Spend smart — that will be the motto for the Blackhawks this offseason. The most glaring need on this Blackhawks’ team is the defense. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are on their last legs and their supporting cast isn’t offering much support, including the forwards.
Teams tend to overpay for defensemen in free agency, but the Blackhawks are in a bind. Smart spending will be key, especially considering how shallow the UFA pool for defensemen is this offseason. The search will be tedious, but there is value out there and upgrades are available.
In my last article, I looked at forwards the Blackhawks should target in free agency.