, there are some respectable names left on the free-agent market who’d possibly fit well with the team, perhaps beyond just camp and preseason. Here are four PTO options the Blackhawks should consider.
Alex Edler
It’s a little surprising the Blackhawks haven’t added to their blue line this offseason. There are just four right-handed defensemen in the organization, and while they have many promising left-handed prospects, Jarred Tinordi is the lone veteran there. While there aren’t many significant names remaining, 37-year-old Alex Edler may be a fit if the Blackhawks want to add an additional veteran.
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Blackhawks fans probably best recognize Edler as a stalwart for the Vancouver Canucks’ defense during the late 2000s and 2010s. After making his NHL debut in 2006, the Östersund, Sweden, native skated in more than 900 games for the Canucks and was a key part of their 2011 Stanley Cup Final run. Edler has spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, where he had a reduced role compared to his Vancouver tenure, but he provided good depth. In 64 games last season, he finished sixth on the team in blocked shots (104) after recording a plus-18 during an injury-abbreviated, 41-game campaign in 2021-22.
Edler is nowhere close to the player he was during the early-to-mid-2010s, but he’d be a good mentor for the Blackhawks’ younger defensemen. Just like Jack Johnson last February, the team could flip him to a contender at the deadline. He’d also be an option for the penalty kill, which finished with a 76.2% success rate last season, 22nd in the league.
Noah Gregor
Once a key part of the San Jose Sharks’ pipeline, Noah Gregor has had an up-and-down NHL career so far. With 178 games under his belt, the 25-year-old has struggled to find consistency since making his debut in 2019. After recording just 11 points in 58 games over his first two seasons, Gregor took a step forward in 2021-22 with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 63 games. But he couldn’t build on that momentum in 2022-23, regressing with 17 points in 57 games (10 goals, seven assists).
Adding Corey Perry and Nick Foligno, the Blackhawks don’t have an urgent need to add to their bottom-six, but Gregor would be an intriguing pickup. Despite his struggles, he’s still in his mid-20s and brings versatility as he’s able to play both center and wing. He could be in the mix for the Blackhawks’ third- or fourth-line center role, especially if they started 24-year-old Cole Guttman with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rockford IceHogs.
There’s no doubt Gregor could benefit from a change of scenery. He wouldn’t be part of the Blackhawks’ future, but he could at least be worth exploring and possibly an option for a one-year, “prove it”-type deal if he were to make it to opening night.
Colin White
Like Gregor, Colin White has had a turbulent NHL career, with many of his struggles coming from injuries. Having said that, he became a steady presence in the Florida Panthers’ bottom six during their Stanley Cup Final run. White skated in 68 games with the Panthers during the 2022-23 regular season, recording 15 points (eight goals, seven assists), after appearing in just 24 games for the Ottawa Senators in 2021-22 due to shoulder surgery.
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Based on his NHL experience so far, White may never reach his first-round billing, given the Senators took him 21st overall in 2015. At 26 years old, he’s likely best suited for a bottom-six role moving forward, but that may not be a bad thing. At 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, he offers size and would slot in nicely on the Blackhawks’ penalty kill. His recent playoff experience in Florida could also make him an asset. White would be another solid option for the Blackhawks’ bottom six and perhaps their fourth-line center role.
Paul Stastny
Entering his 18th season, much like Edler, Paul Stastny is chasing his first Stanley Cup despite more than 100 games of playoff experience. He’s arguably past his prime at 37, having recorded a career-low 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 73 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. However, per StatMuse, his faceoff percentage of 57.6% ranked 13th in the NHL among players with 100 or more faceoffs in 2022-23, showing he remains capable of a regular, middle-to-bottom-six role.
The Blackhawks have no shortage of veterans in their forward group, with Foligno, Perry, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Johnson around, among others. Buying out 33-year-old Josh Bailey in June likely indicates the team doesn’t want too many veterans taking up roles that would otherwise go to younger players. Stastny could be a worthwhile option, though, as he could easily become the team’s second or third-line center. Right now, those positions would probably go to players such as Andreas Athanasiou, Jason Dickinson, and maybe even Lukas Reichel; however, Stastny would bring consistency as a true center, as opposed to someone like Athanasiou, who is better suited for the wing.
Stastny could be another trade candidate if he joined the team full-time, as any deal would surely be for no more than one year. As a reliable and versatile center, he still has much to offer. The Blackhawks would be doing their due diligence by seeing what he could bring in training camp, especially with Jonathan Toews gone.
Again, it’d be fine if the Blackhawks kept their roster as is entering preseason and opening night. Even with Bedard around, there isn’t much pressure to compete, and they’ve done a great job improving the forward group for the short term. That said, there’s always room for reinforcements. Signing one of these players to a PTO would create some healthy competition and perhaps some additional stability.