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Which of this team’s free agents will be sticking around?

The Blackhawks have 11 unrestricted free agents that will be free to sign with other teams when Tuesday rolls around. How many of them will be staying in Chicago and how many of them will likely end up elsewhere? Let’s take a look at the players:

C Kevyn Adams

2007-2008 stats


GP G A PTS PIM +/-
27 0 2 2 13 -7

I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed to see Adams go elsewhere. He suffered an early season knee injury that held him out for 52 games this year. Early on, he showed some good PK skills and seemed to thrive in a 4th line role, but it wouldn’t be any huge loss to see him sign with another team. I don’t think the Hawks will make much of an effort to bring him back.

D Andrei Zyuzin

2007-2008 stats


GP G A P PIM +/-
32 2 3 5 38 -11

Ugh, here’s one guy I hope is not wearing a Blackhawks uniform next season. Zyuzin brought back memories of Jassen Cullimore (or Adrian Aucoin, perhaps?) on many occasions last season, and that is a horrible, horrible, horrible thing. He’s a 5th or 6th defenseman at best, and that is being generous. The Hawks have too much depth defensively and with a possible signing of someone like Brian Campbell (if we’re lucky), there shouldn’t be room for Zyuzin.

C Jason Williams

2007-2008 stats


GP G A P PIM +/-
43 13 23 36 22 -2

Williams had a good offensive season despite it being an injury-shortened one. He battled a groin injury which caused him to miss 39 games. When he was in the lineup, however, he produced well and saw plenty of time on the point on the power play. Unfortunately, Williams spoke out towards the end of the season about how he felt he wasn’t getting enough ice time and thought that indicated that they weren’t going to re-sign him, which couldn’t have made Hawks management too happy. With those comments in mind, I’d have to think he will not be re-signed.

LW David Koci

2007-2008 stats


GP G A PTS PIM +/-
18 0 0 0 68 -4

Koci was supposed to be the Blackhawks’ big-time enforcer for the 2007-08 season, but unfortunately Denis Savard decided he wasn’t a big fan of Koci when he wasn’t dropping the gloves, so his ice time dwindled after a while and he ended up only playing in 18 games. Many times Koci was dressed and then would only get 45 seconds-1 minute of ice time in the game. He’s a tough customer but I’m hoping maybe the Hawks will take a look at UFA Georges Laraque, who is a heavyweight in this league and has shown the ability to handle himself when he isn’t trading blows with someone. Koci is likely headed elsewhere for 2008-09.

G Patrick Lalime

2007-2008 stats


GP W L GAA SV% SO
32 16 12 2.82 .897 1

Lalime had a pretty solid season for a backup who had to step up and be the starter when Nikolai Khabibulin was injured. For a while he was out-playing Khabibulin by plenty and earned quite a few starts over him. That being said, I think it will be interesting to see if Lalime is brought back for next season, because the signing of Antti Niemi seems to signal that they are showing him the door. I wouldn’t mind it if Lalime is re-signed and then perhaps battles it out in training camp for the backup job.

C Yanic Perreault

2007-2008 stats


GP G A P PIM +/-
53 9 5 14 24 -1

Perreault was a healthy scratch on many nights this past season. The only thing he really brought to the table was that he is a very good face-off man. Otherwise, he contributes very little offensively. He has some value, but his lack of ability to score has got to make the Blackhawks consider other possibly better options out there. They may ink him to a new deal, but if they do I don’t see him playing in many more than the 53 games he appeared in for 2007-08.
G Mike Brodeur
Brodeur saw limited time in the AHL last year, playing 34 games between the Pensacola Pilots of the ECHL and the Rockford IceHogs. His GAA hovered around 2.80 for both clubs. He’s still a pretty good goaltending prospect for the Hawks and I would have to think they would like to hang on to him, although with Corey Crawford waiting in the minors and Antti Niemi recently signed from Finland, they may be willing to let him go if they feel confident enough in the current group of goalies.
D Jim Fahey
Yeah, I barely know who he is either. He played 65 games for the IceHogs last year after being signed in the off-season, and recorded 12 points. Will he stay? Maybe, if they want to keep him around for Rockford duty again. It’s unlikely he sees any time in the NHL.

G Wade Flaherty
Flaherty is 40 years old and spent this past season in Rockford for 31 games. I highly, highly doubt the Hawks re-sign him, or that he even plays another game in the NHL.

D Steve Marr
See Fahey, Jim. Marr spent his time in the AHL and ECHL last year and is another guy unlikely to see any time in the NHL soon.

D Prestin Ryan
The same as Marr and Fahey. He’ll only be brought back for depth in Rockford, if at all.

The Blackhawks also have five restricted free agents (Rene Bourque, Martin St. Pierre, Danny Richmond, Colin Fraser and Corey Crawford), but it’s rare that RFA’s are signed by other teams so I wouldn’t expect to see any of them going anywhere. Looking at this group of UFA’s, the Hawks won’t have any significant subtractions if any of these players aren’t staying in Chicago.

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