Blackhawks Make First Off-Season Acquisition

It's fair to say that the Blackhawks' defense has struggled for the past few seasons, whether it be holding their own on the blueline or taking pressure off of the goalies. Given this beginning to the offseason, it seems as if general manager Kyle Davidson's first order of business is stacking up defensively. On May 23, 2022, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Filip Roos.

Roos inked an entry-level, two-year contract with a $925k cap hit, and comes in as 6'4» and 190 pounds. In 50 SHL games with the Skellefteå AIK, he has six points (1G, 5A) but has previously earned 40 points (7G, 33A) in Sweden's second highest league, HockeyAllsvenskan, for BIK Karlskoga.

The 23-year-old Sweden native is the first to sign with the Hawks in the offseason and is described as «a big body who possesses strong skating abilities for his size» by Davidson. Roos's contract means there are now 14 defensemen signed on the Blackhawks for next season. It's unclear whether Roos will be starting down in Rockford or immediately thrown in the show.

Davidson has made it clear through Roos's new contract and forward Sam Lafferty's two-year extension that he is looking to add more physical, high-energy skaters in the rebuild.