Chicago Blackhawks Off-season

Free Agent List…UFA: John Madden, Adam Burish, Kim Johnsson, Nick BoyntonRFA: Antti Niemi, Andrew Ladd, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Jordan HendrySalary Cap Space…$0 millionSummer Shopping List…1 Depth defenseman- Aaron Ward or Shane Hnidy1 Backup goaltender- Martin Biron or Manny LegacePossible Trade Bait…C/W Patrick SharpRW Kris VersteegRW Dustin ByfuglienG Cristobal HuetD Brent SopelTop 5 Prospects…1. Kyle Beach, LW2. Nick Leddy, D3. Jack Skille, RW4. Dylan Olsen, D5. Akim Aliu, RWOutlook…Rarely do you see a reigning Stanley Cup Champion have to shed salary, but the Blackhawks find themselves in that situation this summer. Future cornerstones Toews, Kane, and Keith all signed mega extensions during the season, putting the team over the salary cap (along with Toews’ and Kane’s bonuses).With all of that into consideration, guys like Sharp, Versteeg, and Byfuglien will be prime trade bait. GM Stan Bowman will do everything in his power to keep Sharp (as he should), b...