The Chicago Blackhawks made one of their biggest splashes since the current rebuild began, agreeing to terms Monday with Tyler Bertuzzi and bringing back Teuvo Teräväinen on the opening day of NHL free agency.
“Tyler is a fantastic competitor who brings energy every night,” Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said of Bertuzzi in a statement. “He has enjoyed consistent offensive success throughout his career and we look forward to watching Tyler continue to produce at the high level he’s shown he is capable of.”
Davidson said of Teräväinen, a 2012 first-round draft pick by the Hawks: “We’re thrilled to have Teuvo back in Chicago. He was a big part of our 2015 Stanley Cup team and we’re excited to have his leadership and experience back in our room.”
In the previous two offseasons, the Hawks made modest additions in free agency, adding new players mainly through the draft and trades.
In all, the Hawks added seven new players Monday, including forwards Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, defenseman Alec Martinez and goalie Laurent Brossoit. They also re-signed forward Joey Anderson, 26, to a two-year deal with an $800,000 salary cap hit.
With these moves, they added some much-needed scoring punch to the forward group and upgraded the two-way game of the defensive corps.
As all of the newcomers are over 28 years old (the majority over 30), the Hawks should be less prone to youthful inconsistency.
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Hawks coach Luke Richardson, speaking after the first day of development camp at Fifth Third Arena, said he hopes the new players will help move the team forward.
“I was over at the other rink earlier, and the phones were ringing off the hook, which is a good thing,” Richardson said. “Sometimes things trickle in later, even all the way up to camp, when you add the last little bits. But so far it’s been pretty exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing what we get, finally, and then the coaching staff is going to start working and seeing where everyone fits in.”
As part of the sweeping changes on Madison Street, the Hawks parted ways with several members of last season’s roster who appeared to be on the bubble.
Forward Taylor Raddysh signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Washington Capitals, while the Vegas Golden Knights signed fourth-line forward Reese Johnson for one year, $775,000. Forward Mike Hardman signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Forwards MacKenzie Entwistle, Michal Teplý, defenseman Filip Roos and goalie Jaxson Stauber didn’t receive qualifying offers.
Remaining unsigned: forwards Tyler Johnson, Colin Blackwell, David Gust, Luke Philp, Rem Pitlick and Sam Lafferty, as well as defensemen Jarred Tinordi, Jaycob Megna, Nikita Zaitsev and Vili Saarijärvi, who was acquired in the 2023 Patrick Kane trade.
Here’s a breakdown of the additions.
Tyler Bertuzzi, forward
Former team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Deal: $5.5 million cap hit over four years
Outlook: Bertuzzi, 29, spent his first 6½ seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and had career highs in goals (30) and assists (32) in 2021-22. He’s coming off back-to-back playoff seasons with the Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs. The Hawks will be his fourth team in the last 17 months.
Last season with the Leafs, he posted 21 goals and 22 assists in 80 games.
“Bertuzzi’s that guy who’s around the net and he’s hard to handle and he scores greasy goals there,” Richardson said. “He’s one of those guys you think you have knocked to the ice, and even then he’s going to score a goal.
“And he seems to have a lot of personality himself. That’ll be great. You can’t have enough of that. And he’s a big guy too (6-foot-1, 186 pounds), so around the front of the net, it’s a hard place to score in this league … but he seems to thrive on that, so that’s going to be a big help.”
Bertuzzi’s uncle is former NHL enforcer Todd Bertuzzi.
Teuvo Teräväinen, forward
Former team: Carolina Hurricanes
Deal: $5.4 million cap hit over three years
Outlook: The Hawks have something of a tradition of bringing players back — and that’s the case with Teräväinen, 29.
The Hawks drafted him 18th in 2012, and he recorded 17 goals and 27 assists in 115 regular-season games in Chicago. He posted four goals and six assists during the Hawks’ last Stanley Cup run in 2015, but they traded him to the Hurricanes a year later.
“I used to like him when he was here, and then there wasn’t enough room for him at that point with that big team,” Richardson said.
In 555 games over eight seasons with the Hurricanes, Teräväinen compiled 138 goals and 277 assists, including 25 goals and 28 assists in 76 games last season.
“He just thrived with a good skating team in Carolina,” Richardson said. “We hope he brings that mentality here. The way that Carolina plays is great. We always have trouble with them.
“He can shoot the puck and make plays on the power play, so it’s going to be really beneficial to have him.”
