Now that NHL free agency is calming down and we’re getting deeper into the dog days of summer, let’s take a moment to review all of the offseason moves made by the Chicago Blackhawks so far.

Trades

It’s been an incredibly busy summer for Stan Bowman and company. After one of the worst playoff losses in franchise history, Bowman said that changes were coming. He’s been true to his word, and just a week after the Hawks were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nashville Predators, backup goalie Scott Darling was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2017 third round draft pick. Darling was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Hawks weren’t in a position to give him a new contract with a pay raise. They moved him for a draft pick instead of letting him walk for nothing, which was the right move.

The Hawks them lost defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. Van Riemsdyk played three years with the Hawks and mostly served as a bottom pair defenseman.

In June, the Blackhawks hosted the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center in Chicago. On the morning of the first round of the draft, the Hawks made a number of shocking moves. The first trade they made that day was sending longtime defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Connor Murphy and centre Laurent Dauphin. Murphy was a first round draft pick by the Coyotes in 2011 and plays a similar game to how Hjalmarsson plays. He will attempt to replace Hjalmarsson on the Hawks’ blue line. However, Hjalmarsson is one of the best defensive defenseman in the entire NHL, and Murphy is still unproven. It’s a big gamble to take, but Bowman has thought very highly of Murphy since their time together at USA Hockey. Dauphin was a third round pick from the Coyotes in 2013, and could be a potential bottom six depth forward for the Hawks in the future.

While Hawks fans were still trying to process this trade, another even more shocking trade made by the Hawks happened just minutes later. In this trade, the Blackhawks sent forward Artemi Panarin, forward Tyler Motte, and a 2017 sixth round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Brandon Saad, goaltender Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth round draft pick. There was a lot to process in this trade. Panarin was an unbelievably good player during his two year stay in Chicago, winning the rookie of the year award after the 2015-16 season. He recorded over 70 points each season and became a fan favorite playing on a line beside Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. However, Panarin has been criticized for being too much of a one-dimensional player, and didn’t contribute very much during the Hawks’ first round playoff exits the past two seasons. Saad, on the other hand, is a dynamic winger who can score, forecheck, and contribute on the power play and penalty kill. Saad helped the Hawks win two Stanley Cups before he was traded to Columbus when the Hawks couldn’t afford to give him a new contract. After Saad was traded away, the Hawks had a tough time trying to fill his role on the first line left wing beside Jonathan Toews. Toews’ production has dipped since Saad left, and the Hawks hope the return of Saad will bring Toews back to his old self.

Forsberg has been a career minor league goalie since turning professional, and could potentially compete for the Blackhawks’ backup goalie spot behind Corey Crawford.

Although there are several reasons these trades happened from a hockey standpoint, contractual and financial reasons also played a part. Both Hjalmarsson and Panarin are signed through 2019. They are then set to become unrestricted free agents. It is hard to imagine the Hawks being able to sign both of those guys to new contracts based on the high salaries the Hawks are committing to other players on the team. Saad and Murphy are signed through 2021 and 2022, respectively. They are also younger players than Hjalmarsson and Panarin are. By trading Hjalmarsson and Panarin for younger players with longer contracts, the Hawks are hoping to extend their championship window beyond what it would have been had Hjalmarsson and Panarin remained on the team.

On July 2nd, the Hawks traded centre Marcus Kruger to the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations. Kruger helped the Hawks win two Stanley Cup championships during his time with the team and played an integral role as a bottom six centre and penalty killer. However, Kruger’s cap hit of a little over $3 million became too much for the Hawks to afford, and the Hawks shipped him off to Vegas.

Free Agent Signings

The NHL free agency period began on Saturday, July 1st. The Hawks made a big splash early by signing winger Patrick Sharp to a one year contract. Sharp played for the Hawks from 2005-2015 and helped the Hawks win three Stanley Cup championships. He became a fan favorite during his time with the Hawks, and the news he was coming back made a lot of Hawks fans happy. However, there are some who believe Sharp’s best days are behind him. He’s older now, and he struggled with a number of injuries last season. The Hawks are hoping Sharp can provide a veteran presence for a younger locker room while also serving as a reliable depth player. The Hawks also signed free agent forwards Lance Bouma and Tommy Wingels to one year contracts. Both will be looked upon to serve as depth players in the bottom six forward group. Bouma previously played for the Calgary Flames, where he played a number of roles. He can play both the centre and winger positions and scored a career high 34 points three seasons ago. Wingels is a Chicago native, and took a discount to play for his hometown team. He previously played for the San Jose Sharks and the Ottawa Senators, and helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and the Senators reach the conference final round last season.

The Hawks also signed free agent goaltender Jean-Francois Berube to a two year contract. Berube previously played for the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders, mostly serving as a backup. He is expected to compete with Forsberg for the Hawks’ backup goalie roster spot.

Marian Hossa

The most shocking offseason news for Blackhawks fans came on June 21 when it was announced that forward Marian Hossa will miss the entirety of the upcoming 2017-18 season due to a progressive skin disorder he has been receiving treatment for. The disorder has progressed to the point where Hossa might have to retire for the betterment of his health. This is a huge blow for the Blackhawks, as Hossa has proven himself to be one of the best players in the league. Despite his age, Hossa has been one of the most reliable top six forwards the Hawks have had since he came to Chicago in 2009. He helped the Hawks win three Stanley Cup championships and is considered a future first-ballot hall of famer. The Hawks will miss his veteran leadership in the locker room and his physical presence on the ice. Part of the reason the Hawks re-acquired Saad is to fill the physicality void that Hossa leaves.

Many people are calling this Blackhawks offseason the most dramatic the franchise has had since 2010. A lot of uncertainty still surrounds the roster, but one thing that is certain is next year’s Hawks team will look dramatically different than the one that won 50 games last season.