SHARP FOCUS
Blackhawks’ first order of business in free agency is bringing forward back
The Blackhawks’ most pressing needs in free agency are on the blue line and down the middle, but when a three- time Stanley Cup champion, four- time 30- goal winger and longtime fan favorite is willing to sign on the cheap, it can be tough to pass up.
Patrick Sharp never wanted to leave Chicago, and he was more than willing to take a pay cut to come home. So when free agency opens at 11 a. m. Saturday, Sharp will sign a low- cost contract ( likely with performance bonuses attached) with the Hawks, a source confirmed Friday night. The 35- year- old veteran who helped build the Hawks from a laughingstock into a powerhouse will join two- time champion Brandon Saad as the Hawks once again try to get the band back together.
Sharp was one of many salarycap casualties over the years. He was traded to the Dallas Stars after the 2015 Cup run in a deal that netted Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt, neither of whom lasted a year in Chicago. After scoring 20 goals in his first season with Dallas, Sharp scored just eight goals in 48 games last season, as a concussion sidelined him for a pair of four- week stints early on, and hip surgery ended his season inMarch.
With his age and injuries, it’s impossible to know just how much he has left. And though a league source said Sharp was eager to return to the Hawks and willing to take a massive pay cut from his most- recent $ 5.9 million cap hit, sources indicated in recent weeks that the Hawks were lukewarm about bringing him back. That’s largely because these twilight reunions haven’t all worked out, and Stan Bowman wants the team to get younger and faster in the wake of a first- round sweep by the Nashville Predators. Andrew Ladd, Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya all came back with mixed results.
But by offering a big hometown discount, Sharp presents very little risk for the cap- strapped Hawks. He can keep the second- line left wing spot warm until Alex DeBrincat or some other young player is ready to take it, while providing some punch on the power play.
Because of their cap situation, the Hawks were never going to make a huge splash in free agency by signing, say, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk or winger Alexander Radulov. And they still are expected to trade away center Marcus Kruger, perhaps as soon as Saturday, to get under the $ 75 million salary cap.
Plus, the Hawks aren’t expected to put Marian Hossa and his $ 5.275 million cap hit on long- term injured reserve until just after the season starts in October, which will give them themost roster flexibility but will mostly handcuff them this summer. The league has yet to approve Hossa’s LTIR eligibility, but it’s believed to be a mere formality.
Even after the Sharp signing, the Hawks could make another sneaky, affordable acquisition. Perhaps the best fit would be Sam Gagner, who once posted eight points against the Hawks in 2012 when he was with the Oilers.
A year ago, Gagner was so desperate for work that he took a one- year contract worth a measly $ 650,000 with the Blue Jackets. He made the most of it, matching his career high of 18 goals and breaking his career high with 50 points, largely as a power- play specialist. Gagner would be an ideal fit in Chicago as a third- line center. There’s mutual interest, but will his big season drive his price too high? Just two seasons ago, Gagner was making $ 4.8 million. The Hawks can probably offer $ 2 million, tops.
Other centers on the market include 6- 6 faceoff specialist Martin Hanzal, whom the Hawks pursued at the trade deadline; and two- time Cup champion Nick Bonino, who had 18 goals for the Penguins last season.
Other forwards available include future Hall of Famers Jaromir Jagr and Joe Thornton, as well as Evanston native TommyWingels, a twotime 15- goal scorer who is coming off two down years and could be had relatively cheaply.
Meanwhile, Karl Alzner is one of the only viable top- four defensemen on the market. And in a freeagency crop this weak, he’s likely to get massively overpaid, something the Hawks simply can’t do.