Chicago Blackhawks plans backfire in a major way: Elliotte Friedman confirms several players are being shopped

Last year, GM Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks were very active on the free agent market, signing multiple veteran players to try and stabilize their young lineup. It was a busy offseason in 2024, unlike this year.

Many teams sat quiet due to a thin market for quality players at specific positions, including the Hawks, who only signed one free agent.

Why the change in approach? Elliotte Friedman shed some light on it on the latest 32 Thoughts episode.

When your veteran core is made up of TJ Brodie, Alec Martinez, Craig Smith, and a few others, it's fair to question what kind of on-ice output you were realistically expecting. Sure, these are players with tons of experience and even Stanley Cup rings among them, but age has a way of catching up. For Chicago, that gamble didn't pay off.

This time around, the Blackhawks haven't made many moves, suggesting many young players will start the year in the NHL, or they will make some changes to the team using the trade market.

With Connor Bedard leading the charge and plenty of promising prospects on the way, it's hard to argue against that logic.

The Hawks still sit with over $21 million in cap space after their offseason maneuvering. That leaves the door open if they want to chase bargain veterans closer to training camp or go after interesting players on the trade market.