The Chicago Blackhawks made a huge splash when the official gates of the NHL free agency fully opened. The Chicago fans welcome back the Finland kid who the Blackhawks drafted it seems a life time ago, Teuvo Teravainia who they traded 8 years ago to the Hurricanes. Teravainia gives the Blackhawks a 20 or more goal scorer to add to one of the team’s lines. The General Manager of the Blackhawks collected a haul from the recent draft. Many of those pieces will not be ready just quite yet. Kyle Davidson wanted to speed up the process of the rebuild as we all know he has the future hockey phenom skating on the top of the line rookie of the year, Connor Bedard. Bedard needs protection as he landed some veterans to do that job. He brought in several veterans that have had their hands on winning the Holy Grail, the Stanley Cup. Guys that know how to win. Guys that do the dirty work of the game. If the hockey rink was the Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome or any arena, these guys would thrive.

Nicknamed the Big Rig, Patrick Maroon is plowing through opponents while Connor Bedard skates freely is something the Blackhawks need wearing a Indian head sweatshirt. Maroon last year skated for the Boston Bruins, is 36 years old, and signed a 1 year deal with Chicago for $1.3 million. Maroon tallied 4 goals last season with 12 assists for 16 points. It’s the physical side Maroon will bring to the table. The bone crushing hits on opponents. If anyone wants to fight him, he may knock them into tomorrow. He has 13 seasons in the NHL and has been on 3 teams that raised the Cup. He has played for the Wild, Lightning, Blues, Devils, Oilers, and 5 seasons with the Ducks. Career numbers he has scored 121 goals while dishing out 183 assists for 304 life time points in the NHL. The Big Rig has racked 990 PIM. I like that he is a good locker room guy.

The Blackhawks have been in need of an upgrade for the back up spot in the net for several years now. The Indian Sweater will be worn by Lord Humungus. Because Kyle Davidson addressed this gaping hole with the signing of Laurent Brossoit, a 31 year old goalie with 10 years in the NHL. Last Brossoit played for the Jets and started 23 games. He had a record of 15-5-2 with three shutouts. The last two seasons in a back up role in 34 games he has a record of 22-5-5 with a save .927%. Petr Mrazek had a bounce back year last year and deserves to be the starter going into next season. Having Brossoit reminds me of Ray Emery who was 17-1 for the Blackhawks as a back up goalie in the 2012-13 season.

Brossoit will get a two year deal from the Blackhawks worth 3.3 million. He has helped Vegas win their recent Cup in the 2022-23 season as he played for the Oilers and Jets most of his career except the two seasons as a Golden Knight. Career record in goal is 64-46-13

The Blackhawks are stocking up on X-Golden Knights as they ink 36 year defenseman Alec Martinez to a 1 year 4 million deal. Martinez, like the Helicopter pilot in the Road Warrior called the Gyro Captain, has been around the NHL and through the wasteland. He’s a veteran leader. Martinez has played over 800 NHL games. He started his career with the LA Kings where he played 11 seasons. The last 5 seasons he has suited up in Vegas. He is part of three Stanley Cups with both teams he has skated for in his NHL career. Last year he scored only 4 goals and had 13 assists for 17 points. He has 83 career goals with 194 assists for 277 points. He gives the Blackhawks a defenseman that shoots from the left side. He does all the things that really don’t show up on back of the hockey card. The experience he has will pay off in this deal.

The Blackhawks add a 34 year center to the mix in Craig Smith who has 13 seasons in the NHL. Last year Smith suited up for the Dallas Stars and scored 9 goals while dishing out 11 assists for 20 points. Smith gets a one year deal worth 1 million. Smith played most of his career with the Predators as he had 5 seasons of 20 or more goals in Nashville. Smith has scored 211 career goals while dishing out 223 assists for 434 NHL points. Smith will give the Blackhawks depth at the center or forward positions. Smith, a former Badger out of the University of Wisconsin, has that menacing look of Immortan Joe in the Mad Max movies as his face will turn into your worst nightmare. Immortan Joe was a Warlord in the wasteland. Smith is one on the ice. He gives the Blackhawks toughness and depth to this roster.

The Blackhawks added another left handed defensemen in 34 year old TJ Brodie. Brodie gets a 2 year deal worth 3.75 million even coming off a down year for the Maple Leafs. He had 26 points last year, but only one goal and the rest were assists. His life time numbers he only has 56 goals and has set up his own teammates with 292 assists for 348 points in 14 seasons in the NHL. Started his career in Calgary as he played for the Flames for ten seasons and the last 4 in Toronto. You have to compare him to another War Lord in the Mad Max saga called Bullet Farmer. He is a two way defensemen that can give you solid defense every night. They say he is a defensive minded defensive player. He will bring toughness and experience to a young group of defenders that the Blackhawks had last year. New scenery for Brodie could pay off as Toronto hardly used him in the playoffs and towards the end of regular season.

We will be saving the best for last in 29 year old left winger Tyler Bertuzzi who is the Wez of the Road Warrior movie. Bertuzzi and Wez both bring high energy to the wasteland and the ice arena every day. Bertuzzi gets a 4 year deal with the Blackhawks worth 5.5 million. Last year for the Maple Leafs he scored 21 goals and had 22 assists for 43 points. He has nine years in the NHL of which he started with Detroit where he played 7 seasons. He played one season with the Bruins. He has the knack of putting the puck in the net in high traffic situations. He has that antagonistic style of play that can get opponents to sway away from their game and find themselves in the penalty box.

I notice many of these guys that have played at some point for Boston, Toronto, and Las Vegas. Three organizations you see in post-season almost every single year. Some of these guys they signed could be one year and done in the organization. If the Blackhawks want them back beyond next year I’m sure they will get another one year deal. All these guys have a chip on their shoulder and should help this young team with experience and show the kids how it’s done. The Blackhawks have not spent their money on stupid free agent signings over paying guys that are not productive like the last GM. I like having Connor Bedard protected. I like a quality back up goalie. Goals around the net and swagger with the Bertuzzi signing. This makes me excited for next season. The Blackhawks may be must-watch almost every time they are on like the dynasty years. The start of the Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews era was exciting when they added veterans to the mix. Competitive hockey is what the fans want. Which will get us closer to the playoffs. The Blackhawks still have all that talent to develop in the guys they just drafted. The dark clouds may be breaking up over the United Center this fall.