Pat Maroon, forward
Former team: Bruins
Deal: $1.3 million for one year
Outlook: Maroon, 36, doesn’t just bring experience. He brings a lot of Stanley Cup experience.
He won three straight championships with the St. Louis Blues (2019) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020 and ’21), becoming the fourth player in NHL history — and first since 1967 — to lift the Cup in three straight years with two teams.
He reached the Stanley Cup Final for a fourth straight year with the Lightning in 2022, the first player to achieve that feat since New York Islanders winger Anders Kallur in 1981-84.
Maroon’s playoff run this past season with the Bruins — who acquired him at the trade deadline from the Minnesota Wild — marked his eighth straight postseason appearance.
“I know talking with (Lightning coach) Jon Cooper in the past, he was disappointed to lose him, and he’s had him all the way back from junior days,” Richardson said. “He’s really liked by his teammates in the dressing room.
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“He’s a big guy (6-3, 234) … tough, has good hands around the net. It’s hard to find those guys, but even a team like Boston realized they could use his value in the playoffs. He’s noticeable out there. He makes things happen.”
Richardson said Maroon’s presence will be felt during games.
“He keeps everybody honest on the ice too — he’s old-school tough,” he said. “He just seems to settle things down out there. Sometimes the guys that don’t have to get into fights or physical altercations because of their reputation are even more valuable because it just settles everything down.”
Laurent Brossoit, goaltender
Former team: Winnipeg Jets
Deal: $3.3 million cap hit over two years
Outlook: Brossoit, 31, had a 2.00 goals-against average and .927 save percentage as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup last season. He’ll serve in that role behind Petr Mrázek for the Hawks.
“It’s going to be two veteran guys that are solid,” Richardson said. “He’s a big guy (6-3, 204) and he’s got a lot of leadership qualities being a veteran, so helping younger (defensemen) like Petr mentioned (doing) many times. … It’s great to have veteran (goalies) that can have communication with (young defensemen) and help them establish their positioning even quicker in this league.”
Brossoit’s arrival means Arvid Söderblom will get more seasoning in Rockford this fall after he struggled for stretches in Chicago last season.
“Adding another veteran goalie lets Arvid work on his game again,” Richardson said. “At the beginning of last year, (Söderblom) was so excellent against Toronto those two games, but as we got banged up — and our lineup was very young on the back end especially — when goals start going in on the back end, back door and stuff, it takes away the confidence of the goalie and he’s not trusting and it got him right off his game.
“And he couldn’t work on his game at the NHL level. Teams go right after him.”
Alec Martinez, defenseman
Former team: Vegas Golden Knights
Deal: $4 million for one year
Outlook: Martinez, 36, comes to a rebuilding team after years of playoff success with the Los Angeles Kings (Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014) and the Knights, who won the Cup in 2023 and reached the postseason four of the last five seasons.
He should upgrade the veteran depth on the back end.
“He can play either side,” Richardson said. “I saw him obviously lots in Vegas — we played against him when I was with Montreal in the playoffs. He’s a competitor who blocks shots and does all the integral parts in the game that you have to do to win.
“I think he’s going to bring that leadership from his Stanley Cup-winning days, both in L.A. and Vegas, and that’s invaluable as well.”
Richardson said Martinez brings calm to pressure situations and moves the puck efficiently, “whether he plays on the left with Seth (Jones) or on the right with (Alex) Vlasic or someone like that. He’s going to be really big with that and helping us out on special teams as well.”
Craig Smith, forward
Former team: Dallas Stars
Deal: $1 million for one year
Outlook: After nine years in Nashville and nearly three in Boston, Smith was traded to the Washington Capitals in February 2023 and played last season with the Stars as a fourth-liner.
With the influx of free agents, his advancing age (he turns 35 in September) and talented young forwards pushing for playing time, it could be a challenge for Smith to carve out a role.
T.J. Brodie, defenseman
Former team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Deal: $3.75 million cap hit over two years
Outlook: Brodie, 34, had a goal and 25 assists in 78 regular-season games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
The 6-2, 187-pound blue liner can eat minutes, ranking second on the Leafs in average ice time (21:43) last season. His 159 blocks tied for 29th in the league.
Brodie has made six straight trips to the playoffs with the Calgary Flames and Leafs.
“T.J. is a strong, two-way defenseman that can play valuable minutes in any situation,” Davidson said in a statement. “He adds a wealth of experience to our room and we’re excited about the impact he’ll have on our team.”